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Jens Klimek
Cherry Blossomsverses from old Japan for mixed choir a cappella
2
The following texts originate from a collection of 100 specimens of Japanese Tanka poetry collected in the 13th Century C.E., with some of the poems dating back to the 7th Centry translated by William N. Porter. Tanka is a 31 syllable format in the pattern 5-7-5-7-7. Most of these poems were written about the time of the Norman Conquest and display a sophistication that western literature would not achieve for a long time thereafter. These little gems are on themes such as nature, the round of the seasons, the impermanence of life, and the vicissitudes of love. There are obvious Buddhist and Shinto influences throughout. Porter's notes put the poems into a cultural and historical context. Each poem is illustrated in this edition with an 18th century Japanese woodcut by an anonymous illustrator.
SUTOKU IN THE RETIRED EMPEROR SUTOKU
Se wo hayami THE rock divides the stream in two,Iwa ni sekaruru And both with might and main Taki-gawa no Go tumbling down the waterfall;Warete mo sue ni But well I know the twainAwan to zo omou. Will soon unite again.
The town of Kamakura, where is the great bronze image of Buddha Amida, was built by this Emperor, who reigned A.D. 1124-1141; he was then forced by his father, the ex-Emperor Toba, to abdicate in favour of his brother, the Emperor Konoye; afterwards he entered the church, and died in the year 1164, an exile in the Province of Sanuki. This verse is intended to suggest the parting of two lovers, who will eventually meet again.
UKON UKON
Wasuraruru MY broken heart I don't lament,Mi woba omowazu To destiny I bow; Chikahite-shi But thou hast broken solemn oaths,—Hito no inochi no I pray the Gods may nowOshiku mo aru kana. Absolve thee from thy vow.
The Lady Ukon is supposed to have been deserted by her husband, and in this poem she regrets, not so much her own sorrow, as the fact that he has broken his sworn oath, and is therefore in danger of divine vengeance. The illustration shows her all alone at the gate, with the house in the background, evidently waiting for the husband who has forsaken her.
DŌ-IN HOSHI THE PRIEST DŌ-IN
Omoi-wabi HOW sad and gloomy is the world,Satemo inochi wa This world of sin and woe! Aru mono wo Ah! while I drift along Life's stream,Uki ni taenu wa Tossed helpless to and fro,Namida nari keri. My tears will ever flow.
The Priest Dō-in was a member of the Fujiwara family. The date of this verse is not known, but it was probably written in the twelfth century. The illustration shows the priest alone in his hut, lamenting over the sorrows of humanity.
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GON CHŪ-NAGON THE ASSISTANT IMPERIAL MASAFUSA ADVISER MASAFUSA Takasago no THE cherry trees are blossomingOnce no zakura On Takasago's height; Saki ni keri Oh may no mountain mist arise,Toyama no kasumi No clouds so soft and white,Tatazu mo aranan. To hide them from our sight.
This poet was the son of Chika-nari Ooi, and died in the year 1112. Takasago is on the sea-coast in the Provinceof Harima, and is also mentioned in another verse.Masafusa with his attendant appears in the illustration admiring the cherry trees on the mountains, over which, however, the clouds are already beginning to gather.
ŌYE NO CHISATO CHISATO ŌYE
Tsuki mireba THIS night the cheerless autumn moonChiji ni mono koso Doth all my mind enthrall; Kanashi kere But others also have their griefs,Waga mi hitotsu no For autumn on us allAki ni wa aranedo. Hath cast her gloomy pall.
Chisato Ōye is said to have lived about the end of the ninth century; he was the son of a Councillor, and a very fertile poet. He was also famous as a philosopher, and acted as tutor to the Emperor Sei-wa, who reigned A.D. 859-876.
source: www.sacred-texts.com
4
The titles refer to the authors of the specific poem.
UKON
UKON
duration: 2'
THE RETIRED EMPEROR SUTOKU
SUTOKU IN
duration: 2'
THE PRIEST D -IN
D -IN HOSHI
duration: 4'
THE ASSISTANT IMPERIAL ADVISER MASAFUSA
GON CH -NAGON MASAFUSA
duration: 2'
CHISATO YE
YE NO CHISATO
duration: 2½'
SOPRANO
ALTO
TENOR
BASS
My
p
bro ken heart I don't la ment, to des ti ny my bow;
q = 50
My
p
bro ken heart I don't la ment, to des ti ny my bow;
My
p
bro ken heart I don't la ment, to des ti ny my bow; but
mp
My
p
bro ken heart I don't la ment, to des ti ny my bow; but
mp
but
mp
thou hast bro ken so lemn oath, My
p
bro ken heartIdon't la
1.5
but
mp
thou hast bro ken
so
so lemn,
lemn oath,
so lemn oath, My
p
bro ken heartIdon't la
thou hast bro ken oath,
thou hast bro ken oath,
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UKON
UKON
Jens Klimek
Cherry Blossomsverses from old Japan for mixed choir a cappella
5
ment, to oath, I pray the Gods may
now,
now
I2.8
ment, to so lemn oath I pray the Gods may now,
to bro ken so lemn oath, so lemn oath,
to bro ken so lemn oath, so lemn oath,
pray,
f
I pray the Gods may now,
I pray the Gods
I pray the
may
Gods may now,
12
I
f
pray the Gods may
now,
now, I pray the Gods may, I pray the Gods may now,f
I pray the Gods may I pray the Gods may now
f
I pray the Gods may now,
ab
p
solve thee from thy vow, ab solve thee
rit. 16
ab
p
solve thee from thy vow, ab solve thee
p
ab solve thee from thy vow, ab solve thee
ab
p
solve thee from thy vow, ab solve thee
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3 3
33
6
from thy vow.
pp19
from thy vow.
pp
from thy vow.
pp
from thy vow.
ppMy
pbro ken heart I don't la ment.
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7
SOPRANO
ALTO
TENOR
BASS
(oo)
pq = 54
(oo)
p
(oo)
p
The
mp
rock The
5
rock di vides, di vides the stream in two, and both with
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Jens Klimek
THE RETIRED EMPEROR SUTOKU
SUTOKU IN
3 3 3
8
9
might and main Go tumb ling down the
14
wa ter fall But well I know the
18
twain will soon u nite a
3
9
22
gain.
10
SOLOVOICE
SOPRANO
ALTO
TENOR
BASS
q = 40
b.c.
p
b.c.
p
b.c.
p
b.c.
p
How
mp
sad, how sad and gloo my is the world, this world of sin and
9
How sad How
mp
sad and gloo my is the
How sad How
mp
sad and gloo my is the
How sad How
mp
sad and gloo my is the
How sad How
mp
sad and gloo my is the
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Jens Klimek
THE PRIEST D -IN
D -IN HOSHI
11
woe, Ah! while I drift a long Life's stream,
16
world, this world of sin and woe,
pp
while
mp
I drift a long Life's
world, this world of sin and woe,
pp
while
mp
I drift a long Life's stream,
world, this world of sin and woe,
pp
while
mp
I drift a long Life's
world, this world of sin and woe,
pp
Tossed help less to and fro, my
22
stream, Tossed
mf
help less to and fro,
Tossed
mf
help less to and fro,
stream, Tossed
mf
help less to and fro,
Tossed
mf
help less to and fro
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34
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12
tears will e ver, e ver, e
f
ver
28
p
my tears
my tears
f
will
will e
e
ver
ver
p
my tears will e
f
ver
p
my tears will
f
e ver
p
my tears will e
f
ver
flow.
33
b.c.
p
b.c.
p
b.c.
p
b.c.
p
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SOPRANO
ALTO
TENOR
BASS
The
p
cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
q = 80
The
p
cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the
the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the
8
cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are
The
mp
cher ry trees are
mp
blos so ming,
The
p
cher ry trees are
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Jens Klimek
THE ASSISTANT IMPERIAL ADVISER MASAFUSA
GON CH -NAGON MASAFUSA
15
cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are
15
blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
the
mp
cher ry trees are blos so ming,
blos so ming, are blos so ming,
mp
blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the
22
the
The
cher
cher
ry trees
ry
are blos
trees,
so ming,
the cher ry
the cher
trees,
ry trees are
the
on Ta ka sa go's height;
on Ta ka sa go's height;
cher ry trees are blos so ming the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
27
blos
cher
so
ry
ming,
trees, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the
16
the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are
32
cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
Oh,
mp
may no mist, no
mp
Oh,
p
may no moun
blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the
37
the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are
mist a rise, oh,
mp
may no moun tain mist a rise,
tain mist a rise, no
cher ry trees are blos so ming the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
42
blos so ming,
the
the
cher
cher
ry trees
ry
are blos
trees,
so ming,
the cher ry
the
no
mist a rise,
mp
no
17
the cher ry trees are blos so ming the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
47
cher
trees,
ry trees are
the
blos
cher
so
ry
ming,
trees, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the
clouds so soft and white,
clouds so soft and white,
the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
53
cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the
the
p
cher ry trees are blos so ming,
the
p
cher ry trees are blos so ming,
the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
59
cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the
on Ta ka sa go's height,
on Ta ka sa go's height,
18
the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
65
cher ry trees are blos so ming,
oh,
mp
may no moun tain mist a rise,
no mist a
the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the
rit. A tempo73
the cher ry trees are blos so ming,
to hide them from our sight.
rise,
mp
to hide them from our sight.
cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming.
80
the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming.
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SOPRANO
ALTO
TENOR
BASS
This
pp
night, this night,
p
this night the
fq = 50
This
pp
night, this night,
p
this night the
f
This
pp
night, this night,
p
this night the
f
This
pp
night, this night,
p
this night the
f
cheer less au tumn moon doth
p
all my mind en thrall;
9
cheer less au tumn moon doth
p
all my mind en thrall;
cheer less au tumn moon doth
p
all my mind, my mind en thrall;
cheer less au tumn moon doth
p
all my mind en thrall;
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Jens Klimek
CHISATO ŌYEŌYE NO CHISATO
21
But
p
o thers al so have their griefs, for
mp
au tumn on us all
16
But
p
o thers al so have their griefs, for
mp
au tumn on us all
This
pp
night, this night,
p
this
This
pp
night, this night,
p
this
for
poco f
au tumn on us all hath cast her gloo my pall.
23
for
poco f
au tumn on us all hath cast her gloo my pall.
night, this
poco f
night,
night, this
poco f
night,
This
pp
night, this night,
p
this night.
mp pp29
This
pp
night, this night,
p
this night.
mp pp
This
pp
night, this night,
p
this night.
mp pp
This
ppnight,
this night,
p
this night.
mp pp
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