Pathway to Japanese Literature

Characters

Watanabe Saemonnojō Watari.

His wife Kesa.

Endō Musha Moritō.

Era

The era of *The Tale of the Heike*.

Scene

A hazy moonlit spring evening.
The moon was not yet full, but the flowers were already blooming in profusion.
The sleeping quarters of Watanabe Watari’s residence near Gojō Kamogawara overlooked Higashiyama in the moonlight.
Whether to view the flowers or to gaze at the moon, the blinds had been raised.
In the light of the crimson short lamp, the master Watanabe and his wife Kesa sat facing each other quietly.
Kesa was sixteen years old.
Her beauty held a radiance akin to brilliance.

Act I

Watanabe and Kesa—

Watanabe.
“Tonight, with your thoughtful dishes, the sake tastes even more deeply satisfying. It seems the early bracken has begun to sprout.”

Kesa.
“Yes. Today, the young girls went to Higashiyama and picked them for us.”

Watanabe.
“Soon it will be the height of spring. Last year, due to unexpected continuous rain, we passed without seeing the cherry blossoms of Saga or Katano—but this year I will surely find an opportunity to take you with me.”

Kesa.
“Yes.”

Watanabe.
“Once we have noble sons and daughters, carefree outings will no longer be ours to enjoy as we please.
While we’re both still young—you and I—let us live adorned with cherry blossoms day after day. Ah…”

Kesa.
Kesa smiled sadly…

Watanabe.
(Noticing Kesa’s subdued demeanor)…

Watanabe.
“Is there not something weighing on your mind?”

Kesa.
“No.”
“There is not.”

Watanabe.
"I hope there isn’t anything, but you seem somehow subdued."
"Is something troubling your health?"

Kesa.
No.

Watanabe.
“It seems you visited your mother at Kesagawa this afternoon—has there been any word of illness concerning her?”

Kesa.
“No.”
“She was in her usual good health.”

Watanabe.
“Then, did your mother say something that weighs on your mind?”

Kesa.
(Kesa remains silent)………….

Watanabe.
“It must be so. Otherwise, you—who are always as cheerful as a skylark—would not be this despondent.
What exactly did your mother say?
Tell me.”

Kesha.
(Remaining silent)………….

Watanabe.
“There’s no need to hide anything.”
“For this Watanabe—with so few kin—Lady Kesagawa stands as the sole remaining mother.”
“I do not usually think of her as neglectful.”
“What exactly did Lady Kesagawa tell you?”
“Tell me, Kesa!”

Kesa.
(After remaining silent for a while) "There are no other particulars."
"She only said that since she had not been in touch these three months past, she invited you because she earnestly wished to behold your countenance."

Watanabe.
(With a faint smile) Ah, then it was Watanabe’s needless worry after all.
“If your face darkens even a little, my heart clouds over at once.”
“Since I pledged myself to you—a dear thirteen-year-old—through all these years, you’ve been cherished as my wife, felt dear as a sister, endeared as a child.”
“Do not trouble yourself, do not fret, do not let your face grow haggard.”
“Don’t shoulder burdens alone—don’t torment your thoughts.”
“No matter what comes—let me handle it!”
“Let me handle it!”

Kesa.
“I am most grateful for your kind words.” (Kesa sheds tears)

“Watanabe.”
“What’s this?”
“Why are you crying?”
“Speak! Tell me why!”
“What now?!”
Now he was concerned.

“Kesa.”
“What reason could there be?”
“Your kind words made me so happy that I couldn’t help but shed tears.”

Watanabe.
“Then let us make merry and spend this beautiful night in splendor!”
“You’re young—and I’m young too!”
“Spring returns time and again.”
“Let us pass our days in carefree brightness.”
“There should be no clouds darkening your heart now, should there?”
“Come!”
“Kesa!”
“Pour me a full cup.”

Kesa.
“Yes.”

Watanabe.
“I ask for a song.”
“Will you not let me hear it?”

Kesa.
Yes.

(Kesa stood up, took down the koto from the tokonoma, and began to play.)
The piece was *The Song of Everlasting Sorrow*.
The sound of the koto resonated poignantly, as though conveying the heart of the one who played it.
(Watanabe tilted his head slightly and listened intently.)

Kesa chanted:
“Long ago in Cathay reigned a sovereign who cherished beauty most dear. When that wise maiden was summoned to his side, she received his ceaseless devotion morn and eve, ever dwelling close at hand.”
“Though three thousand consorts graced the palace halls in splendor, this single spring flower of mine—scattered and faded—now lies steeped in sorrow.”

Watanabe.
“Why do you play such a sad song?”
“Why does the tragic tale of Yang Guifei—torn from the Tang emperor, falling into the hands of coarse warriors, and meeting a pitiful end—resonate with you?”
“That belongs to an autumn night.”
“Under the hazy moonlit night’s flowers, you should play a merry, uplifting tune!”

Kesa.
(Remains silent)………….

“Haa... If you’re tired—if you’re tired, then rest. For a change of mood, how about trying a bit of sake?”

Kesa.
“Then please grant me one cup.”

Watanabe.
“What?!”
“You’re asking for sake?”
“This is amusing!”
“This would be your first time drinking sake.”
“Come—I’ll pour for you.”
“Gulp it down.”

Kesa.
(Bashfully bringing the cup to her mouth…)

Watanabe.
“Oh, with those innocent gestures of yours, I was vividly reminded of our wedding night.”
“Back then too, you took the cup in just that bashful way.”
“Back then, you were even smaller than you are now.”
“I thought you were like a beauty dancing upon my palm, so delicate you seemed.”
“Four years have passed since that time!”
“But joyful days pass truly like a dream.”
“It still feels like only a month or two.”
“I don’t believe there will ever come a time when I grow weary of living like this with you—be it ten years, twenty years, a hundred years, or a thousand!”

Kesa.
(She remained silent, then began to sob faintly.)…

(Watanabe)

“Oh, what’s this? What are you sobbing for? You—the wife of Watanabe, hailed as the most fortunate among men—what sorrow makes you weep?”

Kesa.
Your affection soaks into my being, and I am moved.

“No—it’s I who am happy!”
“I am happy to have you as my wife—you who are called the most beautiful wife in the capital.”
“Ahaha! The moon may be hazy, but my heart is filled with joy, clear and bright.”
“Only, seeing you so downcast troubles me a little.”
“It’s nothing!”
“Why don’t you try voicing your lingering thoughts?”

Kesa.
(Silently bowing her head)………….

Watanabe.
“There, you see! There’s clearly something bothering you! Go on, say it! Say it!”

Kesa.
Then, shall I tell you?

Watanabe.
(Laughing heartily) Haaaah…
“There, you see!
What I said was correct, wasn’t it?
In that case, shall I try guessing the details of the matter?”

Kesa.
(Startled a little) Yes!
“Please try guessing.”

Watanabe.
Hmm—could it be an unavoidable plea for aid from Lady Kesagawa?
Is it a plea for gold, or perhaps a plea for kimonos?

Kesa.
(Somewhat sadly) No.
“That is not the case.”

Watanabe.
Hmm—could it be she’s been told to accompany someone on a long journey to Kumano or Koya, and keeps it bottled up thinking I won’t permit it?

Kesa.
(Even more sorrowfully) No.
“That is not so.”

Watanabe.
“Hmm… Then I’ve exhausted all my guesses.”
“Tell me.”
“Surely your mother doesn’t mean to take you back from me and hand you over to some villainous man?”

Kesa.
(Shakes her head sorrowfully)…………

Watanabe.
“Go on, tell me.”
“Kesa!”

Kesa.
(After falling silent sorrowfully for a while) “The truth is… today at my mother’s house, I met a diviner.”

Watanabe.
“A diviner, you say?”

Kesa.
“Yes!”

Watanabe.
(Somewhat anxiously) "And what happened then?"

Kesa.
"The diviner stared intently at my face," she said sorrowfully, "and then told me this: 'Peril approaches you.' Those were his very words."

Watanabe.
“Hmm, that must be some nameless fraud of a diviner.”
“Spouting absurdities to unsettle minds, no doubt.”
“Don’t dwell on it.”

Kesa.
“He cannot be dismissed as a fraud.”
“It is Lord Abe no Kiyotsune, whom my mother has long revered.”

Watanabe.
"Hmm, that does sound concerning."
"So to avoid this peril - is he telling us to perform esoteric rituals, or observe taboos and recite sutras?"

Kesa.
Lord Abe no Kiyotsune stated that the couple’s sleeping quarters are ill-omened.

Watanabe.
“Hmm, that’s utterly trivial. Don’t spout such childish nonsense. What do you mean by ‘ill-omened’?”

Kesa.
“He instructed me to sleep facing the south side of the house for twenty-one days.”

Watanabe.
Hmm, that’s an easy matter.
If we’re talking about the south side of the house, that would be my room indeed.

Kesa.
Yes.

Watanabe. Haah…
“Then you should start sleeping there from today.”
“More than anything, it’s an easy observance.”
“Ahahaha! So your great worry was over something like this?”
“Ohh, you dear woman.”
“You’re always tormenting your heart over such trivial matters, you know.”

Kesa.
(Smiles sadly)………….

Watanabe.

“Oh, you’ve finally shown a smile.”
“Do cheer up a bit more.”
“Now that your worries must have cleared, let us share a drink.”

Kesa.
“Yes.”
“I shall partake.”

Watanabe.
“If peril that can be averted merely by changing bedding is akin to tripping over a stone during a Kiyomizu pilgrimage, then it must be a trivial misfortune indeed.”
“But no such calamity could ever befall you!”
“Not a single speck of dust shall enter your eyes.”
“Not a single winged insect shall touch your cheek.”
“This is how deeply I care for you!”

(Watanabe gazed intently at Kesa, his eyes burning with affection.)

Kesa.
(Involuntarily bursts into tears and collapses)………….

Watanabe.

(Crawling closer and embracing her) “Kesa! What are you still sad about?”

Kesa.
“No, there is nothing for me to be sad about. It is simply that your affection moves me deeply, and I am happy.”

Watanabe.
“You seem mentally exhausted tonight and are especially prone to tears! Don’t trouble yourself any further; you should go down and rest now.” (Suddenly realizing) “Oh, this is a mistake. In accordance with Abe no Kiyotsune’s divination, from tonight onward, you and I are to exchange sleeping quarters. It was I who had to go down.”
(Watanabe cheerfully attempted to rise.)

Kasaya
Hmm, please wait.
“Just a few more lingering moments.”

Watanabe.
Even when lying apart within the same household, you wish to linger over our farewell? Ah—what a dear woman you are.

(Watanabe, standing up behind Kesa, extended his hand from behind to embrace her as they came out onto the bamboo mat.)

Watanabe.
“Wild geese are crying across the sky indeed.”

Kesa.
“Just as the flowers are about to bloom in full splendor, where could the wild geese be trying to go, turning their backs on them?”

Watanabe.
“Well, I don’t understand that—there’s nothing for it but to ask the wild geese themselves what’s in their hearts.”

Kesa.
“Do even wild geese fly as they wish?”

Watanabe.
“As is well known! All living beings have their own hearts!”
(Looking up at the sky) “They cry across the sky incessantly indeed.”
“Though their forms remain unseen in the hazy moonlit night, the crying wild geese…”
“For an uncultured man like me, the next line won’t come.”
“Well, I should go to bed now.”
Though it was spring, as the night deepened, sleeves grew cold.

“Well then, Kesa!”
“You should call the maidservant and have her prepare the bedding.”

Kesa.
Pray wait a little longer.

Watanabe.
Hmm—why of all nights are you making such a fuss?
It’s not as though there will be no tomorrow.
Between you and I, happy days will continue forever and ever indeed.
What’s the use of lingering over farewell just for today?
If the weather is good tomorrow, I’ll have someone inquire about the flowers around Omuro or such.
Good night!
“Kesa.”

Kesa, as if there were now no way to stop it, stands dejectedly on the bamboo mat.
Watanabe.
Exits via the corridor.
The moment Watanabe’s figure disappears from view, Kesa bursts into tears and collapses.

Act II

――Kesa――

A short time had passed since Act I.

Kesa faced the mirror and combed damp black hair incessantly.
Beside her bedding was laid out.

Kesa.

The mere act of deceiving Lord Watanabe—who loves me so dearly—by exchanging bedding fills me with dread.
But if he were to know my sorrowful resolve, he would surely forgive my sin.
I have no other choice but to do this, after all.
I would tell my husband the circumstances.
My husband, who loves me as dearly as his own eyes, would surely rage like fire.
And then, that terrifying Moritō and my husband will undoubtedly be forced to fight each other.
How could my kind Lord Watanabe possibly raise his blade against that demon-like, terrifying Moritō?
Moritō, who would kill my husband, would not leave my mother in peace either.
After killing my mother, he will certainly come for me….
I was cursed from the very beginning indeed.
From the moment that villain laid eyes on me at Watanabe Bridge’s consecration ceremony, my fate was sealed indeed.
...

(After a moment of silence)

Kesa.
“Let me have Kesa.
If you refuse, I will stab you and die as well,” Moritō tormented Mother daily in this manner.
The vulnerable mother had been driven mad.
But how could I possibly split my fidelity in two?
How could I commit such terrifying duplicity while hiding from Lord Watanabe’s eyes?
Today, that villain pressed a dagger to my chest and demanded I yield to him—declaring that if I refused, he would run through not only me but Mother and Lord Watanabe with a single blade.
That villain was feared by all as one who acted exactly as he said.
If I were to say no, what terrifying thing might occur………….

Kesa.
(After combing her hair and styling it in a masculine manner) It was then that I resolved to die and protect my chastity.
“Tonight, sneak in and kill Lord Watanabe for me—if even Lord Watanabe is gone from this world, I shall gladly yield to you”—it was these terrifying words that I uttered…

Kesa.
Even so, how dear Lord Watanabe remains.
You accepted my fabricated words as truth, changed the bedding without question, and settled to rest.
That heart which loves me beyond measure—like sunlight piercing through—seeps deep into my being.
To part from this gentle lord now feels like having my very entrails torn asunder.
Yet when I consider dying in my husband’s stead, sorrow births a strange joy.
To trade my life for his—my most beloved’s—
Among deaths available to women, could any bring such gladness as this………

Kesa.

Oh, it appears clouds have covered the moon, and the front garden has suddenly darkened.
Since he said it’s the ninth hour, he should be sneaking here before long.
When I think of abandoning my body for my husband’s sake, my heart becomes as clear as water.
Within her clear heart, she even feels as if a faint light is beginning to shine.
Namu Amida Butsu!
Namu Amida Butsu!

(Kesa finishes tying her hair, quietly stands, and lowers the raised curtain.)

Kesa.
Namu Amida Butsu!
Namu Amida Butsu!

(Kesa.
Extinguishes the lamp.
Inside the curtain, it suddenly darkens.
The garden too, as clouds seem to have covered the moon, gradually darkens, until finally twilight shrouds everything.

Act III

――Moritō――

Though only seventeen, he was a warrior nearing six feet in height, clad in a hitatare robe and haramaki armor.
In the darkness, he carried in his right hand a drawn sword discernible even in the gloom.
Stealthily stepping, he approached the sleeping quarters.
Gradually lifting the curtain, he entered inside.
For a while, a terrifying silence.
Wild geese cried incessantly in midair.

“Hah!”—a low yet sharp cry.
A faint sound.

Moritō emerged with somewhat rough footsteps.
In his left hand, he held Kesa’s severed head, wrapped in the sleeve of the kosode she had been wearing.

The moon shone clearly in the sky once more.
Moritō, while looking at the wrapped severed head, let out a faint, knowing smile.
Before long, he undid the cloth with his right hand and held it up to the moonlight as if to confirm it.
A low, sharp shriek!

Moritō.
“What?!”

(Staggering, he collapses toward the sleeping quarters and falls onto his rear on the matting.)

Moritō.

“Wait—this is Kesa!”

(He lifted the curtain to the sleeping quarters once more, as if searching for Watanabe, and peered inside.)
Inside was empty.)

Moritō.
Ugh…
So I’d been outwitted by Lady Kesa?
By letting Watanabe be killed, she deceived me—truly sacrificed herself in her husband’s place.

(An expression of intense anguish)

Moritō.
"How regrettable! This blunder will haunt Moritō till death!"

(He threw himself onto the garden and writhed in anguish.)

Moritō.
To strike down and discard a woman I thought lovely, lost in the darkness of infatuation and my own delusion—even I am appalled by such wretchedness.
I am a wretched fool beyond words.

(Moritō writhed in anguish, tormented by bitter regret.)

Moritō.
(Transitioning from anguish to remorse, the light of reason gradually returned to him.) Even so, this woman!
How admirably she chose to die.
From her single-minded resolve to save her husband and protect her chastity, she admirably steeled herself......

Moritō.
(Stared intently at the head!) “Oh, what a divine face in death!
Just as the words said—not only had she washed her hair, but she’d even burned incense.
With this beautiful visage like a Buddha’s, it seemed to laugh at Moritō’s wretchedness.
It seemed to laugh at the ugliness of coveting another man’s woman.”

Moritō.

(He placed Kesa’s severed head on the veranda matting and prostrated with hands pressed to the ground) “Forgive me!”
“Lady Kesa.”
“Out of longing for you, I’ve cut down a flower in full bloom.”
“I’ll soon follow you to the underworld to beg forgiveness!”
“Wait for me awhile!”

(Moritō washed his blood-stained sword in the water from the bamboo pipe, then sheathed it before announcing himself in a thunderous voice.)

Moritō.

“Hear me!”

“To the master of this house, Lord Watanabe Saemonnojō—I have words for you! The villain who has slain your beloved wife, Lady Kesa, stands before you! Come out at once and have your head lopped off!”

(Moritō, after announcing himself haughtily, listened intently.)
(For a while, there was no sound.)

Moritō.

(Raising his voice even louder) “Hear me, Lord Watanabe! A villain has sneaked in—you have slain your wife, Lady Kesa! Come out at once and have the villain’s head lopped off!”

(Moritō continued roaring like a lion.)

Act 4

――Moritō and Watanabe――

A fierce sound came traveling along the corridor.
Watanabe, wearing a white silk night robe and gripping a long sword, came rushing in.

Watanabe.

“Lady Kesa.”
“Lady Kesa.”
“What is this?!”
“What is this?!”

(First notices Moritō’s figure.)

Watanabe.

“Villain! What devil are you?!”

Moritō.
“Oh! I’ve been awaiting you, Lord Watanabe.”
“I am Endō Musha Moritō—the warrior who slew Lady Kesa!”
“Step forth and lose your head!”

“Watanabe!”
“What?! You are Moritō?!”
“You killed Kesa?!”

(Suddenly noticing the severed head on the matting, he recoiled in shock.) Wh-what?!
This was unmistakably Kesa’s head!

(Indignantly) “Speak!”
“Speak!”
“For what reason did you lay hands on Kesa?!”
(Pulling his sword close and gripping the hilt)

“Moritō.”
“Right!”
“You will explain your motive as well.”
“After you recount every detail from beginning to end—I shall let you meet your end honorably at my hands.”
“It goes like this.”

Watanabe.
“Speak!”
“Speak! The details.”
“Speak before that severed head flies off!”

Moritō.
(Crouching on the ground) "From the start, I was prepared to fall into your hands.
Be that as it may, Lady Kesa was Japan’s foremost chaste woman, wasn’t she?"

“Watanabe!”
“What do you mean ‘chaste woman’?!”

Moritō.
“Lord Watanabe.”
“The details are as follows.”
“It was on the fifth day of the Third Month.”
“At the bridge consecration ceremony for Settsu Watanabe Village’s Watanabe Bridge, I served as overseer and was tasked with guarding the crowd. When the rites concluded and people had hurried homeward, a noblewoman descended from the platform at the bridge’s edge and entered a palanquin. She appeared sixteen years of age, her features radiant as jade. Instantly, a yearning stirred within me. ‘Who is that?’ I asked a bystander. ‘That,’ came the reply, ‘is the beloved daughter of Kesagawa-dono and wife of Lord Saemonnojō Watari—Lady Kesa.’”

Watanabe.
“Hmm.”

Moritō.
“Kesa is my cousin—I was raised in Tanba and never met her—yet to have such a woman in our clan only to let her be taken by another? How could that stand?!”
“Therefore, I will take her back and make her my wife!”

Once resolved in his purpose, even an iron wall could not deter Moritō.
Immediately, he visited his aunt Kesagawa-dono and, shockingly, pressed a white blade to her chest, threatening her with two choices: hand over Kesa or her life.

Watanabe.
Hmm.

Moritō.
"Aunt Kesagawa-dono, being faint-hearted, must have felt she was about to die."
"She earnestly pleaded for Lady Kesa’s help."

Watanabe.
"Hmm."

Moritō.
“It was at Kesagawa-dono’s mansion that I first met Lady Kesa today. The inhuman Moritō instantly drew his blade and thrust it into Lady Kesa’s chest as well!”

Watanabe.
“Wh-what?!”

“You!”
(Glared furiously at Moritō!)

Moritō.
That anger is justified.
“Go ahead and vent your rage to the fullest!”

Watanabe.
“What did you say while pressing the blade?!”

Moritō.
"If you yield to me, well and good. If you refuse—yourself, your husband Watanabe, and your mother Kesagawa—all three shall fall to Moritō’s jealous blade!"

Watanabe.
“What?! Moritō, you fiend! And then? And then? What did Kesa answer?!”
(Leans forward halfway.)

Moritō.
She answered me, ‘I yield’!

Watanabe.

(Stunned, he gripped his sword’s hilt!) “What… what do you mean she yielded to you?!”

Moritō.
“Do not be shocked, Lord Watanabe.
That ‘yielded’ was a lie born from the sincerity of a chaste woman.
As Lady Kesa said: ‘While your husband Watanabe lives, I cannot act as I wish. Tonight I will sneak in and strike Watanabe!’
Once the husband is gone, it will be as you wish.”

Watanabe.
“Wh-wh-what?!”

Morita.
"The Husband's bedding lies in the southern chamber."
"Persuade the Husband To Wash His Hair And Leave It Wet - Then Use Those Damp Black Locks As A Guide To Cut Off His Head!"

Watanabe.
“Wh-what?!”

Moritō.
To Moritō, lost in the darkness of infatuation, the chaste woman’s artifice remained beyond comprehension.
So it was you, Lady Kesa!
Believing she had confided in me, I sneaked in with eager delight, raised the severed head by its damp hair, smirked smugly at my success—then exposed it to the moonlight and saw Lady Kesa’s unforeseen, divine deathly face, serene as a holy Buddha’s.

Watanabe.
“Hmm.”

Moritō.
“Lady Kesa—who resigned herself to the fate of being desired by this inhuman Moritō—protected her chastity in place of her husband and mother until the end. Truly Japan’s foremost chaste woman.”
“This Moritō who killed Lady Kesa is Japan’s foremost inhuman person.”
“I’m a fool.”
“I’m a coward.”
“Now, Lord Watanabe!”
“The enemy of your beloved wife Lady Kesa stands before you!”
“Strike off my head!”
“Merely beheading me won’t satisfy your rage!”
“Trample me! Cut me to pieces! Do as you will!”

(Moritō threw away his own sword behind him and crawled closer to Watanabe!)

Watanabe.
(Silent and wordless.)

Moritō.
“Now, Lord Watanabe!”
“Do as you will!”
“Crush this wretched Moritō into dust!”

Watanabe.
(He remains silent.
His torment—as if his entrails were being carved out—is evident from his facial expression.)………….

Moritō.
“Now!”
“Now!”
(He advances and offers his neck.)

Watanabe.
(Still silent!)…………

Moritō.
“Now!”
“Now!”
“Lord Watanabe—do you not burn with rage at having your wife struck down?”
“Do you not despise this Moritō?”

Watanabe.
(Avoiding Moritō, who presses closer with some annoyance) "Striking you down would be pointless."

Moritō.
(somewhat deflated) "What do you mean, 'pointless'?"

Watanabe.
“Dead Kesa won’t return.”

Moritō.
"But even so!"
"How could there be any reason to spare your wife's enemy when he stands before your eyes?"
"Ah... Lord Watanabe."
"You—have you heard tales of this Moritō's martial valor and trembled in fear?"

Watanabe.
(Laughs forlornly) Were it my wife’s enemy, I would spare not even a demon—but Kesa’s death was ultimately self-wrought.
"A death she chose herself."
"There exists no enemy!"
"There exists no enemy!"

Moritō.
“So then—you’ve been devising all manner of words to spare this Moritō, have you?”

Watanabe.
“Think whatever you will!”

Moritō.
“Ah, so... you bastard!”
“You scorn this Moritō as an inhuman wretch not even worth striking!”
“Very well—farewell! I’ll do this.”

(Moritō hacks off his topknot!)

Moritō.
“Behold Moritō’s sincere vow of resolve!”
“Behold how fiercely this Moritō’s heart—a heart that repents its sins—burns!”
“Farewell, Saemon. Once I adopt the robes of a monk and before I set out on ascetic training across the provinces for Lady Kesa’s salvation, I will visit once more.”
“I must go before daybreak so people do not take notice of this grotesque figure. Farewell.”

(Moritō departs, looking back lingeringly at Kesa’s severed head.)

Act Five

——Watanabe——

When Moritō’s figure had disappeared from view, Watanabe, unable to bear it, approached Kesa’s severed head and lifted it up!

Watanabe.

“Kesa!”
“Kesa!”
You’ve become so dreadfully changed.
(sobs)

Watanabe.
Your beautiful eyes will never open again.
Your dear lips will never move again.
“Kesa!”
“Kesa!”
…….

Watanabe.
Kesa!
“Kesa!”
Why did you have to die?
Kesa!
“Kesa!”
“You must know how much I love you.”
Even though you knew, why did you cast me aside?

(writhes in anguish and laments)

Watanabe.
That Moritō wretch said to cut you down as an enemy!
But I resent you more than Moritō.
A fiend like Moritō—merely dealing with such an inhuman creature defiles me!
Shouldn’t you have understood this heart of mine better?
Are you saying you threw away your life to save mine? That Moritō scum called that being a “chaste woman.”
The world’s people will likely say the same.
But Kesa—
To this Watanabe who loves you more than life itself—do you not know how much more precious you are than my own life?
Did it never occur to you that after your death, my existence would turn as dark as if the sun had vanished?........

Watanabe.

(Sobbing through tears) And yet, Kesa...
Why did you not confide in me?
If you had confided in me, did you think I would fight Moritō and be killed?
That’s what I find pitiable.
Do you think I fear Moritō?
Watanabe is not as unyielding as Moritō!
I may be unskilled with blades, but for you whom I love—I would confront not merely Moritō, but demons themselves to protect you!
For you whom I love, my resolve to brave fire and water is second to none.
……….

Watanabe.
Kesa...
Do you not know how it feels for a man to survive by sacrificing his own beloved wife?
That disgrace cuts deeper than any blade.
I’d sooner boil ten million years in the Scorching Hell’s cauldron than live through your sacrifice!
Better that...…….

Watanabe.
Why did you not confide in me?
I would have fought Moritō for your sake.
As a man—do you not know how joyful, how honorable a duty that would have been?
Why did you not scream out and beg me to save you?
If I had rushed over and tucked you under my arm while fighting Moritō—
What a joyous, manly deed that would have been!
My courage would surely have swelled a hundredfold.
I would have defeated Moritō without fail.
And if by some chance I were defeated—then you could have died by my side.……

Watanabe.
Kesa!
The greatest joy a husband could wish from his wife is not sacrifice.
What joy could exist for a man who sacrifices a woman?
To a strong man, that itself is disgrace.
The greatest joy a man receives from his beloved wife is trust.
It is the trust that surrenders all to the husband.
Why did you not confide in me?
Did you think you could never measure up to Moritō?
In your eyes too, was I deemed less dependable than Moritō?
I find that pitiable.
........

Watanabe.

Moritō—having slain with his own hands the woman he loved and taking that as his impetus to renounce the world—could find no better means to awaken his enlightened mind than this. You, believing yourself to have cast aside your life for your husband’s sake, will attain Buddhahood. But what of me, left behind? My beloved wife is torn away, and my life grows desolate as a wilderness. Where am I to find salvation?……………

Watanabe.
As a worthless man who sacrificed his beloved wife to survive—are you telling me to live on like this forever?
Kesa!
I resent you.

(Watanabe, after a moment, resolutely cuts off his topknot with a clean stroke.)

Watanabe.
Moritō is to awaken from delusion and renounce the world.
I, having lost my beloved wife—or rather, having been deemed a fool by my beloved wife—am to renounce the world with a heart as dark as ink.
To soothe this desolate heart, I am to renounce the world.
………….

Watanabe.
(Clutching his wife’s severed head) I want to pray for your enlightenment!
But my desolate heart cannot properly pray for your enlightenment.
Only Moritō—steeped in repentance—is fit to chant the Buddhist invocations!
Ah, this desolation.

(It appeared that night had ended, the surroundings dimly brightened, and soon, with the rooster’s crow, the morning sun’s light came streaming in!)

Watanabe.

The night is breaking...
But in my heart, an endless night has come.
Kesa!
Kesa!
Why did you not entrust yourself to this Watari!

(He breaks down sobbing!)

―Curtain―