ACT III
_Before the House of Obaa-San_
[_It is moonlight. As the curtain opens, Obaa-San is heard singing the lullaby; from the distance the voice of Riki calls._
RIKI
Aoyagi!--Aoyagi!--Aoyagi!--Aoyagi! Oi!
[_Obaa-San appears in the doorway._
Aoyagi!
OBAA-SAN (_She goes toward the voice_)
Oi!
[_Riki enters._
RIKI
Obaa-San! Where is Aoyagi?
OBAA-SAN
Where is Aoyagi?
RIKI
Is she not here?
OBAA-SAN
She is not here. Where--Riki!
RIKI
I left her in the bamboo glade--and when I returned she was gone. Her footprints pointed toward the path--and then were lost.
OBAA-SAN
Why did you leave her?
RIKI
I left her because she--I left her.
OBAA-SAN
I do not know, Riki, what has come to pass--but this I know--I am waiting for her.--I am waiting for her. Go seek for her--and bring her back to me.
RIKI
I shall search for her.--Obaa-San, she--
OBAA-SAN
I care not what she did. I am waiting here for her.
[_Riki looks at Obaa-San a moment and then understands._
RIKI
Aoyagi!
[_He goes out. Obaa-San turns to the empty house--the empty willow tree._
OBAA-SAN
She will come back to me.
[_She goes into the house. The Gaki enters._
THE GAKI
Foolish Riki! He searches in the valley. Mad Aoyagi! Alone with the lonely stars!--Oh, wondrous misery that makes itself.
[_He sees Obaa-San. She enters from the house._
Good-morning, Obaa-San, my friend.
OBAA-SAN
Good-morning, traveller.
THE GAKI
Why do you rise before the dawn?
OBAA-SAN
I could not rest.--Why are you not at Kyushu?
THE GAKI
There is a mist at Kyushu--and I feared to lose my way.
OBAA-SAN
Did you pass a little lady--Aoyagi, by name--alone--
THE GAKI
It seems--I met a little lady.--She was not happy.--That one?
OBAA-SAN
Where?
THE GAKI
I am a stranger here--I cannot say. Over there--or over there.
OBAA-SAN
She will come to me, perhaps.
THE GAKI
Do you know her?
OBAA-SAN
She is my daughter,--Aoyagi.
THE GAKI
Do you not fear for her?
OBAA-SAN
Perhaps.--She will be here soon.--Riki has gone for her.
THE GAKI
She must know the way.
[_The voices of O-Sode and O-Katsu are heard._
This has been a restless night for age. (_He disappears. O-Sode-San and O-Katsu-San enter_)
OBAA-SAN
Good-morning, O-Sode-San. Good-morning, O-Katsu-San.--The lily hands of sleep have passed you by.
O-KATSU-SAN
A strange unrest has seized upon me. I think--and think of my little one. She is glorious in my heart, and words with wings seem to flash before my eyes like fireflies in the darkness.
O-SODE-SAN
I, too, have lived in words.
O-KATSU-SAN
Obaa-San, is it not wonderful to put a joy or pain in words?
OBAA-SAN
Ah, yes--if there is anyone to hear them. All my long, long years before Aoyagi came to me, my heart sang, and words freighted with my dreams and my love would come to me--here; and they would die because they found no ear attuned to them.--Tell me what you thought, O-Sode-San.
O-SODE-SAN
The moon in calm restlessness Shows the water grasses of the River of Heaven, Swaying in the cool spring air-- I know the time to meet my lover Is not too far away.
OBAA-SAN
Every one has a poem in his heart, I believe.--What was your poem, O-Katsu?
O-KATSU-SAN
Oh, messenger of the other world, My little one is young; She can not find her way-- Do you kindly take my little one Upon your warm, broad back Along the twilight path.
O-SODE-SAN
And you, Obaa-San,--was it words that kept sleep from your eyes?
OBAA-SAN
Ay, bitter dream-words. And for the bitterness I am paying dearly.--Over and over the words came to me:
Here lies my daughter's sleeping body On the mat beside me. But her soul is far away Asleep in her lover's arms-- And I, her white-haired mother, Hold only an empty shell.
Oh, I am ashamed--ashamed.--And just now Riki came to me--and told me he could not find Aoyagi.
O-KATSU-SAN AND O-SODE-SAN
Hai!
O-SODE-SAN
Can we not search for her?
OBAA-SAN
I am waiting here.--She may find her way back.--I would not have her come to an empty house.--Come--let's go within--and dream that yours and yours and mine are on their way to us.
[_The old women go into the house. There is just a moment's silence--then_:
AOYAGI
Hai! Hai! Hai!
[_Aoyagi, utterly forlorn, enters. She looks at the house, turns and sees the mountains, covers her eyes, and drags herself wearily to the willow tree. She moans as though winter had fallen upon the world and were taunting her. The Gaki enters._
THE GAKI
So you have found your way--in life.
AOYAGI
Oh, let me go back to my tree!
THE GAKI
No, little Aoyagi--you would be happy then.
AOYAGI
Let me die!
THE GAKI
One can not die.
AOYAGI
Hai!
THE GAKI
Where have you been?
AOYAGI
So far--so far!--I am weary.--When I awoke, I was on the mountain-top--alone.
THE GAKI
Were there no stars?
AOYAGI
Oh--the stars, the lonely, lonely stars! I tried to touch them--they seemed so near.--I found the path--the glade--our footprints--strange people--I am here. Let me back! Let me back!
THE GAKI
And what of Riki?
AOYAGI
He does not care.
THE GAKI
And what of Obaa-San?
AOYAGI
What can I give to Obaa-San now--but misery? Am I never to be free?
THE GAKI
What would you do if you were free--climb to the mountain top to see the lonely stars?
AOYAGI
Hai!--Riki!--Obaa-San!
[_Obaa-San enters. The Gaki disappears._
OBAA-SAN
Was my name spoken in the dawn?
AOYAGI
Mother!
[_With a cry of joy, Obaa-San enfolds Aoyagi in her arms._
OBAA-SAN
Nadeshiko! My little girl!
AOYAGI
Where is Riki?
OBAA-SAN
He has gone to search for you.
AOYAGI
Was he alone?
OBAA-SAN
Alone?
AOYAGI
Yes. Was there no woman with him--a lady from Ishiyama?
OBAA-SAN
A lady from--
AOYAGI
Yes--tall--fair--singing--
OBAA-SAN
He was alone. A lady from Ishiyama--(_Aoyagi shudders with dread_) brought me a message in the early night--
AOYAGI
It was she--young?
OBAA-SAN
No--old.
AOYAGI
Had she seen Riki?
OBAA-SAN
Yes. On the mountain-side--
AOYAGI
The stranger said she was young and fair.
OBAA-SAN
Perhaps the stranger did not see with honest eyes.
AOYAGI
He would not lie.
OBAA-SAN
Sometimes the eyes and the ears lie.
AOYAGI
Ah!
OBAA-SAN
And if she had been young and fair?
AOYAGI
Riki met her in a glade.
OBAA-SAN
Did you see them meet?
AOYAGI
No--she was singing.
OBAA-SAN
A happy song, perhaps.
AOYAGI
She sang the song he made to me.
OBAA-SAN
How do you know?
AOYAGI
Riki said she knew his song to me.
OBAA-SAN
Ah, that is beautiful, that she should love his song to you.
AOYAGI
He--
OBAA-SAN
My little darling, I do not know what really happened; but this I know, you did not speak fairly to Riki or Riki did not speak fairly to you. Almost every unhappiness comes because we speak too much of our pride and speak too little of our hearts.
AOYAGI
I asked him if he saw her.
OBAA-SAN
Why?
AOYAGI
A stranger told me--
OBAA-SAN
Was it the stranger you believed before Riki could defend himself?
AOYAGI
But, mother, I gave my all in all to Riki. He does not care.
OBAA-SAN
Do you know?
AOYAGI
I asked Riki if they met?
OBAA-SAN
Did he tell you?
AOYAGI
He seemed to be proud to tell.
OBAA-SAN
Then he was unashamed to tell--
AOYAGI
I asked him questions.
OBAA-SAN
But did you ask him the great question in your heart?
AOYAGI
Oh--
OBAA-SAN
Did you say, "Riki, my love, you are in all my heart. Am I in all yours?"
AOYAGI
He told me that.
OBAA-SAN
And did you believe?
AOYAGI
Above all the world!
OBAA-SAN
Then why doubt him later?
AOYAGI
The lady from Ishiyama passed by.
OBAA-SAN
My child, a lady bound for Ishiyama passed by! Had she been singing all the love-songs of all the worlds; had she been fairer than the lotus-flower, why should you have doubted Riki?
AOYAGI
A stranger--
OBAA-SAN
A stranger!--a stranger!--Oh, why--why--why do the eyes of love grow blind because a stranger speaks? You, Aoyagi, did not see the lady bound for Ishiyama. You did not hear her song--and yet upon the ears and eyes of a stranger you would shatter your love.--I saw the lady.--She was singing.--She was not fair.--If she had been--Oh, my little child--Riki is Riki, your august lord, the lord of your life. When he comes back, go to him and speak from your heart.
AOYAGI
What shall I say?
OBAA-SAN
I need not tell your heart.--It is only your head that can not learn to speak unprompted.--Do you love Riki?
AOYAGI
Ay--so dearly!
[_The voice of Riki is heard._
RIKI
Aoyagi!
AOYAGI
He is coming!
[_Obaa-San, unnoticed, goes into the house. Riki enters._
RIKI
Aoyagi!
[_When he sees she is safe, he drops suddenly. She goes to him._
AOYAGI
Riki, my august lord, listen to my heart.--Forget my anger.--Tell me once again that you love me.--I'll believe.
RIKI
You know--I have always loved you.--When you were a song in my heart, I loved you so! And now--
AOYAGI
Oh, Riki, can we ever forget the blow I struck?
RIKI
That was yesterday--see, this is today: the dawn has spread across the sky. What shall we do? Look back upon the bitterness of yesterday, or try to see the fears of tomorrow, or live in the gladness of today?
AOYAGI
The Gaki of Kokoru is here at the tree. He will not let us live in happiness. He let me go with you because he meant to feed upon the misery of poor Obaa-San.
RIKI
He has not come upon us yet. We are struggling against tomorrow. This is the dawning of today.
AOYAGI
Then shall we live--today.
[_Obaa-San enters from the house._
OBAA-SAN
Come, Aoyagi; come, Riki. We have found happiness at our door. Within there is rice and tea. Come.
[_They go into the house. The Gaki enters._