The Tale of Saigyo - The Tale of Saigyo

Japanese: 西行物語 - さいぎょうものがたり

A Kamakura period story that includes many poems about the life of Saigyo. The author is unknown. It is also known as "Saigyo Ikkyou Soushi," "Saigyo Shiki Monogatari," "Saigyo Ichidai-ki," and "Saigyo-ki," and has been handed down in the form of picture scrolls. Fujiwara no Yoshikiyo, a warrior on the northern side of Emperor Toba, was a young man who excelled in both literature and martial arts, but at the age of 25, he witnessed the death of a friend close by and felt a strong sense of impermanence. He kicked a girl clinging to his sleeve off the veranda, ran to Nishiyama, and became a monk. Yoshikiyo, who changed his name to Saigyo, visited Ise and made a hut in Futamiura before heading east.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

西行の生涯を多数の歌をまじえて記した，鎌倉時代の物語。作者未詳。《西行一生涯草紙》《西行四季物語》《西行一代記》《西行記》とも称され，絵巻の形でも伝わる。鳥羽院の北面の武士藤原義清（のりきよ）は文武に秀でた青年であったが，25歳のとき友人の死を身近に見て無常の思いを強め，袂にすがる娘を縁側から蹴落として西山に走り，出家する。西行と名を変えた義清は伊勢に参拝し，二見浦に草庵を結んだのち，東国に向かう。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Letter of Judgment - Saikyojo

>>: People living in Tokyo