"THE STORY OF THE FAITHFUL RETAINERS" (Kana-Tehon- Chushingura) Third Act PartI Scene of Bloodshed In the Palace

Transcription

1 S H O C H I K U Kabuki Play "THE STORY OF THE FAITHFUL RETAINERS" (Kana-Tehon- Chushingura) Third Act PartI Scene of Bloodshed In the Palace (Goten- Ninj o -No-Ba ) TO BE PRESENTED BY AT THE TOKYO THEATER FROM NOV. TO NOV. 47.

2 The stage represents the corridor in the palace. "A noh play is over. From the entertainment room the sound of hand-drums and drums in celebration of the peaceful days is heard. Lord Naoshige is in high s p irits." " Wakasanosuke peeps into the in terior of the palace so as to l i e in wait for Moronao and take his life tucking up the long pleated skirt and putting his hand on the sword; he holds his breath so that the other warriors might not notice him." (With music, over there Wakasanosuke wearing his ceremonial dress and sma ll sword comes out to the stage- passage and seems impatient.) "Moronao and his servant notice Wakasanosuke at a distance." (Just then the screen on the right is thrown open when Moronao wearing a Japanese coat with his large family crest on it and a small sword at side comes out, followed by Bannai. Wakasanosuke in a determined mood runs up to the main stage with might and main. Thereupon Bannai detains him in a flu rry. Moronao throws out the s mall sword, places his hands together on the flo o r and expresses his apology to Wakasanosuke, who puts his hand, on the h ilt of his sword and is determined to carry i t through.

3 - 2 - Moronao checks him." He l l o, Wakasa-dono! You ve come to this castle very early. Well, I have to apologize to you for my rudeness like this. By the way, I should like to make an excuse to you for my rudeness like this. "Moronao throws out h is sword and apologizes to Wakasanosuke." (Meanwhile, on the le ft Bannai also places his hands together on the flo o r and apologizes to Wakasanosuke tr e m b lin g ly.) Well, Wakasanosuke-dono, please listen to me. N o wonder you got angry at my rude words at Tsurugaoka. That s why I m apologizing to you for i t. I ' l l admit i t was a bad slip of my tongue. Look! Although I'm a warrior, I'v e placed my hands together on the floor and am apologizing to you. Please forgive me. I'm happy you're a man of sense. I f you were a ruffian, I, Moronao, should be put to sword by you. How horrible, how horrible! You see, I'm apologizing to you lik e this. Then I placed my hands together in prayer and saw you o ff. Ha, ha, ha! Please forgive me for my old age.

4 3 You see, I ve thrown out my sword and am apologizing to you though I m a warrior. I don't think you won't listen to my apology. I ' l l apologize to you to your satisfaction. Here, here, Bannai, won't you apologize to him? We're apologizing to you like this. (Both Moronao and Bannai apologize to him.) "Wakasanosuke does not understand at a ll that Moronao has said fla tte rin g things to him for money, but hesitates to draw his sword and is lost in deep thought. From behind the screen Honzo is about to come out," Well, Bannai, Bannai, hasn't Enya come to this castle yet? Bannai: No, he hasn't yet come to this castle. Unlike Wakasa-dono, he is an ill-mannered man. He hasn't showed up yet. It seems he has no chief retainer who pays particular attention to such matters. Here, here, Bannai, show this gentleman to the lo r d s room. Now, please come this way. I ' l l admit I, Moronao, made a mistake in my estimate of you. Now, show him the room, Bannai, Bannai.

5 4 Wakasa: W ell, I, W akasanosuke, fe el blue. Say, Bannai, you heard him. He said he is sick. He has a stomachache, I think Bannai, won t you massage his back? (Thereupon Bannai massages his back. Wakasanosuke thrusts Bannai away.) Wakasa: Oh, you re mistaken. Say, Bannai, you heard him. He said we re mistaken. We ll, then, you d b e tter take a rest in another room for a while. I' l l intercede with the lord you. Say, Bannai, won t you take him to another room? "They fla tte r Wakasanosuke, who feels perplexed and after consideration goes to the right resolu tely." Wakasa: Since you threw out your sword and apologized to me for your rudeness, this time I ' l l forgive you, but you l l have to behave yourself hereafter. What a s illy warrior! (Says so sharply and enters the in te rio r.) "He enters the inner room. Meanwhile, Honzo gets relieved to see i t and enters the adjoining room." Bannai, that raw striplin g seemed to k i l l me really today. A s illy guy is horrible. Anyway I don't mind apologizing to him for money.

6 5 Bannai: Right you are! Since you've received such a precious g ift from him, you couldn't help apologizing to him to some extent, I should say. You go to the in ner room and be with that s illy guy. Bannai: Very w ell. (Bannai enters the inner room.) "After a l i t t l e while Hangan Enya passes by Moronao along the long corridor. Moronao calls out to him." (Moronao is absorbed in thought. Over there Hangan wearing a long ceremonious dress and a small sword with a white sheath comes out to the time of dancing music along the corridor. Moronao takes notice of him. ) You're very late, you're very late. So sorry, so sorry. (Stands at a proper place on the stage passage.) Didn't I t e l l to come here you a while ago that you ought at seven sharp today? We ll, I m sorry I'm late. However, there is s t i l l ample time before I go before the lord. (Comes to the main stage and sits on the left.)

7 6 A while ago one of my followers suggested an idea, so my wife Kaoyo handed me th is. Please take this. "He hands it to Moronao, who receives i t. " (Hangan hands a box to Moronao, who receives i t. ) I see. It must be something to do with a poem. Indeed your wife is a beautiful and talented lady. She knows I'v e got some knowledge of composing poems, so she wants me to correct her poem, I suppose. "He opens i t. " (Moronao opens the letter-box and sees its contents.) Indeed she writes a good hand. We ll, l et me read her good poem. How deeply I am attached to my husband, how deeoly I am attached to my husband! (Seems to be in deep thought.) Gracious me! This i s one of the latest hundred poems. I wonder why she wants me to correct this. "After much consideration, he understands that i t is a symbol of his disappointment in love and she must have confessed i t to her husband, but he masters his anger."

8 7 Lord Hakushu, have you read this poem? Oh, no; this is the fir s t time I ve heard you read it. We ll, then, did you hear me read it for the fir s t time? M oronao: Exactly so. Your lady is a devoted wife. She wants me to correct this poem. She is a devoted wife, is n 't she? I admire her in this respect. castle. No wonder you're late in coming to this You always confine yourself to your house, so you've come here la te, I should think. "Hangan does not understand why Moronao has said such rude words to him cynically; Moronao must have said so as a result of the trouble. Hangan feels angry, but masters his anger and tries to distract himself. Ha, ha, ha, ha! Moronao-dono, you must be in a happy mood with rice-wine. I ' l l admit I'v e drunk some rice-wine, but whether I'm drunk or sober I know what I'm about, Musashinokami, why did you come here late? Did you drink any rice-wine?

9 8 We11, you seem to be in a happy mood under the influence of liquor. Have you confined yourself to your house? As for Wakasanosuke-dono, he works better than you. Moreover, you lady is not only a devoted wife but also a beautiful lady and writes a good hand. You may well be proud of her. Today we're busy in this palace, so we oughtn't to devote ourselves to private affa irs. However, you only think of your wife. Oh, this is a poem that I'v e composed. I f you look after your home so much as to be late here, you'd better not come to this castle. Generally speaking, such a warrior as you who shut yourself up in your house is called a gibel in the well a lleg o rica lly. Listen to me. I t ' l l be a good lesson to you. The gibel thinks there is no better place than the well which is three or four feet deep and when the water of the well is pumped, such a kind- hearted warrior as I w ill take pity on i t and le t i t go in a large river. However, since it has seen nothing of the world; i t ' l l swim about happily t i l l i t 'l l, lose it s way, bump against a pile of the bridge and die on the spot. That's the fa t e of the gibel.

10 9 (Thereupon Hangan expresses his anger in various ways.) Oh, oh, you've lost your temper. Now you look exactly like a gibel. This is the fir s t time I, Moronao, have seen a gibel wearing a ceremonious dress. A gibel, a gibel, a gibel! You're a gibel, a g i b e l ----a gibel warrior. Ha, ha, ha, ha! "Moronao fools Hangan to the top of his bent. Hangan loses his temper." You've called me bad names up to now. You ve compared me Takasada Hangan Enya----t o a fish. Have you lost your head, have you become crazy, Musashinokami? (Hangan says so sternly. Musashinokami also gets angry.) Silence! Don't talk nonsense! You see, I'm the chief retainer Moronao Kono. How could I become crazy? We ll, then, did you call me names in earnest, today? Of course I said so in earnest; I can assure you. I f I had said so in earnest, what would you do? Hm, i f you said so in earnest? (Puts his hand on the h ilt of his sword and expresses his determination.)

11 10 Here is the palace. (cla ps his hands.) So sorry. (Draws back to his former place and fa lls prostrate.) Oh, are you going to k i l l me? Sound in tere sting K i l l me. Now k i l l me. (Gradually Moronao draws close to Hangan and leans against his la p.) Now do anything you like, Hangan Enya. (Hangan seems to be at a loss what to do.) Hangon: Oh, I didn't mean to do such a thing. I ' l l apologize to you fo r having made you angry. (Helps Moronao to his fe e t.) Wi l l you kindly give me instructions so that I shall be able to act successfull y as entertainer today? (Moronao cuts him short.) Oh, I don't know, I don't know. Shut up! I say, I don't know. (Says so in a loud voice. Hangan seems to be vexatious.) Pshaw! (Clenches his fis ts and expresses his m ortification.) What are you These hands! Those hands! goin' to do with the hands?

12 11 I ' l l pla ce these hands together on the floor and apologize to you. (Bows to Moronao vexatiously.) Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! You ought to do so. Well, I ' l l give a ll the instruction of today's ceremony and manners. Oh, I ' m glad you've pardoned me. Wi l l you kindly give instructions to me? Oh, no; to Wakasa-dono. I f you're so much absorbed in looking after your home, you better go home. You needn't come to this castle. Wakasa-dono w ill do so alone. I ' l l ask the lord to relieve you of the post. You may go home I, Moronao, w ill intercede with him for you. (Rises to his fe e t.) Well, I l l give instructions to Waksa-dono. (Goes. Just then Hangan suddenly loses his temper, sits on the skirt of Moronao's long plated skirt and puts his hand on the sword.) Musashinokami, w a it! Have you got anything else to want with me? (Turns round.) Oh, what I want with you is his. (Stabs at Moronao. Just then from the interior comes out Honzo and holds Hangan back.

13 - 12 Following him, a ll the daimyos and Bannai come out, look after Moronao ana take him to the room on the rig h t.) "There occurs a commotion". (An orchestra s ta rts.) CURTAIN