Aya no Tsuzumi

綾鼓 The Damask Drum

1 Source and/or Related Material

book on the study of waka poems

2 Author

probably Kanze Motomasa

3 Repertoire

Hōshō, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A courtier (waki) serving at the ancient Imperial Log Cabin Palace in Chikuzen Province (present-day Fukuoka) tells how the old gardener (maeshite) has fallen in love with a beautiful imperial consort (tsure). The official further explains that the lady has had a drum hung in a laurel tree next to the pond, saying that she would let the old man see her intimately if he could make it sound. The gardener beats the drum with all his might, but it is covered with the softest damask cloth, so he cannot get a sound out of it. In despair, he finally drowns himself in the pond. When an attendant reports the old man’s death, the lady suddenly starts hearing the beating of the drum. The play reaches a climax when the sounds of the instrument and those of the waves on the pond possess the lady and turn her mad. Finally the old man’s vengeful ghost (nochishite) appears and vents his rage. He tortures the lady and, full of hatred, sinks back into the pond.