Takeda Lullaby

Takeda Lullaby (Japanese: 竹田の子守唄 or Takeda no komoriuta) is a popular Japanese cradle song. It originated in Takeda, Fushimi, Kyoto.

General

This song has long been sung among the people in the burakumin areas of Kyoto and Osaka in a slightly different form for a long time. During the 1960s, it was picked up as a theme song by the Buraku Liberation League, particularly its branch at Takeda.

In 1969, the folk song singing group Akai Tori made this song popular, and their single record, recorded in 1971, became a million seller in three years. The song has also an additional history that NHK and other major Japanese broadcasting networks refrained from broadcasting it because it is related to the burakumin activities, but this ban was stopped during the 1990s.

Lyrics

Japanese

守も嫌がる　盆から先にゃ
雪もちらつくし　子も泣くし

盆が来たとて　何嬉しかろ
帷子は無し　帯は無し

この子よう泣く　守をばいじる
守も一日　痩せるやら

早よも行きたや　この在所越えて
向こうに見えるは　親の家
向こうに見えるは　親の家

Romanized Japanese

Mori mo iyagaru, Bon kara saki-nya
Yuki mo chiratsuku-shi, Ko mo naku-shi

Bon ga kita-tote, Nani ureshi-karo
Katabira wa nashi, Obi wa nashi

Kono ko you naku, Mori wo ba ijiru
Mori mo ichi-nichi, Yaseru-yara

Hayo-mo yuki-taya, Kono zaisho koete
Mukou ni mieru wa, Oya no uchi
Mukou ni mieru wa, Oya no uchi

English translation

I would hate baby-sitting beyond Bon Festival,
The snow begins to fall, and the baby cries.

How can I be happy even when Bon Festival is here?
I don't have nice clothes or a sash to wear.

This child continues to cry and is mean to me.
I get thinner because the baby cries all day.

I would quickly quit here and go back
To my parents' home over there,
To my parents' home over there.

See also

• Lullaby
• Folk song
• Other Japanese lullabies: Itsuki Lullaby, Edo Lullaby, Chugoku Region Lullaby, Shimabara Lullaby, etc.

External links

• Takeda Lullaby (in Japanese)
• Takeda Lullaby (Lyrics with Japanese translation)
• Takeda Lullaby (Music score)
• Takeda Lullaby (MIDI music)
• Lullaby of Takeda (Played by the ocarina, YouTube)