Agémaki ya!
Tonton!
Hiro bakari ya—
Tonton!
Sakarité netarédomo,
Marobi-ainikéri,—
Tonton!
Kayori-ainikéri,
Tonton!
Oh! my darling boy!
Tonton!
Though a fathom[97] apart,
Tonton!
Sleeping separated,
By rolling we came together!
Tonton!
By slow approaches we came together,
Tonton!
[97] ] Lit., "hiro." The hiro is a measure of about five feet English, and is used to measure breadth as well as depth.
My next group of selections consists of "local songs"—by which term the collector means songs peculiar to particular districts or provinces. They are old—though less old than the compositions previously cited;—and their interest is chiefly emotional. But several, it will be observed, have curious refrains. Songs of this sort are sung especially at the village-dances—Bon-odori and Hōnen-odori:—
LOVE-SONG
(Province of Echigo)
Hana ka?—chōchō ka?
Chōchō ka?—hana ka?
Don-don!
Kité wa chira-chira mayowaséru,
Kité wa chira-chira mayowaséru!
Taichokané!
Sōkané don-don!
Flower is it?—butterfly is it?
Butterfly or flower?
Don-don!
When you come thus flickering, I am deluded!—
When you come thus twinkling, I am bewitched!
Taichokané!
Sōkané don-don!