忍ぶ恋路 Our Secret love
忍ぶ恋路は
Our secret love is
さてはかなさよ
really transient
今度逢うのが
Even meeting together next time is
命がけ
as if we are going to risk our life
よごす涙の
My make-up is smudged
お粧も
by my tears
その顔かくす
I am hiding my face by
無理な酒
Irrational amount of sake
This is a song about a bitter and helpless love by a woman working in Yoshihara.
お互いに with each other
お互いに 知れぬが花よ
It is the best not to know each other
世間の人に 知れりゃ互いの
If the public knows (our love)
身のつまり
I will feel ashamed
あくまでお前に
I love you
情たてて
passionately
惚れたが無理かえ
But is it unattainable
しょんがいな
It is too bad
迷うたか無理かえ
I am lost, but is it impossible?
四条の橋 Bridge at Shijyo
四条の橋から
From the bridge at Shijyo,
灯が一つ見ゆる
I can see a ray of light
灯が一つ見ゆる
I can see a ray of light
あれは二軒茶屋の灯か
Is that the light from Niken-jyaya
あれは二軒茶屋の灯か丸山の灯か
Is that the light from Niken-jyaya or the light from Maruyama?
エーそうじゃえ そうじゃいな
Yes, it is. It must be.
The bridge at Shijyo still exist in Kyoto. Geisha are saying “あれは二軒茶屋の灯か丸山の灯か”, and the customer replys “エー そうじゃえ” and geisha say “そうじゃいな”.
東雲節 Shinonome-bushi
何をくよくよ川端柳
What are you worrying about? A willow by the water.
こがるるなんとしょ
I am deeply in love
水の流れを見て暮らす
I am living by the water
東雲のストライキ
A strike at Shinonome
さりとはつらいネ
A strike by prostitutes are painful
てなこと おっしゃいましたかネ
Did I say something like that?
自由廃業で廓は出たが
I got out of the district for geisha because of the retirement
こがるるなんとしょ
I am deeply in love
行き場がないのでくずひろい
But since I do not have anywhere to go, I am collecting trash.
東雲のストライキ
A strike at Shinonome
さりとはつらいネ
A strike by prostitutes are painful
てなこと おっしゃいましたかネ
Did I say something like that?
汽車は出て行く煙は残る
A train has gone and the smoke is remaining,
こがるるなんとしょ
I am deeply in love
残る煙がしゃくの種
The remaining smoke is the cause of anger
新橋のステイショで
At the station at Shimbashi
別れがつらいネ
It is hard to say good-by
てなこと おっしゃいましたかネ
Did I say something like that?
どんどどんどと 流れる水は
The running water
こがるるなんとしょ
I am deeply in love.
どこのいずくで止まるやら
I wonder where it is going to end
東雲のストライキ
A strike at Shinonome
さりとはつらいネ
A strike by prostitutes are painful.
てなこと おっしゃいましたかネ
Did I say something like that?
This song is called “Hayari-uta (流行歌)” and popular at the end of Meiji era. This song was inspired by a strike at a red-light district in Kumamoto. There are a lot of parody for this song.
竹になりたや I want to become a bamboo
竹になりたや
I want to become a bamboo
紫竹竹 八竹竹
A purple bamboo, a bamboo shoot
あだな按摩さんが
Masseuse/masseur is playing the flute
ピピピピ ピピピピ
pi, pi, pi, pi…(the sound of the flute)
竹の笛 ピーイ ィィピッピ
A flute made out of bamboo.
本所五ッ目
Honjyo-Itsutsu-me (name of a place)
五百羅漢のお堂を廻れば
If you visit a temple called “Gohyakurakan-ji”
粋な羅漢さんが
A good arhat will
陰気に 陽気に
Gloomfully and cheerfully
笑い顔
smile at you
通人も オホンいるよ
There are a lot of visitors, too.
いっちく たっちく
Ittiku, tattiku (name of a game)
竹橋の赤いシャッポの 兵隊さん
The soldiers with red hat at Takebashi.
何食って おいも食って
What are you eating? Eating potatoes,
薩摩食って プッププププ
and eating sweet potatoes, and pu, ppu, pu…
プーウ ゥゥプップ
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