| The Mother | Shite |
| The Ferryman | Waki |
| A Traveller. | |
| Spirit of the Child. | |
| The Chorus. | |
SCENE
The banks of the Sumida River in the province of Musashi, toward evening.
FERRYMAN [Words]
I am he who plies the ferry in the province of Musashi,
Over Sumida, the river, known to many far and wide.
And to-day my boat must hurry with its many loads of people,
For our village holds a festival of universal prayer.
On this day both priest and layman with no thought of their distinction
Will remember this great matter and assemble one and all.
TRAVELLER [Song]
The goal of my long journey is the East,
The goal of my long journey is the East,
Far Azuma,[50] and like its distance stretch
My days of travel, long in weary thought.
[Words]
From the capital I travel,[51] I who now am speaking to you,
And I journey on to Azuma to visit there a friend.