Yoroboshi - Yoroboshi

A Noh piece. Also called "Yoroboshi." The fourth piece. Currently in use by the five schools. The Konparu school revived it in the early Meiji period. The other schools are said to have been revived around the Genroku period (1688-1704). It was written by Zeami's eldest son, Kanze Motomasa. However, the quirky parts were written by Zeami. Takayasu Michitoshi (waki) of Takayasu Village, Kawachi Province (Osaka Prefecture), regrets having believed someone's slander and banished his son, and gives alms at Tennoji for seven days. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Higan festival, Shuntokumaru (shite), who has become blind and a beggar, appears and, drawn by the scent of plum blossoms, receives a segyo and recounts the origins of Tennoji Temple. Following a period of meditation in which he imagines paradise at sunset during the middle of the Higan festival, Shuntokumaru becomes excited as he sees the scenery of Naniwa reflected in his mind's eye, and bumps into people and comes to terms with his blind condition. Accompanied by his father, who realizes he is his own son, he returns to his hometown. Despite facing adversity, he is portrayed as a boy (there is also a Noh mask of a young man with the appearance of a young man) who retains his poetic sense like the scent of plum blossoms and his clear-sightedness, but when the play was originally created, it was written that he would appear accompanied by his wife. Later joruri works that were influenced by this include "Yoroboshi" and "Setsu Gappo Gatsuji."

[Masuda Shozo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

能の曲目。「よろぼうし」ともいう。四番目物。五流現行曲。金春(こんぱる)流は明治初期の復曲。他流も元禄(げんろく)（1688～1704）ころに再興したものとされる。世阿弥(ぜあみ)の長男、観世元雅(かんぜもとまさ)作。ただしクセの部分は世阿弥の作。河内(かわち)国（大阪府）高安の里の高安通俊(みちとし)（ワキ）は、人の讒言(ざんげん)を信じわが子を追放したことを悔い、天王寺で7日間の施しをしている。彼岸会(え)のにぎわいのなかに、盲目となり、乞食(こじき)の身となった俊徳丸(しゅんとくまる)（シテ）が現れ、梅の香にひかれつつ施行(せぎょう)を受け、天王寺の縁起を語る。彼岸中日の落日に極楽を念ずる日想観(じっそうかん)に続き、心眼に映る難波(なにわ)の景色に興奮した俊徳丸は、人々に突き当たり、盲目の境涯を思い知る。わが子と気づいていた父に伴われ、彼は故郷へと帰ってゆく。逆境にありながら、梅の香りのような詩心と、澄んだ諦観(ていかん)を失わぬ少年（青年の風貌(ふうぼう)の能面もある）として演出されるが、創作当時は妻を伴って出る脚本であった。影響を受けた後世の浄瑠璃(じょうるり)に『弱法師』『摂州合邦辻(せっしゅうがっぽうがつじ)』などがある。

［増田正造］

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