also: ていりょう
noun
garden bonfire; courtyard fire
Archaic term for a bonfire lit in a garden or courtyard, especially in imperial or aristocratic settings. Often associated with ancient ceremonies or poetic imagery.
古の宮中では、夜になると庭燎が焚かれたという。
It is said that in the ancient imperial court, garden bonfires were lit at night.
万葉集には庭燎を詠んだ歌がいくつかある。
There are several poems in the Man'yōshū that sing of garden bonfires.
かがり火 is a more general term for a watch fire or bonfire used for illumination or signaling, while 庭燎 specifically refers to a fire in a garden or courtyard, often with ceremonial or poetic connotations.
The term 庭燎 (にわび) is composed of 庭 (garden) and 燎 (bonfire). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it appears in classical Japanese literature as a poetic and ceremonial word.