Tabi Ni Yande
for SATB chorus (unaccompanied)
The last poem of Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694) begins with the line Tabi ni yande, often translated as “ill on a journey.” Bashō spent years walking around Japan, in good weather and bad, in health and in sickness, allowing the landscapes he encountered to inspire his poetry. The four poems included in this setting exemplify his approach to finding beauty in the world around him, even while suffering.
Accompanied versions of these songs are included in Ill on a Journey, a multilingual opera/oratorio about navigating life with chronic illness.
| 雲の峯 いくつ崩れて 月の山 |
kumo no mine ikutsu kuzurete tsuki no yama |
cloud peaks so many crumbling moon mountain |
| 猶みたし 花に明行 神の顏 |
nao mitashi hana ni ake yuku kami no kao |
still want to see in flowers at dawn god’s face |
| この秋は 何で年寄る 雲に鳥 |
kono aki wa nande toshi yoru kumo ni tori |
this autumn why getting old bird in clouds |
| 旅に病んで 夢は枯野を かけ廻る |
tabi ni yande yume wa kare no o kake meguru |
ill on a journey dreams on withered fields wander around |
For information about Japanese pronunciation, read the Japanese Diction Guide.