Keshi no Hana
けしの花
This is a piece of genre Jiuta in the style of Tegotomono from the Ikuta Ryû - 生田 School. Also Known As : The Poppy Flower. This piece was composed for Koto by the person Yaezaki Kengyo. This piece was composed for Shamisen by the person Kikuoka Kengyo in the year 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 | Shakuhachi | Koto | Shamisen | |
 | Abe Keiko Record Set - 07 | Ikeda Seizan II | Abe Keiko | |
| Fascination of the Koto 4 | Yonekawa Megumi | Yonekawa Toshiko | |
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 06 | |||
| Koto and Shamisen Gendai Meikyoku Shu 05 | |||
| Sankyoku Home Practice - Shoden 2 | Aoki Reibo II | |||
| Sokyoku Jiuta Taikei 35 | Yonekawa Hiroe | Yonekawa Toshiko | |
The International Shakuhachi Society - 2018