Ancient Prairie by Ēriks Ešenvalds

Magnum Chorum conducted by Dwight Jilek, with Eric Olson, violin, performed at the Cathedral of St. Paul on November 2, 2019.
Text from "Grass" by Bai Juyi (772-846)
The prairie overflows with grasses rolling billows,
As the year comes and goes it withers and grows.
The wild fire can never burn it out of view,
When the vernal breeze arises, it appears anew.
Its balmy odors drift across the path timeworn
Its luster of green extends to the town forlorn.
Again as I see my friend along the road depart,
I feel the grass is deep in sorrow as my heart.
Used by permission of Peters Edition Limited, London on behalf of Musica Baltica Ltd., Riga, Latvia.