Mikazuki

The title of a Kyogen piece. A female Kyogen. A husband (shite) who loves Renga (linked poetry) tells his wife to prepare for a renga gathering that will be held tomorrow at his house. The wife refuses to listen, saying that she is poor and has no time for a renga gathering, and asks him to divorce her if she insists on holding the gathering. The husband agrees, and when asked for a sign of divorce, she gives him a winnowing basket, since he has none. Seeing her back as she puts on the winnowing basket and leaves, he recites a hokku (a verse verse) that begins, "The crescent moon on the evening of the 20th that I have yet to see." Hearing this, the wife adds a beautiful side verse that begins, "Tonight, it is painful to be leaving the winnowing basket." The husband is completely impressed, and understands his wife's feelings, apologizes, and the couple happily reconcile. This accompanying verse is from the Okura school, but in the Izumi school it would be "The crescent moon (the sieve) is a sad vestige," and "The sky fades into a keepsake of autumn (fatigue). Unusually for a kyogen story about a married couple, the wife's character is gentle, and the piece is full of sentiment and haiku flavor.

[Kazutoshi Hayashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

狂言の曲名。女狂言。連歌(れんが)好きの夫（シテ）が、明日は自分の家で連歌の会を催すのでその用意をするよう、妻に言いつける。妻は貧窮の身で連歌の会どころではないと聞き入れず、どうしても会を開くなら離縁してくれという。これを承知した夫は、離縁のしるしを要求されて何もないので箕(み)を与え、その箕を被(かず)いて出て行く後ろ姿を見て「いまだ見ぬ二十日の宵の三日月（箕被き）は」と発句を詠みかける。これを聞いた妻が「今宵(こよい)ぞ出(い)づる身（箕）こそつらけれ」とみごとに脇句(わきく)を付ける。すっかり感心した夫は、妻の気持ちを理解してわびを入れ、めでたく復縁する。この付け合いの句は大蔵(おおくら)流であるが、和泉(いずみ)流では「三日月（箕被き）の出(い)づるも惜しき名残(なごり)かな」「秋（飽き）の形見に暮れていく空」となる。夫婦物の狂言としては珍しく妻の性格がおとなしく、俳味の漂う情趣豊かな曲。

［林　和利］

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