古代

　

古城公園の暗闇から、不思議な音楽につつまれて幻想的に浮かび上がる冒頭のシーンは、遠い奈良時代の日々の営みです。その頃、越中の国府は現在の高岡市に置かれていました。そして国の長である国守は、後に万葉集の編者として名を残すことになる、若き大伴家持(おおとものやかもち)だったのです。スモモの花咲き乱れる早春の昼下がり、家持は遊行女婦土師(うかれめはにし)を伴って布勢の水海に舟遊びにこぎ出します。「布勢(ふせ)の水海(みずうみ)」とは、今は干拓されて水田になっていますが、その頃は美しい湖で、家持が遊行女婦や部下たちとたびたび舟遊びを催し、歌を詠んだことが万葉集にも記されています。しかし家持の頭からは都の政治のことが離れず気が晴れません。折しも都は咲く花の匂うがごとく殷賑栄華(いんしんえいが)を極めていますが、藤原一族の勢いはどんどん強くなるのに、大伴家にもう昔の勢力はないのです。それが家持の不安の種でした。悩みつつ土師の膝で夢にまどろむ家持。やがて湖畔の精霊たちが家持の「二上山(ふたがみやま)の賦(ふ)」に誘われてバレエを踊ります。悩む家持の様子をみた二上山の詩神は、家持に未来の幻影を見せることにします。

　

　

From the darkness of Kojo Park, along with mysterious music, the opening scene emerges like a vision. The scene shows the daily life of people in the Nara period. In those days, the provincial office of Etchu was located in what is now Takaoka City and the governor was young Yakamochi Otomo who is now well known as the compiler of the MANYOSHU.

One afternoon in early spring with plum blossoms blooming all over, Yakamochi goes boating on Lake Fuseno-Mizuumi with a courtesan, Hanishi.

Fuseno-Mizuumi used to be a beautiful lake, which has been drained for cultivating rice. The Manyoshu says that Yakamochi often enjoyed composing poems with courtesans and his followers on a boat there.

Yakamochi is concerned about the political situation of the capital which is at the zenith of its prosperity, just like gorgeous cherry blossoms at their best.

The Fujiwara family is increasing its power, while the Otomo family is not as powerful as before. With the matter on his mind, Yakamochi falls asleep with his head on Hanishi's lap.

Nymphs of the lake dance gracefully to Yakamochi's poem, "An Ode to Mt. Futagami. "The muse of Mt.Futagami, seeing Yakamochi's worried look, takes him on time travel to the future his dream.

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