Yōrō

養老 Elder Care

1 Source and/or Related Material

Kokon chomonjū

2 Author

Zeami

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

An envoy (waki) of Emperor Yūryaku leads his attendants (wakitsure) to Motosu in Mino Province (Gifu) to visit the Yōrō (“Elder Care”) Waterfall. There, they meet an old man (shite) and his son (tsure) and ask them about the waterfall’s name. They tell how the son once went into the mountains to gather firewood and felt remarkably refreshed after drinking from the spring. When his elderly father drank from the spring, he, too, felt reinvigorated and forgot his old age, and so they decided to name the spring for its rejuvenating power. The old man leads the envoy to the waterfall and draws water while relating legends associated with its medicinal powers. Suddenly, the heavens sparkle, flowers fall from above, and music fills the air. The visitors notice that the old man and his son have disappeared, but a villager (ai) comes to retell the story in plain speech and do a dance. The God of the mountain (nochishite) appears and, amid the booming of the deluge and the divine music, performs a powerful dance while blessing the imperial reign.