Washing the grass paper

Japanese: 草紙洗 - そうしあらい

Title of a Noh piece. Also called "Kusa-shi (Ko) Ara-komachi" depending on the school. Third piece. Wig piece. Author unknown. Shite is Ono no Komachi. Otomo no Kuronushi (waki), who was chosen as Ono no Komachi's opponent in a poetry contest at the Imperial Court, sneaks into Komachi's residence the day before and eavesdrops on her reciting a waka poem. On the day of the contest, Ki no Tsurayuki, Bonkawachi Munehisa, Mibu no Tadamine (tsure) and others are in attendance and the contest begins. Komachi's poem is highly praised by the Emperor (kogata), but Kuronushi claims that it is an ancient poem and presents a Kusa-shi from the Manyoshu as evidence, putting Komachi in a difficult position.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

能の曲名。流派により《草紙(子)洗小町》とも称する。三番目物。鬘物（かつらもの）。作者不明。シテは小野小町。宮中の歌合で小野小町の相手と決まった大伴黒主(ワキ)は，前日小町の邸に忍び込んで，小町が和歌を詠じているのを盗み聞きする。当日は，紀貫之，凡河内躬恒，壬生忠岑(ツレ)らが列席して勝負が始まる。小町の歌は帝(子方)から絶賛されるが，黒主が古歌だと訴え，証拠に《万葉集》の草紙を突き付けるので，小町は窮地に立つ。

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

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