tr

ffi

:fT

38 INTRODUCTION
study of these problems would, of course, make Chikamatsu easier.
Yet anyone who approacheshis masterpieceswith an open mind will
discoverthat somethirg important comes through the difficuldes, a
voice which speakswith human accentsabout human problems.Across T HE L O VE SU IC ID ES
the centuriesand the barriers of language and custom we recognize
our brothers and ourselves. A T S ONEZ AKI

lrirst performed on |une zo, r7o3. The suicides described in this play took
;rlace on M"y 22, r7o3. Chikamatsu was stirred by them to compose his
{irst domestic tragedy. Tlte Loue Suicides at Sonezafri has somdtimes been
criticized for the excessive simplicity of its plot, but it remains one of
Chikamatsu's finest works, if only for the poetry in the love journey.
(lhikamatsu in r7r7 added a few scenes to lend the play greater com-
lrlexity, and perhaps to satisfy a demand that the villain be punished, but
the directness of the earlier version appeals more to modern readers and
slrectators.In the present translation the r7o3 text has been used, except
t hat the opening scene,consisting chiefly of an enumeration of the thirty-
three temples of Kwannon in the Osaka area (with a pun on each name),
i.somitted. The scene, virtually unrelated to the remainder of the play, con-
tains no dialogue.
The play, perhaps becauseChikamatsu had not yet determined the form
,,[ the domestic tragedy, is not divided into acts.

Cast of Cltaracters
ToKUBE y aged 25, employee of a dealer in soy sauce
KUHErfr,an oil merchant
Hosr of Temma House
cu6z6, an apprentice
cusroMsn of Ohatsu
TOWNSMEN

oHATsu, aged rg, a courtesan

COURTESANS

SERVANTS
 40 THE LOVE SUICIDES AT SONEZAKI SCENE ONE 4r
SceneOne: Tlte grounds of the Iftudama Shrine in Osafra. sonators'showrn but if he returns and finds us together, there might
Time: May 2r, r7oj. be trouble. All the chair-bearersknow you. It's best you keep your face
covered.
rR l But to come back to us. Lately you haven't written me a word. I've
This graceful young man has served many springs been terribly worried but, not knowing what the situation might be
With the firm of Hirano in Uchihon Street; in your shop, I couldn't very well write you. I must have called a
He hides the passionthat burns in his breast hundred times at the Tamba House, but they hadn't any news of you
Lest word escapeand the scandalspread. either. Somebody-yes, it was Taichi, the blind musician-asked his
He drinks peach wine, a cup at a time, friends, and they said you'd gone back to the country. I couldn't be-
And combs with care his elegant locks. lieve it was true. You've really been too cruel. Didn't you even want
"Toku" he is called, and famed for his raste, to ask about me I Perhapsyou hoped things would end that way, but
But now, his talents buried underground, I've been sick with worry. If you think I'm lying, feel this swelling!
FIe works as a clerk, his sleevesstained with oil, NARRAToR: She takes his hand and pressesit to her breast,weeping
A slave to his sweet remembrancesof love. reproachfuland entreatirg tears,exactly as if they were husband and
Today he makes the rounds of his clients wife. Man though he is, he also weeps.
With a lad who carries a cask of soy: Torusrt: You're right, entirely right, but what good would it have
They have reachedthe shrine of Ikudama. done to tell you and make you sr-rffer ? I've been going through such
A woman's voice calls from a bench inside a refreshment stand. rniserythat I couldn't be more distractedif Bon, New Year, the Ten
oHArsu: Tokubei-that's you, isn't it i 1 Nights, and every other feast in the calendar came all at once. My
NARRAToR: She claps her hands, and Tokubei 2 nods in recogllirion. mind's been in a turmoil, and my financesin chaos.To tell the truth,
ToKUBEI:Chozo, I'll be followirg later. Make the rounds of the I went up to Kyoto to raise some money, among other things. It's
temples in Tera Street and the uptown mansions, and then return to a miracle I'm still alive. If they make my story into a three-actplay,
the shop. Tell them that I'll be back soon. Don't forget ro call on the I'm sure the audienceslvill weep.
dyer's in Azuchi Street and collect the money he owes us. And sray NARRATon: Words fail and he can only sigh.
away from Dotombori.s oHArsu:And is this the comic relief of your tragedy? Why couldn't
NARRATon: He watchesas long as the boy remains in sight, then lifts you have trusted me with your worries when you tell me even trivial
the bamboo blinds. little thingsl You must've had some reasonfor hidirg.Why don't you
ToKUBET: Ohatsu-what's the matter ?
NARRAToR: He starts to remove his bamboo hat. "'l'^fiHi:J;:i;i:i1'JTi, u,,...Bi*er
rears
soak
herhandkerch
oHATsu:Pleasekeep your hat on just now. I have a customer from roKuBEr:Pleasedon't cry or be angry with me. I wasn't hiding any-
the country today who's making a pilgrimage to all thirty-three rem- rhing, but it wouldn't have helped to involve you. At any rate, my
ples of Kwannon. Ffe's been boasting that he intends to spend the t roubles have largely been settled, and I can tell you the whole story
whole d^y drinking. At the moment he's gone off to hear rhe imper- llc)w.
t
His face is covered by a deep wicker hat, commonly worn by visitors to the gay My master has always treated me with particular kindness because
quarters, .
t ' Within the precincts of the Ikudama Shrine were booths where various rypes of
The pronunciation of the name given in the text is Tokuby6e, but I have followed the t'ntcrtainment were presented. The impersonators mimicked the speech and posture of
more normal rnodern pronunciation.
t l x ) pul ar ac tor s .
A street in Osaka famed for its theaters ancl houses of pleasure.

.it
r
 42 THE LOVE SUICIDESAT SONEZAKI SCENE ONE 43
I'm his nephew. For my part, I've served him with absolute honesty. my steps to the countr/: and this dme, with the intercession of the
There's never been a penny's discrepancyin the accounts.It's true that whole village, I managed to extract the money from my mother. I
recently I used his name when I bought on credit a bolt of Kaga silk intended to return the dowry immediately and settle things for once
to make into a summer kimono, but that's the one and only dme, and and for all. But if I can't remain in Osaka, how shall I be able to
if I have to raise the money on the spot, I can always sell back the meet you ?
kimono without taking a loss. My master has been so impressed by My bones may be crushed to powder, my fesh be torn awalt and I
my honesty that he proposedI marry his wife's niece with a dowry of may sink, an empty shell, in the slime of Shiiimi River. Let that happen
two Uo*ffic,5 and promised to set me up in business.That happened if it must, but if I am parted from you, what shall I do ?
last year,but how could I shift my afiectionswhen I have youl I didn't NARRAToR: He weeps, suffocatedby his grief. Ohatsu, holding back
give his suggestiona secondthought, but in the meantime my mother the welling tears of sympathy, strengthens and comforts him.
-she's really my stepmother-conferred with my master, keepirg it oHArsu: How you've suffered! And when I think that it's been be-
a secretfrom me. She went back to the country with the two causeof me, I feel h"ppy, sad,and most grateful all at once. But please,
framme
in her clutches. Fool that I ?n, I never dreamt what had h"p- show more courage. Pull yourself together. Your uncle may have for-
pened. bidden you to set foot in Osaka again, but you haven't committed
The trouble began last month when they tried to force me to marry. robbery or arson. I'll think of some way to keep you here. And if a
I got angry and said, "Master, you surpriseme. You know how unwill- t ime should come when we can no longer meet, did our promises of
itg I am to get married, and yet you've inveigled my old morher into love hold only for this world ? Others before us have chosen reunion
giving her consent.You've gone too [.ar, master. I can't understand t hrough death. To die is simple enough-none will hinder and none
the mistress'sattitude either. If I took as my wife this young lady be hindered on the journey to the Mountain of Death and the River of
whom I've always treated with the utmost deferenceand acceptedher 'l'hree Ways.6
dowry in the bargain, I'd spend my whole life dancing attendanceon NARRAToR: Ohatsu falters among these words of encouragement,
my wife- How could I ever assertmyself I I've refusedonce,and even if choked by tears.She resumes.
my father were to return from his grave, the answer would sdll be no." oHATsu:The twenty-secondis tomorrow. Return the money early,
The master was furious that I should have answeredso bluntly. His since you must return it anyway. Tty to get in your master's good
voice shook with rage. "I know your real reasons.You've involved with J]races agaln.
Ohatsu, or whatever her name is, from the Temma Flouse in Dojima. roKUBEr:I want to, and I'm impatient to return the money, but on the
That's why you seem so averseto my wife's niece. Very well-after I hirteenth of the month Kuheiji the oil merchant-I think you know
what's been said, I'm no longer willing to give you the girl, and since lrim-begged me desperatelyfor the money.He said he neededit only
there's to be no wedding, return the money. Settle without fail by the Itrr olre d^y, and promised to return it by the morning of the eighteenth.
twenty-secondof the month and clear your businessaccounts.I'll chase I decided to lend him the money since I didn't need it until the
you from osaka and never let you set foot here again!" I wenty-second,and it was for a friend closeas a brother. He didn't get
I too have my pride as a man. "Right you are!" I answered,and in touch with me on the eighteenth or nineteenth. Yesterd"y he was
rushed off to my village. But my so-calledmother wouldn't let the .rr[ and I couldn't seehim. I intended to call on him this morning, but
money from her griP, not if this world turned into the next. I wenr ro I've spent it makitg the rounds of my customersin order to wind up
Kyoto, hoping to borrow the money from the wholesale soy sauce rny businessby tomorrow. I'll go to him this evening and settleevery-
dealersin the Fifth Ward. I've always been on good terms with rhem. rlring. FIe's a man of honor and he knows my predicament.I'm sure
But, as ill luck would have it, they had no money to spare.I retraced rrothing will go wrong. Don't worry. Oh-look there, Ohatsu!
t
A measure of silver, worth about one thousancl dollars. " l'llces in the |apanese afterworld.
 41 THE LOVE SUICIDES AT SONEZAKI SCENE ONE
45
)R :
that you couldn't survive your monthly bills,lo and I thoughr that t 6 is
"Ffatsuseis far away, was the kind of emergencyfor which we'd been friends all theseycar.s.
Far too is Naniwa-dera: I lent you the money as an act of generosity, though I needed ir
So many temples are renowned desperatelymyself. I told you that I didn't even require a receipt, blt
For the sound of their bells, you insisted on putting your seal to one, for form's sake. You maclc
Voices of the Eternal Law. me write out a promissory note and you sealedit. Don't try to deny
If, on an evening in spring, it, Kuheiji!
You visit a mountain temple NARRAToR: Tokubei rebukes him heatedly.
You will see . . ." 7 KUHErrr:what's that I I'd like to see the seal.
At the head of a band of revelers roKUBEr:Do you think I'm afraid to show you ?
ToKUBEI:Kuheiji! That's a poor performance!8 You've no business NARRATon: FIe producesthe paper from his wallet.
running off on excursionswhen you haven't clearedrp your debt with TOKUBEI: If thesegentlemen are from the ward, I am sure that they
me. Today we'll seftle our account. will recognize your seal. wilt you srill dispute it I
NARRAT0R: He grasps Kuheiji's arm and restrains him. Kuheiji's ex- NARRATon: When he unfolds the paper and displaysit, Kuheiji claps
pression is dubious. his hands in recollection.
KUHEIfI: What are you talking about, Tokubei ? These people with KUHEIfI: Yes, it's my seal all right. Oh, Tokubei, I never thought
me are all residentsof the ward. We've had a meetirg in Ueshio Street
)'ou'd do such a thing, not even if you were starving and forced to
to raise funds for a pilgrimage to fse. We've drunk a little sak6, but eat dirt. On the tenth of the month I lost a wallet containing the seal.
we're on our way home now. What do you mean by grabbing my I advertisedfor it everywhere,but without success, so as of the sixteenth
arm? Don't be rowdy! of this monthr ?s I've informed thesegentlemen,I've changed *y seal.
NARRAToR: He removes his wicker hat and glares at Tokubei. Could I have affixed the seal I lost on the tenth to a documenr on the
roKUBEr:I'm not being rowdy. All I ask is that you return the two thirteenthI No-what happened was that you found my wallet, wrore
ko*me of silver I lent you on the thirteenth, which you were supposed the promissory note, and affixed my seal.Now you're trying to extort
to repay on the eighteenrh. money from me-that makes you a worse criminal than a forger. You'd
NARRATon: Before he can finish speaking, Kuheiji bursts our laughing. do better, Tokubei, to commit out-and-out robbery. You deserve to
KUHEIfT:Are you out of your mind, Tokubei I I can't remember have your head cut off, but for old times' sake, I'll forgive you. Let's
having borrowed a penny from you in all the years I've known you. seeif you can make any money our of this !
Don't make any accusationswhich you'll regret. NARRAToR: He throws the note in Tokubei's face and glares at him
NARRATon: FIe shakeshimself free. His companions also remove their fiercely in an extraordinary display of feigned innocence. Tokubei,
hats.eTokubei pales with astonishment. furious, cries aloud.
ToKUBET: Don't say that, Kuheiji! You came to me in rears,saying TOKUBEI: You've been damned clever.You've put one over on me.
t
A passage from the Nd play Miidera, here quoted mainly because the first word,
I'm dishonored.What am I to do I Must I let you take my money bra-
"Ffatsuse," echoes the name Ohatsu in the preceding line. The last words
similarly point zenly from me ? You've planned everything so cleverly that even if I go
to the arrival of Kuheiji. Most of this passage would be sung not by e single chanter
to court, I'm sure to lose. I'll take back my money with my fists! See
but by a chorus, as in a N6 play.
8 to
Tokubei, relieved to see Kuheiji, at first teases him about his singing of I have converted all dates to the Western calendar, but the dates in the lunar calenclar
the No
passage' but his words have an undertone of criticism of Kuheiji's past correspond to the end of the third moon. Kuheiji needs the money to pay
behavior. encl-of-the-
o month bills.
Readying themselves to comc to Kuheiji's defense.
 46 THE LOVE SUICIDES AT SONEZAKI SCENE TWO
47
here! I'm Tokubei of the Hirano-ya, a man of honor. Do you follow furiating-to be kicked and beatenthis way, dishonoredand forcedto
me ? I'm not a man to trick a friend out of his money the way you my knees.It would've been better if I had died while smashingand
have, C-omeon! biting him!
NARRAToR: He falls on Kuheiji. NARRATOR: He strikes the ground and gnasheshis teeth, clencheshis
KUHEI;t: You impudent little apprentice!I'll knock the insolenceour fists and moans, a sight to stir compassion.
of you! roKUBEl:There's no point in my talking this way. Before three days
NARRAToR: He seizesthe front of Tokubei's kimono and they grap- have passedI, Tokubei, will make amends by showing all Osaka the
ple, trading blows and shoves.Ohatsu rushesbarefoot11to them. purity at the bottom of my hearr.
oHArsu (to toatnsmeh): Please everybody, stop the fight ! He's a NARRAToR: The meaning of these words is later known.
friend of mine. Where are the chair-bearers? Why don't they do some- TOKUBEI: I'm sorry to have bothered you all. Pleaseforgive me.
thing? Tokubei's being beaten! NARRATon: FIe speakshis apologies,picks up his batteredhat and puts
NARRAToR: She writhes in anguish, but is helpless.Her customer, it on. His face,downcast in the sinking rays of the sun, is clouded by
country bumpkin that he is, bundles her forcibly into a palanquin. tearsthat engulf him. D.jectedly he leaves,a sight too pitiful to behold.
cusToMnn:It won't do for you to get hurt.
ouArsu: Pleasewait just a moment! Oh, I'm so unhappy! Scene Tuto: Inside the Temma House.
NARRAToR: The palanquin is rushed off, leaving only the echoesof Time: Euening of the same doy.
her weeping voice.
Tokubei is alone; Kuheiji has five companions.Men rush our from NARRATOR:
the nearby booths and drive them all with sticks to the lotus pond.12 The breezesof love are all-pervasive
Who tramples Tokubei I Who beatshim I There is no way ro rell. His By shijimi River,l3 where love-drowned guests
hair is disheveled,his sashundone. He stumbles and falls ro this side Like empry shells,bereft of their senses,
and that. Wander the dark ways of love
roKUBEr:Kuheiji, you swine! Do you think I'll let you escapealive? Lit each night by burning lanterns,
NARRAToR: He staggersabout searchingfor Kuheiji, but he has fed Fireflies that glow in the four seasons
and vanished.Tokubei falls heavily in his tracks and, weeping bitte rly, Stars that shine on rainy nights.
he cries aloud. By Plum Bridge,la blossomsshow even in summer.
ToKUBEI(to bystanders): I feel humiliated and ashamedthat you've Rustics on a visit, city connoisseurs,
seen me this way. There was not a false word in my accusation.I've All journey the varied roads of love,
always treated Kuheiji like a brother, and when he begged me for the Where adeptswander and novicesplay:
money, saying he'd never forget it as long as he lived, I lent it to him, What a lively place this New euarter is ! 1b
sure that he'd do the same for me, though the money was preciousas But alas for Ohatsu of the Temma Flouse--rven after she returns
life, and I knew that without it tomorrow, the rwenry-firsr, I'd have the day's events still weigh on her. She cannot swallow her sakd, she
to kill myself. He made me write the note in my own hand, then pur feelson edge.As she sits weepingr some courtesansfrom the neighbor-
his seal to it. But it was a seal which he had already reporred as losr, i.g houses and other friends come for a little chat.
and now he's turned the accusationsagainst me! It's mortifying, in-
" The word shiiimi means the corbicula, a kind of small shellfish, and the name of the
tt In her river thus occasionsmention of shells.
agitation she fails to slip on her geta. We must suppose that her country
customer has returned during the dialogue between Tokubei and Kuheiji. 'n umeda Bridge, the name of which means literally ..plum field".
" This pond may still be seen today at the Ikudama shrine. 'o The D6jima New Quarter in osaka was opened about r7oo.
 48 THE LOVE SUICIDES AT SONEZAKI SCENE TWO
49
rrrRsrcour{rrsAN: Have you heard, OhatsuI They say that Toku was step. Ohatsu sits by the entrance and, pulling the tobaccorray to her,
given a thrashing for something bad he did. Is it true ? lights her pipe. she assumesan air of unconcern.
sEcoNDcouRTEsAN: No, my customer told me that Toku was tram- At this moment Kuheiji and a couple of his loudmouthed friends
pled to death. burst in, accompaniedby a blind musician.
NARRATon: They say he was feftered for fraud or trussed for counter- KUHEIJI:Hello, girls. You're looking lonesome.Would you like me
feiting a seal.Not one decent thing have they to report: every expres- f.or a customer? Hello there, host. I haven't seenyou in ages.
sion of sympathy makes their visit the more painful. NARRATon: FIe strides arrogantly into the room.
oHATsu:No, please,not another word. The more I hear, the worse Hosr: Bring a tobaccotray and some sak6 cups.
my breastpains me. I'm sure I'll be the first to die. I wish I were dead NARRAToR: He makes the customary fuss over the guests.
already. KUHEIfI: No, don't bother about sak6. We were drinking before
NARRAToR: She can only weep. But amidst her tears she happens to we came. I have somethitg to tell you. Tokubei, the number one cus-
look outside and catchesa glimpse of Tokubei, a pathetic figure wear- tomer of your Ohatsu, found a seal I'd lost and tried to cheat me our
irg a wicker hat, even at night.16FIer heart leaps,and she wants to run of two ko*me in silver with a forged note. The facts were too much
to him, but in the sitting room are the master and his wife, and by the for him, and he finally met with some unpleasantnessfrom which he
entrancestandsthe cook, while in the kitchen a maid is hovering: with was lucky to escapealive. FIis reputation has been ruined. Be on your
so many sharp eyeswatching, she cannot do as she pleases. guard if he comeshere again. Everybody will tell you that I speak the
ounrsu: I feel terribly depressed.I think I'll step outside for a mo- truth, so even if Tokubei tells you the exact opposite,don'r believehim
ment. for a moment. You'd do best not to let him in at all. Sooner or later
NARRAToR: She slips out softly. he's bound to end up on the gallows.l8
oHArsu: What happened? I've heard rumors of every sort about NAttRAroR:He pours out his words convincingly. Tokubei, under-
you. They've driven me out of my mind with worry. neath the porch, gnasheshis teeth and trembles with rage. Ohatsu,
NARRATon: She thrusts her face under the brim of his wicker hat and afraid that he may reveal himself, calms him with her foot, calms him
weeps in secret,soundless,painful tears. FIe too is lost in tears. gently. The host is loath to answer yes or no, for Tokubei's a customer
T'oKUBEI: I've beenmade the victim of.a cleverplot, as no doubt you've of long standing.
heard, and the more I struggle, the worse off I am. Everything has HosT:Well, then, how about some soupI
turned against me now. I can't survive this night. I've made up my NARRATon: Covering his confusion,he leavesthe room. Ohatsu, weep-
mind to it. ing bitterly, exclaims.
NARRATon: As he whispers,voicesare heard from within. oHArsu: You needn't try your clever words on me. Tokubei and I
vorcEs: C-ome inside, Ohatsu. There's enough gossip about you as have been intimate for years.We've told each other our inmost secrets.
it is.17 Ftrehasn't a particle of deceit in him, the poor boy. His generosity
oHArsu: There-did you hear? We can't go on talking. Do as I show has been his undoing. He's been tricked, but he hasn't the evidence
you. Lo prove it. After what has happened Tokubei has no choice but to
NARRAToR: She hides him under the train of her mantle. He crawls kill himself. I wish I knew whether or not he was resolvedto die.
behind her to the garden door, where he slips beneaththe porch at the NARRAToR: She pretends to be talking to herself, but with her foot
to
The wicker hat was worn for concealment, but at night this precaution was normally .shequestionshim. He nods, and taking her ankle, passesit acrosshis
unnecessary. throat, to let her know that he is bent on suicide.
tt
Standing in the street outside the teahousc was likely to occasion gossip about secret
't Literally, "he's bound to end up at Noe or Tobita." Noe and Tobita werc execution
lovers.
grounds on the outskirts of Osaka.
50 THE LOVE SUICIDES AT .'OI/E'ZAKI SCENETHREE 5r
oHATsu:I knew it. I knew it. No matter how long one lives, it the morning has come. Ohatsu is dressedfor death, a black cloak dark
comes to the same thing. Only death can wipe out the disgrace. as the ways of love thrown over her kimono of spotlesswhite. She
NARRAToR: Kuheiji is startled by her words. tiptoes to the staircaseand looks down. Tokubei shows his face from
KUHErrr:What is Ohatsu talking aboutI Why should Tokubei kill under the porch. FIe beckons,nods, points, communicating his intent
himself ? Well, if he kills himself, I'll take good care of you after he's without a word. Belor,vthe stairs a servant girl is sleeping.A hanging
gone! I think you've fallen for me too ! lantern brightly shines. Ohatsu in desperation attachesher fan to a
oHATsu:That's most generous of you, f 'm sure. But would you ob- palm-leaf broom, and from the second step of the staircaseartempts
ject if, by way of thanks for your kindness, I killed you ? Could I go in vain to extinguish the flame. At last, by stretchirg every inch, she
on living even a moment if separatedfrom Toku ? Kuheiji, you dirty puts it out, only to tumble suddenly down the stairs.The lamp is our,
thief! Anyone hearing your silly lies can only suspectyou. I'm sure and in the darkness the servant girl turns in her sleep. Trembling,
that Toku intends to die with ffie, as I with him. the lovers grope for each other-a fearful moment. The host awakens
NARRAToR: She taps with her foot, and Tokubei, weeping, takes it in his room to the back.
in his hands and reverently touches it to his forehead. He embraces Hosr: What was that noise just nowl Servants! The night lamp
her knees and sheds tears of love. She too can hardly conceal her has gone out. Get up and light it!
emotions. Though no word is spoken, answering each other heart to NARRAToR: The servant girl, aroused,sleepily rubs her eyesand gets
heart, they silently weep. That no one knows makes it sadder still. up from bed stark naked.
Kuheiji feels uncomfortable. sERVANT: I can't find the flint box.
KUHErfr: The wind's against us today. Let's get out of here. The NARRATon: She wanders about the room searching,and Ohatsu, faint
whores in this place are certainly peculiar-they seem to have an with terror, dodgesthis way and that to avoid her. At last she catches
aversion for customerslike ourselveswith plenty of money to spend. Tokubei's hand, and softly they creep to the enrranceway.They un-
Let's stop at the Asa Flouseand have a drink there.We'll rattle around fasten the latch, but the hinges creak, and frightened by the noise, they
a couple of gold pieces,then go home to bed. Oh-my wallet is so hesitate.]ust then the maid begins to strike the flints; rhey time their
heavy I can hardly walk. actionsto the rasping sound, and with each rasp open the door farther
NARRAToR: Spewing forth all manner of abuse,they noisily depart. until' huddled together and their sleevestwisted round them, they
The host and his wife call to the servants. pass through the door one after the other, feeling as though they
Hosr: It's time to put out the lights for the night. L^y out beds for tread on a tiger's tail. They exchange glances and cry out for joy,
the guests who are staying on. Ohatsur /ou sleep upstairs. Get to bed htppy that they are to die-a painful, heart-rending sight. The life left
early. them now is as brief as sparks that fy from blocks of flint.
oHArsu (to herself) : Master, mistress, I shall probably never see
you again. Farewell. Farewell to all the servantstoo. Scene Three: The journey from Dojima
NARRAToR: Thus inwardly taking leave, she goes to her bedchamber. to the SonezafriShrine.
Later they will learn that this was a parting for life; how pitiful the
foolish hearts of men who do not realize the truth in time! NARRATOR:

Hosr: See that the fire is out under the kettle. Don't let the mice Farewell to this world, and to the night farewell.
get at the relishes. We who walk the road to death, to what should we be likened ?
NARRAToR: They shut the place and bar the gate. Hardly have their To the frost by the road that leads ro rhe graveyard,
heads touched their pillows than all are snoring merrily. So short is Vanishirg with each srep we take ahead:
the night that before they've had a chance to dream, two o'clock in How sad is this dream of a dream!
 THE LOVE SUICIDES AT SONEZAKI SCENE THREE 53
,2
TOKUBEI: I know my love means nothing to you . . ."
Ah, did you count the bell ? Of the seven strokes Yes, for all our love, for all our grieving,
That mark the dawn, six have sounded. Our lives, our lots, have not been as we wished.
The remainitg one will be the last echo Never, until this very day, have we known
We shall hear in this life. A single night of heart's relaxation-
O H A T S U: Instead, the tortures of an ill-starred love.
It will echo the bliss of nirvana. "What is this bond between us?
NARRATOR: I cannot forget you.
Farewell, and not to the bell alone- But you would shake me off and go-
They look a last time on the grass,the trees,the sky. I'll never let you!
The clouds, the river go by unmindful of them; Kill me with your hands, then go.
The Dipper's bright reflecdon shines in the water. I'll never releaseyou!"
T O KUB E I: So she said in tears.2o
Let's pretend that Umeda Bridge O H AT SU :

Is the bridge the magpies built le Of all the many songs, that one, tonightl
Across the Milky Way, and make a Yow TOK U B E I:

To be husband and wife stars for eternity. Who is it singing? We who listen
OHATSU: B OTH :

I promise. I'll be your wife forever. Suffer the ordeal of those before us.
NARRATOR: NARRATOR:

They cling together-the river waters They cling to each other, weeping bitterly.
Will surely swell with the tears they shed. Ary other night would not matter
Across the river, in a teahouseupstairs, If tonight were only. a little longer,
Some revelers, still not gone to bed, But the heartlesssummer night, as is its wont,
Are loudly talking under blazing lamps- Breaks as cockcrows hasten their last hour.
No doubt gossiping about the good or bad T O KU BEI:

Of this year's crop of lovers' suicides; It will be worse if we wait for dawn.
Their hearts sink to hear these voices. Let us die in the wood of Teniir.tt
T O K UB E I: NARRATOR:

How strange! but yesterdalr even today, He leads her by the hand.
We spoke as if such things did not concern us. At Umeda Embankment, the night ravens.
Tomorrow we shall figure in their gossip. T O KU BEI:

If the world will sing about us, let it sing. Tomorrow our bodies may be their meal.
NARRATOR: OH AT SU :

This is the song that now they hear. It's strange,this is your unlucky year22
"I'm sure you'll never have me for your wife, m The song overheard by
Ohatsu and Tokubei is derived from a popular ballad of the
t" Allusion to thc Chinese legend, familiar also in time which describesa love suicide.
|apan, which tells of two stars (known tl The shrine of Sonezaki, sacred to
Teniin (Sugawara no Michizan.).
as the Herd Boy and the Wcaver Girl) that mcet oncc z yerir, crossing over a bridge u According to yin-yang divination, a man's twenty-fifth,
forty-second, and sixtieth yearu
in the sky built by magpies.
rr/eredangerous; for a woman her nineteenth and thirty-third years.
 54 THE LOVE SUICIDES AT SONEZAKI SCENE THREE 55
Of twenty-five, and mine of nineteen. twining branches, or the pine and palm that grow from a single
It's surely proof how deep are our ties trunk,27 a symbol of eternal love. Here the dew of their unhappy
That we who love each other are cursed alike.
All the prayers I have made for this world "::Jll,i'J:l' spo,
ill"i:,he
To the gods and to rhe Buddh a, r here and now NARRAToR: He unfastensthe sashof his cloak. Ohatsu removes her
Direct to the future: in the world to come tear-stainedouter robe, and throws it on the palm tree; the fronds
M"y we be reborn on the same lotus! might now serve as a broom to sweep away the sad world's dust.
NARRATOR: Ohatsu takes a razar from her sleeve.
one hundred eight the beads her fingers tell oHarsu: I had this razor prepared in case we were overtaken on
On her rosary123tears increasethe sum. the way and separated.I was determined not to forfeit our name as
No end to her grief, but the road has an end: lovers. How hrppy I am that we are to die together as we hoped!
Their minds are numbed, the sky is dark, the wind still, roKUBEr:How wonderful of you to have thought of that! I am so
They have reached the thick wood of sonezaki. confident in our love that I have no fears even about death. And yet
Shall it be here, shall it be there? When they brush the grass, the it would be unfortunate if becauseof the pain we are to suffer people
falling dew vanisheseven quicker than their lives, 'in tfiis uncertain said that we looked ugly in death. Let us secure our bodies to this
world a lightning flash-or was it somethirg else? twin-trunked tree and die immaculately! We will become an un-
oHATsu:I'm afraid. What was that now I paralleled example of a lovers' suicide.
TOKUBEI: That was a human spirit.2aI thought we alone would die oHATsu:Yes, let us do that.
tonight, but someoneelse has preceded us. Whoever it may b., we'll NARRATon: Alas! She little thought she thus would use her light blue
have a companion on the journey to the Mountain of Deatfu.N amu undersash! She draws it taut, and wirh her razor slashesit through.
Amida Butsu. Namu Amida Butrsu.z6 oHArsu: The sashis cut, but you and I will never be torn apart.
NARRAToR: She weeps helplessly. NARRATon: She sits, and he binds her twice, thrice to the tree, firmly
oHArsu: To think that others are dying tonight too! How heart- so that she will not stir.
breaking! roKUBEr: Is it tight I
NARRATon: Man rhough he is, his tears fall freely. oHArsu: Very tight.
TOKUBEI:Those two spirits flying together-do you suppose they I{ARRAToR:She looks at her husband, and he at her-they burst into
belong to anyone elseI They musr be yours and mine! tears.
oHArsu: Those two spiritsI Then, are we dead already? BorH: This is the end of our unhappy lives!
TOKUBEI:Normally, if we saw a spirit, we'd knot our clothes and ToKUBET: No I mustn't give way to grief.
murmur prayers to keep our souls with usr26but now we hurry to- NARRAToR: He lifts his head and joins his hands in prayer.
wards our end, hoping insteadour two souls will find the same dwell- roKUBEr:My parentsdied when I was a boy, and I grew up thanks
irg. Do not mistake the way, do not lose me! to the efforts of my uncle, who was my master. It disgracesme to
NARRAToR: They embrace,flesh to flesh, then fall to the ground and die without repaying his kindness.Instead I shall causehim trouble
wee5how pitiful they are! Their strings of rears unite like en- which will last even after my death. Pleaseforgive my sins.
s The Buddhist
rosary has ro8 beads,one for each of the sufferings occasionedby the Soon I shall see my parents in the other world. Father, Mother,
passions.
welcome me there!
"nHitodama, a kind of will-o'-the-wisp believed to be a human soul.
* The invocation
to Amida Budclha useclin Pure Land Budclhism.
NARRAToR: He weeps.Ohatsu also joins her hands.
" Exorcism practiced to prevent the soul from leaving the body, t
Such a tree actually existed, as contemporary accounts of the Sonezaki Shrine show.
 56 THE LOVE SUICIDES AT SONEZAKI
oHArsu: I envy you. You say you will meet your parents in the
world of the dead. My father and mother are in this world and in
good health. I wonder when I shall seethem again. I heard from them
this spring, but I haven't seenthem sincethe beginning of last aurumn. T HE B AT T L ES
Tomorrow, when word reaches the village of our suicides,how un-
h"ppy they will be! Now I must bid farewell for this life ro my parenrs, O F C O XIN GA
my brothers and sisters.If at least my thoughts can reach you, please
apPear before me, if only in dreams. Dear Mother, beloved Father!
NARRAToR: She sobs and wails aloud. Her husband also cries our
and shedsincessanttears in all too understandableemotion.
oHATsu:We could talk forever, but it servesno purpose. Kill ffic,
kill me quickly! First performed on November 26, r7r5. "The Battles of Coxinga" was
NARRAToR: She hastensthe moment of death. Chikamatsu's most popular work. Its first run lasted seventeen months,
ToKUBET: I'm ready. and it was frequently revived thereaftcr. The popularity of the play has
IvARRAToR: He swiftly draws his dagger. been attributed to the appeal it exerted on the fapanese during the period
of Tokugawa seclusion, when they were prohibited by law from going
ToKUBEI:The moment has come.Namu Amida. Namu Amida.
abroad. The Chinese scenes undoubtedly had an exotic interest for the
NARRAToR: But when he tries to bring the blade against the skin of
audience, but the quality of the writing was in the end responsible for
the woman he's loved, and held and slept with so many months and
the play's great success.It is Chikamatsu's finest history play (iidaimono),
years, his eyes cloud over, his hand shakes. He tries to steady his
and the only one representedin this collection. Unlike his domestic tragedies,
weakening resolve, but still he trembles, and when he thrusts, th. "The Battles of Coxinga" is filled with heroics and even bombast. The
point misses.Twice or thrice the fashing blade deflectsthis way and incessantsurprises and shifts of mood rnay also bewilder some readers, but
that until a cry tells it has struck her rhroat. this variety, which exploits to the full the possibilities of the puppet stage,
ToKUBEI:Namu Amida. NAmu Amida. Namu Amida Butsu. has delighted audiences for over two hundred years.
NARRAToR: He twists the blade deeper and deeper, but the strength
hasleft his arm. When he seesher weaken, he stretchesforth his hands. Cast of C ltaracters
The last agoniesof death are indescribable.
roKUBEr: Must I l"g behind you I Let's draw our last breaths ro- ffiJ,TJ.il"i:"ff
lffi'l'u1uu,",
rather
his
gether.
NARRATOR: He thrusts and twists the razor in his throat, until it :ffi:T:":f i:l., Emperor
Eiryaku
seemsthe handle or the blade must snap. His eyes grow dim, and co sANKEr,loyal minister of the emperor
his last painful breath is drawn away at its appointed hour.28No one KANKT,ally of Coxinga
is there to tell the tale, but the wind that blows through Sonezaki
Wood transmits it, and high and low alike garher to pray for these ;l::l3HL* prince
lovers who beyond a doubt will in the future atrain Buddhahood. Rr r6rEx, Chinese confederateof the Tartars
They have become models of true love. Rr rarH6, his brother
a
It was believed by practitioners of yin-yang divination that a person's hour of death
AN rArfrN, captain under Ri Toten
was determined at his birth and could be foretold by an examination of the celestial c6parsu, his henchman
stems governing his birth. Death normally occurred with the receding of thc tide. seny6ro, uRY6ro, Tartar generals