"Technical Terms for Noh Plays" *


TECHNICAL TERMS

The stage (see diagram)
Bridgewayhashigakari
Centermannaka
Curtainmakuguchi
Doer postshite-bashira
Down frontshomen-saki
(before) Drumsdaisho-mae
First pineichi no matsu
Flute postfue-bashira
Fool's spotai-za
Frontshomen
Main spotjoza
Mark postmetsuke-bashira
Second pineni no matsu
Sidewaki shomen
Sideman's spotwaki-za
Slit doorkirido
Stagehand spotkoken-za
Third pinesan no matsu

ROLES IN THE PLAYS

DOER:ShiteFOOL:Kyogen
SECOND:TsureCHILD:Kokata
SIDEMAN:WakiCHORUS:Ji
SIDEMAN'S SECOND:Waki-zureSTAGEHAND:Koken

Movements and Gestures

Clasped fan:
kakae ogi. The open fan, held in the right hand, is pressed to the left shoulder and the actor gazes a little to his right.


Cloud fan:
kumo no ogi. The actor joins the open fan, held as usual in his right hand, with his left hand, directly in front of him; then he spreads these apart and gazes into the distance.


(to) Display fan:
ogi o kazasu. The open fan is displayed at the level of the head.

Excitement:
yuken. The open fan is raised and lowered at the level of the heart.


Fan high:
age-ogi. The open fan is lifted up before the face, then lowered toward the right.


Full excitement:
ryo-yuken. The gesture of yuken is made with both hands.


Full leftright:
ozayu. The actor takes several steps while performing a leftright.


Leftright:
sayu. The actor thrusts his left hand forward and turns to the left, then thrusts his right hand forward and turns to the right.


(to) Open:
hiraku. The actor spreads both arms wide, while taking a step and a half backward.


(to) Press toward:
tsume-ashi. The actor takes one or two steps forward, very intently.

MODES OF DELIVERY OF TEXT

Off:off-beat or non-congruent rhythm, hyoshi awazu
On:on-beat or congruent rhythm, hyoshi au
Onori:a particular form of congruent rhythm
S:song, fushi
Sp:speech, kotoba
Str:strong or dynamic mode, tsuyogin. A style of singing
W:weak or melodic mode, yowagin. A style of singing
?a place where it is unclear if the
mode of delivery is tsuyogin or yowagin.

These modes of delivery are normally indicated in the left margin under the name of each shodan, or subdivision of the play. However, when the mode of delivery changes within a shodan, the change is shown by the presence of the appropriate abbreviation at the head of the passage in which the delivery changes. When, under the name of the shodan, the mode of delivery is followed by an asterisk, this means that the shodan contains both speech and song.

THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE PLAYS

The plays are divided into sections set off by arabic numerals, and further subdivided into shodan, which are indicated by Japanese names. Both numerals and shodan names are in the left margin of the text. Where a shodan has no traditional name, this is shown by an asterisk in the place where the name would normally be given. All shodan and numbered divisions of the text follow Yokomichi Mario and Omote Akira's Yokyoku shu, vols. 1 and 2, in Nihon koten bungaku taikei.

 Reprinted with permission from:

PINING WIND: A Cycle of No Plays

(The first of two volumes)

Translated by Royall Tyler

China-Japan Program
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853
1978

To the Noh Plays contents

Last revised September 22, 1997