Recently, the temperature has risen a little and the sunny weather continues.  However, the wind is cool and I feel that autumn is gradually deepening.  I pulled out the futon from the closet and dried it in the sun.  It smells nice when I put it back in the evening. It is the scent of Kinmokusei(Osmanthus fragrans) blooming side by side nearby. At the beginning of September, Kinmokusei, which began to bloom when the temperature suddenly began to drop, had stopped blooming due to the subsequent rise in temperature, but it seems that it has gained momentum again.  It’s finally autumn.

このところ、少し気温も上がり晴天が続いています。しかし吹く風は涼しく、徐々に秋が深まってきた感じもします。思いたって、押し入れから布団を引っ張り出し、日干しにしました。夕方仕舞おうと布団に近付くといい香りがします。近くに並んで咲いている金木犀の香りです。９月の初め、急に気温が下がり始めた頃に咲き始めた金木犀が、その後の気温上昇で咲き止まっていましたが、ここにきてまた勢いを増したようです。いよいよ秋本番ですね。

Autumn arrives early in Togakushi, which is located in the northern part of Nagano prefecture.  The colorful autumn leaves surrounding the pond and Mt. Togakushi (1904m above sea level) and Mt. Takatsuma (2353m above sea level) are reflected in the Kagamiike pond on the plateau, making it look like a fresco.  Due to the recent high temperature, the autumn leaves are not still in full swing, or due to the corona influence, there are still few people.  It’s natural that the deepening autumn is lonely, but this loneliness is exceptional. I feel like I’m about to blend into the frescoes, and I even feel the fear of such myself.

長野県北部に位置する戸隠の秋の訪れは早い。高原の鏡池には、池を囲む色とりどりの紅葉と戸隠山(海抜1904m)さらに先にある高妻山(海抜2353m)を写し込んで、まるでフレスコ画のようです。最近の高気温のぶり返しでまだ本格的紅葉もこれからと言うこともあってか、はたまたコロナが影響してか、人影はまるでありません。深まり行く秋と言うにしても少し寂しすぎる光景です。フレスコ画の中に溶け込んでいきそうになって、はっと我に帰る恐怖さえ覚えます。

I had gotten freshly picked sweet potatoes and chestnuts.  It’s a matter of wondering whether to make baked sweet potatoes, steamed sweet potatoes, roasted chestnuts, or steamed chestnuts.  Baked sweet potatoes are made by putting them in a kamado while cooking rice, or by putting them in a Dondo-Yaki outside to make baked sweet potatoes.  Steamed sweet potatoes are also delicious, but baked sweet potatoes have a unique burnt taste and are also delicious.  Recently, there is no Kamado, and Dondo-Yaki.  I struggled to reproduce the old-fashioned baked sweet potatoes using a microwave oven and an oven toaster. Yeah, it was a happy day for me.

取れ立てのさつま芋と栗を頂きました。焼き芋にしようか、蒸し芋にしようか、焼き栗にしようか、蒸し栗にしようか、思案のしどころです。さつま芋はご飯を炊くついでに竈さんに入れたり、外のどんどに入れて焼き芋にしたものです。蒸し芋も美味しいですが、焼き芋には焦げ臭い独特な味があってこれまた美味しい。最近は竈さんもなければ、どんどもない。電子レンジとオーブントースターを駆使して昔風の焼き芋を再現しようと悪戦苦闘。うん、我ながらあっぱれじゃと、ひとりご満悦の一日でした。

On a sunny Saturday, I visited the “Izumi City Kuboso Memorial Museum” in Izumi City, Osaka.  The oriental antique arts collected by the successive owners of Kuboso, who were very successful in the cotton industry, which  was the core industry of modern Japan, is exhibited, and it is one of the largest and highest quality personal collections in Japan. It is a museum with many masterpieces such as picture scrolls and ceramics.  This time, in an exhibition called “Tosa School and Sumiyoshi School—Development of Yamato-e and Individuality of School—“,  the genealogy of Yamato-e from the early Edo period to the end of the Edo period was introduced mainly by Tosa school and Sumiyoshi school.  I was a little tired because there were too many exhibits, but when I finished looking at the Japanese garden and the setting sun in front of the waiting room, I was filled with indescribable satisfaction.

秋晴れの土曜日、大阪和泉市にある「和泉市久保惣記念美術館」を訪ねました。近代日本の基幹産業である綿業で大成功した久保惣の歴代当主達が収集した東洋古美術を展示し、個人コレクションとしては日本でも有数の規模と質の高さをもつものであり、絵画、絵巻、陶磁など多くの名品を揃えた美術館です。今回は「土佐派と住吉派—やまと絵の展開と流派の個性—」と名打った展覧会で、江戸時代前期から幕末にわたるやまと絵の系譜を、土佐派と住吉派を中心にご紹介されていました。余りにも展示品が多くて多少疲れましたが、見終わって、控室の前に広がる日本庭園と夕日を見ていると、なんとも言いようのない満足感が心に満ちました。

The pampas grass that sways in the autumn sun is a silver wave.  The pampas grass swaying in the setting sun at dusk is a golden wave.  No flower is as indispensable for autumn as Japanese pampas grass.  But is this feeling transcending generations?  An English translation of “Sendou Kouta” was taken up in an English seminar at the university. And then the interpretations about between “I” and “you” appearing in this song were divided, whether they were man and woman, or no, both were men who were boatmen.  The teacher flatly thought  that it was a lamentation between a man and a woman, so he was made aware of the gap between generations.  In the same way, there is an enka called “Showa withered pampas grass” that sang withered pampas grass, but will those shabbily “Sakura” and “Ichiro” be transmitted to the younger generation today?

秋の陽光に照らされて揺れるススキは銀の波。夕暮れの落ちゆく太陽に照らされて揺れるススキは銀の波。ススキほど秋の風情として欠かせない草花はない。と言っても果たしてこの感覚は世代を超えての感覚だろうか。大学の英語ゼミで「船頭小唄」の英訳が取り上げられ、この歌に登場する「おれ」と「おまえ」は果たして男と女だろうか、いや船頭同士の男だよと意見が分かれたと言う。先生は頭から男と女の哀歌だと思っていたから、世代間のズレを思い知らされたそうだ。やはり枯れススキを歌った「昭和枯れススキ」と言う演歌があるが、あのうらぶれた「さくら」と「一郎」が今の若い世代に伝わるのだろうか。

The falling leaves drift by the window The autumn leaves of red and gold

I see your lips, the summer kisses The sun-burned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long And soon I’ll hear old winter’s song

But I miss you most of all my darling When autumn leaves start to fall

The original poem of Chanson’s “Autumn Leaves” was translated into English by Johnny Mercer and arranged by Joseph Kosma.  “Autumn Leaves” was sung by Yves Montand as a song in the French movie “Gates of the Night” produced in 1946, and became famous by chanson singer Juliette Greco.  Translated into various languages, it quickly spread all over the world.  In the United States, it was arranged into various genres of music and spread among the masses.  This song will always be played in the fall.  It’s a sad lyrics, but it’s a masterpiece that matches the deepening autumn.

あれは遠い想い出　やがて消える灯影も 窓辺赤く輝き　光りみちたあの頃

時は去りて静かに　降りつむ落葉よ 夢に夢を重ねて　ひとり生きる悲しさ

木枯吹きすさび　時は還らず

シャンソン『枯葉』の原詩を岩谷時子が日本語に訳し、越路吹雪が歌ったものです。『枯葉』は1946年製作のフランス映画『夜の門』でイヴ・モンタンが歌曲として歌い、シャンソン歌手のジュリエット・グレコが歌って一躍有名になりました。各国語に訳されて瞬く間に世界中に広まりました。日本では、フランス留学中の高英男が淡谷のり子に送り、彼女が日本語で歌い有名になりました。秋になると必ずこの歌が流れてきます。なんとも切ない歌詞ですが、深まり行く秋にマッチした名曲です。

This year, until the end of August, the maximum temperature was 30 degrees Celsius or higher, which was a midsummer day, but after September, it was cool not only in the morning and evening but also in the daytime.  Even if it got cooler in September, there was a year when the heat returned immediately, but this year it seems that it has changed smoothly to autumn.  Plants such as cluster amaryllis, cosmos, and osmanthus fragrans, which represent autumn, also sensed such changes in climate and seemed to begin to bloom earlier than usual.  It seems that the autumn leaves of the trees will be accelerated by this amount.

今年は、8月の終わりまでは最高気温が30℃以上の真夏日となる日が続きましたが、9月に入ってからは朝晩だけでなく昼間も涼しさを感じる日が続きました。９月に入っていっとき涼しくなっても、直ぐに暑さがぶり返す年もありましたが、今年はすんなりと秋に変わって行ったようです。秋を代表する彼岸花やコスモスそして金木犀など植物もそうした気候の変化を感じ取り、例年よりも早いタイミングで咲き始めたようです。この分では木々の紅葉も早まりそうです。

村雨(Murasame) is a general term for autumn rain that stops immediately after heavy rain.  It means “flocked rain” and is also written as “群雨” or ”  叢雨”.  驟雨(Shuuu; flocked rain), 白雨(Hakuu; white rain), and 繁雨(Shibaame; heavy rain) are all Murasame.  There are many beautiful names for such rain in Japan.  From the end of summer to the beginning of autumn, on days when the temperature and dryness continue, the rain lily grows the flower stalks and blooms when the bulbs are moistened.  Early ones came to Japan in the Edo period, and have been popular for a long time under the names of Safuranmodoki(pink rain lily) and Tamasudare(autumn zephyrlily).  One flower withers in 2 to 3 days, but it is a cute flower that blooms many times during the off-season.

村雨（むらさめ）とは、強く降ってすぐ止む秋雨の総称です。「群れた雨」の意味であり、群雨、叢雨とも書きます。驟雨（しゅうう）、白雨(はくう)、繁雨（しばあめ）などもすべて村雨です。日本にはこうした雨を表す美しい呼び名が沢山あります。夏の終わりから秋口にかけて、高温と乾燥が続く日、村雨を浴び、球根が潤うと花茎を伸ばしてパッと花開くのがレインリリーです。日本へは、早いものは江戸時代に渡来しており、サフランモドキやタマスダレの名で古くから親しまれてきました。1輪の花もちは2～3日と短いですが、花の端境期に何回も花を咲かせる可愛い花です。

When I get into the hilly section a little while taking a walk, there are many places where the chestnuts are scattered and the fruits are exposed.  Most of them are worm-eaten, so I try to take chestnuts from the tree, but it is out of reach, probably because my predecessor has already taken it.  I searched for a dead branch nearby and knocked chestnuts down.  I’m trying to put it in the vinyl bag that contained the PET bottle, but chestnuts that are popping can easily bear fruit, but it is difficult for them not to pop. The fitted work gloves are totally useless.  Even so, I managed to get enough to cook chestnut rice.  I am very satisfied.

散歩がてら少し山手に入るとあちらこちらに毬栗が弾け散って、実が剥き出しになっているのも沢山あります。大概は虫食いになっているので、木成りなっているのを取ろうとするのですが、先客がもうすでに取ったのか、手の届く所にはありません。近くで枯れ枝を探し、それでたたき落としました。ペットボトルを入れていたビニル袋に入れようととするのですが、毬が弾けているのは簡単に実が取れても、弾けていないのは大変です。嵌めていた軍手はまるで役に立ちません。それでも何とか栗ご飯を炊けるくらいは取れました。大満足です。

I went to a concert of “Travel Musician Mario & Haru” held at an old folk house cafe in Kishiwada City, Osaka. They are  unique musicians and based in Iiyama, Nagano Prefecture, the hometown of singing songs, 40 kinds of folk instruments packed in his car Rankle, and traveled nationwide and overseas for more than half of the year. And they emphasize the importance of nature and water and  the life nurtured by them, and continues to perform concert activities in “Ichi-go-ichi-e(the only chance in a life-time)”  according to the situation.  When the sound of the Brazilian folk instrument, Berimbau, echoed dignifiedly in the deepening autumn, I felt that everyone’s hearts were condensed into one point.

大阪岸和田市にある古民家カフェで開かれた『旅の音楽家 マリオ &はる』の演奏会に出かけました。唱歌のふるさと、長野県飯山を拠点に４０種もの民族楽器を愛車ランクルに満載し、マリオとはるの二人で、年の半分以上、全国・海外を旅をし、自然と水の大切さ、それに育まれる命の大切さを訴え、その場に応じての”一期一会”のコンサート活動をし続けているユニークな音楽家です。ブラジルの民族楽器、ビリンバウの音色が、深まり行く秋のしじまに凛と響くと、皆の心が一点に凝縮されるような思いを感じました。