Izutsu

井筒 The Well Curb

1 Source and/or Related Material

commentaries and digests of The Tale of Ise

2 Author

Zeami

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A travelling monk (waki) visits the Ariwara Temple in Isonokami (Nara) one autumn night under a beautiful moon. The monk recalls how Ariwara no Narihira used to live here with his wife, the daughter of Ki no Aritsune. As he is holding a memorial service for them, a woman (maeshite) appears and places water and flowers before an old tomb. The woman informs the monk that the tomb belongs to Narihira, and starts to tell a story of Narihira and his wife. Some years into their marriage, Narihira began secretly visiting another woman in the village of Takayasu in Kawachi Province (Osaka). Nevertheless, his wife made a poem expressing worry for his safety crossing the Tatsuta mountains alone at night to visit the other woman. When Narihira learned of this poem, he stopped visiting the woman in Takayasu. Perhaps they understood each other so well because they grew up together: as children, they used to play peek-a-boo around the lip of a well (izutsu). When they grew up, Narihira sent a poem proposing marriage, and she returned a poem accepting. The woman reveals that she is the daughter of Aritsune, also known as Lady Izutsu. Then she disappears behind the lip of the well. A local man (ai) retells the story of Narihira and his wife in plain speech. The monk goes to sleep, hoping to meet the woman again in his dreams, and sure enough, the daughter of Aritsune (nochishite) appears wearing Narihara’s robe and headdress. The ghost calmly dances, then stares at her reflection on the water in the well, longing for Narihira.