[5854] Re:[5852] Interpreting "Ballade of Puppets: Flowers Grieve and Fall" By : NamisaDate: 2025/12/08(Mon)13:13:16 [Res]
Dear Mr. Kawai,
Thank you so much for your reply and for your clarification of these points. I completely understand how the passage of time can make finding the words difficult. It's nice that our writings and art can develop a life of their own.
Your message has been so helpful -- thank you again!
Yours sincerely, Namisa
[5853] Re:[5849] MIDI検定4級 By : 川井憲次Date: 2025/12/05(Fri)00:31:07 [Res]
[5852] Re:[5851] Interpreting "Ballade of Puppets: Flowers Grieve and Fall" By : Kenji KawaiDate: 2025/12/05(Fri)00:25:56 [Res]
Dear Namisa Thank you for asking about the meanings of the lyrics I wrote long ago. However, it’s quite hard for me to give a clear explanation. I would like to respond with the care and attention your message deserves, but since I wrote this a very long time ago, it is difficult for me to properly explain such deep points now. I just answer you about following 2 exact questions.
1, “夢は消ぬ,” means “Their dreams having faded away.” is correct.
2, “新世に 神集いて \ 夜は明け \ 鵺鳥 鳴く.” means "The dawn will break and Nue will sing ( Nue-bird chirps).
Thank you for understanding. Best regards, Kenji Kawai
[5851] Interpreting "Ballade of Puppets: Flowers Grieve and Fall" By : NamisaDate: 2025/11/26(Wed)01:39:42 [Res]
Dear Mr. Kawai,
I hope you are doing well!
I'm writing because “Ballade of Puppets: Flowers Grieve and Fall” and its associated scene is one of my favorite works of art, and I'll be doing a short performance based on it in December.
I have been studying different (English) interpretations of the lyrics for the past few weeks, and there are some important differences I was hoping you might be able to clarify. I’m less interested in the correctness of the translation and more interested in your intention for the work.
1) The biggest difference is the translation of “夢は消ぬ,” which seems to be critical for the poem's interpretation. The official subtitles translate this as “‘Our dreams shall never die,’” while the version on your website reads, “Their dreams having faded away.”
2) There is also a middle section: “新世に 神集いて \ 夜は明け \ 鵺鳥 鳴く.” In the subtitles, it reads, “As the gods leave to gather in the new world, \ Day breaks, \ And the night bird calls out.” The version on your website reads, “In a new world, Gods will descend, \ The dawn will break and Nue will sing.”
To me, the version of the poem in the English subtitles reads as a song of resistance in the face of sadness and death: “'Even though in this life we may know grief and suffering, \ Our dreams shall never die.'” It evokes struggle and resilience. The version of the poem on your website seems closer to evoking the cycle of life and death—that it is time for the flowers to “grieve and fall” but that “In a new world, Gods will descend” (rather than leave us), and a new dawn will break. Which version is closer to what you intended, and why?
Finally, I'm interested to hear your thoughts about what, if anything, the Nue from your poem would look or be like (as I have come across various interpretations in the literature).
Thank you for your time and for sharing your music!
Yours sincerely, Namisa
[5850] (Private Message to Mr Kenji Kawai) By : Misty ChoiDate: 2025/09/03(Wed)00:10:36 [Res]
Dear Mr Kawai,
I hope this email finds you well. My name is Misty Choi, and I am a researcher of film music based in Hong Kong. I am currently writing a book on the music and sound of Chinese martial arts cinema, funded by The Hong Kong Arts Development Council. This project includes interviews with film music composers. You composed original scores for the films Seven Swords (directed by Hark Tsui), Ip Man and its sequels (directed by Wilson Yip), and Young Detective Dee series (directed by Hark Tsui), which were wonderfully made for the images. I would be honored to invite you for an interview, as your insights would provide invaluable first-hand resources for the book. The interview can be conducted via Zoom or in written form. I can email the questions to you for your review first. Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your response. My email is mistychoi@yahoo.com; mistychoi@gmail.com.