We learnt HYAKUNIN-ISSHU while working in the fields ( by Awanokami)
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We learnt HYAKUNIN-ISSHU while working in the fields ( by Awanokami)
(kousei3, 2005/8/7 15:27)
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Posted on 2005/8/7 15:27
kousei3
Posts: 42
Posts: 42
We learnt HYAKUNIN-ISSHU "The Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets while working in the fields
In Showa 19 (1944), our family moved to our hometown of AWA (the old name of southern Chiba prefecture) for safety.
In order to survive, we exchanged our familys clothing for food, but when that was finished, there was no other way except to cultivate a small piece of land so as to obtain a little food.
As a city boy who had played on the pavements and not used to country life just until the day before, working in the fields was hard.
Particularly, at rice-planting season even children were needed as the work force.
At first, it felt unpleasant just going into the rice fields.
Soon, my lower body started hurting.
One day, my mother suddenly began to recite one of the HYAKUNIN-ISSHUs poems in the fields.
Then, we followed in a loud voice, and afterwards she explained its meaning.
Gradually, we began to get absorbed in these poems and almost forgot our aching bodies.
Local passers-by on the footpath between the rice fields looked at us dubiously.
My mother told us various stories associated with HYAKUNIN-ISSHU; like the discord between two typical Heian-period aristocratic poetesses, MURASAKI SHIKIBU and SEISHO NAGON and the legend of the poetess ONONO-KOMACHI (famous for her beauty) . We eagerly listened to her until sunset.
We looked forward to the coming of New Year's, as at that time, in the holidays, there were home parties and we could enjoy playing the HYAKUNIN-ISSHU game with our family and relatives.
The HYAKUNIN-ISSHU game was very difficult for us, because if you wanted to participate, you needed to learn all the hundred poems by heart.
In addition to that, there are poems which often look similar, so you have to be careful not to make mistakes.
Everyone in my family had a favorite poem.
I still remember some of them.
As my mother was born in Tokyo, she was brought up indulgently and might not have got along with the villagers and rural life.
For diversion, she recited the HYAKUNIN-ISSHU poems in the rice fields under people's cold glances.
I became sad when I considered such feelings my mother had.
Anyhow, my mother was accepted by the local people and spent the rest of her life there without ever returning to Tokyo.
Nowadays, for me HYAKUNIN-ISSHU is material for Japanese calligraphy and never to be used in a game.
-----------------------------------------------------------
What is HYAKUNIN-ISSHU
An anthology of Japanese couplets of 31 syllables, compiled by FUJIWARA TEIKA（1162-1241）(one of the Heian-period poets). He chose The Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets, among which were writings of Emperors, aristocrats and several Buddhist priests.
The themes of the poetry are mainly about birds and flowers and love, and these are very elegant.
How to play the HYAKUNIN-ISSHU game
It is a kind of card game.
There are two kinds of cards for each poem.
One for the reciter (YOMIFUDA), on which the complete poem is written, together with the poet's portrait.
The other is for the player (TORIFUDA), on which only the last part of the poem is written.
And these cards are placed on the tatami separately and not piled together.
Then the reciter recites a poem one by one with characteristic portamento.
Players have to look for that particular card and pick it up as quickly as possible, as the one who can pick up the most, is the winner. This means that the players need to learn all the poems by heart.
Awanokami
In Showa 19 (1944), our family moved to our hometown of AWA (the old name of southern Chiba prefecture) for safety.
In order to survive, we exchanged our familys clothing for food, but when that was finished, there was no other way except to cultivate a small piece of land so as to obtain a little food.
As a city boy who had played on the pavements and not used to country life just until the day before, working in the fields was hard.
Particularly, at rice-planting season even children were needed as the work force.
At first, it felt unpleasant just going into the rice fields.
Soon, my lower body started hurting.
One day, my mother suddenly began to recite one of the HYAKUNIN-ISSHUs poems in the fields.
Then, we followed in a loud voice, and afterwards she explained its meaning.
Gradually, we began to get absorbed in these poems and almost forgot our aching bodies.
Local passers-by on the footpath between the rice fields looked at us dubiously.
My mother told us various stories associated with HYAKUNIN-ISSHU; like the discord between two typical Heian-period aristocratic poetesses, MURASAKI SHIKIBU and SEISHO NAGON and the legend of the poetess ONONO-KOMACHI (famous for her beauty) . We eagerly listened to her until sunset.
We looked forward to the coming of New Year's, as at that time, in the holidays, there were home parties and we could enjoy playing the HYAKUNIN-ISSHU game with our family and relatives.
The HYAKUNIN-ISSHU game was very difficult for us, because if you wanted to participate, you needed to learn all the hundred poems by heart.
In addition to that, there are poems which often look similar, so you have to be careful not to make mistakes.
Everyone in my family had a favorite poem.
I still remember some of them.
As my mother was born in Tokyo, she was brought up indulgently and might not have got along with the villagers and rural life.
For diversion, she recited the HYAKUNIN-ISSHU poems in the rice fields under people's cold glances.
I became sad when I considered such feelings my mother had.
Anyhow, my mother was accepted by the local people and spent the rest of her life there without ever returning to Tokyo.
Nowadays, for me HYAKUNIN-ISSHU is material for Japanese calligraphy and never to be used in a game.
-----------------------------------------------------------
What is HYAKUNIN-ISSHU
An anthology of Japanese couplets of 31 syllables, compiled by FUJIWARA TEIKA（1162-1241）(one of the Heian-period poets). He chose The Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets, among which were writings of Emperors, aristocrats and several Buddhist priests.
The themes of the poetry are mainly about birds and flowers and love, and these are very elegant.
How to play the HYAKUNIN-ISSHU game
It is a kind of card game.
There are two kinds of cards for each poem.
One for the reciter (YOMIFUDA), on which the complete poem is written, together with the poet's portrait.
The other is for the player (TORIFUDA), on which only the last part of the poem is written.
And these cards are placed on the tatami separately and not piled together.
Then the reciter recites a poem one by one with characteristic portamento.
Players have to look for that particular card and pick it up as quickly as possible, as the one who can pick up the most, is the winner. This means that the players need to learn all the poems by heart.
Awanokami
