Lullaby of Itsuki

Itsuki no Komoriuta（五木の子守唄)

おどま盆ぎり　盆ぎり
盆から先ゃ　おらんど
盆が早よ来りゃ　早よもどる

おどまかんじん　かんじん
あん人達ゃ　よか衆（しゅう）
よかしゃよか帯（おび）　よか着物（きもん）

おどんが打死（うっちん）だちゅて
誰（だい）が泣いてくりょか
裏の松山　蝉（せみ）が鳴く

蝉じゃ　ござんせぬ
妹（いもと）でござる
妹泣くなよ　気にかかる

おどんが打死（うっちん）だば
道端（みちばた）いけろ
通る人ごち　花あぐる

花はなんの花
つんつん椿
水は天から　貰い水

Lullaby of Itsuki

As soon as *Bon arrives,
I will leave for my hometown.
The sooner Bon comes, the sooner I will go home.

I am no better than a beggar.
They are rich people.
With good sashes and good dresses.

Who will cry for me
When I die?
Only the locusts in the mountain behind the house.

No, it’s not locusts.
It’s my little sister.
Don’t cry, little sister, I will be worried about you.

When I am dead,
Bury me by the roadside.
The passers-by would lay flowers for me.

What flowers would they lay?
Cam-cam-camellias
The water would come falling down from above.

*Bon - Buddhist feast on and around September 15, when apprentices were given holidays.