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Keshi no Hana

けしの花

[Genre]Jiuta
[Style]Tegotomono
[School]Ikuta Ryû - 生田
[Also Known As]The Poppy Flower
[Composed]Yaezaki Kengyō - Koto
Kikuoka Kengyō - Shamisen - cir. 1830

History (Tsuge Gen'ichi):

Keshi no hana ('The Poppy Flower') was written around 1830 by Kikuoka Kengyo of Kyoto, the most prolific composer of jiuta. Later this song was arranged as an ensemble piece for koto and shamisen by Matsuzaki Kengyo II (d. 1871). The text praises a beautiful courtesan who is likened to a lovely poppy flower. The piece begins with a short instrumental introduction and recitation of the first line, but is a typical tegoto-mono.

Poem (translated by Tsuge Gen'ichi)

How pretty
Is the poppy flower
Here in my hand.
When plucked
Its fragrance
Is unworldly.
But how pitiful
Once the petals
Have fallen.

Very jealous is the poppy,
A passionate flower of summer.
Yet it wilts easily
Under a rain of affection.
There is no need
To be ill at ease with me.
Just be unresisting,
Like a lovely Nara doll.
(maebiki)

Te ni torite
mireba uruwashi
keshi no hana
(ai)
shiori shioreba
tadanaranu
(ai)
nioi koobashi
(ai)
hanabira no
chirinishi sugata
aware tomo

(tegoto)

Rinki suru ki mo
natsu no hana
9ai)
ame niwa moroki
fuzei ari
tare ni kigane wo
nannimo iwazu
jitto shite ina
nara-ningyoo

Keshi no Hana appears on the following albums

Album Artist

Abe Keiko Record Set - 07 Voice : Abe Keiko
Shamisen : Abe Keiko
Shakuhachi : Ikeda Seizan II
Voice : Fujii Kunie
Shamisen : Fujii Kunie
Play ButtonFascination of the Koto 4 Voice : Yonekawa Toshiko
Shamisen : Yonekawa Toshiko
Koto : Yonekawa Megumi
The original sangen version was composed by Kikuoka kengyo (1702-1847) and the koto part was added by Matuzaki kengyoo II (d. 1871). Accepting the burden of her sever life, a courtesan is symbolized by both a poppy flower and porcelain doll because of their beauty and fragility.

The high-registered song phrases could be considered to represent the beauty of pitiful woman. The following musical points would interest listeners: the beginning part is song without the sense of meter, and neither the sangen nor the koto change tunings at all.

Ikuta Ryu Sokyoku Senshu Volume 03 (下) Koto : Miyagi Kiyoko
Shamisen : Yazaki Akiko
Voice : Miyagi Kazue

Ikuta-Ryū Sōkyoku Senshū - volume 5 Voice : Matsuo Keiko
Shamisen : Matsuo Keiko
Koto : Matsuo Kazuko

Koto - Koten/Gendai Meikyoku Shū 08 Koto : Nakashima Yasuko
Shamisen : Miyake Utamichi
Voice : Okuno Gashō

Sankyoku Gassō Dai Zenshū vol. 15 (三曲合奏大全集15) Voice : Nosaka Sōjū
Shamisen : Nosaka Sōjū
Koto : Nosaka Keiko
Shakuhachi : Ishikura Kozan

Sankyoku Home Practice - Shoden 2 Shakuhachi : Aoki Reibo II

Sasagawa Shizue no Shigei Vol. 2 Shamisen : Sasagawa Shizue
Koto : Suzuki Kazuko

Sō no Shiori (Ikuta Ryū) vol 3 Shamisen : Inoue Michiko
Voice : Satō Chikaki
Koto : Satō Chikaki

Sokyoku Jiuta Taikei 35 Voice : Yonekawa Toshiko
Shamisen : Yonekawa Toshiko
Voice : Yonekawa Toshiko II
Koto : Yonekawa Toshiko II

Yoshida Seifu Collection of Famous Performances volume 2 Koto : Yoshida Kyōko
Shakuhachi : Yoshida Seifū