Tadanori

忠度 The Warrior-Poet Tadanori

1 Source and/or Related Material

“Tadanori Flees the Capital,” “The Death of Tadanori,” Tale of the Heike books 7, 9

2 Author

Zeami

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A monk (waki) who was once in the service of the late poet Fujiwara no Shunzei travels with his fellow monks (wakitsure) to Suma Bay (Hyōgo) in the land of Tsu. While the monks are gazing at a certain cherry tree, an old man (maeshite) appears. The lead monk requests lodging for the night, and the old man replies with a poem by the Heike warrior Tadanori, which turns on the conceit of asking a night’s lodging from a cherry tree in bloom, which is sure to be a willing host. The old man tells the monk that Tadanori’s grave is under this very cherry tree, then vanishes into the shadow of the blossoms. A local (ai) comes to tell the story of Tadanori in plain speech, then recommends that the monks hold a memorial service for the warrior. They do so, and Tadanori (nochishite) appears in his true form. He bemoans the fact that his poem was published anonymously in the Senzai wakashū on account of his being declared an Enemy of the Court. Tadanori then recounts how he entrusted this poem to the monk’s old master Shunzei on his way out of the capital, and how he died fighting against Okabe no Rokuyata. Finally, the spirit disappears into the roots of the cherry tree.