Semimaru

蝉丸 Prince Semimaru

1 Source and/or Related Material

“Down the Eastern Seaboard,” Tale of the Heike book 10

2 Author

Unknown. Considered possibly by Zeami or Motomasa.

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

Semimaru (tsure), fourth son of Emperor Engi, has been born blind, and so his father the Emperor orders Fujiwara no Kiyotsura (waki) to abandon him on Mt. Ausaka (Shiga). Kiyotsura and his palanquin bearers (wakitsure) go to the mountain and dump him there. Semimaru laments his fate, holding the biwa lute that they have left for him. The great gagaku musician Minamoto no Hiromasa (ai) finds him there and raises him in a straw hut, teaching him to play the biwa so that he can make a living as a street musician. Meanwhile, Semimaru’s elder sister Sakagami (shite) has gone mad, and one day her homeless wanderings bring her to Mt. Ausaka. She hears the sound of Semimaru’s biwa, and brother and sister are runited. They share their sorrow at their misfortune and comfort one another. When at last it is time for Sakagami to go, Semimaru sees her off with sightless eyes.