Pathway to Japanese Literature

*Title: Nōin Hōshi*

Characters:

Nōin Hōshi

Fujiwara no Setsushin

Nōin's disciple Ryōin

Hanazono no Shōshō

Shōshō's wife, Okuzono no Shō

Fushiba no Kaga

Yin-yang Master Abe no Masachika

The Fujiwara period.

Mid-autumn.

The northern outskirts of Sagano, beyond the capital.
Nōin Hōshi's hermitage.

A thatched two-story structure stood with a Buddhist altar at the upper front part, before which a sutra desk bearing scrolls was placed.

Following the Buddhist altar, shelves had been arranged, upon which lay various items including poetry collections, paper boxes, and inkstones; the lower area contained a wall with a hearth positioned before it. In the lower area, bending around, there was a bamboo-framed elbow-rest window. The upper part of the house structure featured a sliding door for entry and exit near the inner chamber. The garden-facing side had a half-window with a lowered bamboo blind, beyond which hung a trellis bearing loofahs. At the garden's lower edge stood a low fence with a wicket gate, autumn flowers blooming along its border. Beyond the fence rose a large enoki tree. Behind them lay forests, hills, fields, and such vistas stretching into the distance.

(Nōin Hōshi, the master, in his early forties, leans out of the upper window.)
His face had been burned by the sun and turned pitch-black.
The disciple Ryōin had descended into the garden and was sweeping fallen leaves.
(The sound of birds could be heard.)

Ryōin: "These fallen leaves are truly dreadful."
Autumn appeared to be steadily deepening, for these days the fallen leaves had been increasing day by day.
Ah, the birds were singing incessantly.
(Looks at the sky.) The weather was fine today.
People out on autumn excursions must have gone out in great numbers.

NŌIN (calling from the window): “Ryōin.”
“Ryōin.”

RYŌIN: “Yes, yes.”

Nōin: “Fine weather we’re having.”

Ryōin: “The north mountain winds at dawn and dusk had been steadily piercing to the bone, though midday still retains some lingering heat.”

Nōin: “Autumn evenings—damn, they’re scorching hot.
Day after day like this, exposing my face—it’s damn hard work, I tell you.
You must sympathize with my plight!”

“I did sympathize, Master.
Yesterday, when some business took me to the capital, there was a head displayed at Rokujō Riverbed that looked just like yours.”

Nōin: Rokujō Riverbed... A criminal's displayed head?

It was precisely that sort of head.

Nōin: Don’t talk nonsense.
“But sticking my neck out like this—it’s exactly like a criminal’s displayed head.”
"It must have gotten quite dark by now."

It's properly darkened now.
“It should only require a bit more patience now.”

“Since the autumn wind has been blowing quite fiercely, it’s about time I can write ‘The autumn wind blows at Shirakawa Barrier.’”

Ryōin: Well, it remains somewhat premature still.
"For returning from Michinoku all the way here, the days on the road take quite some time, you see."

“Having a staring contest with this loofah every day is damn hard work, I tell you,” Nōin complained. “Ah, if only the autumn wind would blow harder! ‘Autumn wind blows at Shirakawa Barrier... Autumn wind blows at Shirakawa Barrier...’ Well? I’ve asked a hundred times—my face must be properly darkened by now?”

“You needn’t worry,” Ryōin reassured him. “With your diligent daily sunning, the dyeing process has achieved premium quality—pitch-black perfection.”

Nōin pressed further: “To any observer, it must appear I’ve truly made that long journey.”

“That’s perfectly fine,” said Ryōin. “I guarantee it. In all the world, those with such pitch-black faces must be limited to you and the sea monk.” He laughed heartily.

Nōin laughed in turn. “Hahahaha.”

(Fujiwara no Setsushin, over thirty years old, came to the gate and peered in.)

Setsushin: "I humbly request."

Ryōin: "Huh?"
(Startled, he came beneath the window.) "Master!"
"Uh, s-s-someone has arrived!"

Nōin: "Someone's come..."
(He startled.)

Ryōin: "Master! Hurry—hurry…!
If you're seen, it would be disastrous!
Hurry—hurry…!"

Nōin: "Listen—they still haven’t left, I tell you!"

Setsushin: Is Ryōin out?
(calls out loudly)

Ryōin: Yes, yes.
"I’ll be right there."

(Nōin hurriedly pulls his head back from the window.)
(Ryōin approaches the gate with feigned innocence.)

Ryōin: Yes, yes.
"Who...?"

Setsushin: Ryōin?

“Oh! So it was Lord Setsushin?”
“Now, this way...”

(Setsushin entered inside and sat on the veranda.)
Ryōin glanced back at the window with feigned concern.

Setsushin: “Oh, there are many fallen leaves in this garden too.”
“Autumn has already come, hasn’t it?”

Ryōin: “Yes.”
“We have been eagerly awaiting it, you see.”

Setsushin: “Have you been waiting for autumn to come?”

Ryōin: “Huh?”
(Covering his mouth.) “No—that’s...”
“...I thought that if autumn were to come, Master might return...”

Setsushin: “Lord Nōin—when might he be returning?”

“Well, you see—with Michinoku being such a distant journey through those northern wilds, wandering from place to place... It remains unclear when he might return. Though once autumn winds begin blowing at Shirakawa Barrier...”

Setsushin: (Laughing.) “Now, now—none of your lies.”

Ryōin: “Wh—I would never tell a lie. Master has absolutely not returned from Michinoku.”

(He glances back toward the window again.)

Setsushin: “Just now, a pitch-black head was sticking out from that window...”

Ryōin (Startled): “Huh?”

Setsushin: “Who is that? Who is that, I ask?”

Ryōin: “No—that must be some misperception of yours. Ah! That! You must have seen the loofah there.”

“What nonsense...”
“A loofah talking? Don’t be absurd!”
“The pitch-black loofah I saw was opening its big mouth and laughing at you about something.”

“Huh.”
(Growing increasingly flustered.) “Oh? That loofah was laughing, you say?”
“This is a most peculiar matter...”

“Enough with the act!”
“Indeed, I couldn’t make out the face clearly because it was pitch-black, but hearing the voice is certain proof.”

Ryōin: “Though even a deaf man might imagine he hears things...”

Setsushin: “I am not deaf! That voice I heard just now—chatting loudly with you here and guffawing about something—was unmistakably Lord Nōin’s voice.”
“No—that man is utterly outrageous!”
“Though I’ve been on friendly terms with this Setsushin for many years, for him to suddenly hide upon seeing my face is a most disagreeable way to act.”
“Alright! I’ll barge into the inner room this instant and drag that Nōin out here—mark my words!”

(He made as if to go.)

Ryōin: Wait, wait! That’s preposterous—
“Master is absolutely not here—”

Setsushin: What are you saying.
“He’s hiding in there!”

(As Setsushin tries to head to the inner room, Ryōin frantically blocks him; amid their vehement struggle, Nōin pokes his head out from the window once more.)

Nōin: Now, wait! Wait!

Setsushin: Oh! Nōin?
“Why are you hiding?”

Nōin: Well... there are various circumstances regarding that...
“I’ll go there now and explain everything, so please wait.”
(Pulls his head back in.)

“There, you see! The master’s inside after all! You lying monk!”

(Setsushin strikes Ryōin once with his fan.)

Ryōin: “Oh... I’m terribly sorry.”

(Ryōin holds his head，utterly exasperated.)
(Nōin emerges from the inner room.)

Nōin: “Lord Setsushin，I must apologize for my long absence.”

Setsushin: “I heard you were traveling to Michinoku—when did you manage to return?”
“Well，I must say your face has gotten quite pitch-black.”
“Even for a lengthy journey，that’s an extraordinarily severe sunburn you’ve acquired.”
(Upon seeing Nōin’s face，he bursts out laughing.) “This is truly—hahahaha!”

Nōin: “Has it really become that black?”
(He stroked his face.) “Hey, Ryōin.”
“You kept flattering me about this ‘superior dye job,’ but it seems the color’s come out a bit too strong.”

Ryōin: “Perhaps the dye didn’t take properly...”
“The autumn sun has been particularly intense lately...”
“No—during summer it maintained just the right darkness, but these past two weeks it’s suddenly turned pitch-black...”

Nōin: “Then perhaps I should wash some off.”
“No—if I scrub too hard and it reverts to its original pallor, that would be disastrous.”
“Getting the tint precisely balanced proves quite troublesome.”
(He kept rubbing his face obsessively.)

“This isn’t Ono no Komachi washing her poetry papers—if washing makes it whiter or darker, what in blazes is the logic here?”
“Ah! So you’ve been daubing ink on your face to make it this black!”

“No, no—if ink alone could solve this, I wouldn’t have suffered three months of a prisoner’s hardship… Since spring, baking daily under the sun has left my skin raw.”
“No—this was no common endurance.”

Setsushin: “Hmm.”
“I simply can’t make sense of what you people are saying.”
“If one undertakes a long journey, they’d naturally tan under the sun—there’s no need to deliberately darken one’s skin.”
“What purpose does blackening a face that wasn’t particularly fair to begin with serve?”

Nōin: “Well... that’s precisely the problem.”
“But now that things have come to this pass...”
“The truth is... this journey of mine...”

Ryōin: “Master! Wait—!”
(urgently gesturing for silence)

Nōin: (Thinking.) No—it’s none other than Lord Setsushin.
“To you alone will I reveal my secret—you mustn’t breathe a word of this to others. Understood?”

Setsushin: “Understood.”
“Between you and me.”
“I swear by the eight million gods—not a syllable shall leave these lips.”
“Now then—hold back no secrets...”
(Scooting closer on his knees.)

Nōin: “You there—Ryōin.”
“Lord Setsushin’s an exception, but if others overhear—disaster.”
“Keep sharp watch at the gate—you hear?”

Ryōin: “Yes, yes.”
(Looked at the gate.)

Nōin: “To tell the truth, that journey to Michinoku was a lie.”

Setsushin: “What? You said you departed for Michinoku—that was a lie?
“Why would you tell such a lie…?”

Nōin: “Hush, hush!”
(To Ryōin.) “Hey, Ryōin—is there anyone outside?”
“This is dangerous!”

Ryōin: “It’s all right here.”

Setsushin: “Ah! I see.
“Ah, so it was you!
“Because you incurred some socially ruinous debt, you pretended to travel to distant Michinoku and have been hiding out back here.”

Nōin: “No, no—there’s still time until New Year’s Eve! I would never resort to such a cowardly scheme…”

Setsushin: "Well then..."
(Thinks.) *Oh, that's it!*
"People aren't what they seem—here you are, old enough to know better yet messing with some young woman, making such a mess that you're hiding out back while they're away..."
"No—you're utterly shameless!"

Nōin: "No, no—it's not some elegant scandal either."
"The truth is, I recently composed a poem."

“You are a renowned poet.”
“It must certainly be an interesting poem.”
“And that poem…”

“I shall have the honor of presenting it momentarily.”
“Kindly await its revelation.”

(Nōin brought colored paper from the box on the shelf.)
(Setsushin received it and read.)

Setsushin: “I left the capital with the mist, yet at Shirakawa Barrier, the autumn wind indeed blows.”
“Hmm.”
(He appeared deeply impressed.)

Nōin: “What do you think?”
“Left the capital with the mist, yet...”

Ryōin: “The autumn wind blows at Shirakawa Barrier.”
(Loudly.)

Nōin: “Hey, I told you to keep quiet...”
“Is there anyone outside listening?”

Ryōin: “Ah—they’re here! They’re here!”
(Points offstage.)

Nōin: “Huh?”
(Started up in surprise.) “Have they really come?”
“They’re here?”
(Tried to flee into the back.)

*Ryōin laughed: “Ha ha ha ha!”*

Nōin: “You got me again.”
“Irritating brat!”
(Sat down relieved.) “Enough jokes—keep a proper watch over there.”

Ryōin: “Ha ha, it’s all right here.”

Setsushin: (Rereading the poem on the colored paper.) “Ah—a splendid masterpiece! The line ‘autumn wind blows at Shirakawa Barrier’ is truly inspired.” Though belatedly, even Setsushin found himself thoroughly impressed.

Nōin: “Well, there you have it. I, too, having painstakingly produced such a masterpiece, thought that if I were to simply release it into the world in some lackluster fashion, people would hardly praise it as they should—and so I devised various stratagems.”

Setsushin: “I see, I see. And that stratagem…”

Nōin: That stratagem proved quite difficult.
"After consulting with Ryōin here and racking our brains through every possible approach—this journey..."
"We made a grand announcement to the world that I went to Michinoku to see its poetic place-names—but in truth, I'd been hiding in the back of my house since spring."
(Scratches his head.)

Setsushin: So instead of Michinoku, you'd been hiding in your house's back rooms?
"No—you're a cunning fox!"
"I've been thoroughly hoodwinked by this."
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

“Pardon me—Lord Setsushin.”
“It isn’t only our Master who’s done this.”
“Indoor pilgrimages are the current fashion in the capital these days.”

Nōin: “So then, if Nōin were to wait for the opportune moment and announce his return from the Michinoku journey, a great many people would gather and ask, ‘How was your journey?’”
“‘Did you see Michinoku’s famous Shinobu mojizuri, Noda’s Tamagawa stream, Asaka Marsh, or Shiogama’s cherry blossoms?’ they’d inquire.”
“We seize this advantage and solemnly present our poem: ‘The autumn wind indeed blows at Shirakawa Barrier...’”
“It sounds precisely as if composed on-site, making everyone doubly impressed.”
“Even the same poem gains tenfold in value when unveiled this way—people’s reverence becomes truly extraordinary.”

Setsushin: (Dumbfounded.) “This is... utterly astonishing! Posing as an elegant poet, you’re quite the con artist, aren’t you?”

Nōin: “Even a poet devoted solely to artistic elegance cannot navigate today’s world without engaging in at least this much publicity. But the one thing that troubled me here was…” (Pointing at his face.) “…by darkening my complexion. After all, since I claimed to have made that long journey of a hundred or two hundred ri from the capital to Michinoku, my face and limbs should be thoroughly sunburned.” “And so I devised another stratagem.” “While publicly claiming to be away and hiding in a back room, I would wait for moments when no one was watching, stick my head out that window every day, and be exposed to the morning and evening sun like a living criminal in the stocks.” “The reason for Nōin’s pitch-black face is as you see here…” “Now, don’t laugh at me.” “Even so, the man himself was giving it his all.”

Setsushin: (Bursts out laughing.) “Ah, I’m utterly at a loss for words! You’re a cunning one—too crafty to remain a mere hermit.”

Nōin: “Shall I lend you a touch of my cunning? Ha ha ha ha!”

Setsushin: “Ha ha ha ha!”

(At this moment, Ryōin once again pointed off into the distance and raised an alarm.)

“Master! They’ve come—they’ve come!”
“What? Truly? Truly?”

Ryōin: “No deception this time—two people are indeed walking this way. Ah, there, there! One appears to be that self-styled poetess Kaga—an impertinent modern woman—and the other seems to be Lord Hanazono no Shōshō...”

Setsushin: “Since I’ve long heard those two are lovers, and fortunately today’s weather is fine, it seems they’re strolling hand in hand through the autumn fields, taking a leisurely walk.”

Nōin: “That may be their business, but it’s quite a nuisance if they come barging in here.”
(Stands up.) “Hey, Ryōin. If those two come here, I’ll say I haven’t returned from Michinoku yet! You got that?”

“I have fully grasped all the arrangements.”

Nōin: “If this were discovered, it would be disastrous.”

(He retrieved the colored paper from Setsushin and stowed it away in the paper box.)

Setsushin: “If Lord Shōshō were to come here, explanations would prove troublesome.”
“I shall take my leave now.”
(He descended into the garden.)

Nōin: “Ah—wait a moment!”
“Since you’ve gone to the trouble of visiting, I ought to present you with a fine souvenir.”

(Nōin produced small wood shavings from his sleeve, placed them on ceremonial paper, and presented them with exaggerated solemnity.)

Setsushin: (Receives it and examines curiously.) “This looks like wood shavings... Far too lightweight for mosquito repellent.”
(Picks at it.) “But this wouldn’t make decent meal greens either.”
“What in the world is this meant to be used for...?”

Nōin: “Even someone of your stature, Lord Setsushin, likely wouldn’t know this.”
“It is a rare item unparalleled in Japan.”
“The Nagaenobashi Bridge—famous since antiquity for being celebrated in song: ‘Had the pheasant not cried, it would not have been shot.’”

Setsushin: “Hmm...”

Nōin: “These are wood shavings from when that bridge was built...”

Setsushin: “Well—unparalleled! This leaves me utterly speechless. Even I, Setsushin, have never seen anything like this in all my born days. However, having received such a rare treasure, I suppose I must offer some token of gratitude in return.”
(He searched his pockets and clicked his tongue.) “Had I known this would happen, I would have brought something suitable—most inconveniently, I’ve left it at home. Then I shall bring it later…”

Nōin: “There’s absolutely no need for such a dutiful return gift.”

Ryōin: “Oh! Oh! The two are already coming.”

“I see.”
“I see.”

(Setsushin hurriedly exited through the gate and looked ahead.)

“Ah, indeed! They’re here, they’re here!”
“This time it’s no lie.”
“Lord Nōin, if you don’t hide yourself quickly, your disguise will be exposed!”

“Yes, yes.”
“Ryōin, listen.”
“I’m counting on you!”
“Say I’m away! Say I’m away!”

(Nōin hurriedly escaped into the inner room.)

(Setsushin started to head off in that direction but then changed his path and entered a lower area.)

Ryōin: Haha—Lord Setsushin is quite an amusing person.
He was thoroughly impressed by the wood shavings from Nagaenobashi Bridge and returned home, but given that man's nature, he must have resolved not to be outdone and will undoubtedly bring back some other bizarre antique.
He'll probably label some outlandish objects as "the turtle shell Urashima rode" or "the tail of the eight-headed serpent," then come lugging them in.
After all, he and the Master make quite the pair.
Hahaha.

(Ryōin resumed sweeping the garden.)

From ahead came Hanazono no Shōshō, over twenty years of age.
(Accompanied by the Retired Emperor’s lady-in-waiting Kaga, about twenty years old, holding a branch of wild chrysanthemums in her hand, they exited together in apparent harmony.)

Hanazono no Shōshō: “It was a fine day indeed.”

Kaga: “On Mount Kaga—autumn foliage; in the fields—chrysanthemums. Day by day, the hues of autumn have steadily deepened.”

Hanazono: “Indeed.”
“Indeed.”
“The autumn fields and mountains will grow ever more captivating from this point onward.”
“Having wandered yonder paths without cease since morn, my legs have grown rather fatigued.”

Kaga: “Let us take respite somewhere about here.”
“Ah, that place yonder appears most fitting.”

Hanazono: "Whose residence might that hermitage-like thatched house be?"

"Are you not acquainted with it, Kaga?"
"That is Monk Nōin's hermitage."

“Ah, I see. I’ve called upon this place once or twice myself,” said Hanazono no Shōshō. “I hear Master Nōin departed on a journey to Michinoku and has yet to return—but surely someone must be tending to the house?”

“Since Ryōin—that easygoing disciple monk—is keeping watch here, let’s rest awhile and hear some amusing tales.”

(The two arrived at the gate.)

“Brother Ryōin.”
“You’re putting remarkable effort into your sweeping.”

Ryō-in! Ah—Lady Kaga.
"Oh, were you accompanying Lord Hanazono no Shōshō as well?"
“Come now, come now—please, this way.”

(Hanazono and Kaga entered the garden.)

Hanazono: “Oh! Though I hear the master is away, the garden’s upkeep remains quite thorough.”

Ryōin: “Oh no—it’s just that I get scolded loudly every morning, so…”

Kaga: “Huh? Who scolds you?”

Ryōin (flustered): “Uh... Wh-what? That... Since I’ve developed the habit of being scolded every morning until now, even with the master away, I keep the place clean like this.”

Hanazono: “What an admirable man—without an ounce of deceit.”

Ryōin: “After all—honesty is paramount for humans.”
(He turns aside and laughs.)

“Having walked nearly half the day, my throat has grown parched,” said Hanazono. “Might I trouble you for a cup of hot water?”

Ryōin: “Yes yes!”
“I’ll brew some fresh this instant and serve you!”
“First please honor us by seating yourself here.”

(Hanazono sat down on the veranda.
Ryōin went inside and lit dried branches in the hearth.
Kaga stood by the fence gazing at plants.
(The sound of insects could be heard.)

Hanazono: “Oh—the day already draws to its close.”)

“Autumn days are short indeed,” said Ryōin.

“Here we can still hear insects singing,” Kaga remarked.

“When night falls, katydids chirp right by one’s pillow,” Ryōin added.

Hanazono nodded. “That makes it all the more poetic, don’t you think? Come now, Kaga—why not take Sagano’s autumn evening as your theme and compose one of your famous poems?”

Kaga: "Lately I've been feeling rather distracted, you see—not in the slightest mood for composing poetry."

Hanazono: "So you mean to abandon poetry altogether?"

Kaga: "Abandon it? Don't be absurd!
I'll become Japan's foremost poet one day, mark my words. Hohoho.
Ah! Now that you mention poetry...
There's something I've been meaning to tell you for ages, but somehow the moment never seemed right... You know...
I have a particular request I'd like to make of you."

Hanazono: “What’s this sudden formality about? Are you saying you want a fine kimono or something?”
(He laughs.)

Kaga: “No, it’s nothing like that. You mustn’t be so surprised.” (She comes beside Hanazono and sits down.) “You and I have kept good relations like this for over two years now… Um… I’d like us to become complete strangers after today…”

Hanazono: "Huh?"
(Startles to his feet) "What? Why would you say such a thing so abruptly?"
"Did something offend you?"
"Let me hear your reason."
"Give me your reason."
(Presses closer.)

“Oh, please wait,” said Kaga. “You’re so excessively kind that no matter how I search, I simply find nothing offensive. I’m at my wit’s end precisely because there’s no cause for me to grow cold toward you.”

Hanazono replied, “Then there should be no dissatisfaction—why speak of severing our bond? I cannot grasp it.”

“You needn’t grasp it,” Kaga countered. With an intimate lilt, she pressed, “Oh, you... Just say you’ll become strangers with me.”

Hanazono: “That’s impossible to agree to out of the blue.”

Kaga: “I was fully aware of its unreasonableness from the very beginning.”
(Rises.)

Hanazono: (※[Replaces “亡” in “慌” with “曷－日－勹”] restraining her.) “Wait—you’re always spouting such selfishness, but that’s unacceptable.”
"Do you truly believe I would give such an answer without even properly hearing your explanation?"
“You sort through this tangle!”

Kaga: Then, if I explain my reasons, you’ll agree, won’t you?

Hanazono: Well, once I’ve heard your reasons and found them convincing, then we’ll see…

Kaga: We can’t just leave it at ‘we’ll see’.
“You must firmly declare your consent.”
"Is that acceptable?"

“Well, it cannot be helped.”
“Very well, very well.”
(He nodded reluctantly.)

Kaga (sits down again.) “The explanation is first and foremost like this. I suddenly thought up such a poem around this exact time last year.”

Ryōin: “Huh?” (unintentionally leans forward and listens attentively)

Hanazono: "That poem..."

Kaga: Long had I planned this woe—Fushiba’s lament meant only for the woodcutter’s axe.

Hanazono: "Long had I planned this woe—Fushiba’s…"

Ryōin: ...this lament meant only for woodcutting...

Hanazono thought: Hmm...
How intriguing.

Ryōin: “That’s an intriguing poem.”
(Deeply impressed.)

Hanazono: “Needless to say, it’s a love poem—but it seems to express a woman’s heart when abandoned by her man.”

Ryōin (leaning further forward): “Precisely, precisely.
When cast aside by her beloved, sighing deeply while thinking ‘Ah, this was inevitable,’ one glimpses the poignant sorrow inherent to a woman’s heart.”

Kaga: “That’s exactly why I devised this plan.
(Stands and begins pacing.) Having conceived such an excellent poem, I needed to fabricate a lover…someone of noble status, celebrated in society…only to be discarded by him midway.
By first unveiling this verse at that precise moment, it will appear to have truly welled from my heart’s depths—everyone will be profoundly moved, exclaiming ‘Ah, how pitiable!’”

Ryōin: “I see, I see.”
“Well, there are similar tales out there.”

Kaga: “Oh?”

Ryōin: Oh, it’s about our own affairs here.

“The men of the world will surely sympathize with such a woman and clamor to lavish praise,” said Hanazono. “I’ve had quite my share of such experiences myself.”

“Then my name would spread throughout society in an instant through this single poem,” replied Kaga. “What might the world call me, I wonder? ‘Long had I planned this woe—Fushiba’s...’”

“Perhaps they’ll name you ‘Fushiba no Kaga’?” suggested Ryōin.

Hanazono repeated slowly, “Fushiba no Kaga...” before declaring, “What a poetic epithet!”

Kaga: Yes, yes... Fushiba no Kaga...
"Resolutely, everyone will say so."
(Sits on the veranda edge.) “And so it will spread—from the capital itself to distant Michinoku and Chikushi’s farthest reaches—that when they speak of Fushiba no Kaga, they’ll all clamor in praise: ‘Japan’s undisputed literary prodigy! A peerless poetess without equal!’”
“That would be my heart’s desire.”

Hanazono: Ah, I see.
“Understood.”
“So you want me to abandon you, is that it?”

“If you don’t cast me aside, I’ll never be able to unveil this poem to the world—it’ll simply rot like a hoarded treasure, don’t you understand? From the very moment I began this affair with you last year, I’ve waited each day—will today be the day? Tomorrow?—yearning for you to discard me.”

“Then even our romance was but a device to launch that poem into the world? Well now—this astonishes me profoundly.”

Kaga: “That’s precisely why everything will fall into place if you abandon me here and now.”
“Right?”
“I’ve been romantically involved with you.”
“Then you cast me aside.”
“When I unveil this poem then, everyone will take it for an utterly sincere confession.”

Hanazono: “Indeed—a clever stratagem to promote your own renown.”

Kaga: “If you’re so admiring, then… (Throws the flower in her hand.) You’ll cast me off now, won’t you?”
“Quickly, give your answer!”
“The sun already sinks.”

Hanazono: “This exceeds all bounds.”
“What a quandary-nau.”
(Stood utterly confounded.)

Ryōin thought this surpassed even their master’s craftiness.
(With admiration.) Truly, women of this age were formidable creatures.

Hanazono: “But this requires negotiation…”
(Taking Kaga’s hand and leading her beneath the loofah trellis.) “First, I’ll cast you aside precisely as you desire.”
“I’ll discard you with cruel indifference—utterly heartless.”
“You’ll weep away a full month.”
“Once you’ve unveiled that ‘Fushiba’s Lament’ and dazzled every last fool in society, then when the moment ripens—if we retwist our threads to their former state—wouldn’t this artifice unfold magnificently?”

Kaga (shaking off Hanazono’s hand and moving toward the veranda): “That’s not an entirely bad scheme, but I couldn’t possibly agree to it now.”
“Do consider this properly.”
“Once I become known as Fushiba no Kaga, those eager young men won’t simply stand idly by.”
“Love poems and ardent letters will come pouring in from every corner like spring rain.”
“There may even be some persistent soul determined to prove his devotion through ceaseless courtship.”
“And then—well—I suppose my heart might wander through countless distractions.”
(Sits on the veranda edge in contemplation.)

“Oh, most reasonable—most reasonable indeed,” said Ryōin. “In that case, you’d be so dazzled by all the options that you couldn’t possibly make a hasty decision.”

Hanazono: (In a sorrowful voice.) “So this is our final parting?”
Kaga: “Should fate permit, we may yet meet again.”
(Stood up.)

Hanazono: "Ah—this has turned into such a pitiful affair."
"Had I known it would come to this, I should have composed some mournful verse beforehand—but alas, my poetic skills are wanting."
"I suppose there's no chance you might relinquish that poem to me instead..."

Kaga: "You mustn't speak such nonsense!"
"Oh my—you're growing misty-eyed."
"How utterly unmanly of you."
(Laughs.)

Hanazono: "You're scarcely the model of womanliness yourself."
"Oh dear, oh dear—what a wretched predicament I've stumbled into."
(Sighs.)

Ryōin (consolingly): "If one romances modern women, one must be prepared for matters to turn out thus sooner or later."
"What I've long contemplated—Fushiba's..."

Hanazono: "To think your sole purpose was to fell me into lament..."
"Ah."
"How cruel."
"But it is a masterful poem."
"Skillfully composed."

Kaga (laughing again): "You admire it through tears! How delightfully absurd!"
"Hohoho."
"Well then, I shall take my leave."

(As Kaga began to leave, Hanazono rushed over and seized her sleeve.)

Hanazono: “Must you be so mercenary about this? Couldn’t you at least linger here a little longer to talk before leaving?”

Kaga: “Once matters are settled, acting swiftly proves most advantageous. I mean to stop by two or three houses on my return route to spread word of this poem...”
(She shook free and started to depart.)

Ryōin: “Ah! Wait—if you’re in such haste, we’ve got poetry cards and slips right here. If you write two or three sheets now, it would save time…”

Kaga: “How perfectly convenient. Then let me write two or three sheets here.”

Ryōin: “Come now, come now—no need for formalities… I’ll fetch brushes and inkstones at once.”

(Ryōin brought brushes, ink, inkstones, poetry cards, slips and such from the shelf.)
(Kaga took a seat on the veranda.)

Ryōin: “Now then—write to your heart’s content. Five sheets, ten sheets—even a hundred…”

Kaga: “My, before I knew it the sun had set and the workspace grew dim, hadn’t it?”
(To Hanazono.) “You there—would you mind grinding the ink?”

Hanazono: “Yes, yes.”
“Understood.”

(Hanazono grinds the ink.)
Kaga takes up the brush and writes the poem on colored paper.
Ryōin also sticks out his head and watches.
(Meanwhile,Nо̄ин stealthily slides open the inner sliding door and pokes his head out to look.)

Kaga: “Well now, I’ve managed to write two sheets here.”
(While speaking, she suddenly noticed Nōin’s face and startled.) “Ah!”

Hanazono: “Huh?”
(Hanazono turned around in shock.) “Ah!”

(The two, startled, jumped down into the garden.)
Nōin hurriedly closed the sliding door.)

Ryōin (looking around restlessly): “What’s happened here?
Did a gecko fall from the ceiling?”

Hanazono: “A gecko? Far from it!
Ah! Th-that... A monster from behind that sliding door—!”

Ryōin: “A monster... From back there...”

Kaga: “A great monk with a pitch-black face and only his eyes gleaming... Before I knew it, he smoothly stuck out his head…”

"A pitch-black great monk..."
(Barely suppressing an outburst, he put on a serious face.) "Ah, is that so?"
"That's strange..."
(Pretending to ponder.) "What on earth could that be?"

Hanazono: "I can't say for certain myself, but most likely it's a monster."
(He adjusted his fan and assumed a defensive stance.)

“If not for that, there’s no reason a pitch-black head would emerge from such a place.”
(Trembling.) “Darling...
What should we do?”

"They say demons dwell in old houses, but this must be precisely such a case."
"While the master was away, it seems that demon crept in unnoticed."
(To Ryōin.) "Have there been no particularly suspicious incidents until now?"

Ryōin (with perfect seriousness): "Well now that you mention it, there have indeed been occasional mysterious occurrences of late."
"At times from deep within comes what sounds like thunderous snoring."

Kaga: "Goodness!"

“And then on clear days, a pitch-black great monk’s head suddenly pops out from that window.”

Hanazono: “That’s it! That’s exactly it! What just appeared there is undoubtedly that very thing! Well now, this is a most unexpected encounter!” (The sound of a bell tolled.) “Ah—the hour of demons approaches!”

Kaga: “That’s precisely why I wished to depart sooner! But you stubbornly insisted we stay... Ah! I never should have come to this wretched place! Let us flee at once!”

Hanazono: “Yes! Yes!”

(The two prepared to flee.)
(Ryōin descended from the veranda and blocked them.)

Ryōin (concealing his amusement): "Now, now—how cruel of you all to abandon me here while you alone make your escape!"

Hanazono: "No—no! I cannot endure another moment in this accursed place!"
"Kaga—make haste!"

Ryōin: "Nay—nay! You too are entangled in this affair."
"I cannot simply allow departures on a whim."

(As they tried to flee, Ryōin spitefully blocked their path.)
Amidst the tussle, Hanazono peered ahead.)

Hanazono: “Ah—a noble figure comes into view! Look there—Lord Abe no Masachika passes yonder!”

Ryōin: “Huh?”

Hanazono: “That is the capital’s foremost Yin-yang master! Let us have him divine whether demon or serpent inhabits this house’s depths!”

Kaga: “An excellent notion. Quick—summon him here!”

Ryōin (with strained composure): “Nay, such measures prove unnecessary.”

Hanazono: “Regardless—we must first call him! Ho there!”

“Hey!”

(The two called repeatedly.
Yin-yang master Abe no Masachika exited holding a ritual wand.)

Masachika: "Hmm? I don't know where someone's calling me from. It's the voices of a young man and woman." (He glanced around.)

Hanazono: “Hey!”

Kaga: “Hey!”

Masachika: Hmm?
“I still can’t tell.”
(Thinks.) Oh! I’ve got it.
“This is it.”
(Planting the ritual wand in the ground and nodding as he observes the direction it falls.) “Aha! This must be the gods’ divine message instructing me to present it upright.”
“Auspicious, most auspicious!”

(Masachika once more took up the ritual wand and approached the gate of this house.)

Hanazono: “Oh, Lord Masachika! How gracious of you to come!”

Masachika: “To Lord Shōshō and Lady Kaga - might this not be Monk Nōin’s hermitage?”

Kaga: “Indeed it is. Oh please, do come through this way.”

Masachika: “Yes, yes.”
(He entered the garden.) “Now then, what business might you have with me?”

Hanazono: “While Master Nōin was away traveling, various strange phenomena have occurred in this house.”

Masachika: “Hmm?”

Kaga: “A suspicious creature dwells in that inner chamber—it periodically shows a pitch-black face.”
“What in the world could that be? Might we trouble you to divine its nature?”

Masachika: “That’s elementary.”
“As you’re aware—being the foremost disciple of Yin-Yang Doctor Abe no Seimei—whatever supernatural phenomenon this may be, I shall assuredly expose its true form.”
“And would this mystery reside within yonder inner chamber?”

“Well, given these circumstances—if I may be so bold—could your divination reveal the true nature of that monster?”

Masachika: “No need for concern! I shall presently demonstrate a marvel!”

(Masachika climbed up onto the veranda, sat facing the upper sliding door, and reverently raised the ritual wand in prayer.)
Hanazono and Kaga watched intently.
Having circled around the back of the house with stealthy intent, Nōin emerged outside the lower fence.

Nōin (softly): Ryōin. Ryōin.

Ryōin: Huh?
(Glances around.)

Nōin: Here! Here!

Ryōin: "Huh?"
(Tiptoeing over to the fence.) "Why have you come to this place?"

Nōin: "Because you went spouting nonsense and alarmed them, that yin-yang master came poking around! Things were getting too risky, so I slipped out through the back."

Ryōin: "Whatever the case, stay hidden here until that fellow leaves."
(Speaking while glancing downward.) "Oh no! Someone else approaches this way."

“Have they come? Have they come?”

(Nōin frantically hid behind the house.)

(Masachika finished praying inside [the scene] with a puzzled expression.)

Masachika was perplexed—he couldn't tell.
Truly, there were mysterious things in this world.

Hanazono: "Have you not ascertained anything?"

Masachika: "This chamber appears utterly vacant..."
(He ponders.)

Kaga: "Do you mean there's truly nothing here?"

Masachika: "The space lies barren. A hollow husk."
"Neither demon nor mortal inhabits these walls."
"Most curious..."

Ryōin (vacantly): "But a pitch-black monk most certainly thrust his head out just now..."
"Wouldn't you agree, my lords?"

Hanazono: "Well... I did believe I witnessed something emerge..."

“I most certainly saw it too,” insisted Kaga. “Could you possibly try divining once more?”

“No—the result remains unchanged however many times I divine,” Masachika retorted.

Kaga pressed further, her voice honeyed with false concern: “But even the Eight Trigrams sometimes hit and sometimes miss. Just once more, to be certain…”

Masachika stiffened indignantly. “How dare you utter such profanity! ‘Divinations may hit or miss’—what vulgar street fortune-teller’s talk is this?” His ceremonial sleeves quivered as he drew himself up. “Though unworthy of my master’s legacy, I am no marketplace charlatan! The foremost disciple of Yin-Yang Doctor Abe no Seimei—he who has never once hidden from his sacred duties across all Japan—!”

“That much is already clear,” said Lady Kaga.

“If you acknowledge Masachika’s existence, he exists! Deny him, and he vanishes!” retorted Masachika, his ceremonial robes rustling indignantly. “To question this truth profanes the gods themselves!”

“Yet doesn’t this mean,” Kaga pressed with calculated sweetness, “we remain ignorant of whatever lurks within?”

“Ignorance?” The yin-yang master drew himself up rigidly. “My vision pierces all shadows—I perceive perfect emptiness!”

Her lacquered nails tapped against folded sleeves. “Emptiness? Inconceivable.”

(Amidst this dispute, Lady Okuzono emerged from the lower side and peered through the fence from outside.)

Hanazono: “Well, there’s no sense in the two of you quarreling so heatedly. Whether something lies within or not will become clear simply by opening the sliding door. Ryōin—open it to settle the matter.”

Ryōin (deliberately hesitating): “No, I must beg to decline most earnestly.”

Hanazono: “Still afraid?”

Ryōin: “Somehow I remain uneasy about it. Might I ask you to do it yourself...”

“Ah, I must decline as well.”

“I must say, it’s unsettling no matter who does it.”
“There must certainly be something strange here.”

Masachika (growing even angrier): "Are you still doubting me?"
"This is utterly outrageous behavior!"
"You who say such things are a demon or devil!"

Kaga: "Huh? What did you just say…"
"I’m a demon or devil, you say…"

Masachika: "Ah! Master Seimei has often said women nowadays are more fearsome than demons."

Ryōin: "Well now, that divination might actually be accurate."
(Laughs.)

“Don’t you dare mock people!”
“How on earth am I a demon?!” she pressed closer.

“Those who mock the divine oracle are no different from demons!”
“Step back! Begone!”
He struck Kaga with the ritual wand.

“Oh! You struck me, didn’t you?”

“This is how I exorcise demons!”
He struck again.

“Do you take me for some sort of fox spirit?
I won’t endure this any longer!”

Kaga snatched Masachika’s ritual wand and struck him back.
His eboshi hat tumbled off.
Enraged, Masachika tried to wrest back the wand as they grappled fiercely.

Hanazono: “Now, now—you mustn’t make trouble by fighting.”
“You there—Ryōin.”
“Instead of gawking about, can’t you hurry up and stop them?”

Ryōin: "Yes, yes."
(Laughing while watching.)

Kaga: "Nonsense! As if I'd lose to a man!"

(Kaga struck Masachika again with the ritual wand.)
Masachika grew even angrier and they grappled with each other.
As Hanazono paced restlessly, unable to restrain them, Okuzono came running in.

Okuzono (grabbing Hanazono by the front of his robe): "Hey, you!"
"Why have you gotten yourself into a place like this?"
"And you're loitering around here again with that insolent poetess who brags about her verses!"
"Come on—hurry up and go home!"
(Dragging him forcibly.) "Can't you see it's getting dark?"

Hanazono: “Wait a moment. All sorts of incidents are unfolding here, you see. This is no place for someone like you to come. Go home at once.”

Okuzono: “You’re the one who shouldn’t be here! Now come home with me!”
(Shoves him.)

Hanazono: “I said wait—”

Okuzono: “No, I won’t wait.”

(Here too, the Hanazono couple’s quarrel erupts.)

Ryōin: “No—now there are two quarrels! Delightful, delightful!”
(Laughing while observing the spectacle.)

(Meanwhile, Masachika pinned Kaga down and heaved a sigh of relief.)

“Well now! How about that?” Masachika declared. “Whether my divination hit or missed, I’ll show you the current evidence!”

He pushed Kaga aside and slid open the upper door with a clatter. From within, Nōin thrust out his pitch-black face once more. Confronted by this sudden apparition, Masachika gasped and leapt backward. Kaga covered her face and dropped prone. Hanazono and Okuzono shrieked and scrambled away, the latter clinging to her husband as she collapsed.

“H-hey!” Okuzono stammered. “Th-that’s...”
“It’s... it’s nothing at all!”
She trembled violently.

“I-I don’t know what that is, but I can’t stay here like this any longer!”
(Starts to flee.)

Okuzono (clinging desperately): "Please—take me with you!"
"My legs are trembling—I can’t take another step."

Nōin: Bwahahaha!
(Laughed loudly.)

Kaga (in a tearful voice): "There—look at that!"
"He’s come out, hasn’t he?"

Masachika: This is too much!
"Disaster! Disaster!"

(Masachika threw down the ritual wand and fled.)
As Hanazono, now trembling even more intensely, began to flee in panic, Okuzono clung to him and was dragged along.

Okuzono: “Hey… you… you…”

Hanazono: “No time for explanations—move! Move!”
“Linger here and we’ll be gobbled up by demons like rice cakes!”

“Huh?”

(As Okuzono collapsed again, Hanazono helped her up and fled.)

Hanazono: "Come on, quickly, quickly!"

(The Hanazono couple scrambled away, stumbling and tumbling.)

Ryōin burst into uproarious laughter.

Nōin: “Bwahahaha!”

(The two doubled over laughing.)
Kaga peered through timidly.)

Ryōin: “Master.”
“That was quite a spectacle!”

Nōin: “Quite a show, wasn’t it?”
“When I heard the yin-yang master had come, I bolted out the back door at first—but that fight was too damn entertaining! So I doubled back to sneak a peek… only to get the shock of my life when someone flung that door wide open!”
“But really—what weaklings.”
“They took one look at this pitch-black face of mine and fled for their lives.”
“Bwahahaha!”

Kaga: “Oh! You’re Nōin-san, aren’t you?”
“How positively wicked of you!”
“I can’t possibly convey how startled I was!”
“So Ryōin-san was in league with you too—giving us all such a fright!”
“That’s utterly cruel.”

“Well, it’s not that we meant to scare you—things just naturally turned out this way… Now, now, please forgive us.”
“That’s truly a cruel jest. My heart is still pounding so.”

Ryōin prepared a cup of hot water...
The water has just come to a boil.
(Draws hot water and serves it.)

Nōin: "But the world is a terrifying place."
"I’ve endured all this hardship to publish my poem ‘Autumn wind blows at Shirakawa Barrier,’ yet here you exist—someone as skilled as you in this world."
"To market a single poem like *Fushiba’s Lament*, a young woman must deliberately use her own beautiful face, black hair, and soft flesh as capital to romance men—turning that into a stepping stone to sell her name…"
"Hey, Ryōin."
"Truly, navigating the world has grown difficult these days."

“I can’t possibly match women,” said Ryōin. “That’s truly a dreadful affair.”

Nōin roared: “My monster’s nothing compared to yours! Ahh—terrifying! Terrifying! What a truly terrifying world we live in…”

“So you too lied about traveling to Michinoku to give your poem an air of grandeur,” said Kaga, “and were holed up inside all along? Well, well.”

“What’s this ‘well’ about?” retorted Nōin. “It’s the same as when you had your romance with Hanazono no Shōshō. My blackened face may yet turn white again, but once your body’s tainted, it’ll never be clean again.”

Kaga laughed. “Such things don’t matter at all. A woman’s love isn’t the sort of thing that ends with just once in a lifetime.”

“Well, that’s precisely why I say it’s terrifying!” Nōin declared. “Then I take it your poem will be unveiled to the world ere long.”

Ryōin longed to witness the countenance of whatever fool would be moved to lavish such effusive praise.

Kaga: “Yes. How I long to present it to the world soonest and have everyone sing its praises.”
“Long have I known this truth—that Fushiba’s lament would cut as deep as felled timber.”
“Yours too shall emerge before long, I presume?”

Nōin: “Now matters have reached this pass, I can’t afford further delays.”
“I’ll feign returning tomorrow and unveil mine posthaste.”
“Though I left the capital with the mist,
The autumn wind blows at Shirakawa Barrier.”

Kaga: “I wonder which the world will laud more.”

Ryōin: “With so many rash souls about these days, they’ll likely praise both works just the same.”
“Oh—it had grown completely dark.”
“Shall I light the lamp?”
(He went into the inner room.)

Kaga: “But we won’t breathe a word of this secret to each other, will we?”

Nōin: If our secret comes to light later—well, that’s another matter—but for now, let’s keep everything hidden… quietly…

“That’s precisely how it is.”

(From below, Fujiwara no Setsushin emerges in haste, holding a torch.)

Setsushin: “I beg of you.”
“I’m begging you.”

“Oh, has someone else arrived?”

(Nōin hurriedly fled into the inner room.)
As they passed each other, Ryōin exited holding a lamp stand.

“Yes, yes? Who’s there…?”

Setsushin (hurried in.) “Nō…”
(He began to speak, then glanced back at Kaga and hastily sealed his lips.)

Ryōin: “Oh, there’s no need for reserve.
“This lady here surpasses us in skill…”
“Now then, pray ascend.”

(Nōin emerged from the inner room.)

Nōin: “Oh, Lord Setsushin.”
“Have you graced us with your presence once more?”

Setsushin: “I have come promptly to return the earlier favor.”

Ryōin: “I rather thought that might be the case.”

Setsushin: “Having received those wood shavings from Nagae Bridge—a peerless antique—it would be remiss of me not to offer a proper return gift. Thus, I hastened back to my residence and brought something of this sort.”
“I kindly request you accept this.”
(Produces a paper-wrapped package from the breast of his robe.)

Nōin: “How scrupulous you are in matters of obligation.”
“Since this comes as your return gift, it must surely be something rare.”
“I shall inspect it promptly…”

(Nōin opened the paper-wrapped package.)
Kaga and Ryōin also peered in to look.
(From inside the package emerged a single dried frog.)

Kaga: "Oh, how vile!"
"Oh, something like this…"

Nōin: "This appears to be a dried frog."

Ryōin: "Even if the Master has a taste for all manner of foul things, he won’t be partaking of any dried frog."

Setsushin (proudly): “That is a frog from Ide no Tamagawa.”

Nōin: “Hmm, I see.
Is this the frog from Ide no Tamagawa, celebrated in poetry since ancient times?”
(Picking up the frog by its leg and dangling it.) “Ah, I must thank you for this most... unique specimen.
There are indeed many in this world who prize artworks and antiques, but they won’t stoop to dried frogs.
Antique connoisseurship must advance to this extreme to even warrant discussion.”

Kaga: “Oh, this is utterly ridiculous! To think they’d treasure wood shavings and dried frogs on top of hunting down chipped Kannon statues and worm-eaten picture scrolls—as if those weren’t enough… When I think of it, this so-called antique connoisseurship is nothing but a lunatic’s pastime, isn’t it?”

Setsushin: “What? You dare call me a lunatic— This is outrageous!”

Nōin: “Now, now, that’s enough. Anyway, people these days are so fond of quarreling—it’s quite a nuisance.”

Kaga: “But it’s simply too absurd! To present such a dried-up, filthy thing…”

Nōin: “A dried-up, filthy thing...”
“You too won’t stay young forever.”
“Soon you’ll become just like this dried-up...”
(Thrusts the frog right before her eyes.)

Kaga: “Oh, that’s revolting!”
(Leaps back.)

Nōin: “Hahahahaha.”

―Curtain―