庭燎にわび

also: ていりょう

に

わ

び

Meanings

garden bonfire; courtyard fire

archaic

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.

古いにしえの宮きゅう中ちゅうでは、夜よるになると庭燎にわびが焚たかれたという。
It is said that in the ancient imperial court, garden bonfires were lit at night.
万まん葉よう集しゅうには庭燎にわびを詠よんだ歌うたがいくつかある。
There are several poems in the Man'yōshū that sing of garden bonfires.

See all 3 example sentences ›

Kanji

庭courtyard, garden, yard
火fire
燎burn, bonfire

Related words

かがり火び
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.

Built from

庭にわ+火ひ

Written forms

庭燎
- にわび
  Standard kanji form for the reading にわび, referring to an ancient garden bonfire.
- ていりょう
  On'yomi reading; less common than にわび and mainly encountered in classical or literary contexts.
庭火
- にわび
  Alternate kanji form; 火 directly suggests fire, but 庭燎 is more established for this historical term.
- ていりょう
ていりょう

Etymology

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.