#hanayagi

Revue Starlight

As per usual I do choose songs based on requests, so if there’s one that you really, really like then send it on in! I may save some for the upcoming 12 Days of Fun that I will be doing again this year, so don’t worry if it’s been delayed. For those of you who weren’t around last year or were just really busy, The Twelve Days of Fun were 12 days in a row where I posted regular features to this blog. It was a tremendous amount of work but you all gave such high praise and feedback for it that I plan on bringing it back. For those of you interested in last year’s line up you can check it out here ^^

Harusame (春雨) - Spring Rain

Image courtesy of Cliff CLF on Flickr. Musings on the spring rain and the feelings that accompany it. When someone asked about props last week I completely forgot to add this addition to the list as it can be danced with a buyōgasa ^^

Lyrics

Harusame ni shippori nururu,    春雨にしっぽり濡るる, In the spring rain everything becomes very wet, Uguisu no hakaze ni,   鶯の羽風に, As the wind blows on the feathers of a nightingale, Niou ume ga ka ya, 匂う梅が香や, You can smell the fragrance from the plum blossoms, Hana ni tawamure, 花に戯れ, Playing with the flowers, Shiorashisa, しおらしや, Who are full of wit, Kotori de saemo hitosuji ni, 小鳥でさえも一筋に, The small birds stand in a line, Negura sadamenuki wa hitotsu.   ねぐら定めぬきは一つ. Where they decide on where they should roost. Watasha uguisu, 私しゃ鶯,   I am the nightingale, Nushi wa ume 主は梅,   You are the plum blossoms, Yagate, mimama kimama ni, やがて, 身まま気ままに, In due time, once my contract expires, Narunaraba, saa, なるならば, サア,  I will be free, Oushukubai ja naikaina, 鶯宿梅じゃないかいな, The nightingale wishes to nest in the plum tree, Saa sa nande mo, サアサなんでも, There everything, Yoiwai na. よいわいな。 Will be well.

The Breakdown

The first part is slightly cryptic, but it becomes incredibly clear as to what’s being said in the second half. Like in Hagi Kikyō, Harusame simply sets the scene and doesn’t really have much to do with the majority of the song at all.   As for meaning, the plum blossoms are, quite obviously, a customer, but the nightingale in this case is actually a yūjo and not a geisha. How do we know that it’s a yūjo? Well, the song mentions that they “stand in a line,” which is how yūjo were presented and sold. They would line up in a special “holding” veranda where customers would come by and pick them out. Plus, they speak of their contracts, and how, “once my contract expires, I will be free,” which is something that we associate with yūjo and oiran rather than geisha. In the second half the song mentions that, “the nightingale wishes to nest in the plum tree,” which is a euphemism for marriage; that is, once the yūjo is free from her contract she wishes to marry her customer. As to whether or not that will happen, mind you, is another story altogether.  This song can be danced alone or in multiples, by either maiko or geiko, and can feature either a mai ōgi or a buyōgasa. However, it’s far more popular to see it danced in pairs ^^

Each Kagai’s Version

Since it’s currently erikae season I figured that this dance would be appropriate to cover ^^

Kurokami (黒髪) - Black Hair

Image courtesy of Prado9991 on Instagram. An interesting and passionate song that marks the end of a maiko’s apprenticeship and her first foray into the adult world.

Lyrics

Kurokami no musuboretaru omoi wo ba,   黒髪の結惚れたる思いをば, I let down my black hair, Toke te neta yo no makura koso,   解けて寝た夜の枕こそ, On the pillow that we shared on that evening, Hitori nuru yo no ada makura,   独り寝る夜の仇枕, On this pillow I now sleep alone, Sode wa katashiku tsuma ja to iu te,   袖は片敷く妻じゃと云うて, These sleeves separate me from being a wife, Guchina onago no kokoro to shira de,   愚痴な女子の心と知らで, My female heart and wisdom lament, Shin to fuketaru kane no koe,   しんと更けたる鐘の声, I am lost in the sound of a bell, Yūbe no yume no kesasame te,   夕べの夢の今朝覚めて, In the morning I wake up from last night’s dream, Yukashi, natsukashi, yaruse na ya,   ゆかし,懐かし,やるせなや, Nostalgic, longing, and helpless, Tsumoru to shira de tsumoru shirayuki.   積もると知らで 積もる白雪. My feelings accumulate like the piling white snow.

The Breakdown

This is a very difficult song to translate well as it’s almost as much about what isn’t said as what is. The entire story behind the song is that a courtesan is thinking about the time that she spent with her lover, but because he is not with her she must sleep alone. One of the biggest things to take note of are how the entire song flips from one set of imagery to its opposite. The first line in the song, Kurokami, means “black hair” while the last line, Shiroyuki, means “white snow.”  You can also find this song under the title of “Jet Black Hair” but I kept it as “Black Hair” since that is the literal translation of the song. This song is performed by maiko while they wear the sakkō hairstyle and for a week after they’ve become geiko. However, it can be performed outside of these constraints if the dance school allows it, like during Onshūkai of this year.

Each Kagai’s Version

Gion Kobu (祇園甲部) Version - Inoue School (井上流) For this version I chose a geiko performing it rather than a maiko as the maiko version is very common but a geiko’s is not. The Inoue school is known for their small gestures, and this example is no exception. The most dynamic movement occurs during the time of lamentation where the dancer performs the slide on the ground (thinking about the pillow) and then the swish of the sleeves that’s followed by a punctuating stomp. The Inoue style has the most commonly seen “iconic” poses of the dance too, like in the image above. This version is performed by Kosen (小扇) of Hiroshimaya (廣島屋).    Pontocho (先斗町) Version - Onoe School (尾上流) Don’t ask me why, but the Onoe versions of dances are always the hardest to find. For this example I could only find a short clip, but it’s performed by a geiko and accompanied by a full traditional orchestra of shakuhachi, shinobue, and shamisen players! It is one of two styles that uses a mai ōgi, and I think it looks absolutely beautiful. This version is performed by Ichiemi (市笑) of Tanmika (丹美賀).  Kamishichiken (上七軒) Version - Hanayagi School (花柳流) The slowest of the five versions, it uses the Hanayagi style’s characteristic “frozen” pose style to great effect to punctuate the emotion of the song. There’s something about seeing it performed while wearing a colorful iromontsuki that makes it feel more “real” (if that makes any sense). Unlike the others, the Hanayagi version does not have the section of the dance where the song is not sung. This version is performed by Katsune (勝音) of Daimonji (大文字). Miyagawa Cho (宮川町) Version - Wakayagi School (若柳流) You’d figure that the Wakayagi version would be one of the more dynamic versions, but it’s actually very similar to the Inoue style and far slower than what you’d expect from this style. Unlike the other versions, this one of the styles uses a mai ōgi, which only serves to make an already elegant dance even more refined! This version is performed by Korin (小凛) of Kaden (花傳). Gion Higashi (祇園東) Version - Fujima School (藤間流) The Fujima version is much more lively than most in that it has far more hand gestures and poses with sleeves that lead the viewer’s eye around in its enchanting course. This version is performed by Miharu (美晴) of Okatome (岡とめ).  __________________________________________________________________

We had our first snowfall here this week, so in keeping with the summer theme that I started last week we’ll be looking at another summer staple to remind us all of warmer weather ^^ As a quick note: you may have noticed recently that most songs aren’t very long, and doing the Gion Kouta and Kyō no Shiki first happened to be examples of unusually long songs that don’t really fit the mold of the vast majority of karyukai pieces. Going forward most songs will be short like this one, so please don’t be confused as to why they seem to be getting shorter and shorter ^^;

Hagi Kikyō (萩桔梗) - Bush Clover and Bell Flower

Image courtesy of Yuko_Umeno on Instagram. A simple song that starts out musing about summer flowers and ends with thoughts on love ^^

Lyrics

Hagi kikyō naka ni tamagusa shinobasete, 萩桔梗 中に玉章忍ばせて,  Bush clover and bell flower are hidden in the middle of a secret letter, Tsuki ni nozue ni kusa no tsuyu, 月の野末に草の露,   The moon sits over a field of grass sprinkled with dew, Kimi wo matsumushi yogoto ni sudaku, 君を松虫夜毎にすだく, The crickets in the pine sing each night for you, Fukeyuku kane ni kari no koe, 更けゆく鐘に雁の声, As the sound of a goose over a bell grows louder, Koi wa koushita mono kaina? 恋はこうしたものかいな。 Is love really like this?

The Breakdown

The song starts out with the author stating that she’s taken some bush clover and bell flowers and placed them inside a letter that she’s hidden away. As to why it’s a secret isn’t really expanded on, but it’s quite clear that this is a love letter.

From there, it sets the scenery of the moon glowing over a field of grass that’s covered in dew, to the sounds of crickets that chirp in and around pine trees, to a bell whose sound is being drowned out by a passing wild goose. All along, the author is thinking about the person she loves, and wonders if thinking about a person so much so that trying to concentrate on scenery cannot push thoughts of them away, does it make that “love”?

When you listen to this song you can’t help but think of a young, naive woman who’s trying to figure out whether this newfound feeling that she’s suddenly come across is love, and the ease at which you can empathize with her as we’ve all been in her situation before.

This dance can be performed either solo or in pairs, and always uses a mai ōgi.

Each Kagai’s Version

Gion Kobu (祇園甲部) Version - Inoue School (井上流) Sorry, but I couldn’t find any examples of this being danced in Gion Kobu. It does exist in their repertoire, but I could not find a visual example. Pontocho (先斗町) Version - Onoe School (尾上流) Probably my favorite version as it just seems to flow so naturally, it may also be due to the fact that it’s an experienced geiko dancing it and not a maiko. It feels similar to Kurokami with such expressive movements and makes the short song feel very emotional. This version is performed by Ichino (市乃) of Yamaguchi (やまぐち). Kamishichiken (上七軒) Version - Hanayagi School (花柳流) The use of the Hanayagi’s frozen poses aren’t as obvious here as in other dances, but when they occur it’s absolutely beautiful and portrays such deep emotion! This version is performed by Satoryū (さと龍) of Nakasato (中里). Miyagawa Cho (宮川町) Version - Wakayagi School (若柳流) An oddly slow example of the Wakayagi school, this seems as though it would be the Hanayagi style as it features many frozen kata. However, to make up for this, the version shown here is danced by two maiko, which shows us how the dancer’s movements change between each person and are not the same throughout. This version is performed by Miena (美恵菜) of Ishihatsu (石初) and Korin (小凛) of Kaden (花傳). Gion Higashi (祇園東) Version - Fujima School (藤間流) Like with Gion Kobu, I couldn’t find a visual example of a Gion Higashi geimaiko dancing this piece ^^;

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Although the weather’s getting colder in the northern hemisphere, summer is quickly approaching in the south! So, for you southern readers (and those of you who, like me, enjoy summer more than winter) here’s a summer classic.

Natsu Wa Hotaru (夏は蛍) - Summer Fireflies

Image courtesy of E__M____ on Instagram. A summer staple, this dance brings to mind the thoughts of seeing fireflies along a river, among other things ^^

Lyrics

Natsu wa hotaru no tomoshibi ni, 夏は蛍の灯火に,　  The lamp lights from the summer fireflies, Mijikaki yowa wo kuyokuyo to, 短き夜半をくよくよと, 　 That shortly appear after midnight,　 Nakiakashitaru hototogisu,    泣き明かしたるほととぎす, Are accompanied by the crying of a nightingale,  　 Aogeba kao ni harahara to, 仰げば顔にはらはらと, Looking at me face to face,  　 Are murasame ga sode uchifuri te,   あれ村雨が袖打ち振りて, The passing rain falls off my sleeve, Yoiyoi, yoiyoi, yoi, yoiyasa. よいよい, よいよい, よい, よいやさ。 Yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi yasa.

The Breakdown

These songs are all incredibly poetic, and this one takes a bit of background knowledge to fully understand. You’d think that this song is about the fireflies, but they merely create a setting for the main story. The nightingale is a stand in for the geisha herself, so when she (literally) cries it is masked by the sudden rain that makes its appearance. The rain, and her tears, flow off her sleeve and her suitor is none the wiser. The nightingale can also be referred to as a type of cuckoo, but I went with the translation of nightingale as they are birds that are heard during the night and the cuckoo tends to bring up ideas of a cuckoo clock in Western minds. Harahara (はらはら) is an onomatopoeia for the sound that large rain drops make when hitting the ground, but it can also be a stand in for the sound of a heart beating. That was a bit hard to put into the translation, so I left it for this section as it doesn’t really change the meaning.  This piece can be danced by either a single maiko or geiko or done in pairs, and will always involve the use an uchiwa.

Each Kagai’s Version

Double digits for one of the most popular features! Like always, I keep your suggestions in mind when choosing songs, and this one was requested last week ^^

Momiji No Hashi (紅葉の橋) - Bridge of Maple Leaves

Image courtesy of Toshiha_DrowElfMorwen on Flickr. An incredibly short song that still manages to convey a large story in a short form.

Lyrics

Momiji no hashi no tamoto kara, 紅葉の橋のたもとから,　 From the bottom of the bridge of maple leaves, Sode wo kakine no iizute ni, 袖を垣根の言いずてに, I rest a sleeve on a fence, Chotto mimi wo bakasasagi no, ちょっと耳をば鵲の,　 For a moment my ears hear a magpie, Shimo itsushi ka shirajira to, 霜もいつしか白々と, Frost is pure white, Tsumorihodo na ofukakunaru, 積もるほどなお深くなる,　 It gets deep enough to accumulate, Yuki wo megurasu mai no teya, 雪を巡らす舞の手や,　 My dancing hands surround the snow, Yoi yoi yoi yoi yoi yasa. ヨイヨイヨイヨイヨイヤサー。 Yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi, yoi, yasa.

The Breakdown

A bit cryptic once again, I didn’t have too much to go off of here as the time that this song is danced is limited. With that being said, most of the song has more of a winter theme than an autumn one. As to why the bridge is hidden I’m not entirely sure, but it’s likely a euphemism for the leaves being lost under the frost and snow. As the author stops to take in the atmosphere they rest their sleeve on a fence, where they then hear a magpie over the frost and snow that’s building up. The magpie here is likely a stand in for a geisha once again, so the author speaks about how a geisha can be heard (likely in a metaphorical sense) over the snow.

Shirajira (白々) has an interesting double meaning in that it can represent something that’s pure white or clarity, so the author is using both terms here to great effect. The clarity can be used to represent the feelings of the magpie (geisha) in that her intentions are clear and pure, yet they continue to pile up with time, just like the snow. In the end the author decides to pick up some of the snow and are likely having fun with it as they “dance” with it in their hands. 

This dance can be performed by either a maiko or a geiko, either solo or in pairs. For the most part it’s danced with either one (Onoe and Hanayagi) or two (Wakayagi and Fujima) mai ōgi, but a branch of maple leaves can sometimes be used for stage performances.

Each Kagai’s Version

Gion Kobu (祇園甲部) Version - Inoue School (井上流) Sorry Inoue fans, but I can’t find a video of this piece being danced. It doesn’t seem to be common in the Inoue repertoire, so if anyone can find a video then please let me know ^^ Pontocho (先斗町) Version - Onoe School (尾上流) In keeping with unique versions, this one is performed by a maiko and geiko. The Onoe style also uses only one mai ōgi, but the hand gestures are more than enough to stand in for another mai ōgi. It’s a bit slower than other Onoe dances, but looks quite beautiful with the emotions of two dancers whose movements mirror each other. This version is performed by Ichino (市乃) and Chizu (千鶴) of Yamaguchi (やまぐち). (After Momiji No Hashi the video transitions into the Gion Kouta/Kamogawa Kouta). Kamishichiken (上七軒) Version - Hanayagi School (花柳流) The dancer in this version seems to be more connected to the ground than in the others. There’s far more kneeling and overall bent poses, but this is made up for by the beautiful poses with the mai ōgi. The Hanayagi frozen kata is put to good use and makes it an absolutely beautiful piece to watch when the frozen parts are linked by dynamic spins or flutters of the fan. This version is performed by Katsuna (勝奈) of Daimonji (大文字). Miyagawa Cho (宮川町) Version - Wakayagi School (若柳流) Beautiful and showy with the use of two mai ōgi, it’s also one of the more simple dances in the Wakayagi repertoire. What does separate it from the others is the switch from constantly using the mai ōgi to putting them down and using their hands and sleeves to convey emotion instead. This version is performed by Toshiyui (とし結) of Komaya (駒屋) and Fukuai (ふく愛) of Horiyae (堀八重). Gion Higashi (祇園東) Version - Fujima School (藤間流) A version danced by a single geiko, the effect of the song is made better by the special mai ōgi being used; one side shows green maple leaves while the other shows red ones. It creates quite the contrast to go along with the emotion of the song. It’s incredibly dynamic with many turns, yet features many “frozen” kata that the Hanayagi school is known for. This version is performed by Tsunemomo (つね桃) of Shigenoya (繁の家).

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This one is has an interesting backstory and made it something that I wanted to look into a bit more before doing. However, this dance is incredibly popular in one of the districts (and you’ll see why soon).

Rokudan Kuzushi (六段くづし) - Six Strings Arrangement

Image courtesy of Jamestomobsuzuki on Instagram. This song actually originated as a composition for a six stringed koto, yet somewhere along the line it became a hauta (端唄), which is a type of love song. From there choreography was added and we now have the popular song and dance combination that we know today.

Lyrics

Hana ga chōchō ka, chōchō ga hana ka, 花が蝶々か,蝶々が花か, Flowers are like butterflies, butterflies are like flowers, Kite wa chirachira mayowaseru. 来てはちらちら迷わせる。 They come to me so that I will get lost. Hana wa iroiro goshiki ni sakedo, 花は色々五色に咲けど, Flowers bloom in various colors, Nushi ni mikaeru hana wa nai. 主に見返る花は無い。 But there are no flowers that return your gaze.  Hana wo ippon wasurete kita ga, 花を一本忘れて来たが, Having forgotten one flower, Ato de sakuya ra sakanu yara. あとで咲くやら咲かぬやら。 Will it bloom later or will it not?

The Breakdown

This song is one of the shortest in the karyukai, but it’s full of so much cryptic meaning that you can’t help but be moved by its poetic nature. The flowers that the song speaks of refer to the maiko and geiko themselves, with the entire song revolving around the entertainment of the karyukai.  In the first line we’re told that butterflies and flowers are the same thing; that is, maiko and geiko are both colorful and flirtatious at the same time. In the second, we’re told of their skills that allow you to forget the outside world or that anything exists but them. In the third, the blooming of various colors refers to the different stages that maiko and geiko show, whether that’s very junior or very senior. In the fourth is where we see the actual story develop. “[N]o flowers to return your gaze” means that outside of an ozashiki you are just a normal person, and that a maiko or geiko has no reason to “fly” to you unless you provide them with one. In the fifth, the author explains why maiko or geiko no longer “fly” to them as they had forgotten or scorned a maiko or geiko in the past, which is likely one of the reasons why they do not see any maiko or geiko flocking to them now. In the sixth and final line the author wonders if another relationship with a certain maiko or geiko will be able to “bloom” again in the future, or if they will remain forever scorned. However, it appears as though each kagai has its own lyrics for this song. As I can only find a record of the ones matching that performed in Gion Kobu, I am unable to add the others at this time.

This dance can be done either alone or in pairs, and by both maiko and geiko of any rank.

Each Kagai’s Version