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Omoigawa

思ひ川

[Genre]Sokyoku
[Style]Kumiuta
[School]Ikuta Ryû - 生田
[Composed]Ikuta Kengyō - Koto

History (Tsuge Gen'ichi):

This song cycle consists of six songs. Each of the texts deals with unsuccessful love. The composer has not yet been identified, but Omoigawa ('River of Memory') is generally listed as the composition of either Kitajima Kengyo (d. 1690), Ikuta Kengyo (1656-1715) or Makino Kengyo (A. 1716?). Because of the sad, reminiscent mood of the song texts, this piece is often sung at memorial services in Japan.

Poem (translated by Tsuge Gen'ichi)

We meet in vain
In the River of Memory.
Thought like water weeds
Caught among the rocks
Struggle to flow, in vain.
Only my sleeves are drenched.
When will they dry?
I do not know.

His look still lives
In my memory.
I can't forget him
He never shows up,
Even in my yearning dreams.
The rooster crows
At dawn, too soon, too soon.
My heart is broken.

Suddenly, but when...?
No more word from you.
Too far apart now,
To share as we once did.
We met at 'Letter Pass.'
Does it now stand between us?
That Mojigaseki(1)!
How I hate his name!

He doesn't care.
He leaves me.
I can't stop him.
Now he's gone,
Here's my empty cloak...
Oh, my sleeves!
Drenched in the dew
Of my tears.

I loved and lost.
And now alone
In my bed
In this poor hut,
I cry though the night,
My tears
Gushing forth,
In silent waterfall.

He should have been
Heartless, just that.
But he wasn't.
Did he betray me
Because he cared?
The more I think of it,
The more wretched I feel.

(1) Mojigaseki means 'Letter Pass.'
Oose ada naru
omoigawa
iwama ni yodomu
mizukuki no
kakinagasu nimo
sode nurete
hosu hi mo itsu to
shiranami

Omokage no
tsukuzuku to
wasure mo yarade
omoine no
yume dani miede
akenureba
awade mo tori no
ne zo tsuraki

Itsunomanika wa
kakitaete
hedatsuru naka to
nariniken
mishi tamazusa no
mojigaseki to
na wo kiku dani mo
urameshi

Tsurenaku mo
iku hito wo
todome-gatami no
karagoromo
tatsu yori itodo
waga sode wa
tsuyu ni zo shiore
shioruru

Koiwabite
tada hitori
fuseya no toko ni
yomosugara
otsuru namida wa
otonashi no
taki to ya nagare
izuran

Nakanak ni
tsurakaraba
tada hitosuji ni
tsurakarade
nasake no majiru
itsuwari to
omoeba fukaki
urami kana

Omoigawa appears on the following albums

Album Artist

Kikuhara Hatsuko Zenshu vol. 9 Voice : Kikuhara Hatsuko
Koto : Kikuhara Hatsuko