うれしいひな祭り
Happy Doll’s Festival
Words by Satou Hachiro
Song by Kawamura Kouyou
サトウハチロー作詞・河村光陽作曲
VERSE ONE
あかりをつけましょ ぼんぼりに
akari o tsukemasho bonbori ni
Let’s light the paper covered lamps
- あかり akari – light; lamp
- を o – (direct object marker)
- つけましょ tsukemasho – let’s light
- ぼんぼり bonbori – paper covered lantern box
- に ni – to (light the lamp in the bonbori)
お花をあげましょ 桃の花
o hana o agemasho momo no hana
Let’s give flowers, peach flowers (to doll)
- お花 o hana – flowers (honorific お)
- あげましょ agemasho – let’s give
- 桃の花 momo no hana – peach flowers
五人ばやしの 笛太鼓
gonin bayashi no fuetaiko
Five (doll) musicians with flute and taiko
- 五人 gonin – five people
- ばやし bayashi – musical accompaniment (はやし)
- 五人ばやし gonin bayashi – dolls representing five musicians for the Hina Matsuri
- 笛 fue – a flute; a pipe
- 太鼓 taiko – taiko drums
今日はたのしい ひな祭り
kyou wa tanoshii hinamatsuri
Today is the enjoyable Hina Matsuri
- 今日 kyou – today
- たのしい tanoshii – happy; fun
- ひな祭り hina matsuri – Hina Matsuri; Doll festival; Girl’s festival; Peach festival (Festival held on March 3rd at which families with girls display the hina dolls eat special sweetmeats, and drink shirozake)
VERSE TWO
お内裏様と おひな様
odairisama to ohinasama
The Emperor and Hina dolls
- お内裏様 o dairi sama – doll representing the emperor (with the hina doll, they represent the emperor and empress in ancient costume)
- と to – and
- おひな様 ohina sama – doll for festival in ornamental dress
二人ならんで すまし顔
futari narande sumashi gao
The two lined up with straight faces
- 二人 futari – the two (dolls)
- ならんで narande – set in a line; side by side
- すまし顔 sumashi gao – a serious face
お嫁にいらした 姉様に
oyome ni irashita neesama ni
My sister-in-law who, coming as a bride,
お嫁 oyome – bride
お嫁にいらした oyome ni irashita – came as a bride
姉様 neesama – older sister (polite) (She came (いらした) so she must be a brother’s wife hence "sister-in-law")
よく似た官女の 白い顔
yoku nita kanjo no shiroi kao
Looked similar to the (doll) court lady’s white face
- よく似た yoku nita – looked very similar to…
- 官女 kan jo – court lady; lady in waiting; a maid of honor
- 白い顔 shiroi kao – white (powdered for wedding) face
Verse Three
金のびょうぶに うつる灯を
kin no byoubu ni utsuru hi o
On the golden folding screen, the light
- 金 kin – gold (金の golden…)
- びょうぶ byoubu – byoubu; a folding screen
- うつる灯 utsuru hi – reflected light; (This kanji 灯 is often used poetically; for example: 希望の灯 kibou no hi - a ray of hope)
- を o – (direct object marker)
かすかにゆする 春の風
kasuka ni yusuru haru no kaze
Gently flickers in the spring breeze
- かすかに kasuka ni – faintly [the に turns かすか (faint; dim; weak) into an adverb]
- ゆする yusuru – to rock; shake
- 春の風 haru no kaze – spring breeze (causes the light to faintly flicker)
すこし白酒 めされたか
sukoshi shirozake mesaretaka
Did you have a little white sake?
- すこし sukoshi – a little bit
- 白酒 shirozake – white sake; (made from sake and rice malt)
- めされたか mesareta ka – were you given to drink (sake); (said to the doll)
あかいお顔の 右大臣
akai o kao no udaijin
The Minister of the Right doll with the red face
- あかいお顔 akai okao – red faced
- 右大臣 udaijin – Minister of the Right (in old Japan)
VERSE FOUR
着物をきかえて 帯しめて
kimono o kikaete obi shimete
Changing clothes; tying the obi
- 着物 kimono – kimono; clothing
- きかえて kikaete – change clothes (着替えて)
- 帯 obi – an obi; a broad sash worn with a kimono
- しめて shimete – close; tie (obi)
今日はわたしも はれ姿
kyou wa watashi mo hare sugata
Today I also will dress in my finest
- 今日は kyou wa – As for today
- わたしも watashi mo – I also; me too
- はれ姿 hare sugata – dress up; in finest clothes
春のやよいの このよき日
haru no yayoi no kono yoki hi
For this special Spring day
- 春 haru – spring
- やよい yayoi – third month of the lunar calendar; spring
- このよき日 kono yoki hi – this auspicious day
なによりうれしい ひな祭り
nani yori ureshii hinamatsuri
More than anything–Hina Matsuri
- なにより nani yori – more than anything
- うれしい ureshii – happy
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