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Zeami's Talks on Sarugaku
An annotated translation of Sarugaku dangi with an introduction on Zeami Motokiyo
Series: - Japonica Neerlandica, Volume: 2
Author:
This work is a translation by author Dr. Erika de Poorter of the important
Sarugaku dangi (‘Talks on Sarugaku’), a collection of comments by the actor, playwright and critic Zeami (1363-1443) as recorded by his son Motoyoshi. Sarugaku is the original term for Nō, the classical Japanese theatre of which Zeami is the founding father. The
Sarugaku dangi is generally considered as belonging to Zeami’s transmitted writings (
densho), but more specifically it forms part of his treatises on Nō (Nōgakuron). In addition to two letters and a number of Nō plays, 21 of Zeami’s writings are known today. These writings were been secretly preserved by a few families, and are also called
hidensho (‘secretly transmitted writings’) or
hiden (‘secret traditions’). These secret texts were discovered and published from 1908, with the last of Zeami’s treatises coming to light in 1956. The
Sarugaku dangi is a unique source for the history of early Nō. The present translation, preceded by an extensive introduction on Zeami and his work, is directed at theatre specialists with no knowledge of written Japanese, and is also intended as a reference work for Japanologists.
Erika de Poorter is a retired Associate Professor of Japanese studies at Leiden University and
an authority on Nō theatre. She has published extensively on the subject.
an authority on Nō theatre. She has published extensively on the subject.