Old Japanese Songs 167 



Sakarite netaredomo, 

 Marobi-ainikeri, 



Tonton ! 

 Kayori-ainikeri, 



Tonton / 



Oh ! my darling boy ! 



Tonton ! 

 Though a fathom 1 apart, 



Tonton ! 

 i 



Sleeping separated, 



By rolling we came together I 



Tonton ! 

 By slow approaches we came together, 



Tonton ! 



My next group of selections consists of " local 

 songs" by which term the collector means 

 songs peculiar to particular districts or prov 

 inces. They are old though less old than 

 the compositions previously cited; and their 

 interest is chiefly emotional. But several, it 

 will be observed, have curious refrains. Songs 

 of this sort are sung especially at the village- 

 dances Bon-odori and Honen-odori : 



1 Lit., "biro." The biro is a measure of about five feet English, and 

 is used to measure breadth as well as depth. 



