Takasago

高砂 Takasago

1 Source and/or Related Material

Sanryūshō, a commentary on the Kokinshū kana preface

2 Author

Zeami

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

Tomonari (waki), the priest of Aso Shrine in Higo Province (Kumamoto, on Kyūshū) travels with some attendants (wakitsure) to Takasago Bay in Harima Province (Hyōgo). That peaceful spring evening, an old man (maeshite) and old woman (tsure) are sweeping fallen needles under a pine tree, the famed Takasago Pine. The priest asks them why the Takasago Pine and the Sumiyoshi Pine (Osaka) are called “Paired Pines” (aioi no matsu) despite being so far away from each other. The couple liken themselves to the pines, saying that the man lives in Sumiyoshi and the woman in Takasago, but that their hearts are together even when they are apart. Moreover, they relate the Takasago Pine to the era of the Man’yōshū poetry anthology and the Sumiyoshi Pine to the current Engi era, when the Kokinshū anthology was compiled. Since pine trees symbolize poems, the Paired Pines represent the flourishing of poetry, they explain as they extol the peace of the present reign and the beauty of the pines. Finally, they reveal that they themselves are the spirits of the Paired Pines and that they will await Tomonari in Sumiyoshi, then they board a boat and cast off to sea. A local (ai) comes to retell the story in plain speech, then presents Tomonari with a newly constructed boat and encourages him to make a pilgrimage to Sumiyoshi. Tomonari and his party sail to Sumiyoshi, where the God of Sumiyoshi (nochishite) appears, dances nobly, and blesses the imperial reign.