Ten Kiogen in English/The Gift Mirror

Country man.—I am one from Matsuyama village of Echigo province. I made quite a long stay in the capital concerning a law-suit, but it has been decided now to my satisfaction. I think that I will return home in haste, and make the girs glad. When I left the province, I thought that the case would be nothing extraordinary, and settled in five or ten days if I came to the capital, but I had to stay a long time unexpectedly. What I had been thinking in my heart, however, has been given to me. There could be nothing more pleasing. I have been thinking that I will present some gifts to all the members of my family. And I find it rather impossible to do so, as I made a long stay. But I bought an unusual thing for my wife. And it is nothing but this mirror. It is a wonderful thing. In the olden days it was not easy to get for any man. Therefore, in our ​province no body has it or has seen it. I have been told everything about the mirror during my stay in the capital. Anciently, the imperial daughter of Suinin Tenno, the eleventh Emperor, Yamato Himeno Mikoto, was given a mirror by Tensho Daijin, and made a tour through Nippon. Saying that she would govern the country peacefully for fifty six hundred million and seven hundred thousand years, she enshrined it as a symbol. And it has been placed within the “Honorable Gate” age after age. What is called “Naishi Dokoro” among the three sacred things is nothing but the mirror. In ancient times it was called the god’s thing, being the god’s treasure, and not the thing for mortals. Recently it became a man’s possession. Not only upper people, but people like us can have pleasure with it. Really it is an unusual thing, but I bought it finally for my wife. Although it seems trivial, we can see the good and evil by the mirror’s virtue. Why? Now I see the state of the world, and I find both the higher and lower people are equally drowned in worldly fame and desire, and do not know that they are approaching death, and spend days idly without noticing their own lowness ​and their growing old. They will happen to see the mirror and find that they are declining with the waves of four seas in their brows and with white hair on their heads. And some wise people among them will be surprised. Than exhausting their minds in worldly good and evil, they will deem the future life more important, and enter in the Buddhism and think the enlightenment of future life. It would be the mirror’s virtue to let you pray for the future life and know of life and death and of world’s transientness. And it would be the first serviceableness of the mirror for you to look at it and shave beards, and smooth hair, and fix the colours of your dress, and to know ugly things by yourself. And women will look at it, and put white powder on the face, and rouge on the lips, and kane on the teeth, and beautify themselves, and that is universal through the higher and lower people. And then, how lively and simple to laugh innocently, having joy in my mind! (Here he laughs against the mirror.) And well, it is to be fearful to change face and burn lustful heart having some anger in my mind. (He makes an angry face.) It is perfectly frightful. There might be some little thing to make us mad, but we have to ​be patient. One will be mad if I do him a false charge, and I will be mad too. It is impossible to become a Buddha after being hard-hearted and cruel. We must not have an evil mind whatever. Truly it is the second serviceableness of the mirror to know our good and evil by its virtue. Well, this is my home already. I will call out my wife. Is my wife in? I am returned here from the capital. Come out quickly!

Woman.—I hear my husband’s voice. Did you return home?

Country man.—I am come back, my wife.

Woman.—How glad! As I did not hear from you for a long time, I have been so anxious about you. I feel happy seeing you well.

Country man.—Yes. I made a long stay in the capital unexpectedly coming to no settlement. But now you may be glad as the case has been decided in our favour.

Woman.—It is a happy thing. It would be annoying if it did not turn out favourably. It is a happy thing having it as we desired now, though it took a long time.

Country man.—Well, I have been thinking that I will bring to you some gift as it was a rare matter ​for me to go to the capital, but I could not buy for you such a thing since I made such a long stay.

Woman.—No gift will be wanted. You are well to begin with. And the law-suit turned out as we desired. There would be no gift better than that.

Country man.—But I bought an unusual thing for you and brought it here.

Woman.—What a joy? What is it?

Country man.—This is! This is called a mirror. In ancient time it was a god’s treasure, not a man’s possession, but now becomes one of our fancy implements. People, even the poor, have it in the capital. Now, you place it before it. You will see good and evil of your form before your eye. Then, women will put powder on the face, rouge on the lips, kane on the teeth, and beautify themselves. As I thought that you have not seen, I bought it. Now you look at it!

Woman.—That’s lovely. I never had anything so serviceable. Now let me see it! (She looks at the mirror) What is this? I see that you must have been playing with a woman during your long stay in the capital.

Country man.—Why is it?

​Woman.—It should be so. I see the woman’s shadow in this thing called a mirror. I believe that it must be one you kept in the capital, and that her shushin^[1] must have followed you even here. How mad am I! What shall I do with it?

Country man.—You are saying most absurd things. That woman’s shadow is your own. Don’t you know it? Look! Here is my own shadow if I look at it. And here in the shadow of fan if I hold it up. Any shadow will be in it like this. What makes you mad?

Woman.—Not so, not so! Look! She is looking at me with a fearful face, seeing me mad. What shall I do with you? You stole my husband, and followed after him here? How mad am I, seeing you! Shall I break the mirror? (She breaks the mirror.)

Country man.—You are a malicious one. You broke off the thing I bought and brought from the capital faraway? How mad am I to think of it! I will let you see.

Woman.—What will you make me see?

​Country man.—I will let you see it. (He beats her two or three times. She gets mad.)

Woman.—What is that? You beat me to your heart’s content? I will not parden you. (She fights with him, and knocks him down.) Now I am satisfied.

Country man.—You are a malicious one. I will not allow you to go away.