wakibitos

芭蕉(1644-94)の｢奥の細道｣を何年かぶりに読んだ。高校生のときに繰り返し音読した冒頭部分はほぼ暗記している。格調高い文章が続き、著名な句に会うと親しみを感じるが、それ以上のものがない。そんななか42等栽に強く引かれた。二人の老人の再会に感動するとはおまえも歳をとったものだ。水沢(現奥州市)で過ごした高校生時代から60年近い歳月が経っている。

福井は三里計ばかりなれば夕飯ゆふめししたゝめて出いづるにたそかれの路みちたどたどし、爰ここに等栽とうさいと云いふ古き隠士いんじ有、いづれの年にか江戸に来りて予よを尋たづぬ、遙はるか十ととせ余り也、いかに老おいさらぼひて有にや将はた死けるにやと人に尋たづね侍はべればいまだ存命ぞんめいしてそこそこと教ふ。市中しちゆうひそかに引入ひきいりてあやしの小家こいへに夕貌ゆふがほへちまのはへかゝりて鶏頭けいとうはゝ木ゞ(帚木)に戸ぼそをかくす、さては此うちにこそと門かどを扣たたけば侘わびしげなる女をんなの出いでていづくよりわたり給ふ道心だうしんの御坊ごばうにや、あるじは此あたり何がしと云ものゝ方かたに行ゆきぬ、もし用あらば尋給たづねたまへといふ、かれが妻なるべしとしらる、むかし物がたりにこそかゝる風情は侍はべれとやがて尋たづねあひてその家に二夜ふたよとまりて*、名月はつるが(敦賀)のみなとにとたび立だつ、等栽とうさいも共に送らんと裾すそをかしうからげて路の枝折しをりとうかれ立たつ。　*源氏物語｢夕顔｣巻

↓Quoted from 42 Tosai of the Narrow Road to Oku by Donald Keene:

Fukui was only six or seven miles away, so I set out after supper, walking uncertainly along the twilit road. Fukui is where Tosai has long lived as a recluse. Once—in what year was it, I wonder?—he came to Edo and called on me. It must have been well over ten years ago. I thought how old and decrepit Tosai would now be, or perhaps he was even dead. I asked someone about him, and was informed he was still living and his house was in such-and-such a place. Tosai’s shabby little house was buried in an out-of-the-way corner of the town. Moonflowers and bottlegourds crept over the walls, and cockscomb and broom-grass grew so high they hid his door.

“This must be the place,” I thought, and knocked on the gate. A poorly dressed woman emerged and asked. “Where have you come from on your pilgrimage, your reverence? The master has gone to visit a gentleman in the vicinity. If you have business with him, please look for him there.” I gathered she must be his wife. I thought, “This is just like a scene from an old novel,” and went off in search of Tosai. I found him without trouble, and spent two nights in his house. Then I set out to see the harvest moon at the Bay of Tsuruga. Tosai, offering to guide me, tucked up the skirts of his kimono in a comical way. “I’ll be your guide!” he declared in high spirits.

ちなみに、｢奥の細道｣尿前(しとまえ)の關(せき)に次の句がある。蚤虱(のみしらみ)は一茶もよく使う題材だが、芭蕉の句は旅宿の居心地の悪さやよく眠れなかった夜を詠んでいるように思われ、一茶の句では蚤虱が彼の背中で寄り合いをする情景が目に浮かぶ。作者はそのようすを楽しげに見ている。

• 蚤虱馬の尿(ばり)する枕もと　芭蕉
• 蚤虱よりあひもする背中かな　一茶