Chikaranai kaeru [力なき蝦] By: Anonymous

Editions

Singable Translation PDF By: Carol Anne Perry Lagemann (CC BY SA 4.0)

Info

Number of Voices: 1
Voicings: Heterophonic
Date: 12th century
Language: Japanese
Tags: translation saibara

Lyrics

Lyrics Transliteration Direct Translation Poetic Translation
力なき蝦 chikaranai kaeru shrimp without strength Feeble and helpless is the shrimp,
力なき蝦 chikaranai kaeru shrimp without strength Feeble and helpless is the shrimp,
骨なき蚯蚓 hone nai mimizu earthworm without bones Soft and boneless as a worm,
骨なき蚯蚓 hone nai mimizu earthworm without bones Soft and boneless as a worm.
Anonymous Markham, Elizabeth. Saibara: Japanese Court Songs of the Heian Period. Vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1983. Print. Carol Anne Perry Lagemann Carol Anne Perry Lagemann

Notes about Lyrics

Feeble and helpless is the shrimp,