Chrysanthemum Tea
(Stephen Sondheim)
(First day)
MOTHER
It's the Day of the Rat, my Lord.
There are four days remaining,
And I see you're entertaining,
But we should have a chat, my Lord.
To begin, if I may, my Lord,
I've no wish to remind you
But you'll notice just behind you
There are ships in the bay,
They've been sitting there all day
With a letter to convey
And they haven't gone away
And there's every indication
That they're planning to stay, my Lord …
Have some tea, my Lord,
Some chrysthanthemum tea.
It's an herb that's superb
For disturbances at sea.
Is the Shogun feeling better?
Good! Now what about this letter?
Is it wise to delay, my Lord?
With the days disappearing,
Might we benefit from hearing,
What the soothsayers say, my Lord?
SOOTHSAYER
Wood star …
Water star …
All celestial omens are —
Excellent.
Deerbones …
Turtleshells …
Each configuration spells —
Victory.
Ahhhhhhhhhh …
A spider on the wall!
Signifies success.
Whose success I cannot guess …
Unless …
(Second Day)
MOTHER
It's the Day of the Ox, my Lord.
With but three days remaining
And today already waning,
I've a few further shocks, my Lord.
To begin, let me say,
At the risk of repetition,
There are ships in the bay,
And they didn't ask permission,
But they sit there all day
In contemptuous array
With a letter to convey
And they haven't gone away
And there's every indication
They they still plan to stay,
And you look a little gray, my Lord …
Have some tea, my Lord,
Some chrysanthemum tea,
While we plan, if we can,
What our answer ought to be.
If the tea the Shogun drank will
Serve to keep the Shogun tranquil,
I suggest, if I may, my Lord,
We consult the Confucians —
They have mystical solutions.
There are none wise as they, my Lord …
PRIESTS
Night waters do not break the moon.
That merely is illusion.
The moon is sacred.
No foreign ships can break our laws.
That also is illusion.
Our laws are sacred.
It follows there can be no ships.
They must be an illusion.
Japan is sacred.
(Third Day)
MOTHER
It's the Day of the Tiger, my Lord.
Only two days remaining,
And I'm tired of explaining
There are ships in the bay
With a letter to convey,
They're on permanent display,
And we must take some position
Or the Southern Coalition
Will be soon holding sway, my Lord …
And we'll all have to pay, my Lord …
Have some tea, my Lord,
Some chrysanthemum tea.
It's a tangled situation,
As your father would agree.
And it mightn't be so tangled
If you hadn't had him strangled —
But I fear that I stray, my Lord.
I've a nagging suspicion
That, in view of your condition,
What we should do is pray, my Lord …
SAMURAI COMPANION
Blow, wind.
Great wind,
Great Kamikaze,
Wind of the gods.
SAMURAI, SUMOS, PHYSICIAN, WIFE, MOTHER
Blow, wind.
Build the waves.
Hurl the infection
Out of the ocean,
Blow, wind!
Blow, wind!
Blow, wind!
(Fourth Day)
MOTHER
It's the Day of the Rabbit, my Lord.
There's but one day remaining,
And beside the fact it's raining,
There are ships in the bay
Which are sitting there today
Just exactly where they sat
On the Day of the Rat —
Oh, and speaking of that, my Lord,
When the ships came our way
On that first disturbing day
And I gave consideration
To this letter they convey,
I decided if there weren't
Any Shogun to receive it,
It would act as a deterrant
Since they'd have no place to leave it,
And they might go away, my Lord …
Do you see what i say, my Lord?
In the tea, my Lord,
The chrysanthemum tea —
An informal variation
On the normal recipe.
Though I know my plan had merit,
It's been slow in execution.
If there's one thing you inherit,
It's your father's constitution,
And you're taking so long, my Lord …
Do you think I was wrong, my Lord? …
No, you must let me speak:
When the Shogun is weak,
Then the tea must be strong, my Lord …
My Lord — ?
(Shogun dies.)
The blossom falls on the mountain.
The mountain falls on the blossom.
All things fall.
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