Song of the Defenders - Sakimoriuta

The term refers to poems written by the defenders, but also includes poems written by their families. In the Manyoshu, there remain 87 poems by the defenders of the eastern provinces, one poem by their father, and 10 poems by their wives, for a total of 98 poems (one long poem and 97 short poems). Among these, there are 84 poems collected by Otomo no Yakamochi, who was in charge of inspecting the defenders at the time, from the Sakimori no Kotorizukai (commander of the defenders) who led the defenders to Naniwa (Osaka Prefecture) in February 755 (Tenpyo Shoho 7). These poems are organized by province in the 10 eastern provinces, and the names of the authors are recorded (in some provinces, the provinces where the defenders came from and their ranks are recorded). Other poems include eight poems from the "Old Year Defenders' Songs" presented to Otomo no Yakamochi by Iware no Morokimi at the same time, and one poem from the "Old Year Defenders' Songs" performed by Ohara Imaki at a banquet, but apart from the 84 poems mentioned above, the year of composition and the name of the composer are all unknown. Most of the defenders' songs vividly express the pain of being separated from their hometown, the starting point of their existence, the desire to return to their origins, feelings for their families, and the anxiety and fear of a future in which they will be torn away from their hometown. One good example is "The more I think of my journey as a journey, the more I love my wife, who is at home and growing up so thin with our children" (Volume 20). The songs of the families of the border guards also express the deep and heavy anguish of wives who have no choice but to see their husbands off, such as "I see people asking me who my husband is who is going to be a border guard, but I feel envious and can't think of anything else" (Volume 20). In general, the border guards' songs cannot be considered in the same category as the traveling songs of aristocrats; they contain the cries of people facing a survival crisis, and are as valuable as the songs of common people in the Nara period and as linguistic materials that provide the eastern dialect, along with the Azuma songs.

[Hiroshi Endo]

"Defense Forces" by Endo Hiroshi (included in "Manyoshu Lecture Series 6", 1972, Yuseido Publishing)" ▽ "The Basic Structure of Defense Force Poems" by Yoshino Yutaka (1943, Ito Shoten/reprinted 1984, Chikumashobo)" ▽ "The Heart of the Eastern Songs and Defense Force Poems of the Manyoshu" by Sakashita Keihachi (2001, Shinnihon Shuppansha)" ▽ "Complete Commentary on the Defense Force Poems of the Manyoshu" by Mizushima Yoshiharu (2003, Kasama Shoin)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

防人のつくった歌の意だが、防人の家族のつくった歌も含めていう。『万葉集』に東国の防人の歌87首、父の歌1首、妻の歌10首、合計98首（長歌1首、短歌97首）が残る。このなかには、755年（天平勝宝7）2月に筑紫(つくし)（福岡県）に赴く防人を難波(なにわ)（大阪府）まで引率してきた防人部領使(さきもりのことりづかい)から、当時防人検閲の任にあった大伴家持(おおとものやかもち)が集録した歌が84首ある。これらは東国10国の国別にまとめられ作者名が記されている（防人の出身郡・地位が記されている国もある）。ほかに、同じときに磐余諸君(いわれのもろきみ)が大伴家持に贈った「昔年防人歌」8首や大原今城(いまき)が宴席で披露した「昔年相替防人歌」1首などもあるが、前記の84首以外はすべて作歌年次・作者名ともに不明。防人の歌の大部分は、生存の原点としての家郷から切り離された苦悩、原点への回帰の願望、家族への思い、また家郷から引き裂かれる将来への不安・恐怖などが生々しく歌われている。「我(わ)ろ旅は旅と思(おめ)ほど家(いひ)にして子持(め)ち痩(や)すらむ我が妻愛(みかな)しも」（巻20）はその好例の一つ。防人の家族の歌も「防人に行くは誰(た)が夫(せ)と問ふ人を見るが羨(とも)しさ物思ひもせず」（巻20）のように、夫を送り出さざるをえない妻の深く重い苦しみが詠出されている。総じて防人歌には、貴族の旅の歌とは同列に論じられない、生存の危機に立ち至った者の叫びが歌われていて、奈良時代の庶民の歌としても、また東国方言を提供する言語資料としても東歌(あずまうた)とともに貴重な存在である。

［遠藤　宏］

『遠藤宏著「防人」（『万葉集講座6』所収・1972・有精堂出版）』▽『吉野裕著『防人歌の基礎構造』（1943・伊藤書店／復刊・1984・筑摩書房）』▽『阪下圭八著『万葉集　東歌・防人歌の心』（2001・新日本出版社）』▽『水島義治著『万葉集防人歌全注釈』（2003・笠間書院）』

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