Understanding Nothing

Lyrics

[Verse 1] High above valley Above deep shade coloured with the calls of cuckoos The ring of coppersmith's hammer High in the hiss of the wind Wind filled with spirits And bright with the jangle of horse bells After a crisp night crammed with stars It's morning Over the scratched-up soil, scorched-earth wasted Long shadows lead women bearing water I watch the sway of skirts Think of moist spice forests— Still midnight whispers at my ear [Chorus] Weavers' fingers flying on the loom Patterns shift too fast to be discerned All these years of thinking Ended up like this In front of all this beauty Understanding nothing [Verse 2] Rhododendrons in bloom Sharp against spring snow Remind me of another time In Japanese temple— There was a single orange blossom At the wrong time of year— It seemed like a sign— When I looked again It was gone [Chorus] Weavers' fingers flying on the loom Patterns shift too fast to be discerned All these years of thinking Ended up like this In front of all this beauty Understanding nothing All these years of thinking Ended up like this In front of all this beauty Understanding nothing