Four Kyōgen plays on Haikai

Four plays of the medieval comic theatre of Japan, Kyogen , are presented here in English translation; Fujimatsu, Chigiriki, MlkKazuki, and Hachiku Renga. The plays all deal with the medieval comic linked verse form of poetry, Haikai no Renga. They were selected for the insight which they offer into both art forms. The analysis introducing the plays discusses the similarities between the Haikai no Renga and Kyogen in terms of historical development and aesthetic attributes. The translations were made as literal as possible, relying on the collection of Kyogen plays by Koyama Hiroshi, Kyogen Jo, Ge. Koyama based his collection on a text of the Okura school, the Yamamoto Azuma Jiro hon. This is the text currently used by the Okura school in performance. Because of the terseness of the original scripts, the analysis of the plays is supported in large part by observations of actual performances of the plays in Japan. This was thought to be valuable in that the plays depend heavily on mime for their humor. Chapters I through IV present the analysis of the four plays. The plays themselves comprise the final section of the paper.Arts, Faculty ofAsian Studies, Department ofGraduat