| Aya no Tsuzumi | |
|---|---|
| 綾鼓 | |
| English title | The Damask Drum The Twill Drum |
| Written by | unknown |
| Category | 4th — miscellaneous |
| Characters | maeshite old gardener ai attendant waki court official tsure Imperial Consort nochijite phantom |
| Place | Asakura, Fukuoka |
| Time | 7th Century |
| Sources | Heike monogatari Genji monogatari Ise monogatari Kokinshū |
Aya no Tsuzumi (綾鼓, "The Damask/Twill Drum") is a Japanese Noh play by an unknown author which depicts the evil consequences of unrequited desire.
The word aya means twill, but the first English translation by Arthur Waley used the word damask, and this choice is almost invariably preserved by later writers in English.
The gardener at the Palace of Chikuzen has fallen in love with the Imperial Consort. She sends a message to the gardener that she will meet him at the pond if he beats the drum which she has placed in a tree in the garden. He tries but the drum has been made with twill (aya) and so cannot sound. Realising that he has been made a fool of, the gardener drowns himself in the pond and returns as an evil ghost who torments the princess.