Sleeping song - Neongyoku

The title of a Kyogen piece. Tarokaja Kyogen. The master calls Tarokaja, wanting to hear him sing again, which he heard the previous night as he passed by the gate. The master thinks it would be troublesome if he were to be made to sing so often in the future, so he drinks plenty of sake and says that he cannot sing sober, and further requests that he can only sing with his wife's lap as his head. However, the master offers to lend him his lap, so in the end he ends up singing with his wife's lap as his head. As the master tries to raise the upper body of the master, who has begun to sing sonorously, his voice becomes hoarse and does not come out. When he lowers his body, his voice becomes good. After repeating this several times, the master accidentally makes a mistake, and when he lowers his body he does not sing, but when he stands up he sings with a good voice, and finally stands up and starts dancing. The master corners the master, who realizes his mistake and tries to run away. The highlights of the performance are the use of good and bad voices, and the transition of the performance in which they are confused.

[Kazutoshi Hayashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

狂言の曲名。太郎冠者(かじゃ)狂言。主人は、前夜その門前を通りすがりに聞いた太郎冠者の謡をまた聞きたいと、呼び出して所望する。冠者は、今後たびたび謡わせられては困ると考え、素面(しらふ)では謡えないと十分に酒を飲み、さらに妻の膝枕(ひざまくら)でなければ声が出ないなどと注文をつける。しかし、主人が自分の膝を貸すというので、結局その膝枕で謡うことになる。朗々と謡い始めた冠者の上体を、主人が試しに起こしてみると、声はかすれて出ない。下ろすと良い声になる。これを何度か繰り返すうち、冠者はうっかり取り違え、下ろすと声を出さず、起こすと良い声で謡い、ついには立って舞い始める。失敗に気づいて逃げる冠者を主人が追い込む。良い声と悪い声の使い分けと、それを取り違えていく演技の推移が見どころである。

［林　和利］

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