ISS Logo

The International Shakuhachi Society

- Aoyagi -

青柳

Home

Schools

Discography

Lineage Charts

Pieces

People

Glossary

Other Sites

Teachers

Governors

For Sale

Member's Area

Search komuso.com

This is a Jiuta piece in the Kumiuta style from the Yanagawa Ryű school . This piece was composed for koto by Yaezaki Kengyo . This piece was composed for shamisen by Ishikawa Koto .

Poem (translated by Tedford, John)
Maeuta:

[The mound upon which this ancient willow
stands is sacred.]
Thus, even on the playing field
in flower-bedecked Kyoto
where courtiers gather for the game of kemari,
there are planted at each corner
a willow, a cherry tree,
a pine, a maple tree.
The limbs of these four trees
cast their shadows on the field
where, in the evening,
echoes the sound of the kemari ball.
The willow and cherry
blend together
as beautiful as the brocade
which decorates the courtiers' robes.
In the breeze which
drifts through the slits
in the bamboo shades,
the scent of perfume comes wafting.

Tegoto I

Nakauta:

Tora, the household cat,
catches his dragging leash
[on the bamboo shade which lifts
to reveal Nyosan]
Lord Kashiwagi is overcome
by longing for this unattainable beauty
and like the falling oak leaves [1]
wanders astray
on the path of love,
without hope, in vain.
[Now let us leave the story of Kashiwagi
and return to the
ancient willow of Aoyagi.]
The spirit of the Noh play
dons the willow-colored kariginu [2]
and kazaori [3]

Tegoto II

Atouta:

Floating on the wind
come his footsteps
first uneven
but then supple and light.
The manner of his dance
is wonderful.
Truly, this dreamlike apparition
seems to us reality.
Truly, this dreamlike apparition
seems to us reality.

[1] Kashiwagi means "oak tree."
[2] Kariginu are short kimono worn by nobles for hunting.
[3] A kazaori is a black lacquered hat (eboshi).

Aoyagi appears on the following albums:



Send feedback and corrections.

Copyright 2007 - The International Shakuhachi Society
This information on this page may not be copied for commercial use.