能のあらすじ・見どころ Summary and Highlights of Noh Oshio English
Summary
It is spring, and a man (waki) from Shimogyō district (the southern part of the capital Heian, now Kyoto) and his friend (waki-tsure) decide to go to Ōharano (Ukyō district of Kyoto) and enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms. Ōharano, the area at the foot of Mt. Oshio, is famous for its blooming cherry trees. As the men arrive, they see that Ōharano is crowded with cherry blossom viewers. Soon, an elegant elderly man (shite of act one) holding a blooming branch in his hand joins in the cherry blossom viewing.
The men, intrigued, call out to the old man. As they talk, the old man recites some poems from "Kokinshū" and "Ise Monogatari".
"Oh, Ōhara! On this day, even Mount Oshio remembers the age of the gods". The old man recites the poem by Ariwara-no-Narihira, explains its meaning and reminisces about the past. Drunk with sake, the old man staggers around marveling at the blooming cherry trees, and disappears into the twilight (nakairi).
A local man (ai) appears and tells the man from Shimogyō and his friend a legend about the shrine of Oshio Myōjin. He also explains the origin of the poem by Narihira, who had accompanied Consort Nijō on her pilgrimage. The local man suspects that the old man might have been an incarnation of Narihira.
Following the local's advice to stay and wait for more miracles to happen, the man from Shimogyō decides to take a nap under one of the blooming trees. Suddenly, the spirit of Narihira appears in a cherry blossom viewing carriage. He recounts his many love affairs, reciting poems from "Ise Monogatari" (The Tales of Ise). As he dances, Narihira flips over the sleeves of his robe and disappears amidst the blizzard of falling blossoms.
Highlights
Oshio is the name of a place in Ōharano, west of Kyoto, where the shrine of Oshio Myōjin (Ōharano Shrine) is located.
Oshio Myōjin is a shrine associated with the Fujiwara clan, where the gods of Kasuga Taisha, the Fujiwara clan's family shrine, have been enshrined. It is now casually referred to as "Kyō-Kasuga" (Kasuga of the capital).
Fujiwara-no-Takaiko, also known as Consort Nijō, who was the wife of Emperor Seiwa, made a pilgrimage to this place to venerate her clan's deities.
Ariwara-no-Narihira accompanied her as a government official of the Imperial Guards' Office. This became the topic of the 76th chapter of Ise Monogatari (The Tales of Ise), which is the main source upon which the Noh play "Oshio" is based.
This play is thought to have been authored by Zeami's son-in-law, Konparu Zenchiku. In his day, "Ise Monogatari" was considered an important classic with numerous annotated transcripts and commentaries, most of which paid particular attention to the love story between Narihira and Consort Nijō.
"Oshio" was also strongly influenced by these commentaries, and contains many details not found in the original text of "Ise Monogatari".
The highlight of "Oshio" is Ariwara-no-Narihira's elegant and graceful dance. The ‘kuse’ section of the play, which quotes many waka poems from "Ise Monogatari," is followed by the graceful ‘jo-no-mai’ dance. The stage is also decorated with props representing a blooming cherry tree and a cherry blossom viewing carriage.