Azuma Jishi
吾妻獅子
| [Genre] | Jiuta |
| [Style] | Tegotomono |
| [School] | Ikuta Ryû - 生田 |
| [Composed] | Minezaki Kōtō - Shamisen |
History (Tsuge Gen'ichi):
| Minezaki of Osaka, a great composer of jiuta (a vocal style accompanied by the shamisen), perfected the tegoto-mono form towards the end of the eighteenth century. In this form, songs are connected with one another by virtuoso instrumental interludes (tegoto). Azuma-jishi is one of Minezaki's tegoto-mono masterpieces. The main tegoto of the present piece consists of five sections (dan), and depicts primarily the lion (shishi) dancing in a wild delirium of joy. Hence the title Azuma-jishi, 'Lion of the East.' |
Poem (translated by Tsuge Gen'ichi)
| From olden days Men have spoken of him- The lady-killer Who goes east from the capital- On his way, the very pine trees Pine for him- On Mt. Fuji's peak, Snow white Flowers-like his outfit And speech, redolent of the Yoshiwara (1). Tamed by the peony flowers On your robes, This lion takes flowers From his wealth Even his fiery temper Is beloved. Love and be loved A thousand ages... Wearing separate clothes After the exchange of loves, In threads of music my heart Is as tangled as my hair. Singing on love's road, The bedewed spring, too- It's over! Music mirrored In the dancer's fan. Gorgeously, Wildly, passionately, This lion also plays In the Way of Wedlock- May this world Be unshakeable For generations. (1) Yoshiwara was the entertainment, pleasure quarter and cultural center of Edo (Old Tokyo). | Mukashi yori iinarawaseshi azuma-kudari no mameotoko shitoo tabiji ya matsugae no (ai) fuji no takane ni shirotae no (ai) hana no sugata ni oshiwara-namari kimi ga mi ni soo botan ni narete ono ga fuuki wo hana to nomi yatake-gokoro mo nikukarazu (ai) omoi omoo chiyo made mo nasake ni kawasu kinuginu no (ai) itotake ni kokoro midare-gami (ai) utoo koiji ni tsuyu soo haru mo kuretake ya kazoo oogi ni utsusu kyoku (tegoto) Hanayaka ni midare midaruru imose no michi ni shishi mo asobite ikuyo made (ai) Kawaranu yo koso medetakere |
Azuma Jishi appears on the following albums
