Blossoms - Partitur - Jens Klimek Blossoms.pdf · Cherry Blossoms verses from old Japan for mixed choir a cappella 5. ment, to oath, I praythe Godsmay now, now I 8 2. ment, to so

Jens Klimek

Cherry Blossomsverses from old Japan for mixed choir a cappella

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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

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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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24

34

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24

34

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54

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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

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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


p

ab solve thee from thy vow, ab solve thee

ab

p


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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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44

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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


How sad How

mp


How sad How

mp


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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


pp

while

mp

I drift a long Life's stream,


pp

while

mp

I drift a long Life's


pp

Tossed help less to and fro, my

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stream, Tossed

mf

help less to and fro,

Tossed

mf


stream, Tossed

mf


Tossed

mf

help less to and fro

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12

tears will e ver, e ver, e

f

ver

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p

my tears

my tears

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will

will e

e

ver

ver

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my tears will e

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ver

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my tears will

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e ver

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my tears will e

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ver

flow.

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b.c.

p

b.c.

p

b.c.

p

b.c.

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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

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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

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the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are

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cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming,

Oh,

mp

may no mist, no

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Oh,

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may no moun

blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the

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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,

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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

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the cher ry trees are blos so ming the cher ry trees are blos so ming,

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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


the

p


the

p


the cher ry trees are blos so ming, the cher ry trees are blos so ming,

59


on Ta ka sa go's height,

on Ta ka sa go's height,

18

the cher ry trees are blos so ming,

65


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.

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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

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pp

night, this night,

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this night the

f

This

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night, this night,

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this night the

f

cheer less au tumn moon doth

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all my mind en thrall;

9


p



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all my mind, 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,

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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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Documents

Blossoms - Partitur - Jens Klimek Blossoms.pdf · Cherry Blossoms verses from old Japan for mixed choir a cappella 5. ment, to oath, I praythe Godsmay now, now I 8 2. ment, to so