AOYAGI
My—who—are—you?
RIKI
I am a poet—I have sought everywhere for you.
AOYAGI
I am the Lady of the Weeping Willow Tree!
RIKI
You are my love.
AOYAGI
I am the daughter of Obaa-San.
RIKI
I love you so!
AOYAGI
Yes—I love you so!—But I love Obaa-San, my mother—
RIKI
Come with me.
AOYAGI
But Obaa-San—
RIKI
Come with me. Butterfly, butterfly, alight upon the Willow Tree And if you rest not well, then fly home to me. See! I make a little verse for you.
AOYAGI
But—Obaa-San—is very old and very lonely.
RIKI
She is your mother.—She must be glad to let you go.
AOYAGI
She does not know you.
RIKI
I know you.
AOYAGI
Yes—but I can not leave Obaa-San.
RIKI
We can not stay with Obaa-San.
AOYAGI
Can we not take her with us?
RIKI
No—like the Oshidori—we can go only by two and two along the silent stream—and as Oshidori in silence and in happiness float on and on and seem to cleave the mirrored sky that lies deep within the dark waters, so we must go, we two, just you and I, to some silent place where only you and I may be—and look and look until we see the thousand years of love in each other's hearts.
AOYAGI
Something speaks to me above the pity for poor Obaa-San.
RIKI
It is love.
AOYAGI
I love Obaa-San.
RIKI
This is love beyond love. This is earth and air—sea and sky.
AOYAGI
I do not even know your name.
RIKI
What does my name matter? I am I—you are you.
AOYAGI
I love Obaa-San, my mother.—I feel happy in her arms;—I felt at peace;—but now I feel that I must go to you.—I am fearful—yet I must go.—You are—