1. Sakura - Cherry Blossoms

1. Sakura - Cherry Blossoms - さくら
(Traditional Folk Song)
さくら さくら
弥生の空は
見わたす限り
霞か雲か
匂いぞ出ずる
いざや いざや
見に行かん
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms
All across the sky of spring
Mist or clouds?
Such fragrance in the air
Let us go, let us go see it
さくら さくら 野山も里も
見わたす限り
かすみか雲か 朝日ににおう
さくら さくら 花ざかり
Fields and villages all across the sky
Mist or clouds?
Fragrance in the sunrise
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms Flowers in full bloom! 2. HANA – Flowers – 花
(Text: Hagoromo Takeshima, Music: Rentaro Taki
春のうらゝの隅田川
のぼりくだりの船人が
櫂のしづくも花と散る
ながめを何にたとふべき
Beautiful spring over the Sumida River
Boatmen go up and down the stream
Drops of water from oars sparkle
like cherry-blossoms
How can I describe this amazing view
見ずやあけぼの露あびて
われにもの言う桜木を
見ずや夕ぐれ手をのべて
われさしまねく青柳
Look at the cherry tree covered with
Dawn’s dew drops, and talking to me
Look at the willow tree in twilight
Extending arms and welcoming me
錦おりなす長堤に
くるればのぼるおぼろ月
げに一刻も千金の
ながめを何にたとふべき
Over the colorful brocade of the river banks
The hazy moon rises as the sun falls
This very moment is worth a thousand gold
How can I describe this amazing view?
3. UMI - The Ocean – 海 (Text: Ryuuha Hayashi, Music: Takeshi Inoue)
うみはひろいな おおきいな
つきがのぼるし ひがしずむ
The Ocean is so wide, so huge
The Moon rises, and the sun sets
うみはおおなみ あおいなみ
ゆれてどこまで つづくやら
The Ocean has great waves, blue waves
Where do they lead to?
うみにおふねを うかばして
いってみたいな よそのくに I want to build a boat and float it on the ocean
And see if I can get to a foreign land
4. ANTAGATA DOKOSA - Where are you from? – あんたがたどこさ
(Old Temari Song – bouncing ball song)
あんたがたどこさ
肥後さ
肥後どこさ
熊本さ
熊本どこさ
船場(せんば)さ
船場山には狸がおってさ
それを猟師が鉄砲で撃ってさ
煮てさ 焼いてさ 食ってさ
それを木の葉でちょいと隠(かぶ)せ
Where are you from?
Higo
Where in Higo?
Kumamoto
Where in Kumamoto?
Senba
In the Senba Mountain, there was a Tanuki
And the hunter shot him
Boiled it, fried it, and ate it
And then covered it with a little leaf
*Tanuki: a Japanese racoon
5. AKATOMBO - Red Dragonfly – 赤とんぼ
(Text: Rofu Miki, Music: Kosaku Yamada)
夕焼け小焼けの赤とんぼ
負われて見たのはいつの日か
山の畑の桑の実を
小かごに摘んだはまぼろしか
Sunset, afterglow, red dragonflies
When did I see you last
from behind my nanny’s shoulders?
Was that a dream when I picked mulberries
From the mountainside, into my little basket?
十五でねえやは嫁に行き
お里の便りも絶え果てた
When she’s fifteen, Nanny went away to marry
Not a word from her hometown since then
夕焼け小焼けの赤とんぼ
とまっているよ竿の先
Sunset, afterglow, a red dragonfly
Perched himself on the tip of a bamboo rod
6. DONGURI KORO KORO – Little Rolling Acorn – どんぐりころころ
(Text: Nagayoshi Aoki, Music: Tadashi Yanada)
An acorn rolled down the hill
どんぐりころころ どんぶりこ
Oh no, he fell into a pond!
お池にはまって さあたいへん
Then came the loach and said
どじょうが出てきて こんにちは
“Hello, little one, let's play together!”
ぼっちゃんいっしょに あそびましょう
どんぐりころころ よろこんで
しばらくいっしょに あそんだが
やっぱりお山が 恋しいと
泣いてはどじょうを こまらせた
The little rolling acorn was so happy
To play with the loach for a little while,
But soon started crying, he missed the
mountain
The loach didn't know what to do!
7. FURUSATO - My Country Home - 故郷
(Text: Tatsuyuki Takano, Music: Teiichi Okano)
うさぎ追いし かの山
小鮒釣りし かの川
夢は今も めぐりて
忘れがたき ふるさと
In the mountains I chased rabbits
At the river I caught little carps
Dreams I still carry with me
Unforgettable home country
いかにいます父母
つつがなしや友がき
雨に風につけても
思い出ずるふるさと
How are you, Mother and Father?
Are my friends safe and sound?
When it rains or when the wind blows,
whatever happens,
I remember my country home
志を果たして
いつの日にか帰らん
山はあおきふるさと
水は清きふるさと
When my dreams come true
I will go home one day
The mountain is green
And the water is blue
In my country home
8. KONO MICHI – This Road – この道
(Text: Hakushuu Kitahara, Music: Kousaku Yamada)
この道はいつか来た道
ああ そうだよ
あかしやの花が咲いてる
I know this road
I've been here before
Ah, yes, it is
Acacias are blooming
あの丘はいつか見た丘
ああ そうだよ
ほら 白い時計台だよ
I know that hill
I've seen it before
Ah, yes it is
There, there's the white clock tower
この道はいつか来た道
ああ そうだよ
お母さまと馬車で行ったよ
I know this road
I've been here before
Ah, yes it is
I went with my mother on a carriage
あの雲もいつか見た雲
ああ そうだよ
山査子の枝も垂れてる
I know that cloud
I've seen it before
Ah, yes it is
The willows are looking down, too
9. MACHIBOUKE – Waiting in vain –待ちぼうけ
(Text: Hakushu Kitahara, Music: Kosaku Yamada)
待ちぼうけ 待ちぼうけ
ある日 せっせと 野良かせぎ
そこへ兎が飛んで出て
ころり ころげた 木のねっこ
Waiting in vain, waiting in vain
One day, I worked hard in the field
Then a rabbit leaped in and
Stumbled upon the root of the tree
待ちぼうけ 待ちぼうけ
しめた これから寝て待とうか
待てば獲ものは駆けて来る
兎ぶつかれ 木のねっこ
Waiting in vain, waiting in vain
Yes! Maybe I will just wait lying here
If I wait, the prey will just come running in
Rabbit, stumble upon the root of the tree
待ちぼうけ 待ちぼうけ
昨日鍬とり 畑仕事
今日は頬づえ 日向ぼこ
うまい伐り株 木のねっこ
Waiting in vain, waiting in vain
Yesterday I worked with hoe in the field
Today I relax and bask in the sun
What a great stump and the root of the tree
待ちぼうけ 待ちぼうけ
今日は今日はで待ちぼうけ
明日は明日はで森のそと
兎待ち待ち 木のねっこ
Waiting in vain, waiting in vain
Today, today, I wait in vain
Tomorrow, tomorrow, outside the woods
Waiting for the rabbit, root of the tree
待ちぼうけ 待ちぼうけ
もとは涼しい黍畑
いまは荒野の箒草
寒い北風 木のねっこ
Waiting in vain, waiting in vain
It used to be a cool millet farm
Now it’s a wilderness of broom cypress
Cold north wind blows at the root of the tree 10. SHIMAUTA – Island Song – 島唄
(THE BOOM – Text & Music: Kazufumi Miyazawa)
でいごの花が咲き 風をよび 嵐が来た
でいごが咲き乱れ 風をよび 嵐が来た
The Deigo flowers blossomed,
called the wind, and the storm has arrived
The Deigo flowers are blooming,
called the wind, and the storm has arrived
くり返す悲しみは 島渡る波のよう
ウージの森であなたと出会い
ウージの下で千代にさよなら
島唄よ風に乗り 鳥とともに海を渡れ
島唄よ風に乗り 届けておくれ わたしの涙
One after another, despairs arrive
like the waves that cross the islands
In the Uuji forest I met you
Under the Uuji forest, I bid you farewell forever
Island song, ride the winds, with the birds,
cross the sea
Island song, ride the winds, carry my tears with you
でいごの花も散り さざ波が揺れるだけ
ささやかな幸せは うたかたの波の花
The Deigo petals have fallen,
gentle ocean waves just tremble
Sweet joy, like fleeting flowers carried by the waves
ウージの森で唄った友よ
In the Uuji forest, my friend, you sang
ウージの下で八千代の別れ
Under the Uuji forest,
I bid you farewell forever and ever
島唄よ風に乗り 鳥とともに海を渡れ
島唄よ風に乗り 届けておくれ わたしの愛を
Island song, ride the winds, with the birds,
cross the sea
Island song, ride the winds, carry my love with you
海よ 宇宙よ 神よ 生命よ
このまま永遠に夕凪を
To the sea, to the universe, to God, to life,
carry on eternally, this dusk wind
All translations by Momoko Tanno, copyright 2013