Ryōjin hishō

The Ryōjin hishō ( Japanese 梁 塵 秘 抄 Secret collection of songs, the beauty of which wipes the dust off the beams , also: Secret copy of beautiful songs ) is a collection of kayō ( 歌 謡 ), that is, song poetry or traditional folk songs from the late Heian period . Unlike Kanshi which occurred notation of the texts in Kana .

overview

While the waka poetry, for example, was cultivated as a high form of poetry at court and, at the instigation of various emperors , was collected in poetry anthologies in the amount of 20 volumes, song poetry was considered a less refined and eloquent form of entertainment for the people. "It is in the nature of folk songs to disregard individuality and social hierarchy. [...] The singer was free to change some of the verses or to compose a new text on the original basis." The kayō threatened to disappear unnoticed as an underestimated art form. It is thanks to Emperor Go-Shirakawa that with the Ryōjin hishō, a collection of kayō was created in the Japanese Middle Ages. Along with the Kanginshū ( 閑 吟 集 ), which was created around 350 years later, it is a rare source of this poetry.

It is believed that the Ryōjin hishō originally comprised 20 volumes (Maki) and was completed by 1179. Although one knew from the Fuboku wakashu ( 夫 木 和 歌 抄 ) of the existence of the Ryōjin hishō, it was not until 1911 that Wada Hidemitsu discovered an edo-period copy of the text corpus in Kyoto. Small fragments of volume 1 with 21 texts and the complete second volume with 545 texts have been preserved. Also a volume by Go-Shirakawa himself (volume 10). All in all, around 566 texts have been preserved, which can be divided into profane and religious texts. The main characteristics of the profane texts are passionate love and sexuality. The religious texts can in turn be divided into two categories, those that deal with Shintoism and those that deal with Buddhism . With a few exceptions, they contain the “doctrine of good deeds.” The Hokkekyō ( Lotus Sutra ) is the basis of 110 folk songs. It is assumed that volumes 1 to 9 were completed as early as 1169, then volumes 11 to 20 in the next few years until 1179 and finally volume 10, which was written by Go-Shirakawa himself and has autobiographical features. This volume also shows that Go-Shirakawa was a great admirer of song poetry and that he was passionate about imayō uta ("songs according to the taste of the day").

The first 10 volumes of the collection were designed as a text collection with the wording of the songs, the remaining 10 volumes should contain all the details of the musical interpretation, mostly with Ryōjin hishō kudenshū ( 梁 塵 秘 抄 口 伝 集 ). In detail, there are still 220 Hōmonka ( 法文 歌 Buddhist spiritual songs ), 204 Shiku kamiuta ( 四句 神 歌 four-verse songs of the gods ), 122 Niku kamiuta ( 二句 神 歌 two- verse songs of gods ), 10 Nagauta, 1 Koyanagi ( 古 柳 ) with hayashi kotoba ( 囃 子 詞 ) and 10 Imayō (今 様) of the Ryōjin hishō received. The text corpus obtained is kept in the Tenri University library. The Ryōjin hishō was declared an important cultural asset on June 10, 1993 .

The modern way, the imayō, is reverse to the Waka of two half verses 7: 5 Moren . In the 10th volume Go-Shirakawa reports that he is based on Toshiyori Zuinō ( 俊 頼 髄 脳 , 1155) a style book by Minamoto Toshiyori (1055-1129). The Toshiyori Zuinō consists of two volumes and deals with the origin of poems (waka). It also includes analyzes of poems and techniques. In 1157 Go-Shirakawa invited the singer Otome († 1169) to teach him. Go-Shirakawa selected two students in 1179: Minamoto Suketoki and Fujiwara no Moronaga (1137-1192). He organized song competitions at court where the singers could compete. These singers mostly had a so-called asobi or kugutsu ( 傀儡 ) background. So they mostly came from the entertainment or juggler's trade or went into prostitution.

Text example

Buddhism

Japanese	transcription	translation
生死 の 大海 辺 無 し 、 仏 性 真如 岸 遠 し 、 妙法 蓮華 は 舟 筏 、 来世 の 衆生 、 渡 す べ し。	shōji no daikai hotori nashi busshō shinnyo kishi tōshi myōhō renge wa fune ikada raise no shujō watasubeshi	The ocean of life and death knows no boundaries The shore is wide of Buddhahood and true suchness. The lotus flower of the wonderful teaching is a boat or raft. It will also guide the living beings of future generations [across this sea]. (No. 210)

Profane poetry

Japanese	transcription	translation
美女 う ち 見 れ ば　 一 本 葛 に も な り な ば や と ぞ 思 ふ 本 よ り 末 ま で 縒 ら ら れ ば や や 切 る と も 刻 む と も 離 れ 難 き は わ が 宿世	Binjō uchi mireba hitomoto kazura-to-mo nairnabaya-to-zo omou moto-yori sue-made yorarebaya kiru-tomo kizamu-tomo hanaregataki wa waga sukuse	When I see the beautiful I want to become a tendril, want to embrace it from the roots to the outermost branch. Even cut up, chopped up, I remain inseparable, that's what I'm supposed to do. (No. 342)

　　

Japanese	transcription	translation
遊 び を せ ん と や 生 ま れ け む　 戯 れ せ ん と や 生 ま れ け ん　 遊 ぶ ぶ 子 供 の 声聞 け ば　 我 が 身 さ え こ そ 動 が る れ	Asobi-wo sen-to-ya umarekemu tawabure sen-to-ya umarekemu asobu kodomo no koe kikeba waga mi-sae-koso yurugarure	Were they born to play too? Were they born to joke too? I hear the voices of the children playing . I feel violent movement. (No. 359)

Remarks

1. ↑ Also known as a song recital, which was often combined with song and dance.
2. ↑ According to Hochōshojaku mokuroku ( 本 朝 書籍 目録 , 1290).
3. ↑ Refrain with nonsensical syllables, which is used to keep the rhythm.
4. ↑ The translation comes from Jörg B. Quenzer: The motif of life and death (shōji) in Japanese poetry of the Middle Ages. In: Birgit Staemmler Werden und Vergehen, Tübinger Ostasiatische Forschungen Vol. 24, Berlin, Lit Verlag, 2016, pp. 56–57
5. ↑ The translation is from Ōoka Makoto, p. 120, the transcription by Bruno Lewin, p. 81
6. ↑ The translation is from Ōoka Makoto, p. 123, the transcription by Bruno Lewin, p. 81

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ōoka Makoto: Poetry and Poetics of Ancient Japan . Carl Hanser, Munich 2002, ISBN 978-3-446-19859-3 , p. 116 .
2. ↑ Bruno Lewin: Japanese Chrestomathy from the Nara to the Edo period . Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1965, p. 77 .
3. ↑ Ōoka Makoto: Poetry and Poetics of Ancient Japan . Carl Hanser, Munich 2002, ISBN 978-3-446-19859-3 , p. 113 .
4. ↑ Konishi Jin'ichi: Ryōjin hishōkō . Sanseidō, 1941, p. 34-53 (Japanese).
5. ↑ ^{a b} Bruno Lewin: Japanese Chrestomathy from the Nara to the Edo period . Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1965, p. 78 (There 170 Shiku kamiuta are named.).
6. ↑ Ōoka Makoto: Poetry and Poetics of Ancient Japan . Carl Hanser, Munich 2002, ISBN 978-3-446-19859-3 , p. 118 .
7. ↑ 梁 塵 秘 抄 . In: 日本 大 百科全書 (ニ ッ ポ ニ カ) at kotobank.jp. Retrieved October 20, 2019 (Japanese).