CHORUS May as well be a priest with black sleeves. Now having left the world in sorrow, I look upon my withered shape. There is no one to pity me now. HIME Surely no one can live in that ruin, and yet a voice sounds from it. A beggar perhaps, let us take a few steps and see. KAGEKIYO My eyes will not show it me, yet the autumn wind is upon us. HIME The wind blows from an unknown past, and spreads our doubts through the world. The wind blows, and I have no rest, nor any place to find quiet. KAGEKIYO Neither in the world of passion, nor in the world of colour, nor in the world of non-colour, is there any such place of rest; beneath the one sky are they all. Whom shall I ask, and how answer? TOMO Shall I ask the old man by the thatch? KAGEKIYO Who are you? TOMO Where does the exile live? KAGEKIYO What exile? TOMO One who is called Akushichi-bioye Kagekiyo, a noble who fought under Heike. KAGEKIYO Indeed? I have heard of him, but I am blind, I have not looked in his face. I have heard of his wretched condition and pity him. You had better ask for him at the next place. TOMO (to Hime) It seems that he is not here, shall we ask further? (they pass on) KAGEKIYO Strange, I feel that woman who has just passed is the child of that blind man. Long ago I loved a courtezan in Atsuta, one time when I was in that place. But I thought our girl-child would be no use to us, and I left her with the head man in the valley of Kamega-engayatsu; and now she has gone by me and spoken, although she does not know who I am. CHORUS Although I have heard her voice, The pity is that I cannot see her. And I have let her go by Without divulging my name. This is the true love of a father. TOMO (at further side of the stage) Is there any native about? VILLAGER What do you want with me? TOMO Do you know where the exile lives? VILLAGER What exile is it you want? TOMO Akushichi-bioye Kagekiyo, a noble of Heike's party. VILLAGER Did you not pass an old man under the edge of the mountain, as you were coming that way? TOMO A blind beggar in a thatched cottage. VILLAGER That fellow was Kagekiyo. What ails the lady? she shivers. TOMO A question you might well ask. She is the exile's daughter. She wanted to see her father once more, and so came hither to seek him. Will you take us to Kagekiyo? VILLAGER Bless my soul! Kagekiyo's daughter. Come, come, never mind, young miss. Now I will tell you, Kagekiyo went blind in both eyes, and so he shaved his crown and called himself 'The Blind man of Hinga.' He begs a bit from the passers, and the likes of us keep him; he'd be ashamed to tell you his name. However, I'll come along with you, and then I'll call out, 'Kagekiyo;' and if he comes, you can see him and have a word with him. Let us along, (they cross the stage, and the villager calls) Kagekiyo, Oh there, Kagekiyo!