(jingle — jingle)
So you've come
Close the door, take off your shoes
Lies don't work in here
(gong—)
By day they see me and spit
By night they ride a palanquin and knock at my door
Hat off, on their knees, rubbing their hands
Before the spirits there is no noble, no lowborn
Give me a son, grant me a post
Make that family's fields become ours
They ask for so much and offer one measure of rice
The spirits laugh — the price doesn't match
I shake the bells and my eyes roll back
I speak heaven's words and they write them down
What did heaven say? Heaven is quiet
I make up the words — they supply the faith
The spirit has come — (has come)
The spirit is asking — (is asking)
What do you wish for, what do you offer
One sack of rice — and heaven opens
The sound of bells — (jingle)
The sound of the gong — (gong)
There's nothing I don't know — and nothing is free
Today's client is the magistrate's wife
Trailing a silk skirt, she came in through the back door
She holds out a paper with her husband's birth hour
Asks when he will leave — asks heaven's will
Leave? For where? The lady looks away
I understood — I fold the paper into my robe
That gentleman comes to me every night
Holding his wife's birth hour, asking the very same thing
Both are my clients, both are my rice
Heaven's will is one, but I collect twice
I know who will leave first
Whoever pays more — lives longer
Beat the drum
Beat it harder
The spirit is hard of hearing
(bring more rice)
The spirit has come — (has come)
The spirit is asking — (is asking)
What do you wish for, what do you offer
One sack of rice — and heaven opens
The sound of bells — (jingle)
The sound of the gong — (gong)
There's nothing I don't know — and nothing is free
(gong—)
Go safely, my lady
And give my regards to the master