Four Spring Songs

Description

These texts are taken from the Kokin Wakashu (commonly abbreviated Kokinshu, a collection of Japanese waka poetry compiled from various poets in the early tenth century. They show the passing of the season from the first buds hidden beneath the snow to the last petals washing downstream. The simple melodies and clear textures attempt to capture the poets’ graceful blending of vivid natural imagery and piercing emotional perception as the sights and sounds of spring are made to express the bittersweetness of our brief existence.

Contents:

1. Haru tateba (As spring is stirring)

2. Kasuga no (To Kasuga fields)

3. Momo chidori (Hundred little birds)

4. Hana chireru (By these petal-strewn waters)