Omoigusa - Omoigusa

Japanese: 思草 - おもいぐさ

〘Noun〙① Another name for the plant "Nanban Giseru (Southern Barbarian tobacco pipe)". Season: Autumn ※Man'yoshu (late 8th century) 10.2270 "The pathside pampas grass below, what is the thought grass now?"② Another name for the plant "Ominaeshi (Lady's Mantle )". ※Gyoshu (around 1140) "Like the Lady's Mantle, the wild grass of thought grass will now be tied to my pillow."③ Another name for tobacco. ※Joruri, Sonezaki Shinju (1703) "The fire that burns in the tobacco pipe, <omitted> blows and blows, and disappears into the sky, and this too is a thought grass with no idea of where it will go." [Note] There have been various theories since ancient times about which plant it refers to. Since it is often written in waka poetry as "the pathside pampas grass below," it is assumed to be a Southern Barbarian tobacco pipe that parasitizes the roots of pampas grass and other plants. It is used to lead to "omou" (to think) or to link with "omoi tane" (to think), perhaps because the downward-facing shape of the flowers brings to mind the image of a person deep in thought.

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙① 植物「なんばんギセル（南蛮煙管）」の異名。《季・秋》※万葉（８Ｃ後）一〇・二二七〇「道辺の尾花が下の思草(おもひぐさ)今さらになに物か思はむ」② 植物「おみなえし（女郎花）」の異名。※行宗集（1140頃）「女郎花おなじ野べなるおもひ草いま手枕にひき結びてむ」③ タバコの異称。※浄瑠璃・曾根崎心中（1703）「煙管にくゆる火も、〈略〉吹きて乱るる薄煙、空に消えては是もまた、行方も知らぬ相おもひぐさ」[補注]どの植物を指すのかについては古来諸説がある。和歌で「尾花が下の思草」と詠まれることが多いところから、ススキなどの根に寄生する南蛮煙管と推定されている。「思ふ」を導いたり、「思ひ種」にかけたりして用いられるが、下向きに花をつける形が思案する人の姿を連想させることによるものか。

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