About this work
A poem brings ancestral remembrance together with the drums, painted floats and shared excitement of a Tsugaru festival. This English version is an editorial translation for access; the Japanese text remains available alongside it for comparison.
Parallel reading
日本語と英語で読む
Read the Japanese original and its English translation together. On smaller screens, each language follows in sequence.
日本語原文 Japanese original
厳かな津軽のふるさと
人々は亡き人を想う
心づくしの御膳を捧げ
敬いの御心で手を合わせ
死者の魂を呼び覚ます
夕暮れ時にお囃子が遠くに聞こえた
急いで窓から顔を出すわたし
今年もきたきた
町を練り歩くねぷた祭りの山車
色鮮やかで美しい力強い絵師の技
掛け声の威勢良さで盛り上がる
いつもは静かなリンゴの町も
今宵は死者魂と群衆の魂が一つになる
心を揺さぶる太鼓が鳴り響く
あっという間に通り過ぎていった
津軽のお盆休み…
English translation 英訳
AI-assisted English translation. The Japanese original remains authoritative.
Strict and solemn Tsugaru homeland
People think of the dead
They offer heartwarming meals
They bow with reverence
To awaken the souls of the departed
The sound of the festival music was heard far away at dusk
I hurriedly peered out of the window
This year too, it has come
The grand floats of the nepputa festival parading through the town
The vivid and beautiful strength of the artisans' craft
The festival's loud cries raise the spirit
Usually quiet apple town
Tonight, the souls of the dead and the crowd merge into one
The drumbeat that shakes the heart resounds
It passed by in an instant
Original wording, author credits, notes and source materials are preserved there.