Mono no aware - Mono no aware

This word is said to represent the literary ideals of the Heian period, and is also known for the importance placed on it by Motoori Norinaga. According to Norinaga's "Tale of Genji: Tama no Ogushi" (published in 1799), "aware" is "feelings toward things," and "when encountering something that is moving, one feels a sense of emotion no matter what it is, and this is called knowing the pathos of things," and "The Tale of Genji" in particular is considered the greatest work that expresses "the pathos of things." "Aware" has long been used as a word to express emotion in the songs of the Kojiki and Nihonshoki, but it gradually came to express aesthetic values ​​as well. During the Heian period, people were more likely to be moved by harmonious beauty, and in such cases, it was accompanied by a solemn sentiment, forming a unique world of elegant charm, and it is believed to have been idealized. Compared to "okashi" from the same period, it has similar aspects such as elegance, but there are differences such as the cheerful nature of "okashi" and the sadness that comes with "aware". "mono no aware" is almost the same in content as the "aware" of that time. However, "mono no aware" is thought to be a generalized word such as "harusame no aware" and "aki no aware", and "mono no aware" probably indicates the occasion that causes the "aware". The nature of "aware" also changed after the Middle Ages, becoming "appare", which expresses strong emotion, and "aware" in the sense of sympathy or pity, but "mono no aware" has not changed in this way, and in that respect it can be said to be a word that particularly indicates the "aware" of the Heian period.

[Motoharu Takeda]

"Japanese Literary Studies" by Yoshie Okazaki (1935, Iwanami Shoten) " "History of Japanese Literary Criticism" (Senichi Hisamatsu Collected Works 5, 1968, Shibundo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安朝の文芸理念を示すといわれる語で、本居宣長(もとおりのりなが)が重視した点でも知られる。宣長の『源氏物語玉の小櫛(おぐし)』（1799刊）によれば、「あはれ」は「物に感ずること」で、「何事にまれ、感ずべき事にあたりて、感ずべき心を知りて感ずるを、もののあはれを知るとはいふ」のであり、とくに『源氏物語』は「もののあはれ」を表現した最高の作品とされる。「あはれ」は古く記紀の歌謡などから感動を表す語として用いられているが、しだいに美意識も表すようになる。平安時代には調和のとれた美に感動することが多くなり、その場合しめやかな情緒を伴い、独特の優美な情趣の世界を形成するようになって、理念化されたとみられる。同じ時代の「をかし」と比べると、優美にかかわる点など類似した面をもつ一方、「をかし」の明るい性質に対して「あはれ」は哀感を伴う点など異なるところがある。「もののあはれ」も、こういう当時の「あはれ」と内容はほぼ同様である。ただ「もののあはれ」は「春雨のあはれ」「秋のあはれ」などを一般化したことばとみられ、「ものの」は「あはれ」の引き起こされる契機を示すのであろう。そして「あはれ」の性質は中世以後も変わっていき、強い感動を表す「あっぱれ」にもなり、同情や哀れみの意味での「あはれ」にもなるが、「もののあはれ」にはそういう変動がなく、その点とくに平安朝的な「あはれ」を示す語ともいうことができる。

［武田元治］

『岡崎義恵著『日本文芸学』（1935・岩波書店）』▽『『日本文学評論史』（『久松潜一著作集5』1968・至文堂）』

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