SONGS OF LORE

Four songs to fragments by Chuang-Tzu and Confucius, adapted by the compower

(2025)

For medium voice and piano

7'

There was a beginning (Change-Tzu ?369-?286 BCE)
2. A student once said (Confucius 551-479 BCE)
3. You use a trap to catch fish (Chuang-Tzu)
4. The Master said (Confucius)

1. CHUANG TZU ?369-?286 BCE

There was a beginning. There was a beginning before that beginning.

There was a beginning prior to that beginning before the beginning.

There was being; there had been non-being

There was non-being before the beginning of non-being

There was non-being prior to the non-being before the beginning of non-being

Now I have spoken, I do not know whether I have said anything or not.

2. CONFUCIUS (from the Analects)

A student once said

‘When I plan something

I always think three times before acting’.

The Master replied

‘Twice is probably enough’.

3. CHUANG TZU

You use a trap to catch fish; but when the fish are caught, the trap is discarded.

You use a snare to catch a hare, but when the hare is yours, the snare is forgotten.

You use words to convey meaning: but once they’re understood, words are not needed.

I would find a man who has forgotten words, so I can have a word with him.

4. CONFUCIUS 551-479 BCE (from the Analects)

The Master said, at fifteen I set my heart upon learning

At thirty, I had planted my feet firm upon the ground.

At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities.

At fifty, I discerned the ways of heaven.

At sixty, to these my ears were well attuned.

At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired; without straying from the Way.