19
Kokyô’o hanaruru uta
Chant when leaving home

sonono sayuri nadeshiko

kakineno chigusa

kyôwa nareo nagamuru

owarino hinari

omoeba namida hizao hitasu

saraba furusato

saraba furusato

saraba furusato

furusato saraba

saraba furusato

saraba furusato

furusato saraba

 

tsukushi tsumishi okabeyo

yashirono moriyo

kobuna tsurishi ogawayo

yanagino doteyo

wakaruru wareo awareto miyo

saraba…

 

Oh you lilies and magnificent carnations in the garden,

you grasses and leaves at the fence,

today I can still behold you,

but today is the last day.

When I think of this, my lap gets wet from tears.

Farewell, my home!

Farewell, my home,

farewell, my home,

my home, farewell!

Farewell, my home,

farewell, my home,

my home, farewell!

 

Oh you hill, where I picked horsetails,

you woods, where I visited the shrine,

you little river, where I fished little carps,

you dam, where the willows grow,

look at me and mourn with me!

Farewell …

For the first time, Kazumasa Yoshimaru published this song in the fifth part of the collection “New songbook” (1913) which encompasses ten parts. In Japan, this song is oftentimes sung by male choirs, but in Germany, it is barely known.