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7 Japanese Love Songs
Classical/Contemporary • 1981 • Lyricist: Unknown (works before 1850)
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Instrumentation |
Piano, Mezzo-soprano |
Scored for |
Solo, Accompanying piano |
Type of score |
Piano-vocal score |
Movement(s) |
1 to 7 from 7 |
Language |
English |
Difficulty |
Easy |
Duration |
10'30 |
7 Japanese Love Songs is a seven song cycle for female medium to high voice and piano. The texts are taken from ancient and medieval Japanese love poetry. The songs range from easy to moderate difficulty. The majority are easy. The songs are tonal and very melodic. The fourth song is for solo voice. This creates a climax in what is the quietest song of the cycle.
Text
I. A body that loves is fragile and uncertain, a floating boat. The fires in the fishing boats at night burn red, my heart burns red. Wooden stakes hold up the nets against the tide of U-ji. The tide is against me.
II. "He is a fool," the proverb sayeth, "who writes his name in water" and sayeth true. But greater folly, through unresting nights to dream of one who never dreams of you.
III. Though I'm scolded "Foolishness! Nonsense!" I can't get over love's darkness.
IV. I want to be the moon and shine on the bed where he sleeps.
V. My doubt about his constancy is difficult to bear; tangled this morning are my thoughts as is my long black hair. I wonder does he care?
VI. Why should I bitter be, Although he Cold has grown? There was a time when he to me and I to him were quite unknown.
VII. The little fox, hidden in the garden, taking advantage of the darkness of the night, comes out. And sheltered by the Autumn vines, slyly steals the grapes already wet with dew. Love, perhaps, is not the fox, and thou, surely, art not the grapes. But my heart has stolen thee away, secretly, no one knows.
* all text i s in P.D.
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