Sōran Bushi is one of the most famous traditional songs (min'yō

Min'yo

is a genre of traditional Japanese music. The term is a translation of the German word "Volkslied" and has only been in use during the twentieth century...

) in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. It is a Japanese sea shanty

Sea shanty

A shanty is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labor on board large merchant sailing vessels. Shanties became ubiquitous in the 19th century era of the wind-driven packet and clipper ships...

 that is said to have been first sung by the fishermen

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 of Hokkaidō

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

, northern Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

Sōran Bushi accompanies the bon dance in many parts of Japan, and it has its own dancing styles that date back generations. The dance moves depict fishermen dragging nets, pulling ropes and carrying luggage over their shoulders.

Lyrics and Translation

An excerpt from "Sōran Bushi"
Japanese (Rōmaji):


Yāren sōran sōran

Sōran sōran sōran (hai hai!)

Oki de kamome no naku koe kikeba

Funanori kagyō wa yamerarenu choi

CHORUS (AKA - kakegoe

Kakegoe

Kakegoe can be literally translated as "hung voice" or "a voice you hang." The "hanging" part is probably meant to be taken in an abstract sense to mean "ornament" or "decoration," as it is the same Japanese verb used when talk about kakemono. Kakegoe, therefore, refers to an auxiliary pitched or...

)

Yasa e en ya sa dokkoisho

(a dokkoisho, dokkoisho!)

Yāren sōran...

Oyaji tairyō da mukashi to chigau

toreta nishin wa ore no mono choi

Yāren sōran...

Ichi-jō-go-shaku no ro o kogu fune mo

horeta ano go nya te mo choi

Yāren sōran...

Tama no suhada ga shibuki ni nurerya

uwaki kamome ga mite sawagu choi
Rough English Translation:


Oh!!! Soran, soran, soran

soran, soran, soran. (Oh, yeah!)

When we hear the jabbering of seagulls on the high seas,

we know we can’t give up our fishing lives on the ocean.

CHORUS

Put your backs into it! Heave, ho! Heave, ho!

(Heave, ho! Heave, ho!)

Oh!!! Soran...

Boss, I tell you, the size of this catch of herring

is different from all the others. And it's all MINE.

Oh!!! Soran...

Even if I row four and a half metres,

I couldn't get that girl's attention.

Oh!!! Soran...

A flighty seagull twitters in excitement

As it sees my bare skin, glistening with ocean surf.