Stephen Sondheim - Chrysanthemum Tea lyrics
[SHOGUN'S 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 chrysanthemum 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 Deer bones Turtle shells Each configuration spells Victory Ah! Spider on the wall! Signifies success Whose success I cannot guess Unless [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 [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] Blow, wind Great wind Great Kamikaze Wind of the gods [SAMURAI, SUMOS, PHYSICIAN, SHOGUN'S WIFE, & MOTHER] Blow, wind Build the waves Hurl the infection Out of the ocean Blow, wind! Blow, wind! Blow, wind! [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 deterrent 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