Читать книгу The Love of Izayoi & Seishin - Kawatake Mokuami - Страница 9

SYNOPSIS OF

HISTORY PLAYS

ACT ONE

Koizuka Motome, Izayoi's brother and a page in the Ōe household, is injured by a stray arrow during an archery contest. Motome refuses monetary compensation, but when he learns that his father is trying desperately to raise an impossibly large sum, he accepts. Carrying the money, he starts home, unaware that it is meant for Seishin, his sister's lover, whom he has never met.

Yaegaki Monza, a lordless samurai, is accepted as retainer to the Ōe family on the recommendation of the wicked advisor, Kageyama Budayū, who has seen evidence of Monza's skill with the sword and wishes to use him for his own ends. Budayū binds Monza to him by giving him a sword and the promise of his daughter's hand in marriage.

ACT THREE

On the night of the wedding of his daughter to Monza, Budayū reveals his plan of overthrowing the Ōe family and demands that Monza join him. Monza is forced to agree, but realizing that his loyalty to the Ōe family is greater, he changes his mind, kills Budayū who turns on him, and escapes. Seishin, now a thief, has broken into Budayū's house to steal an heirloom sword, and observes Monza's flight. Monza is accused of the theft. It is this sword which Seishin restores to Budayu's son Shigenojō in Act VII, Scene 2.

ACT FIVE

Shigenojō tracks Monza down in the Hakone mountains and corners him. When Shigenojō tumbles over a cliff, Monza leaps after him, explains the reason for his murder of Budayū, and then commits suicide, bitterly regretting the unjust accusation of the theft of the sword. The reunion of Seishin and Izayoi in Hakone is effected in a conventional kabuki scene-a brief and wordless dumbshow.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES

The translation is of the entire work as published in the collected works of Mokuami (Mokuami Zenshū, vol. 3, pp. 347-509). The only additions to the text have been supplementary stage directions (mainly the way certain lines were delivered), and a note on the time element for each act. These minor changes have been made for the sake of clarity.

In the stage directions the areas designated as "stage right," "stage left," "stage rear," etc., are in relation to the actor facing the audience.

All names except the author's on the title page are given in the Japanese manner: the family name first followed by the given name.

The Love of Izayoi & Seishin

ACT TWO

ACT FOUR

ACT SIX

ACT SEVEN