ABSENCE
SATB a cappella
Duration 5 mins
music by Juhi Bansal, text by Abu Bakr al-Turtushi (1059 - 1127)
I walk, my eyes the sky, hoping to find the star you see. I stop each traveler that passes, hoping one might have breathed your scent. I turn my face to blowing winds, hoping they'll bring me news of you. I wander roads, here and there, passing songs whisper your name. I look at strangers' faces, I look away Hoping for a trace of you. Original poem by Abu Bakr al-Turtushi (1059 - 1127) Translation into Spanish by Emilio García Gómez Translation/adaptation from Spanish to English by Juhi Bansal
Copyright ©2018 by Juhi Bansal Music All rights reserved
juhibansalcomposer@gmail.com www.juhibansal.com
Plaintive, haunted h = 58 - 66 p
SOPRANO
I
walk,
p
ALTO
TENOR
BASS
walk,
p I p I
my
I
IV. Absence
eyes
For rehearsal Piano only
5 5
S.
sky,
3
walk,
my
eyes
to
the
sky,
3
walk,
my
eyes
to
the
sky,
3
Pno.
the
find
5
the
find
the
find
B.
3
hop - ing
hop - ing
hop - ing
f
star
f
f
star
star
the
star
see
you
you
f
see
you
see
you
see
f
to
3
3
to
3
hop - ing
to
3
to
3
3
the
T.
sky,
to
find
A.
3
the
eyes
p
to
my
Plaintive, haunted h = 58 - 66
p
3
2
12
p
10
S.
A.
A.
T.
B.
Pno.
16
S.
Pno.
p
T.
B.
hop - ing 3
p
12
hop - ing
one
hop - ing
one
might
3
hop - ing
one
might
3
17
each
stop
each
I
stop
each
p
I
stop
each
p
f
have
trav' - ler 3
3
trav' - ler
trav' - ler
3
trav' - ler
3
that
pass
that
pass
that
pass
that
pass
-
es
-
es
-
es
-
es
breathed
f
have
f
have
breathed
your
f
your
your
your
scent.
p
breathed
p
f
have
breathed
might
3
3
3
might
3
p
p
one
stop
I
p
I
17 3
p
scent.
p
scent.
p
scent.
p
22 22
S.
A.
T.
Pno.
22
pp
27
4
winds,
4
I
4
winds
I
blow - ing
I
29
pp
blow - ing
T.
to
turn
Pno.
A.
turn my face
I
B.
I pp
S.
B.
Bring out melody "I turn my face to blowing winds" in each part 4 pp 4
turn
4
my
face
to
turn
turn,
29
I
winds,
4
4
I
pp
I
to
my face
blow - ing
turn,
26
4
4
3
4
turn
turn
pp
I
I pp
4
26
I
4
32 32
S.
turn
turn
A.
B.
S.
Pno.
my face
4
to
blow - ing
I
face
to
blow - ing
winds,
turn
I
my
turn,
4
I pp
I
turn
turn,
38
38
turn
4
I
4
4
winds,
37
T.
4
A.
B.
turn,
32
Pno.
T.
35
4
to
4
blow - ing
winds,
4
4
I
4
41
4
my face
35
turn
pp
I
pp
4
turn
41
my face
to
4
42
S.
(unis) pp
I
44
turn
5
I
A.
blow - ing winds,
T.
4
pp
pp
I
4
turn
my
face
to
4
blow - ing
winds,
I
B.
Pno.
4
44
I
turn,
4
4
6
47
47
S.
turn
A.
Alto
turn
4
my face to
4 blow - ing
winds,
50
(unis.)
I
pp
I
turn
4
my face to
blow ing winds,
4
turn
I
pp
I
turn
turn
T.
turn
pp
I
B.
Pno.
47
4
4
pp I
pp
turn,
turn,
50
4
4
53 52
S.
poco a poco cresc.
to
to
B.
S.
-
ing
4
4 blow - ing
winds,
4
4
-
ing
4
-
4
4
4
-
-
4
4
-
4
blow
ing
winds,
4
ing
4
-
ing
winds,
blow
-
ing
-
4 ing
winds,
4
4
4
61 4
-
ing
4
blow
-
4
ing
4
blow
-
winds,
winds,
blow
4
winds,
winds,
ing
ing
blow
winds,
winds,
blow
4
ing
ing
winds,
4
winds,
-
blow
blow
4
ing
4
winds,
ing
4
4
blow
4
-
blow
blow
-
poco a poco cresc.
winds,
53 Gaining momentum 4
winds,
Pno.
ing
57
-
4
poco a poco cresc.
4
blow
blow
winds,
blow
B.
poco a poco cresc.
57 57 4
T.
winds,
wind,
to
A.
ing
blow
Pno.
-
poco a poco cresc.
(unis.)
(unis.)
4
to
T.
blow
(unis.)
A.
7
Gaining momentum
61
4
4
8
4 62
S.
winds,
blow
T.
-
ing
winds,
ing
winds,
blow - ing
blow
-
ing
-
fff
winds,
blow
4 fff
fff
blow - ing,
-
blow
4
blow
4
fff
winds,
4 winds,
B.
4
blow - ing
A.
65
blow - ing,
blow
-
winds,
wind,
Pno.
4 4
4
4
4
4
65
fff
ing
ing
winds,
Bass ossia
ing
-
winds,
S.
67
69
(cut off still fff )
p
A.
T.
B.
(bass ossia)
Pno.
S.
A.
T.
B.
(bass ossia)
Pno.
of
pp
of
Slow
pp (staggered breathing)
(long)
(long)
(long)
me
news
Freely, plaintive
you.
3
pp
you. (long)
news
p
me
69
(long)
pp
(staggered breathing) pp
pp
Slow
hop - ing they'll bring
3
(Dramatic dim.)
72
p
hop - ing they'll bring
(Dramatic dim.)
3
(cut off still fff )
9
Freely, plaintive
74
A tempo p
I
p
I
p
I
p
I
74 A tempo
p
3
wan - der
roads 3
wan - der
roads,
3
wan - der
roads
3
3
wan - der
3
3
here and
there
3
here and
there,
roads
3
3
10
78
3
3
3
3
3
77
S.
A.
T.
B.
I
I
I
here and there,
I
78
Pno.
3
wan - der
wan - der
wan - der
roads
roads
here and there, 3
roads
here and there,
wan - der
3
3
roads
3
here and there,
3
3
3
3
S.
82 82
3
I
3
wan - der
I
A.
I
T.
B.
Pno.
3
wan - der
wan - der
wan - der
I
3
82
3
3
roads,
I
3
roads,
roads
here and there,
3
3
3
roads,
roads
3
I
wan - der
roads
3
3
here and there,
wan - der
wan - der
here and there,
3
I
3
roads
86
3
I
wan - der
86
3
3
roads
11
87
S.
T.
3
here and there,
3 here and there,
wan -der
I
I
3
here and there,
Pno.
I
A.
B.
89 3
3
I
3
wan -der roads 3
wan -der roads
3 wan -der
3
roads,
3
89
3
S.
A.
pp
Pass - ing
3
3
3
3
T.
B.
Pno.
pp
name.
3
3
I
pp I
95 pp I
3
3
pp I
95
look
look
look
look
at
at
at
at
stran - gers'
stran - gers'
stran - gers'
stran - gers'
here and there,
3
whis - per your
pp
here and there
roads
songs
3
here and there
92
pp
12
97
S.
fa - ces,
A.
I
T.
B.
Pno.
S.
I
- ces,
I
I
B.
hop
(echo)
mf
mp
-
mp
-
-
-
ing,
mp
-
ing,
ing,
mp
hop
-
mp hop
-
mp
hop
mp
-
-
ing,
p
-
ing,
p
-
-
ing,
p
mp
hop
ing,
mf
ing,
mf
-
ing,
mf
p
-
-
-
-
ing, mf
ff
mp
-
100
-
ff
ing,
-
hop
hop
ff
way
mp
-
-
(echo) mf
hop
-
-
way
ff
-
hop ff
ff
mf
3
-
(echo) mf hop
3
Pno.
a
T.
look
(echo) mf
a
way
hop
-
3
a
ff
ff
look
hop
way ff
(echo) mf
A.
look
-
3
fa - ces,
102
a
look 3
fa - ces,
fa
3
100
ff
ing,
p
106 pp
hop
-
-
ing,
106
pp
13
108
108
S.
(staggered breathing)
pp
3
A.
hop
T.
B.
3
-
- ing,
hop
-
-
pp
for you,
pp
3
ing,
hop
-
-
for you,
for you,
(staggered breathing)
pp
3
3
pp
for you,
for you,
3
ing,
for you,
108
Pno.
3
3
114
S.
A.
T.
B.
Pno.
pp
hop - ing
pp
for
for
pp
pp
a
pp
for
a
for
a
a
trace
ppp
of
trace
ppp
of
trace
you,
you,
ppp
you ppp
trace
ppp
you
14
120
S.
of
A.
you,
of
T.
B.
you,
you
Hop - ing
pp
for
pp
you.
for
you.
pp
you.
you.
of
you
Pno.
of
Slightly slower
Slightly slower
pp
for pp
for
ppp possible
ppp possible
126
S.
a
A.
a
T.
B.
a
a
Pno.
trace
trace
of
trace
trace
ppp possible
you.
ppp possible
you
you
ppp possible
of
you