能のあらすじ・見どころ Summary and Highlights of Noh Seiōbo (The Queen Mother of the West) English
Summary
The setting is the reign of King Mu of the ancient Zhou Dynasty in China. Through the wisdom of the king, the land is peacefully governed and the people live in prosperity. A courtier announces the king’s arrival at the palace. As the King takes his seat upon the throne, accompanied by his ministers, a woman carrying peach blossoms steps forward with a court lady. She explains that these blossoms are extraordinary, blooming and bearing fruit only once every three thousand years. While praising the dignity and virtue of the King, who has been blessed to witness such a miraculous omen, the woman transforms into the appearance of a celestial maiden. She then reveals that she is the Queen Mother of the West (C. Xiwangmu; J. Seiōbo). Promising to return with the peach fruits, she vanishes into the celestial realm.
An official speaks of the peaches in the Queen Mother’s garden and announces the performance of music to welcome her. As the King and his court wait expectantly, peacocks, phoenixes, and supernatural birds descend from the heavens of the Daoist immortals. A maidservant arrives bearing the peach fruits along with various offerings. The Queen Mother of the West presents the peaches to the King, performs a dance celebrating his reign, and ascends into the sky.
Highlights
This is a celebratory play in which the Chinese immortal known as the Queen Mother of the West (Seiōbo) offers miraculous peaches that bloom and bear fruit once every three thousand years to honor the reign of King Mu. The performance is enveloped in an atmosphere full of springtime splendor, featuring props with flowering peach branches in the first half and peach fruits in the second. Depending on the production, Chinese-style costumes may be used.
Beyond the visual spectacle, the bright atmosphere of Seiōbo is created through its music. The goddess’s blessings are expressed in the second half through the sagariha instrumental music accompanying the Queen Mother’s entrance, followed by the chorus’s description of her descent from the celestial realm sung in a rhythm called watari-byōshi, and culminating in her dance (chū no mai) with the accompaniment of the taiko stick drum.
The legend of the Queen Mother of the West has been known in Japan since ancient times through Chinese poetry and folklore. Beyond nō, a program titled “Seiōbo-goto” was performed at medieval temples as “dai-furyū” (a song-and-dance pantomime using lavish costumes and sets), transforming her legend into popular theatrical entertainment.
In addition to this play, other auspicious nō works such as Tōbōsaku and Tsurukame feature immortals dancing in praise of Chinese kings. The appearance of divine immortals is closely linked to themes of celebration and felicitation, reminding us of the profound influence that Chinese classical culture has had on Japan.