定休日の昨日、片付けをしていたら、ふと昨日のH先生の言葉を思い出しました。「多賀大社のナンジャモンジャが満開や」。思わず、は？それ何じゃ？初めて聞く冗談のような名前です。先生にお聞きすると、カメラに納めた写真を出して多賀大社には三本ほど植えられている木であることを教えて下さいました。
思い出したのを幸いに、早速そのナンジャモンジャを見にいくことに。ありました！そり橋近くの教えてくださった場所に白い清楚な花をつけたナンジャモンジャの木が。近づくと高さの割には幹が細い木が二本。家に帰って調べるとナンジャモンジャは人々がつけた愛称でモクセイ科のヒトツバタゴを指すことが多いが他の樹種の場合もあるとのこと。新緑に囲まれて、ふわっと優しいナンジャモンジャの白い花が見事に咲き誇っています。鳥居わきの古老のもみぢも枝いっぱいに瑞々しい緑を広げて美しい。初夏の深く静かな木々の佇まいに心が洗われました。
Yesterday was a regular closing day, and when I was cleaning the house, I suddenly remembered that Mr. H was saying "Chionanthus retusus in Taga Taisha is fully blossomed now." Chionanthus in Japanese is NANJYA MONJYA and it literal meaning is "what is that?". I heard it for the first time and since it sounds so funny, I asked Mr. H what it is. He showed me some pictures from his cell phone and explained that it is a precious tree and Taga shrine has some.
Fortunately I had time, so I decided to go to the shrine to see the tree. I could find NANJYA MONJYA at the location near the arch bridge where Mr. H gave directions. There were two trees full of elegant white flowers and both were tall but rather thin. I got web information at home that NANJYA MONJYA is a nickname and it is Chionanthus retusus in Oleaceae. The soft white flowers of NANJYA MONJYA are in full bloom now. The old maple tree near torii (shrine gate) has branches full of fresh green leaves, and it is very beautiful. I felt so calm and peaceful surrounded by those deep, quiet early summer trees.
