One Hundred Verses - Hyakuin

A form of linked verse (renga) and haikai (haikai) poetry, this refers to a group of 100 verses. It alternates between long verses of 5-7-5 and short verses of 7-7 to make a total of 100 verses. The name comes from the Chinese poem "renku," meaning linked verse, so although it does not rhyme, it is called 100 verses . The first three verses are called the first verse, the second verse, and the third verse, and the last 100 verses are called the last verse (ageku or yōku). The general format is to use 4 pieces of pocket paper, with 8 verses on the front and 14 verses on the back of the first fold, 14 verses each on the front and back of the second and third folds, and 14 verses on the front and 8 verses on the back of the last fold. Works of 1,000 verses and 10,000 verses also use 100 verses as the basic unit. Although records of this style can be found from around the beginning of the 13th century, it is thought to have already been in use in the late Heian period, and it was the most common style until the end of the Middle Ages, but as renga gave way to haikai, the kasen (36 verses) style became predominant.

[Isao Okuda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

連歌(れんが)・俳諧(はいかい)の作品形式で、百句のまとまりをいう。五・七・五の長句と七・七の短句を交互につけて合計百句となるもの。名称は漢詩の聯句(れんく)に由来するので、韻は踏まないが百韻という。最初の3句を、発句(ほっく)・脇(わき)（句）・第三とよび、最後の百句目を挙句(あげく)（または揚句）とよぶ。一般的な書式では、懐紙4枚を用い、初折表(しょおりおもて)8句・裏14句、二の折、三の折はそれぞれ表裏とも14句ずつ、名残(なごり)の折表14句・裏8句を記す。千句、万句などの作品も百韻を基本単位とする。13世紀初めごろに記録がみえるが、平安時代後期にはすでに用いられていた形式と考えられ、以後中世末期までもっとも一般的な形式であったが、連歌が俳諧に移行するにしたがって、歌仙（36句）の形式が優勢になった。

［奥田　勲］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例