Hold Your Peace!
Hold Your Peace!
(Urusashi)
Tozo of Shiaku
Tea Shop Waitress
WAITRESS I am a resident of this neighborhood. Today as every day, I intend to sell tea to travelers. (She sits upstage left and places the lid of a kazura oke on the floor in front of her.)
TOZO I am Tozo of Shiaku, well-known in the Western Lands. Since my infancy, I have followed the way of the arts, familiarizing myself with the entire artistic spectrum. And now that my son has reached adulthood, and my daughters have married and gone away, and as they are all prospering well, I have nothing more to worry about. Thus I have decided to take a sightseeing tour of the famous spots and the ancient artifacts of all the various lands. Now I will be on my way. Truly, since I have pursued the path of elegance since infancy, I have naturally memorized many old tales and other matters. And relating such things to others is one of the virtues of the arts. Also, when I think of how my artistic sensitivities will prosper as I go about visiting the famous spots and ancient artifacts, I can think of nothing that could be more pleasing. Well, here I am already at a spot with fine scenery. Haaaaa. Look, look! A sail boat and other craft are gliding across the water. And in this direction, I see pines lining the shore. Well, I must say what interesting scenery! I think I will just go down and have a closer look at the beach. I wonder what the name of this place might be. I wish there was somebody to ask about it. Ha, haaaa. The way the waves lap the beach, I must say, is most amusing. There should be seashells scattered here. (He moves about and mimes as he speaks throughout this scene.) Well, it seems that due to the roughness of the waves, there are neither any dry stretch of beach nor seashells and such upon it. I would like to find someplace to rest a bit and drink some tea as I gaze at this scenery. And fortunately, here is a tea shop. I will rest right here.
WAITRESS I say, I say! Will you not have some tea?
TOZO Fortunately, I am thirsty. Please give me a cup.
WAITRESS First sit down and make yourself comfortable.
TOZO With all my heart. (He sits.) Well, now what might the name of this place be?
WAITRESS This is Akashi Bay in the Land of Harima.
TOZO So this is Akashi Bay?
WAITRESS Most certainly.
TOZO It is as lovely as I had heard. I was quite certain that this was no ordinary scenery.
WAITRESS Here, here. I have brought your tea.
TOZO Give it to me. (The WAITRESS gives him the cup of tea and he drinks it.) This is indeed fine tea.
WAITRESS Will you have another cup?
TOZO Please give me another cup. (He accepts another cup and drinks it.) Tell me, what is the name of that island?
WAITRESS That is Awaji Island.
TOZO Truly, it is as lovely as I had heard. Is it the island in the poem about the setting of the moon?
WAITRESS This island is Straw Mat Island. Look, look! In the distance, you can also see Sumiyoshi.
TOZO Well, I must say, this is even finer scenery than I had heard it was.
WAITRESS Here, here. Have another cup. (She serves him another cup and he drinks it.)
TOZO Well, now that I get a look at you, I see you are young. Are you single, or is your husband out?
WAITRESS I live alone with my aged mother. We live together as she is precious to me.
TOZO Do you mean to say, then, that you have no husband?
WAITRESS Most certainly, I do not.
TOZO Well, I must say, what a pity for you. But in any case, as you will not always be young, you must get yourself a husband and make a home for him while also demonstrating fidelity to your mother.
WAITRESS I say, I say. That I will not do. I do not have the least desire to get myself a husband. Oh, I say, hold your peace, hold your peace!
TOZO Here, here. What strange things your say. Did you say, "Hold your peace," knowing its significance or not?
WAITRESS I said it knowing nothing about it.
TOZO As you know nothing of it, I will explain it by narrating a story for you.
WAITRESS I would be most grateful if you would.
TOZO (Speaking in a narrative style.) In the august court of the Emperor Engi were three high ranking nobles named Minister Tokihira, Kan Shojo (Sugawara Michizane) and Lord Dainagon. These three presented themselves before the Emperor, Minister Tokihira first, Kan Shojo next, and Lord Dainagon last. It is said that Kan Shojo was of unprecedentedly short stature. Thus there were two tall men on the sides with one short one in the middle. Minister Tokihira turned toward Lord Dainagon, and their eyes met and they beat upon the head of the short one between them as though it was a drum, calling him "assistant drum" and bursting into boisterous laughter. Kan Shojo was known throughout the world for having the greatest wisdom of anyone. He responded saying, "An assistant drum is one, indeed, with a low and slender center piece where one grasps it to beat upon the faces at both its ends." And he laughed even louder than the other two. Then the other two became extremely angry and demanded whether he meant to say that it was the faces of the two to both his sides that should be struck. At that point, Kan Shojo quickly took his leave, and the other two presented themselves to the Emperor without him. They reported to the Emperor all manner of lies and prevarications concerning Kan Shojo. And the Emperor mumbled under his breath, "Hold your peace." But as they did not know the meaning of the phrase, the Emperor wrote it down for them and showed them that the first character (u) meant "right," the second (ru) meant "exile," the third (sa) meant "left," and the fourth (shi) meant "stop." Soon after that incident, Kan Shojo was appointed to the post of Minister of the Right, and while many tried to stop his being exiled, the Emperor finally gave the order, and Kan Shojo was exiled to a far away place. Unable to bear the pain and suffering of his exiled state, Kan Shojo ascended a high mountain and prayed to the deities that sit to the right and the left of the Buddha in Paradise, expressing his desire to return to the capital. Then a scroll fell from the heavens that proclaimed that Kan Shojo had been granted a place among the celestial deities and gave him the name Tenman. Kan Shojo then became a god of thunder in which form he went to the capital and destroyed all his enemies, and placed curses on many others. And now he is enshrined as the deity of the Kitano Tenman Shrine in the capital. Thus is was from the single phrase "Hold your peace" that Kan Shojo met with this sad fate. So you should take great care never again to utter the words "Hold your peace."
WAITRESS Well, I must say, knowing nothing at all of that, I have spoken most rashly. But even so, is not the phrase "hold your peace" found in any of the classical storybooks or poems?
TOZO Oh, no never! It is never found in such a place.
WAITRESS Not even in the Tales of Ise?
TOZO Well, I must say, how impertinently you talk. Why, the Tales of Ise is a collection of tales of such august personages as fifty-one generations of emperors, as well as the sons of Emperor Heijo and Imperial Prince Aho, and the great lover Narihira Ariwara. And among those stories, there could not possibly be found such a word.
WAITRESS Well, I must say, what obstinate things you say. I tell you that the phrase appears even in a poem that appears in the Tales of Ise.
TOZO And what poem might that be?
WAITRESS "When swearing by the stirrup of Musashi to make a request, it is so difficult to speak that you should hold your peace." Thus I must agree that it is a phrase that one should not use. And since I am a worshipper of the Tenman Deity, I will endeavor in the future to use it with greater discretion.
TOZO Well, I must say, how tender-hearted you are. So it seems that you are well-versed in the way of poetry. I am truly ashamed at myself for making light of you because you are a woman and acting erudite. I am Tozo of Shiaku, well-known in the Western Lands. Since my infancy, I have followed the way of the arts, and I have come this far with the purpose in mind of visiting the famous spots and the ancient artifacts of all the various lands. I will now go on to the capital, but on my way back, I will stop by here again. At that time, I beg you, please let me become your disciple in the way of poetry.
WAITRESS Oh, what embarrassing things your say. But as I am also interested in the way of the arts, I will teach you all the things that have been taught to me.
TOZO For that I will be most grateful. If that is the case, I will now be on my way.
WAITRESS I say, I say. I have some sacred wine that was offered to the Tenman deity. Will you not have a cup before you go?
TOZO I am most grateful for your offer, so I will accept a cup before I go.
WAITRESS Wait right there for a moment.
TOZO With all my heart. . . Well, I must say, how strangely wonderful it is to be able to drink wine at this Akashi tea shop while gazing upon the scenery here.
WAITRESS Here, here. Have a cup of wine.
TOZO Please give it to me.
WAITRESS I will pour for you.
TOZO What an unexpected honor. (She pours and he drinks.) And now I offer this cup to you.
WAITRESS I do not drink wine. But as there is still some left, you have another cup.
TOZO I will accept another cup. (She pours for him.) Oh, how happy, how happy I am. Now please put the cup away.
WAITRESS Then shall I put the cup away indeed?
TOZO I will pour for you. You have a cup.
WAITRESS I do not drink.
TOZO Do not talk that way, just have a cup. (He forces her to let him pour for her.)
WAITRESS Here, here. You have filled it to the brim.
TOZO Well, then, I will entertain you while you drink.
WAITRESS That is a fine idea.
TOZO (Singing and dancing.)
Uji cloth ripples softly, on islets and on sand spits.
Waves of the river beat gently.
Beach Plovers raise their voices, calling out to their friends.
Chiri-chiri ya chiri-chiri, chiri-chiri ya chiri-chiri, and
While they call out thus to their friends,
From an islet's dark shadow a rowboat appears.
Karari-korori, karari-korori, oars scraping against oarlocks,
The boatman lowers his fishhook.
When he makes his first catch is, of all, most amusing.
WAITRESS Well done, well done.
TOZO (Laughing.) I was most awkward. I have been here now for quite some time. I must hurry on my way.
WAITRESS Oh, how sad it is to part.
TOZO It also saddens me to part. (Singing.)
But look there at the sun. . .
WAITRESS (Singing.)
Hanging on the crest of the mountain,
Its light dimming as it slides lower.
Even though the plum blossoms fall pathetically,
The hazelnut clings firmly to the branch,
Firmly, oh, so firmly.
(Speaking.) To-to-to-iyaaa!
(Source: Kyogen Shusei, 556-558, Nogaku Shorin, Tokyo, 1974)
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