Bridge Benkei

Noh piece. Fourth piece. Five-school current piece. Author unknown, some say it was Saami. Is it based on "Gikeiki"? Musashibo Benkei (mae shite) was making a midnight pilgrimage to Gojo Tenjin Shrine, but on the night of the full moon, he heard from his attendant about a boy who was like a spirit killing people with a short sword on Gojo Bridge. He tried to refrain from making the pilgrimage, but he felt it would be a shame to run away after hearing about it, and decided to kill the boy (intermission). Ushiwaka (ko-kata) was told by his mother to go to Kurama Temple tomorrow, and he waited for someone on Gojo Bridge, thinking that tonight would be a last vestige. Benkei (second shite) appears carrying a large naginata (long sword), but is caught off guard by Ushiwaka, who is dressed as a woman and passes by. Ushiwaka kicks the naginata into the air and Benkei fights fiercely, but even Benkei is thoroughly toyed with and finally surrenders, becoming master and servant. The Kanze school has a special production of the "Fue no Maki" (Flute Scroll), in which the first act is completely changed, and Ushiwaka, accompanied by Haneda Akinaga (waki), is admonished by his mother Tokiwa (first shite) about killing someone, and hears the secrets of the flute passed down in the Minamoto family. There is also "Hashi Benkei" in the Otogi Zoushi, and in the Gidayuu style, there is Chikamatsu Monzaemon's "Harami Tokiwa," as well as other styles in the Itchu and Kato styles, and the Nagauta piece "Hashi Benkei" is also famous.

[Masuda Shozo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

能の曲目。四番目物。五流現行曲。作者不明、佐阿弥(さあみ)説もある。『義経記(ぎけいき)』によったものか。武蔵坊(むさしぼう)弁慶（前シテ）は五条の天神への丑(うし)の刻詣(もう)でをしていたが、満願の夜、従者（ツレ）から五条の橋で小太刀(こだち)で人を斬(き)る化生(けしょう)のような少年のことを聞き、いったんは神詣でを思いとどまろうとするが、いや聞き逃げは無念と、それを討ち取る決意をする（中入り）。牛若（子方）は、母の言いつけで明日は鞍馬寺(くらまでら)にあがろう、今夜が名残(なごり)と、五条の橋で人を待つ。大薙刀(なぎなた)を担いだ弁慶（後シテ）が現れるが、女装した牛若に油断して通り過ぎる。薙刀を蹴(け)上げた牛若と弁慶は激しく戦うが、さすがの弁慶もさんざんに翻弄(ほんろう)され、ついに降伏して主従の縁を結ぶ。観世(かんぜ)流には「笛之巻」の特殊演出があり、前段がまったく変わり、羽田秋長(はねだあきなが)（ワキ）に伴われた牛若が、母の常盤(ときわ)（前シテ）に人を斬ることをいさめられ、源家に伝わる笛の秘事を聞く。御伽(おとぎ)草子にも『橋弁慶』があり、義太夫(ぎだゆう)節に近松門左衛門の『孕常盤(はらみときわ)』ほか、一中(いっちゅう)節、河東(かとう)節にも流れがあり、長唄(ながうた)『橋弁慶』も名高い。

［増田正造］

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