University of Virginia Library

II

Waki

I have watched all night under the cherries.
I do service beneath the full moon.

[He performs a service.

Hero
(in his second apparition, no longer the boy,
but Tamura Maro)

That is a very blessed scripture. Just because
you have droned it over, I am able to
come here and speak with the traveller. This
is the blessing of Kwannon.

Waki

How strange! A man appears, lit up by
the light of the flowers. What are you?

Tamura

To be open, I am none other than Sakano-Uye
Tamura Maro, out of the time of Heijo
Tenno. I conquered the eastern wild men,
beat down their evil spirit, and was an honest
servant to my Emperor by the grace of this
temple's Buddha.

[Here there follows a passage in which he
describes his battles.

Chorus

The Emperor bade me beat down the evil
spirits in Suzuka in Ise, and to set the capital
of that country in peace. I drew up my forces,
and then, before I set out, I came to this
Kwannon and prayed.

Tamura

And then a strange sign appeared.

Chorus

Having faith in the true smile of Kwannon,
he went swiftly to war, out past Osaka to the
forest Awadzu. He passed Ishiyamaji, and,
thinking it one of the gods of Kiyomidzu, he
prayed on the long bridge of Seta, as he was
come nigh to Ise.

Chorus
(changing from narrative of the journey
to description)

There the plum-trees were blossoming. All
the scene showed the favour of Kwannon and
the virtue of the Emperor.

Then there was a great noise of evil voices,
a shaking of mountains.

Tamura
(excitedly, and as if amid the original scene)

Hear ye the evil spirits! Once in the reign
of Tenshi, the evil spirit who served the bad
minister Chikata died, and Chikata fell. But
you are near to Suzukayama; you are easy
to kill.

Chorus

Look to the sea of Ise, on the pine-moor
of Anono the evil spirits rain their black clouds.
They pour down fires of iron; they move
like ten thousand footmen; they are piled
like the mountains.

Tamura

Look forth on the carnage!

Chorus

The battle! Senju Kwannon pours lights
on our banner. Her lights fly about in the
air. She holds in her thousand hands the bow
of "Great Mercy." Hers are the arrows of
wisdom. Fly forth her thousand arrows. They
harry the spirits; they fall in a swirl of hail.
The spirits are dead from her rain.

How Great is the Mercy of Kwannon![3]