An Introduction and Transcription of a Manuscript of Kyōka Sumaigusa （Playful Verses on Wrestling of Various Kinds）

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  • 四方赤良こと大田南畝判『狂歌角力草』稿本解題・翻刻
  • シホウ セキ リョウ コト オオタ ナンポハン 『 キョウカ スモウソウ 』 コウホン カイダイ ・ ホンコク

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This article introduces a manuscript recording one of the gatherings of a series of kyōka verse contests held for the first time in Edo in 1783. This record is known from a published edition, but that version lacks the scores and comments on each contest added by the judge Ōta Nanpo（1749-1823）, a central figure in the kyōka boom of the time. Although this manuscript includes the results for only the last of ten kyōka gatherings, it provides useful insights into how poems were evaluated during this formative period of the kyōka movement. This paper attempts to clarify the various criteria used to evaluate kyōka poems of Nanpo by analyzing the points and annotations he added to each of the poems in the manuscript. The basic requirement for kyōka poems of the day seems to be the emphasis on choosing suitable vocabulary and expressions for the respective subjects in order to express consistent themes, while incorporating the use of punning and other kinds of wordplay. In addition, it seems to be important to avoid trite or commonplace expressions for which there were many precedents. This manuscript version is also noteworthy for including kyōbun （playful prose） by popular kibyōshi writer Koikawa Harumachi（1744-1789）, which was inexplicably omitted from the published edition.

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