Renga and Jisei

## 連歌:Renga

In the beginning, 連歌:Renga (linked verse of short waka, first half 5-7-5 + last half 7-7) was somewhat of playing with 短歌 (short Waka 5-7-5/7-7 pattern) among the free poets who loved drinking and talking with their friends in Heian-period.

It was developed into important grounding literacy of early professional warriors while they was rising into prominence during the dynamic war age, in the last stage of Heian and Kamakura period.

Remarkably, 源頼朝:Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of Kamakura shogunate loved 連歌:Renga. He left behind a lot of episode of composing Renga with his Renga partners.

### Kamakura period

When he went to the capital to join a general service to make offerings to Buddha at Todai-ji Temple, he saw strawberry farm on the way of Moriyama City. He asked his Renga partner, 平時政朝臣:Taira no Tokimasa Ason, composing Renga about the fine strawberry farm;

> {もり}山の{いちこ}{さかし}くなりにけり　- 平時政朝臣:Taira no Tokimasa Ason
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> Moriyama no / Ishiko Sakashiku / Nari ni keri
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> The {stroberies/chirdren} in the City of {Mori-yama(=taking care the mountain)} is growing up {heartily/wisely}
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> {むばら}がいかにうれしかるらん　- 前右大将頼朝: Saki no Udaisyou Yoritomo
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> Muba ra ga Ika ni / Ureshi karu ran
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> How happy the nurses/brambles will be to see that
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{} is rhetoric of 掛詞:Kake-kotoba (paronomasia) and 縁語:En-go (associated word)

The first shogun of Kamakura was also the great poet, especially Renga. He was the head of Minamoto family(源氏:Gen-ji), but he also gave good treatment the members of Taira familiy(平氏:Hei-shi) as Renga partner.

##### **源頼朝:Minamoto no Yoritomo**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamoto\_no\_Yoritomo

### Sengoku (Muromachi) period

There are such legend of besiege a castle/holding a castle at {Aki} area in Sengoku period;

A commanding general sent an arrow with a first half into the castle, then he got the return last half from the castle. He desided to raise the siege of the castle and wait for surrender.

> {秋}風に かたき{木また}の 落ち葉かな  - 毛利元就:Mouri Motonari
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> {Aki} kaze ni / Kataki {Kimata} no / Ochiba kana
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> The falling leaves drift into the crotch of a tree
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> *which are hard to fall down in the autumn breeze*
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> よせ来てしづむ　{浦浪}の月　- 木全知矩:{Kimata} Tomonori
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> Yosekite Shizumu / {Uranami} no Tsuki
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> *and the moon reflected on the wave*
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> *rolling from the sea sinking onto the beach*
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{} is rhetoric of 掛詞:Kake-kotoba (paronomasia) and 縁語:En-go (associated word)

##### **毛利元就:Mouri Motonari**

a prominent *大名:daimyō* in the west Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. well-known of " he lesson of the three arrows"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C5%8Dri\_Motonari

##### **木全知矩:Kimata Tomonori**

a general at 佐伯郡:Saeki-gun County, 安芸 Aki Province (present-day Saeki Ward, Hiroshima City)

http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/758760/36?tocOpened=1

The last half in reply might remind him old well-known Waka;

> 大海の　磯もとどろに　寄する波
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> O(h)oumi no / Iso mo Tdoro ni / Yosuru Nami
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> 割れて砕けて　さけて散るかも
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> Warete Kudakete / Sakete Chiru kamo
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> The wawes rolling to the beach resounding from the ocean
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> will crack, will break, will split, will spread
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> - 源実朝(Minamoto no Sanetomo)
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##### **源実朝:Minamoto no Sanetomo**

a son of 頼朝(Yoritomo), the third shogun of the Kamakura shogunate in 13th century. a great poet who has private anthology "金槐和歌集(The Kinkai wakashu:The Golden Pagoda-Tree Collection of Japanese Poetry"), one of his waka included in the anthology Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (100 Poems by 100 Poets Ogura version).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamoto\_no\_Sanetomo

> 世の中は つねにもがもな
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> Yonokaka wa / Tsuneni mogamo na
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> なぎさこぐ // あまの小舟の 綱手かなしも
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> Nagisa Kogu // Ama no (W)obune no / Tsunade Kanashi mo
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> *I wish everything in the world is forever in peace.*
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> *I see the fishermen on the boat in the beach*
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> *casting their nets into the sea profoundly.*
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On occasion, the magnificent link-half deserved his head, family, retainer, castle, country, people. The enemy yesterday is the best partner of composing Renga today.

This idea "an enemy yesterday, a friend today" is one of the motto of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

## 辞世:Jise

Besides, Japanese warriors offten left behind their 辞世:Jise (farewell Waka composed on the eve of their death).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death\_poem

### Meiji restoration

The leading spirits of the Meiji restoration also. This well-known Renga was composed by the leader and the follower to take care for the sick.

> おもしろき　こともなき世に　おもしろく　- 高杉 晋作:Takasugi Shinsaku
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> omoshiroki / kotomo naki yo ni / omosiroku
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> *Nothing interesting in the world, however interestingly*
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> すみなすものは　心なりけり 　　　　　- 野村 望東尼:Nomura Motoni
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> suminasu mono wa / kokoro nari keri
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> *we were living here with our mind, we are sure.*
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##### **高杉晋作:Takasugi Shinsaku**

a samurai from the Chōshū Domain of Japan who contributed significantly to the Meiji Restoration.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takasugi\_Shinsaku

### during the war in 20th century

There are some Jisei in the last wills of the special attack pilot in 20th century.

> 錦きて歸るこの身は
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> Nishiki kite / Kaeru Kono Mi wa
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> 散るさくら
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> Chiru Sakura
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> 今日見る父母の
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> Kyou Miru Fubo no
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> 心嬉しき
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> Kokoro Ureshiki
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> - 第四四振武隊長　甲斐 玉樹:Kai Tamaki
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> My body in the brocade will come back home
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> as cherry blossom fluttering and spreading
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> My father and mother came to care me today
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> my mind in a pleasant surprise such a mind
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##### **第四四振武隊長　甲斐 玉樹:Kai Tamaki**

http://www.chiran-tokkou.jp/learn/pilots/kaitamaki.html

Maybe we have to keep a lot of legacy not to have Blank Century.I have read such simple 川柳:Senryu among pilots in the anonymous internet page.

> 痛かろう、いや痛くないと議論なり　- 詠み人しらず(anonymous)
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> Itakarou / Iya Itaku nai to / Giron nari 　- Yomibito Shirazu
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> *It must hurt!*
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> *No, not hurt!*
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> *That's it we argue.*
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