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Miya no Uguisu

宮の鶯

[Genre]Sokyoku
[Style]Kumiuta
[School]Ikuta Ryû - 生田
[Composed]Mitsuhashi Kengyō - Koto

History (Tsuge Gen'ichi):

This song cycle (kumiuta) consists of an introductory song followed by six songs. The text, based on a Chinese poem (Shang-yang pai fa-jen) by Po Chu-I (772-846), is about Mei-fei, one of the three thousand beauties at the palace of the Emperor Hsuyan Tsung of the T'ang dynasty (8th c.) and how she lost the Emperor's favor when a matchless beauty, Yang Kuei-fei came into the palace. The title means 'The Nightingales at the Palace.'

Poem (translated by Tsuge Gen'ichi)

Morning mist in spring
At the Hua Ch'ing palace;
Deep are the colors
Of the willow
And the cherry.
Beautiful!
In scented sleeves of brocade
She awaits the emperor.

The nightingales
At the palace
Sing amidst the flowers.
Swallows in the palace caves
Sing 'Rain is coming.'
How envious I am-
Would that I could leave
All to my heart's desire.

Your heart has been taken
By that beauty
From the house of Yang.
But for her
You see no one.
How resentful I am,
Having been put
So far aside.

At sixteen,
In the spring of my youth,
I was selected.
At sixty, in the fall of my life,
I am sent away
Growing old and lonely in bed,
I weep aloud-
Oh wretched life!

The beauty of the lotus
Has failed.
The jewel of dew
No longer gleams.
Now I want to hide.
Should I be seen
Even a stranger
Would laugh.

Wavering on the wall
The candle
Barely flickers
Throughout the night.
When I hear the rain
Against the windows
I am still less
Able to sleep.

Like flowers
And like birds
Woman is praised
In verse
And prose.
But in the midst
Of these brilliant fashions
I alone, wither.
Kasei no haru no
asagasumi
yanagi sakura no
iro fukaku
nishiki no tamoto
kaori kite
miyuki wo matsu zo
uruwashiki

Miya no uguisu
hana ni naki
noki no tsubame wa
ame wo yobu
urayamashiki wa
ono ga mi no
kokoro no mama ni
makasuran

Yooka wo ideshi
sono iro ni
kimi mo kokoro wo
madowasare
hitori no hoka wa
me ni tsukade
toozakuru koso
urami nare

Erabare ideshi
nihachi no haru
utsusare kite wa
musoji no aki
munashiki toko ni
oikatete
ne wo nomi naku zo
aware naru

Fuyoohana
otoroete
tsuyu to tama
hikari nashi
ima wa mieji na
mie mo seba
utoki hito niwa
warawaren

Kabe ni somukeru
tomoshibi no
matataki nokosu
yomosugara
mado utsu ame no
oto kikeba
itodo sae
nerarenu

Tatoete iwaba
hana tori
fumi ni tsukuri
shi ni utoo
imayoo-sugata
toridori no
naka ni wabishiki
tada hitori

Miya no Uguisu appears on the following albums

Album Artist

Kikuhara Hatsuko Zenshu vol. 9 Voice : Kikuhara Hatsuko
Koto : Kikuhara Hatsuko

Sokyoku Jiuta Taikei 05 Voice : Yamase Shōin II
Koto : Yamase Shōin II