Sounds Like Now
A blog by saxophonist Brian Sacawa
Archive for Japan
July 7, 2006 at 2:36 am · Filed under Blog: Summer 06, Japan
Tonight is Tanabata, the Japanese star festival, celebrating the once-a-year meeting of Orihime and Hikoboshi.
Long long ago, on the west bank of the Milky Way, there lived a beautiful girl Orihime. She was a skilled weaver and worked very hard every day. Tentei, the Emperor of the sky was very happy with her diligence and married her to a very hard working cowboy Hikoboshi from across the Milky Way. Hikoboshi and Orihime fell in love and started to live happily on the east bank. However, they spent all day long having fun together and forgot about their work. This made her father very angry, and he separated the two to opposite sides of the river, so that they could not meet. Orihime was so sad that she cried for days and nights. However, once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month, a flock of magpies forms a bridge across the Milky Way, and the two lovers are able to be with each other on this one night.
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April 17, 2006 at 11:36 pm · Filed under Japan, Literature, Music
“The late moon now emerged. Under the eaves of the building it was still dark, but the sky was beautifully illuminated. An attendant was sent to fetch zithers from the Bureau of Books and Instruments. When there were brought Tô no Chûjô chose the six-stringed zither, which he, like Genji, played with outstanding skill. Prince Hotaru took the great thirteen-stringed zither, while Genji himself decided on the seven-stringed kin. Lady Shôshô accompanied the gentlemen on the four-stringed lute. One of the senior courtiers, who was noted for his musical talents, was asked to conduct, and a delightful concert started. As the light began to spread, the color of the flowers and the faces of the players gradually came into view. Now the birds joined in with their own gay song. It was a dawn to gladden anyone’s heart.”
Murasaki Shikibu, Genji monogatari æºæ°ç‰©èªž
