Yaobikuni

(Music)

The special effects stage with the vast sky in the background
The bonfire lights shine from both sides
Trees casting upon the dawn

The sound of the big drums echoes throughout the churchyard
The surroundings has become dark, and the few dozen priests (performers) run by
And silence.

M(1) Music

The crimson light that wraps the scene
And gradually, the trees, and the ground is also wrapped in red
The dazzling light in the background
With the fresh meat in her hands, Princess Yao (Nishizaki-Ogre-like) comes to view
With the meat in her hands, Princess Yao hesitates whether to eat, or not to eat

"I hear that if I ate this meat, that I will have eternal youth.
I want eternal beauty."

-1-

The priests recite the sutra.
Ignoring them, Princess Yao finally eats the meat
Trembling, the priests runaway
The devils (dancers) oversees the scene from afar the trees
Without knowing, Princess Yao rejoices

"Now, I have my eternal youth."

Voices of happiness
The rise of the music

The devils have come onto the stage
Yet, it is not in Princess Yao's view
Shortly thereafter, the devils come to the churchyard
As if feeling the presence, and feeling the ominous shadow, Princess Yao quits dancing and just stands still

The music ceases.

As if mocking at Princess Yao's destiny, one of the devils rolls the temari and the song plays from afar
*temari: a specially designed ball for children of class

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-2-

Song 1 The Song of Temari
Hearing the song of the Temari* and as if fearing something, Princess Yao runs the opposite direction
The young fairies of the wind appears
Runs and dances
As the devils just gaze at them

One, two, three, four
Five, six, seven, eight
Princess Yao is the child of a millionaire
Place of birth being the Western port city in Fukui Prefecture

One, two, three, four
Five, six, seven, eight
Princess Yao is in incurable sickness
The rich father had asked a favor to the fisherman

One, two, three, four
Five, six, seven, eight
Without revealing it to Princess Yao
Caught her mermaids and fed her the meat

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-3-

One, two, three, four
Five, six, seven, eight
Princess Yao has grown
To be a mermaid bride

One, two, three, four
Five, six, seven, eight
Princess Yao has grown
To be a mermaid bride

The tambour from the big drums echoes through, and all the devils, the young fairies of the wind disappears like the wind
Again, the sound of the big drums, and the bridal procession is seen from afar

M(3) A Song of the Bride
Entrance:
Joining in with in fanfare

The devils watch as they wonder to be frighten or to ridicule
The bridal procession, the first being the dance performers, and then the flags, flowers, etc.
(Performers) Then there's Princess Yao, in her bridal veil
On the stage is the groom (Gradually, the red and white curtains are drawn and the bride and the groom goes to the center)
The procession lines in position

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-4-

M(3) B The Song of the Bride (Dance)
The Song of the Bride

The Young Fairies' of the Wind's Dance

The spring's flower road and the beauty of the moon
As if someone is calling or not calling

The path of dreams can be seen vaguely through the smog
Today is the marriage, the golden flowers

Happy Happy bride
The shiny gown, the bride's hood

Me, 17, my feelings for love
The midnight bride's

For the eyes, the golden tears
Furniture that I carry with me

Walk the path underneath the springtime moon

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-5-

With the applause from the gentlemen the Song of the Bride ceases.
The dance performers leave.

As Princess Yao stands

Bells

The waxing moon

M(4) Dance of the Night
(Music)

The gentlemen all look back together
The Folding screen and futon
Princess Yao and the groom's bed
Sweet, and sour, and they dance and soon in bed

Bells

Princess Yao wakes up from her futon
Princess Yao is startled by the devils hanging around in the belfry
Instinctively, she pulls herself out of bed, and faces the skeletons

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-6-

A moment's dreamy love, decades of time
In one second, the red and white curtains have changed to black and white
And the gentlemen has started a funeral procession

The music has become loud and the funeral procession disappears into the dark
Even after decades, Princess Yao will wear her black gown
Princess Yao exits with the funeral procession as she glances at her bedside

As if seeing that from afar, the narrator, the nun dressed in black
Appears on stage with the Japanese lute on her back

Wind

Narrator (nun), with her parasol, locates herself to a comfortable place
Then plays the lute

No one is on stage
Only the deep sound of the the lute echoes throughout the churchyard

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-7-

M(5) Story of Yao Hime
Narrator (nun):
The darkness wraps outside
(Music)
The voice from the wind
It is best to close your eyes and close the door to the external world

It is now is warm midday
The rays of light are shining and overfilling, like the heat haze
Crossing across rivers like a bird, me, the 17 year old, like the doll

I eat the flesh of the mermaid in the summer's evening twilight
I grind the meat with my teeth, the tongue its taste, and it is delicious
I ate it like crazy, delicious, delicious, mermaid's meat

I hear the voices from the devil to eat them all
As I eat, the moss has grown and sprouted, and I am of eternal youth and eternal life
I will never die nor will I age
The face as well as my body
My face as beautiful as flower, and my body as beautiful
In my soul, only events accumulate
And memories increase, never to fade away

Delicious, delicious, mermaid's meat
I ate the mermaid's meat
The mermaid's meat, I ate

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-8-

Concluding Song

In the corner of the belfry stands Yao-bikuni in a ragged umbrella and ragged clothes
And in the next instance comes forth to the center of stage

Narrator (nun):
I wonder how many have wed
I wonder how many have become rides

Whether to hell or to heaven. The dead is inviting me down.
There are competition, the sunrise sinking down seems cruel

Dance

A hundred and 20 days have gone past, as I count one, two, three, four

I cannot keep count, with all my fingers, the faces and more faces of the new brides

Yao-bikuni comes to the center stage, and prance

Interlude of the Japanese lute

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-9-

Live the hell's hanaichi monme*
Kite and the mountain , we chant prayers
Shine shine shine*
Namuami dabutsu*

Shine shine shine
Namuami dabutsu
If I can die and wash away my sins
To the pool of blood, and to the mountain of needles
To burn to death and to end my world

The sound of the Japanese lute becomes louder, and more music overlaps
Yao-bikuni dances wildly

M(6)
Shine shine shine
Namuami dabutsu
Continues from the latter half of M(5) and continues
Yao-bikuni and the solo dance

The sadness and impiety of not being able to die,
The value and preciousness of a limited life
The depth of sin of not fearing the deceased

*Hanaichi monme: a children's game
*Shine: Portrayal of Death
*Namuami dabutsu: Chant where it is believed you can go to heaven

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-10-

Then, Yao-bikuni, stands absentmindedly
The guardian takes Yao-bikuni to the corner of the stage and sits her down
Gazing in all directions like being the traveler's guardian deity, like hell
Yao-bikuni continues to just stand still

**On a comical rhythm, the itinerant sings and appears onto stage (Recording)
As if drawn to them, the villagers appear (performers)

M(7) Song of the Temari

"The Dance of Mockery"

In the lively beat

The male performer: One, two, three, four
The female performer: Five, six, seven, eight
Both: Princess Yao never ages
The groom ages

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-11-

The villagers: One, two, three, four
The two performers: Five, six, seven, eight
All: Princess Yao for the groom
Walking on the path, the children jeers

The male performer: Look, look at the two
The female performer: The groom with the cane, and being tugged by the hand
Villagers: The bride, the daughter or the grandchild
The two performers: The couple's picture
Villagers: The ugly groom has aged
The two performers: The couple's picture
Villagers: The ugly groom has aged

The male performer: One, two, three, four
The female performer: Five, six, seven, eight
The male performer: Princess Yao is like the precocious
The female performer: As if the bud had bloomed into flower

All: One, two, three, four
The female performer: Five, six, seven, eight

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-12-

The male performer: Princess Yao is like the late blossomed
All: The flower that does not wilter, the black dress

Everyone prances like crazy
Faint sound of the bell from afar
And the Japanese lute is played

Yao bikuni- standing tall and looking fierce

M(8)

Just conversation
(Music)

Narrator(nun):
Has been a century since it has been said of never facing death
And a century has passed after wishing to die
This is the cruel reality of life like death

To want to die, and not being able to die, to let me die, and then to face death
To wander an immortal life, and to build a bridge in the other world

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-13-

And to build a shrine in this world
And to be called the saint
And to be called the saint

With the sound of the Japanese lute, Yao-bikuni looks up
And there appears a sick man with red clothing

And this is how they meet
The more she sees, the body has become so wiltered
(The song)
Tugs on Bikuni's sleeves
Oh please save me, my only wish
How can I... Build me a tower

The Japanese flute echoes high
And Yao-bikuni nods

I pile one, for sin
I pile two, for humanity
I pile three, for whom

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-14-

An ominous light shines, and the devils start squirming

The stone is sharp and heavy, and hurts the princess' hands and legs
To rid of all sins
To rid of all sins

Interlude

Yao-bikuni is getting tired and tired, as the sick man pleads to pile more
Gradually, the characters has become the slave (sick man) and master (Yao-bikuni)

I pile one, for sin
I pile two, for humanity
I pile three, for whom

The devils slowly moves to the stage
Yao-bikuni is breathing very feebly
And the sick man, threatens her even more
The low music sounds like the rumbling of earth

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-15-
M(9)

Narrator (Nun):
Seven days and seven nights of piling the rocks, but the sick man does not leave
He throws himself to Yao-bikuni
"Be my substitute and face the waterfall"
As the princess nods, enters into the waterfall

Yao-bikuni is covered in fur
The devil walks slowly and slowly onto the stage
The music increases gradually

Narrator (Nun):
The November's water is cold, as if piercing like needle. Yet, the princess is under the waterfalls
If my sins were to go away
If other people may recover from sickness

July 7's prayer in the water fall
July 7 (night) prayer in the waterfall

Namu ami dabutsu Namu ami dabutsu (Chant)
Namu ami dabutsu Namu ami dabutsu

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-16-
The sound of the Japanese flute echoes strong and high
And then the big drums are played accordingly

M(9) is, where it climax, where Yao-bikuni, stands strong through the waterfall

The devil finally reaches the stage, and the sick man has suddenly changed into a devil.

The song ceases.

Yao-bikuni stands up as she gasps with surprise at the sick man
The sick man and Bikuni confront each other at the center of the stage

Narrator (Nun):
Who? Who are you?
I have piled the stone for you,
I have gone through the waterfall for you,
I have sent my prayers for you

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-18-
The sound of the Japanese lute

Narrator (Nun):
I am the mermaid
I am the mermaid that you have ate my meat of
Give back the meat, my meat
Give it back to me

Startled, Bikuni tried to run away
The devil chases Bikuni

M(11)
Music with Chorus
The music increases, and the Japanese lute follows
The big drums echoes, and from the underground, the low key voice of the chorus can be heard

Chorus:
Do not do it, do not do it, Princess Yao
From here on, do not do it
The evil sprit will come through, so let us chase the sins away

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-18-

The devil makes fun of Yao-bikuni
Gradually the song increases and the dance becomes wild
Yao-bikuni's agony and prayers

M (12)
Conversation and Music

Narrator (Nun):
Live the hell's hanaichi monme*
Kite and the mountain as we chant prayers
Shine shine shine shine Namu ami dabutsu (chant)
If I can die and let go of my sins
To the pool of blood, and to the mountain of needles
To burn to death and to end my world

The music increases to its peak
Finally, the devils are overbearing Yao-bikuni
High up, the glory and the shouts are heard
The curtains on the stage is opens smoothly past the vast garden
The lord (Zoujyou ji) comes to view. In the costume for sutra recitation, the dozens of priests appear
The lord and the devils come face to face
The priests scream through music and through voices

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-19-

Priests:
The antidote that the wind tells us
To ban meat, to ban eating
To not eat, to not eat, the wind blows
If we do not eat, the body can be seen through
The mermaid's meat, to be turned back into the mermaid

Again, the music and the voices get louder

As Yao-bikuni is placed on stage, the devils slowly disappear into the flower path of the temple gate

As if replacing them, the young girls come from somewhere
And circles Yao-bikuni

The music ceases.

M(13)
Conversation

In tune with M(13), the young fairies of the wind dance around
Simultaneously, the guardian helps Yao-bikuni to change clothes

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-20-

Narrator (Nun):
On the earth is Princess Yao
In the sea is the mermaid

The voice to live is heard
The voice to want to die is heard

Yao-bikuni wonders of her death
Kimyouchourai*, ban eating meat

Wrapped in five different colors of clouds
Happy to die Hanaichimonme

My life is like a flower
Will reincarnate to be the camellia

M(14)
Music
The young fairies of the wind flutter away
Yao-bikuni wearing her white gown gazes at the lord as she stands up
The flower road follows up to the Lord on stage
And the priests run about on the flower road to welcome Yao-bikuni
And as they form a line in the flower road, appears to recite the sutra

*Kimyouchourai: Special chant


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-21-

M(14) The Dance Begins

Dance of the hero's death
Welcomed by the five shades of clouds, happy to die, hanaichi monme

Slowly and slowly Yao-bikuni walks to the Lord
As she glances back to the times of sin, she gazes the temple gate, then again heads back to track to the Lord
The priests are like the country of wedding
Red petals are placed upon Bikuni's feet
Is this camellia's petals?

The music increases, and the lord shines bright as the expression of welcome

Then, the Lord and Yao-bikuni has become one underneath the ray of lights
And the music increases, and darkness

In the middle of the stage is a branch of camellia
One huge flower

From the darkness sounds the nursery rhyme and the audience become brighter

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-22-

M(15)
Kimyouchourai*
Spring is cherry blossom, as summer is to cicadas
No autumn, the winter of deers has gone by and this is where we are now
The evening breeze welcomes us as it overlaps with the morning clouds
Even the ones that have been loved and adored as we enter the underworld
Receive the rokumonsen* and to the end of the Stynx
Leave behind our hometown, and reminisce the tears of blood flow down

I pray for forgiveness
Become friends and pay respect for the people who have passed away before you
Invited on July 7
Sing the Hyakumanben or goeika* continuously
Thank you thank you, respect and pray to the Buddha for your afterlife
Never can you stay young forever we are all human
Since this is the fact do not think it is for the dead,
Chant the prayers and pay some respect
Namu ami dabutsu namu ami dabutsu (chant)

*Kimyouchourai: Special Chant
*Rokumonsen: Unit of money
*Hyakumanben or Goeika: Song like Chant

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