Japanese Peasant Songs/Miscellaneous Songs and Sayings

by by John F. Embree with Ella Embree and Yukuo Uyehara

Miscellaneous Songs and Sayings

The Sparrows Laugh

A short couplet occasionally sung at banquets—said to be a verse of Choina choina, a longer song from another region, but this is doubtful.

109

Baba ga shōben suru Suzume ga warau

When the old woman urinates The sparrows laugh.

Cooking Rice

This verse is not sung at banquets. It was recited once when a discussion of how to cook rice came up.

110

Saisho toro toro Naka bombo Guzu guzu yū tokya Hi o hiite Osan[1] naku tomo Futa toruna

At first small fire, In the middle big fire. Bubble, bubble, Remove the big fire— Even if the baby cries Do not take off the cover.

Male and Female Butterfly

This verse is not a regular song of Suye, but was recited once when some women were speaking of the unpleasantness of making love to a man one does not care for.

Ochō and Mechō are the male and female butterflies used as symbols at a wedding, thus the first line refers to a well-mated couple. The rest of the verse refers to the ceremonial drink of sake partaken of by bride and groom from the same cup. The implication of this song is that the bride when drinking with the groom (chosen by her family) is thinking of another man with whom she is in love.

111

Ochō Mechō Sakazuki yuri[2] mo Suita anata no Chawanzake

Male and female butterfly— Better than any sake cup, My beloved, is your sake Even in a teacup.[3]

Riddle and Proverb

Such sayings as these are likely to crop up any time in a conversation that may seem appropriate. The proverb about the year of thirteen lunar months came up when some women were discussing the chances of one of them having another child, and it was generally agreed that “this year” (1936) she was likely to become pregnant because “this year has thirteen months.”

112	Ten ni pika-pika Ji da pokkuri Kuwa	In the sky sparkling, In the earth digging. A grub hoe.
113	Kotoshi jū-san tsuki Chō kama de hara mute	This year thirteen months— Big as a kettle will swell the belly.

Spells for Foot Cramp

A saying repeated three times, each time touching first the foot, and then the forehead with a licked finger. Spells such as 114 and 115 are most likely to be practiced by women.

114

Ashi no shibiri[4] Futae[5] tsuke

Foot cramp To the forehead stick.

A variation:—

Ashi no shibiri wa Fute aneke

One Bottle of Infallible Remedy

This spell is supposed to cure a foot that has gone to sleep. As it is recited the foot and forehead are touched in turn.

115

Ichi bin Ni bin San bin Shi bin no mioyaku

One bottle, Two bottles, Three bottles, Four bottles of infallible remedy.

Incantation

116

Dokoishō Sanpei san Namanda[6]

Dokoishō Mr. Sanpei— Glory be to Buddha.

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1. As is common in Kuma dialect the ‘an’ is pronounced ‘aŋ.’
2. For: yori.
3. A sakazuki is the conventional small wine cup used in drink exchange; chawan is a teacup; by analogy a chawanzake is a teacup used for sake. Sake from a teacup is not good etiquette.
4. For: shibire.
5. For: Hutae, from the standard Hitai.
6. An abbreviation of Namu Amida Butsu, a conventional “Amen” of members of the Shinshu sect of Buddhism.