Yuichi ABE

This piece is based on a waka poem collected in "Fireflies," Episode 45 of the Tales of Ise, which was written in the Heian period. This poem recounts the thoughts of the male narrator whose daughter had died before she could tell him her feelings for him, and it can be translated as follows: "O flying fireflies, if you ever reach the clouds, tell the wild geese that the autumn breeze is blowing." As the warm days of summer come to an end, a cool breeze that heralds the arrival of autumn starts to blow late at night. The man composed this poem as he looked up at the fireflies flying gently into the sky.

Wild geese are migratory birds that make their journeys in autumn, and since ancient times, legend has it that they bring news of people far away. If this is true, perhaps the poem is the narrator's way of asking the fireflies to pass on his message that the autumn breeze is already blowing so that the geese can bring him news of his daughter as soon as possible. I think this is a beautiful poem that captures the nuanced sensibility unique to Japanese people. The hearts of both the daughter who had died with her single-minded love for the man, and of the man who is saddened by his daughter's death and attempts to convey his feelings through the fireflies, are remarkably pure, beautiful, and noble. I have composed this piece by drawing inspiration from the misery, sorrow, beauty, and strength that I have experienced from this story. As far as performance advice is concerned, please try to maintain a certain drive throughout the entire performance, even in the slower sections.PLEASE NOTE - This item is sold on a rental basis. You may purchase it here, then you may perform it as many times as you like in one year, but must return it to the publisher in Japan free of marks at the end of the rental period.

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