Thursday, December 02, 2004
sing me a song

*EDIT: Link to song fixed. Thx Mel.*

Continuing on last post's thoughts, I associate a lot of songs with my time in Japan... most of them being the songs that were popular at the time I was there. But if I were to perhaps pick one song that reminds me the most of my experiences there, it would be the song "Sakura" by Naotaro Moriyama (Moriyama -> fam. name).

Why "Sakura"? A song that deals with leaving and parting?

Learning to deal with mujo (or what we might call "impermanence") is tough... I always seem to waver between resigning to it in one moment and cursing it the next. My pride hates resignation and my rationality despises my stubbornness. Argh.

At the beginning of my time in Japan, it seemed like the one year length of stay stretched before me in at imperceivable length. I suppose part of being human though, is overcoming that sort of shortsightness... but after attending many goodbye parties for friends, and my own time reaching about 8 months, the realization of "nothing is going to be as it is now" crept up on me.

But I digress... all thoughts and their lessons are stirred in my mind when I hear the song. And memories of my friends in Japan are summoned as well... a Japanese-Canadian friend introduced me to the song (thx. Kaori) and it became sorta my one Japanese song to sing whenever I went out to karaoke with my friends - close friends, Japanese friends, fellow teachers, students... many people who perhaps, I'll never see again in this lifetime.

But I don't want to think about that.

With a mic in one hand, and glass of cheap whiskey in the other, it goes...

bokura wa kitto matteru
kimi to mata aeru hibi wo
sakura namiki no michi no ue de
te o furi sakebu yo

donna ni kurushii toki mo
kimi wa waratteiru kara
kujikesou ni
narikakete mo
gambareru ki ga shita yo
kasumiyuku keshiki no naka ni
ano hi no uta ga kikoeru

sakura sakura
ima sakihokoru
setsuna ni chiriyuku
sadame to shitte
saraba tomo yo
tabidachi no toki
kawaranai sono omoi wo
ima

ima nara ieru darou ka
itsuwari no nai kotoba
kagayakeru kimi no mirai wo negau
hontou no kotoba
utsuriyuku machi ha maru de
bokura o sekasu you ni

sakura sakura
tada maiochiru
itsuka umarekawaru
toki o shinji
naku na tomo yo ima sekibetsu no toki
kazaranai ano egao de
saa

sakura sakura
iza maiagare
towa ni sanzameku
hikari o abite
saraba tomo yo
mata kono basho de aou
sakura maichiru
michi no ue de


You can download the original song right here (shift + rightclick)

Someone's English translation of the lyrics (edited by myself, of course):

No doubt, we're waiting
for the day we can see you again.
On the street lined with cherry blossom trees overhead,
we'll wave our hands and yell out.

Whenever we suffer or start to lose heart
We feel we can keep going
because you're smiling.
We can hear the song from back then
from in those hazy scenes.

cherry blossoms
now in full bloom
scattered fleetingly
I know it's fate,
farewell my friend.
when it's time to leave on your journey,
with that unchanging feeling.
now.

Now, I wonder if we can say those words without pretense.
Words from the heart,
Words to hope for your bright future.
It's as if the bussling city is rushing us.

cherry blossoms
just floating to the ground
believing one day they'll be reborn
Don't cry, friend, now it's a shame we have to part
with that simple smile...
ahh

cherry blossoms
now flying in the air
eternally rustling
awash in light
farewell my friend
let's meet again here.
on the street scattered with cherry blossoms.



.:.


I'm still on Japan time... it's about 11PM.

Lord, bless and guide those I love there.

  |


Comments:
sakura... also one of my favorite songs from my time in japan. you just need a white background and a guy playing the piano and you'd be ready to recreate the music video. did you know that the song is based on a old japanese folk song of the same name? (btw, your link doesn't work.) -mel
 
while hovering around in little tokyo in LA w/ some old buddies, mention of the JET program came up and then i was reminded of you. dig the ditty a few posts down.

-alan

ps. please please please enable the Atom site feed for your blogger! makes reading blogs so much easier w/ bloglines.com :) http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=698&topic=36
 
alan-

thx for the support, man. the site feed is now enabled.
 
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in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
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4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33

the facts.
name. Gar AKA "that Chinese guy" "Sleepy.McSleeping"
ethnicity/nationality. Chinese/American, 4th gen.
location. Sea-Town, WA, USA Kawanishi, JAPAN
occupation. less-cynical poor grad student
age. younger than you think, older than you know

 



 

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