Murata Shuko the founder of the Tea ceremony
村田珠光 、茶の湯（儀式）の創始者
Shuko's ordinary name was Murata Mokichi .
珠光の俗名は茂吉という。
He was the son of Moku-ichi Kenko of Nara, and was in his youth a priest of the Shomeiji , living there in a cell called Ho- rin -an for ten years, but he was so lazy that he was expelled from the temple, so he went to Kyoto and entered the Daitokuji at Murasakino where he studied under Ikkyu Osho .
村田杢一検校の子、若年時代は称名寺の法林庵て１０年ぐらい過ごしたが、生来の怠け者で寺から放逐された。京都の紫野大徳寺へ行き一休和尚の弟子となる。
His great fault was that he was always falling asleep in the daytime as well as at night, to the considerable detriment of his studies, so that some wit observed that if his teacher was Ikkyu (one slumber) the pupil was Hyakkyu (a hundred slumbers).
彼の最大の欠点は朝から晩まで寝てることで、勉強など出来るわけも無く、巷では「師は一休、弟子は百休」と揶揄されていました。
One day he went to a doctor and asked for a prescription to keep him awake and was told that tea was the best stimulant for the mind and recommended to drink it often.
ある日、彼はお医者様のところへ行って尋ねました。「眠気覚ましに何かよい薬はないだろうか」と、すると医者は、お茶が目が覚めてよいので飲むとよいと薦めました。
So he began to drink the tea of Toga-no-o and found it very efficacious, and he not only drank it himself, but when anyone came to see him he would offer some with suitable ceremony.
彼は栂尾のお茶を飲み始め効果的免なのを知ります。そして飲むだけではなく、誰かが訪ねてくると、儀式的なお茶の入れ方をしてもてなし始めました。
When the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa heard of this he was much interested and orderd Shuko to arrange the ceremony for drinking tea.
その噂を将軍足利義政が聞きつけ、珠光に茶の手前を作るように指示しました。
This he did with the assistance of No- ami and So- ami after comparison and selection of the etiquette alredy in use.
彼の作った作法が採用されて、能阿弥や相阿弥に匹敵する同朋衆となりました。
＊ There was Cha-no- yu before Shuko's time, but it was not properly organized.
珠光以前にも茶の湯（儀式）は在りましたが、正式なものではありませんでした。
He drew up the rules for the Formal, Intermediate and Informal styles (Shin, Gyo , So) with the Daisu , and so he is called the Founder of Teaism .
彼が正式な形、中間、くだけた形、（真行草）を作りましたので、茶の湯（儀式）の開祖と呼ばれています。
However the Teijo-hakki says that there was nothing that could really be called Cha-no- yu even in Yoshimasa ' time.
Teiji-hakki という書物によれば、義政時代に茶の湯という文化が生まれたとあります。
The author, a member of the Ise school of Masters of Ceremony, says: “ The Shogun retired and amused himself with Tea drinking during the stormy period of Onin (1467-8) and used to make it himself and serve it to his retainers.
伊勢教場のメンバーである作家によれは、「将軍は応仁の乱の中、引退し茶を点て家人にも振舞って楽しんだ。」っと言っています。
As it was made by the Shogun himself they each took a mouthful and passed the cup on. This was just as the Cha-no- yu did and there was no ceremony about it.
その時は、将軍自ら茶を飲んだり、茶碗を相手に渡したりと、特別な儀式的なものは無かったのです。
My ancestor Ise-no-kami , who had charge of the etiquette in the days of Yoshimasa , knew nothing of any particular ceremony of Tea that could be taught to the people, neither is there any ancient family record of such a thing.
私の先祖の伊勢守は義政時代のエチケット集を残していますが、茶の湯の特別な儀式を人に教えたとは記されていません。その後の先祖たちも何も記してはいません。
What is now called Cha-no- yu with its various schools is a thing that grew up in the time of Hideyoshi long after Yoshimasa's days.
今巷で教えられている“茶の湯”とは、義政のかなり後になってからのもの秀吉時代の芸事だと思います。
Sen-no-Rikyu in the period of Tensho began it and Kobori Enshu and Katagiri Sekishu carried it on and add to it.
天正の千利休に始まった芸が小堀遠州、片桐石州に続きそして改良加えられて行ったのです。
Daimyos and such imitate the manner of poor people purposely, and sit in a little hut they call Sukiya , drinking Tea out of dirty old bowls and collecting all sorts of antique vessels, I don't think it at all a proper diversion for a samurai to lay side their swords and make drink Tea in this way.
大名、不毛な人たちへのマナーの模範活動、数奇屋と呼ばれるあばら屋、汚い器での飲茶、骨董収集。これらはすべて、武士たちが刀を休め”適切な気晴らし”をして茶を飲むための方策で、私たちの伺い知れないところです。
I consider it a very silly amusement.”
私に言わせればくだらない娯楽ですね。
Naturally the older schools of manners did not admire what they considered a newer rival.
当然に、古い規範の教場は、新しいライバルであるとは認識はしていない様です。
Yoshimasa was very pleased with his efforts and made him give up his priestly life and built a rustic hut near Sanjo , presenting him with a tablet written by his own hand to put over the gate, on which were the characters “ Shu-ko-an-shu “ (Pearl-Bright-Cell-Master).”
義政は珠光の努力や聖職者としての行いに感銘を受け、三条近くに建てた彼の庵に直筆で書いた看板を送りました。それには「珠光庵主」と書きました。
Shuko devote himself only to the art of cooking a meal and eating it and infusing tea and drinking it, and when he entertained his friend they used to amuse themselves by composing and reciting Japanese verses.
珠光は食や茶の芸に励み、友人が訪ねて来たときには配置の工夫や詩を朗読したりして楽しませました。
All the esthetes of the time were rivals for the honor of his friendship, and Tea became very flourishing.
時代の美眼者たちと競い合いながら、茶の湯（儀式）という芸道は花開いたのです。
Thus Shuko is certainly the first in Japan to whom the name of Tea Master can be given.
こうして珠光は、日本での最初の茶人として名が残ることになったのです。
He died on the fifteenth of May of the second yare of Bunki (1503), at the age of eighty-one.
文亀二年五月１５日８１歳で彼はその生涯を閉じます。
He was buried in the Shinju-an of the Temple of Daitokuji at Murasakino .
紫野大徳寺の真珠庵に祀られました。
The finished quality of his Tea meetings was not to be found in the utensils he used or in pictures and writings, and those who came after him would give much to be able to recapture it.
彼の死とともに、茶の所作やその道具立て方法などは、絵や書き物には残っておらず分かっていませんが、彼の後に続く者たちが多くをそこから学び取っているのです。