Old Japanese Songs 



Sometimes Chinese numerals are used; some 

 times Japanese. But the rule is not always 

 perfectly observed. In the following example 

 it will be observed that the correspondence of 

 the first two syllables in the first verse with the 

 first two syllables of the Japanese word for one 

 (bitotsu) is a correspondence of meaning only ; 

 ichi being the Chinese numeral : 



SONG OF FISHERMEN 



(Province of Shimosa, town of Cttosbi) l 



Hitotsutose, 

 Ichiban bune e tsumi-konde, 

 Kawaguchi oshikomu 6-yagoe. 



Kono tai-ryo-bune ! 



Futatsutose, 



Futaba no oki kara Togawa made 

 Tsuzuite oshikomu 6-yagoe. 



Kono tai-ryo-bune! 



1 Choshi, a town of some importance, is situated at the mouth of the 

 Tonegawa. It is celebrated for its iwashi-fishery. The iwashi is a 

 fish about the size of the sardine, and is sought chiefly for the sake of 

 its oil. Immense quantities of twasbi are taken off the coast. They 

 are boiled to extract the oil ; and the dried residue is sent inland to 

 serve as manure. 



