Tabi-Tabi Apo
(Vietnamese Hmong Speak a tonal language Their music imitates speech. Reed notes represent words.)
In these mountains, age-old harmonies abide. The bright lilting trill of a flute, gives us the name of the owner. The song glances over terrain in thought grace-gliding. The shrill whistle and ratcheting screech of the Taho, a small green bird, announces dawn. A waterfall roars and splashes, birthing a fine spray of mist, all an unremitting orchestra.
Blow breath, a blade of grass between lips, they’ll hear it across the valley, it cuts through a clutter of tongues.
The land itself exults, blends with sighs and laughter; the hammock sways, sways to the strain; we celebrate the avowal we share every dawn.
all of us know the others’ refrain, and how we proceed, now that we are on the edge of knowing the end song.
Tabi- tabi Apo – Let me páss, ancestor.
(Vienamese Hmong Speak a tonal language Their music imiates speech. Reed notes represent words.)
In these mountains, age-old harmonies reside. Sounds lived in tell us the flute has a name, the name of the owner. The song glances over terrain in thought grace-gliding.
Thunder, every bird, waterfalls, are constant friends. Blow breath, a blade of grass between lips, they’ll hear it across the valley, it cuts a clutter of tongues.
The land itself exults, blends with sighs and laughter; the hammock sways, sways to the strain, all notes of mine meet yours between us to celebrate the avowal we give each other every dawn.
Hushed, we sing, each of us knowing the other’s refrain, the chorus, how we proceed, now that we are on the edge of knowing the end of the song.
(2nd revision) (Vietnamese Hmong speak a tonal language, their music imitates speech. Reed notes represent words.)
In these mountains, flute, human sounds, glance through terrain in mind grace-gliding. Hammock sways to the strains, all notes of mine to yours celebrate the avowal we give each other every dawn. Hushed, we sing, each of us knowing the other’s refrain, the chorus, how we proceed, now that we are on the edge of knowing the end of the song.
sounds embrace and carry us thunder waterfalls are friends harmony known for centuries sung a blade of grass in mouth and lips can be heard for miles voicing a language over the clutter of practiced tongues never heard in these mountains flute human glances through terrain in thought grace-gliding these reassuring sounds lived in tell us the flute has a name the name of the owner name of the song the same the keening blends with sighing in the hammock sway to this composition I will sing notes we cannot tell apart celebrate the life we give each other every dawn silent we sing each of us knowing the other’s refrain the chorus how we are to proceed now that we are on the edge of knowing the song’s end
(Vietnamese Hmong speak a tonal language, their music imitates speech. Reed notes represent words. A blade of grass blown through lips can be heard for a mile.)
tones and sounds reeds and voice notes matching from both harmony known for centuries sung a blade of grass in mouth and lips can be heard for miles speaking a language over the clutter of practiced tongues never heard in these mountains flute human glances through terrain in mind grace-gliding these reassuring sounds lived in tell us the flute has a name the name of the owner name of the song the same the keening blends with sighing in the hammock sway to this composition I will sing notes we cannot tell apart celebrate the life we give each other every dawn silent we sing each of us knowing the other’s refrain the chorus how we are to proceed now that we are on the edge of knowing the song’s end
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