TACHIBANA NUNESHIGE
立花宗茂
Tachibana Sakon-no-Shogen Muneshige was a great favorite of the Shogun Iemitsu, and was one of his Twelve Companions.
立花左近将監宗茂は将軍家光の懇意をうけ十二人のお伽集の一人でした。
He was an esthete as well as warrior, and when he retired he made a fine villa for himself in the Shitaya quarter of Edo with hills, a lake, and a waterfall where he could enjoy fine scenery and the pleasant companionship of fish and birds.
彼は軍人であるばかりではなく芸術愛好家でした。隠居後は江戸下谷の一画の丘に湖水や滝、鳥や魚が戯れる素晴しい屋敷を作りました。
In the fifteenth year of Kwanei(1639) the Shogun paid a visit to this villa and was entertained to a very exquisite lunch, after which tea was served.
寛永十五年（１６３９年）将軍がその屋敷を訪れ昼食がもてなされ、その後に茶が振舞われました。
Then the Shogun went for a walk in the garden and shot two wild geese with his gun and also took another with his hawk.
それから庭へ出て鷹狩を行い二羽の雁を射とめました。
These birds Muneshige straightway had cooked and served to Iemitsu, who was much pleased by these attentions.
宗茂はその雁を自ら料理して家光へ出し、将軍はたいそう喜ばれたそうです。
Muneshige also presented the Shogun with a famous sword by Norishige and in return received from him a short blade by Norikuni of Awataguchi and silk wadded garments.
また将軍へＮｏｒｉｓｈｉｇｅ作の刀を贈り返礼として粟田口Ｎｏｒｉｋｕｎｉの剣と絹の衣服等を受け取りました。
Two years afterwards Iemitsu again paid him a visit and on this occasion was most gracefully entertained by the old esthete, and when he took his leave he presented him a very fine Tea-caddy called Seto-no-O-katatsuki.
二年後、家光は再び訪問の機会を得その屋敷にて歓待を受けました。退席の時が来て土産に「瀬戸大肩衝」と言う茶入を宗茂へ下賜しました。
This made three great treasures which the house of Tachibana possessed.
立花家には伝来の三大宝物がありました。
The first was a banner which was given to their ancestor Otomo Buzen-no-kami Yoshinao by Yoritomo in the year 1197 when he went down to the Dazaifu, while the second was a short sword by Yoshimitsu and a fan which were given to Sakon-no-Shogen Sadanori, descended in the seventh generation from the above Yoshinao, by the Ashikaga Sougun Takauji in the year 1338 when he cut off the head of Yuki Hangwan Chikamitsu and brought it on the fan for Takauji's inspection.
一つ目は１１９７年、初代当主大友豊前守能直（おおともぶぜんのかみよしなお）が大宰府へ行った折鎌倉幕府征夷大将軍源頼朝候より下賜った香炉、二つ目は室町幕府二代目征夷大将軍足利義満候より下賜された短剣と扇、これは北条左近将監貞規（ほうじょうさこんのしょうさだのり）伝来の物で能直から七代後、室町幕府初代征夷大将軍足利尊氏（１３３８年）が結城判官親光（ゆうきはんがんちかみつ）の首を刎ねた時の剣と尊氏からの報告を認めた扇です。
So when this Tea-caddy, presented by Iemitsu, was added, the Tachibana house could boast of the gifts of three great Shouguns of the Minamoto family, a thing that very few other noble families could do.
家光候からの茶入を下賜されて、立花家は源氏末裔の偉大な三人の征夷大将軍からの宝を持った事になり、他よりも誉れに満ちた家柄となりました。