Kotohikihama Ondo (Folk Song)
Hi, I'm Sandy!
Today, I'm excited to introduce you to the "Musical Sand Ondo," a wonderful folk song from Kotohikihama beach in Kyoto, Japan.
What's interesting is that there's another folk song with the exact same melody at Kotogahama beach in Shimane Prefecture. Can you imagine everyone dancing in a circle on the beautiful musical sand beach? It must be a lovely sight! Now, let's take a look at the lyrics together!
The Musical Sand Ondo of Tango Kotohikihama
1. The sand sings, oh the sand sings,
True to its name of white sands and green pines.
A place of scenic beauty, second to none,
This is Kotohikihama in Tango Amino.
(Kuku, kukku)
2. Like a thirteen-stringed koto it plays,
A wondrous sound loved by people of old.
Even Hosokawa Gracia stood on this shore,
Finding comfort from her checkered fate.
(Kuku, kukku)
3. Japan's musical sands, all gathered here,
Kotohikihama from Tango,
Kugunarihama from Kesennuma.
A concert of ancient melodies.
(Kuku, kukku)
4. Where else can we find this charming tune?
In Noto, there's Gomekihama of Osayo.
The sand sings as sparrows walk,
One of the seven wonders of Nata.
(Kuku, kukku)
5. Let's pass down the story of days gone by,
Of the lost sounds of the sand.
From Naruhama in Oshika Onagawa,
And from the shores of Kakumi in Niigata.
(Kuku, kukku)
6. A straight line across the Japanese archipelago,
Blue seas playing with white sands.
Even at the foot of the Iide Mountains,
Ancient sand awakens from its slumber.
(Kuku, kukku)
7. Entrusting themselves to paper balloons,
They crossed the vast Pacific Ocean.
A year-long dream vanished without a trace,
Unseen off the coast of Terushima.
(Kuku, kukku)
Lyrics by: Shigeo Miwa
Music by: Yukiko Hasegawa