[Illustrated Kyoka of Early Modern Popular Merchants] (1) O-Koma Candy
O-Koma Candy
Ojiya, jiya, jiya, sanberabon-bon
Actors, voice impressions, as you like
With a salty voice, pockmarked face
The alphabet is black, but the candy is white
If you don't buy it, you won't hear it
Isn't that Sai-san?
* 'Jyamitsutsura' is thought to mean pockmarked face. It refers to a face with pockmarks.
* 'Sai-san' refers to Saizaburo, who appears in 'Koimusume Mukashi Hachijo (O-Koma and Saizaburo)'. The sales pitch is a play on words between O-Koma and Saizaburo.
If you like, please take a look at my past notes as well.
-> 'Edo no Hana Meishokai is the First Group (Bando Mitsugoro)'👀
Number One: O-Koma Candy
Left side:
The reputation of O-Koma candy runs for a thousand miles
Drawn by the people of the 808 towns
Right side:
The dragonfly sign made on the tip of the topknot
Is a business caught in a spider's web of candy
On the left is the famous O-Koma candy, whose reputation runs for a thousand miles. Being drawn by the people of the 808 towns, it must have had a temporary trend. However, this was a monkey-show-like idea that became popular because the puppet play 'Mukashi Hachijo' was performed frequently at the beginning of the An'ei era, so while it fits the name O-Koma, it is an exaggeration to say that one should only eat this candy.
On the right, although there is a line by Sukeroku saying that he can see Awa and Kazusa from the tip of his topknot, what is the purpose of the dragonfly? At the time, no one knew its meaning, and there was no one to judge it; perhaps it was written to laugh at its strangeness. Compared to the poem on the left, it is like a common fly attaching itself to the tail of a thoroughbred horse, but one should appreciate the sweetness of the spider-web candy's sales pitch.
* 'Mukashi Hachijo' is one of the Ningyo Joruri (puppet theater) plays, 'Koimusume Mukashi Hachijo'.
* 'Ayatsuri-wazogi' here is thought to refer to Ningyo Joruri. 'Wazogi' refers to an actor.
Reference: 'Hirobunko Vol. 20 (Wazogi)' (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
* 'Soyo Kibi' is an abbreviation for 'attaching oneself to a common fly on the tail of a thoroughbred horse to travel a thousand miles.' It is a metaphor meaning that even an insignificant person can achieve fame if they follow a superior person.
* Reference: 'Kyokutei Iko', 'Momobun Gawa: Customs Picture Book by Mizuno Rocho' (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
Author's note: ● indicates characters that could not be deciphered.
I will update this as I decipher new characters or notice typos/misreadings. For details, please read the 'Self-Introduction/Disclaimer' page. 📖