研究発表　福沢諭吉とレオン・ド・ロニー　―「植えてみよ花のそたたぬ里はなし…」考―

León de Rosny (1837-1914), a native of northern France, through self-study pioneered Japanology in France.In 1862 Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835-1901), who accompanied the bakufu\u27s first diplomatic mission to Europe as an interpreter, developed a friendship with de Rosny while in Europe, very much to their mutual benefit.Soon after the mission\u27s return to Japan de Rosny was approved to assume the chair in Japanese language at the East Asian Languages\u27 School in Paris. In the textbook, Recueil de textes japonais (1863), which he prepared at that time, there exists a page which seems to contain a waka from Fukuzawa\u27s own brush which Fukuzawa wrote for him."Just plant and see that any village is fit for blossoms. They are born from the heart though the social rank be low. "This is that poem. Ever since Ishikawa Kanmei\u27s Fukuzawa Yukichi den (1932), several scholars have mentioned this.However, the question remains as to whether this waka is indeed Fukuzawa\u27s own poem. Doubts have been raised which attribute it to collections of proverbs, common sayings, or old poems, so after all it is not Fukuzawa\u27s creation. According to Maeda Kingorō\u27s researches in Hyaku monogatari (1659) among others, an almost identical waka can be seen sprinkled here and there in the kαna zōshi of the Edo period. The inspiration for those leavings of Fukuzawa\u27s brush was born in the background of the literary attainments of this genre.The obvious meaning of this waka can likely be seen as an emphasis on human effort and its encouragement. When asked by the self-taught Japanologist de Rosny for an example of a contemporary poem, it is easy to imagine why this waka was the first to surface in Fukuzawa\u27s mind.However, at the same time, should we not pay particular attention to the fact that consciousness of human equality and independence are also hidden in this poem? I would like to see another side of the meaning of this poem, which was accompanied by his signature, to be an indication of the strong self-assertion of Fukuzawa himself. This is an example which brings to mind the deep-rootedness of Fukuzawa\u27s thought ,"Heaven creates no one above others. "