Miidera Temple

Japanese: 三井寺 - みいでら

Title of a Noh piece. Fourth piece. Author unknown. A mother (mae-shite), whose son Senman was kidnapped by a human trafficker, visits the Kannon Bodhisattva in Kiyomizu and is told in a dream to go to Miidera Temple. A dream interpreter (ai) judges the situation to be auspicious, so she joyfully heads to Omi (intermission). At Miidera, the resident monks (waki) take a young boy (kokata) to watch the full moon on the night of the full moon. The mother (noto-shite), who has gone mad, appears and, despite the monks' warnings, plays with the bell, then spends time gazing at the clear night view of Lake Biwa. Eventually, the mother realizes that the young boy watching the moon is her own child, and the mother and son return to their hometown together. With its tasteful lyrics filled with famous places and bells, and its excellent composition, this piece is considered a masterpiece of mad women. It makes a good pair with the spring play "Sumida River."

Miidera

Please see the "Onjoji Temple" page.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

能の曲名。四番目物。作者未詳。わが子千満を人買いにさらわれた母 (前シテ) が清水の観音に参ると，三井寺へ行けという夢のお告げを受ける。夢占いの男 (アイ) の判断も吉であったため，喜んで近江に向う (中入り) 。三井寺では住僧 (ワキ) たちが稚児 (子方) を連れて十五夜の月見をしている。そこへ物狂いとなった母 (後シテ) が現れ，僧たちの制止もきかず鐘をついて戯れたのち，清澄な琵琶湖の夜景を眺めて時を過す。やがて母は月見の席の稚児がわが子と知り，母子は連れ立って故郷へ帰っていく。名所尽し，鐘尽しの趣深い詞章と，すぐれた作曲により，狂女物の名作とされる。春の『隅田川』と好一対。