Plays

Plays

By Zeami Motokiyo.

Translated by Arthur Waley, Frederick Victor Dickins, George Sansom, Ernest Fenollosa, and Noguchi Yone.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Foreword
4. Plays
   1. Takasago
      1. Introduction
      2. Characters
      3. Prologue
      4. Act I
      5. Act II
   2. Sakuragawa
      1. Argument
      2. Characters
      3. I
      4. II
5. Kinuta
   1. Introduction
   2. Characters
   3. Suma Genji
      1. Characters
      2. Scene I
      3. Scene II
   4. Nishikigi
      1. Characters
      2. First Part
      3. Second Part
   5. Yamanba
      1. Characters
      2. Act I
      3. Act II
   6. Atsumori
      1. Introduction
      2. Characters
      3. Act I
      4. Act II
6. Endnotes
7. Colophon
8. Uncopyright

Imprint

This ebook is the product of many hours of hard work by volunteers for Standard Ebooks, and builds on the hard work of other literature lovers made possible by the public domain.

This particular ebook is based on transcriptions from Project Gutenberg and on digital scans from various sources.

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Foreword

This edition of Zeami Motokiyo’s Plays was produced from various translations. Takasago was translated by Frederick Victor Dickins and originally published in 1906. Sakuragawa was translated by George Sansom and originally published in 1911. Kinuta, Suma Genji and Nishikigi were translated by Ernest Fenollosa and originally published in 1916. Yamanba was translated by Yone Noguchi and originally published in 1918. Atsumori was translated by Arthur Waley and originally published in 1921.

Robin Whittleton

Sweden, March 2026

Plays

Takasago

Introduction

The scene of the Prologue is the shore near Aso; of the first Act the scene is the strand of Takasago, of the second Act the scene is the strand of Sumiyoshi. (On the stage there is no differentiation of scene.)

The chorus would, originally at least, consist of the actors. At a later period more or fewer of the musicians and songmen (utahigata) took choral parts. It does not seem that there was any special chorus. It has, however, been supposed that the waki was accompanied by two hafuri (shrine-servants), who acted as chorus.

The performance began with the entry, from behind, of the shite and his tsure and the waki, who⁠—in later times perhaps some of the musicians⁠—would chant the opening quatrain. Upon the stage a Pine-tree was originally placed, afterwards represented by a picture on a curtain of the Tree under which the Spirits of the Trees of Takasago and Sumiyoshi were depicted, holding rakes in their hands and sweeping up the fallen needles.

The dancing or posturing would be part of the duty of the actors, not of the chorus, the functions of which only distantly resemble those of the chorus in the Greek Drama.

Characters

• The shite, or protagonist, an Ancient, being the Manifestation or Presence of the Spirit of the Pine-tree of Sumiyoshi (or Suminoye) in Settsu.

• The tsure, or companion of the Ancient, being a Dame, the Manifestation or Presence of the Spirit of the Pine-tree of Takasago in Harima.

• The ato shite, or deuteragonist⁠—the part being taken by the shite⁠—the Manifestation or Presence of the God (representing the three gods) of Sumiyoshi.

• The waki, or side-actor (tritagonist), being Tomonari, the Warden of the Shinto shrine of Aso in Higo (southwest of Kyūshū).

Prologue

Scene. The Seashore Near Aso in Higo.

Chorus. Tomonari.

Chorus	In traveller’s trim now first he fareth forth, and far the way is, and many the days before him.
Tomonari	I who speak, Sirs, am Warden of the shrine of Aso in the land of Higo within the isle of the Nine Territories,1 and Tomonari is my name. Never yet have I beheld City-Royal, and so am I minded to go up to the Capital; and for that so good an occasion may not be mine again, I would fain turn aside a space by the way and gaze upon the strand of Takasago in the land of Harima.
Chorus	Describing the journey. In trim of traveller this day to start he mindeth for City-Royal, for distant City-Royal⁠— across the surf he upon the shipway oareth, gentle the skies are, the spring-winds softly blowing⁠— what tale of days shall his bark in the cloudy distance sail o’er the sea-plain till Harima he reacheth, and Takasago at last his keel receiveth, his keel receiveth!

Act I

Scene. The Strand of Takasago2 overshadowed by an ancient gnarled and wide-branched Pine-tree.

Tomonari. The Ancient of Suminoye. The Dame of Takasago.

Ancient and Dame together	In the Pine-tree of Takasago murmureth the gentle spring-wind, across the darkening air the deep tones wafting of the bell of old Onöe⁠—3
Dame	Mid the rocks mist-hidden the roar of the surf resoundeth;
Ancient and Dame	or ebb or flood be the cadenced music telleth.
Ancient	Whom may I