by Zeami Motokiyo (c1363 - c1443)
Translation by Arthur Waley (1889 - 1969)

He bids the flowers of Spring
Language: English  after the Japanese (日本語) 
Chorus
He bids the flowers of Spring
Mount the treetop that men may raise their eyes
And walk on upward paths;
He bids the moon in Autumn waves be drowned
In token that he visits laggard men
And leads them out from valleys of despair.

About the headline (FAQ)

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

Confirmed with Seami Motokiyo, Atsumori, in: Anthology of Japanese Literature ; From the Earliest Era to the Mid-Nineteenth Century, Grove Atlantic, 2007


Text Authorship:

Based on:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-04-26
Line count: 7
Word count: 44