Hagi Daimyo

The title of a Kyogen piece. Daimyo Kyogen. When a daimyo (shite) decides to go on a trip, Taro Kaja recommends viewing the bush clover in a friend's garden. It is customary for guests to compose waka poetry in the garden. So the Kaja tries to teach the unrefined daimyo a poem he has heard before: "I thought seven, eight, nine layers, but the bush clover blossoms are ten layers." However, the daimyo says he can't remember it, so he decides to indicate the "seven, eight layers..." part with the number of ribs on a fan, and to signal the final line, "Bush clover flowers," by pointing to his shin. However, when the daimyo arrives at the garden, he makes a series of blunders when he sees the plum trees and garden stones, and when it comes time to compose the waka poetry, he makes the mistake of saying "seven ribs, eight ribs." When the astonished lord disappears, the panicked lord is unable to remember the final line and responds with a desperate "Taro lord is a fool" - losing face. The comedy is based on failure due to a lack of style and an extremely poor memory, but it is a fine piece that also has a seasonal feel.

[Kazutoshi Hayashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

狂言の曲名。大名狂言。遊山を思い立った大名（シテ）に、太郎冠者(かじゃ)は知人の庭の萩見物を勧める。その庭では客が和歌を詠むことが例になっている。そこで冠者は、無風流な大名に、聞き覚えの「七重八重九重(ななえやえここのえ)とこそ思ひしに十重(とえ)咲き出(い)づる萩の花かな」という歌を教えようとする。しかし大名が覚えられないというので、「七重八重……」の部分は扇の骨の本数で示し、末句の「萩の花かな」は臑脛(すねはぎ)を示して合図することに決めて出かける。ところが、庭に着いた大名は梅の木や庭石を見て失言を重ねたうえに、いざ和歌を詠む段になって「七本八本」などと間違える始末。あきれた冠者が姿を隠してしまうと、慌てた大名は末句が思い出せず、苦し紛れに「太郎冠者が向こう脛(ずね)」と答えて面目を失う。無風流と極端な物覚えの悪さによる失敗を笑いのテーマとするが、季節感の漂う佳作である。

［林　和利］

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