{"id":1796,"date":"2013-03-13T09:48:11","date_gmt":"2013-03-13T00:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/?p=1796"},"modified":"2023-04-27T00:12:27","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T15:12:27","slug":"water-lilies-song-by-yoshida-chiaki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/2013\/03\/water-lilies-song-by-yoshida-chiaki\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Lilies song by Yoshida Chiaki"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u30d2\u30c4\u30b8\u30b0\u30b5\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bfGs7GSdrXE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Video link: <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/bfGs7GSdrXE\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/youtu.be\/bfGs7GSdrXE<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Updated: April 27, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My friend in Niigata recently posted this video of a choir singing <em><strong>Hitsuji-gusa<\/strong><\/em> or Water Lilies. What&#8217;s significant about this obscure song from 1915 is that its melody was used in the much more famous song,\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/photoguide.jp\/txt\/Lake_Biwa_Rowing_Song\">Biwako Shuko no Uta<\/a><\/em> (Lake Biwa Rowing Song), Shiga&#8217;s most famous and beloved song (<a href=\"https:\/\/photoguide.jp\/txt\/Lake_Biwa_Rowing_Song\">read about it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The university rowing club boys in Kyoto who wrote <em>Biwako Shuko no Uta<\/em> in 1917&nbsp;found that <em>Hitsuji-gusa&#8217;s<\/em> melody matched their lyrics well, and the rest is history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you watch this video, you will notice that the melody sounds very similar to&nbsp;<em>Biwako Shuko no Uta. <\/em>(Or should I say that<em> Biwako Shuko no Uta <\/em>sounds very similar to<em> Hitsuji-gusa.)&nbsp;<em>Hitsuji-gusa<\/em><\/em> was composed by a very talented young man named <a href=\"https:\/\/photoguide.jp\/txt\/Yoshida_Chiaki\"><strong>Yoshida Chiaki<\/strong><\/a> (\u5409\u7530 \u5343\u79cb 1895-1919) from Niigata Prefecture. The lyrics are his Japanese translation of an old British children&#8217;s song called <em>Water Lilies.<\/em>&nbsp;He then composed a melody to match his Japanese lyrics. The song is about holding firm in times of adversity, just like the water lilies can even in a rainstorm. Chiaki composed the song while he was battling tuberculosis. He later died of the disease at age 24 in 1919.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For many years, no one knew who composed the melody for&nbsp;<em>Biwako Shuko no Uta. <\/em>When Kato Tokiko scored a national hit with&nbsp;<em><em>Biwako Shuko no Uta<\/em><\/em> in 1971, people started to wonder who composed the melody. It was known that the lyrics were written in 1917 by <a href=\"https:\/\/photoguide.jp\/txt\/Oguchi_Taro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oguchi Taro<\/a> and his fellow university rowing club buddies in Kyoto. Many people assumed that Oguchi also composed the melody. Every 5 or 10 years or so after 1971, researchers found out a little more about the composer of the music. First they found out which song the melody came from. A few years later around 1980, they found the name of the composer, but didn&#8217;t know who he was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally in 1993, after over 20 years of digging, the composer&#8217;s identity was brought to light. Chiaki turned out to be the second son of a famous geographer (Yoshida Togo). Chiaki was also found to be a brilliant young man who took interest in many things like astronomy, zoology, botany, and foreign languages. He had a good command of English and several other languages. If he hadn&#8217;t died so young, he likely would have become one of Japan&#8217;s leading scientists or professors. (<a href=\"https:\/\/photoguide.jp\/txt\/Yoshida_Chiaki\">Read my article about Chiaki here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The video above was taken at a memorial gathering on the anniversary of Chiaki&#8217;s death in Feb. 2013 at Chiaki&#8217;s birth home in Niigata city. A choir called&nbsp;<em>Koai Gassho no Kai<\/em> (\u5c0f\u5408\u5408\u5531\u306e\u4f1a) sang a few songs including <em>Hitsuji-gusa<\/em> and&nbsp;<em>Biwako Shuko no Uta.&nbsp;<\/em>Chiaki&#8217;s home is now occupied by his niece, the daughter of Chiaki&#8217;s younger brother. I visited the house in 2007 and the niece showed me the room where Chiaki spent his final days. (<a href=\"https:\/\/photoguide.jp\/pix\/thumbnails.php?album=611\">Photos here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2001, an organization named <em>Chiaki no Kai<\/em> (\u300c\u3061\u3042\u304d\u300d\u306e\u4f1a) was formed to perpetuate, preserve, and honor Yoshida Chiaki&#8217;s numerous works and legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the lyrics of the original British children&#8217;s song followed by Chiaki&#8217;s song. There are three verses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Water Lilies,<\/strong> by E.R.B. (Education &amp; Resettlement Bureau)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Misty moonlight, faintly falling<br>O&#8217;er the lake at eventide,<br>Shows a thousand gleaming lilies<br>On the rippling waters wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">White as snow, the circling petals<br>Cluster round each golden star,<br>Rising, falling with the waters,<br>Moving, yet at rest they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winds may blow, and skies may darken,<br>Rain may pour, and waves may swell;<br>Deep beneath the changeful eddies<br>Lily roots fastened well.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies1.jpg\" alt=\"Misty moonlight, faintly falling...\" class=\"wp-image-8378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies1-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Misty moonlight, faintly falling&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies2a.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" data-id=\"8380\" src=\"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies2a.jpg\" alt=\"Water Lilies White as snow\" class=\"wp-image-8380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies2a.jpg 500w, https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies2a-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies2a-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">White as snow, the circling petals&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies3a.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" data-id=\"8379\" src=\"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies3a.jpg\" alt=\"Winds may blow, and skies may darken, \" class=\"wp-image-8379\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies3a.jpg 500w, https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies3a-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WaterLilies3a-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winds may blow, and skies may darken&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\"><em>AI-generated images prompted by Philbert Ono.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hitsuji-gusa<\/strong> (\u3072\u3064\u3058\u3050\u3055), by Yoshida Chiaki<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>1<br>\u304a\u307c\u308d\u6708\u591c\u306e\u3000\u6708\u660e\u304b\u308a<br>\u304b\u3059\u304b\u306b\u6c60\u306e\u3000\u9762\u306b\u843d\u3061<br>\u6ce2\u9593\u306b\u6d6e\u304b\u3076\u3000\u6570\u77e5\u3089\u306c<br>\u3072\u3064\u3058\u8349\u3092\u305e\u3000\u7167\u3089\u3059\u306a\u308b<\/td><td>1 (Romanized)<br>Oboro tsukiyo no, tsuki akari<br>Kasuka ni ike no, omo ni ochi<br>Nami ma ni ukabu, kazu shiranu<br>Hitsuji-gusa o zo, terasu naru<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>2<br>\u96ea\u304b\u3068\u307e\u304c\u3075\u3000\u82b1\u3073\u3089\u306f<br>\u9ec4\u91d1\u306e\u8602\u3092\u3000\u53d6\u308a\u5dfb\u304d\u3064<br>\u6ce2\u306e\u307e\u306b\u307e\u306b\u3000\u63fa\u308b\u3052\u3069\u3082<br>\u82b1\u306e\u5fc3\u306f\u3000\u6ce2\u7acb\u305f\u305a<\/td><td>2 (Romanized)<br>Yuki ka tomagafu, hanabira wa<br>Kogane no shibe o, tori makitsu<br>Nami no ma ni ma ni, yuruge domo<br>Hana no kokoro wa, nami datazu<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>3<br>\u98a8\u5439\u304b\u3070\u5439\u3051\u3000\u7a7a\u66c7\u308c<br>\u96e8\u964d\u308c\u6ce2\u7acb\u305f\u3066\u3000\u3055\u308a\u306a\u304c\u3089<br>\u5f92\u6ce2\u306e\u4e0b\u3000\u5e95\u6df1\u304f<br>\u840c\u3048\u3044\u3067\u305f\u308a\u306c\u3000\u3072\u3064\u3058\u8349<\/td><td>3 (Romanized)<br>Kaze fukaba fuke, sora kumore<br>Ame fure nami tate, sari nagara<br>Adanami no shita, soko fukaku<br>Moe idetarinu, hitsuji-gusa<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The video below is the same choir singing <em>Biwako Shuko no Uta<\/em> (Lake Biwa Rowing Song). Listen and compare. Video at: <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/kIPdC3qfnHA\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/kIPdC3qfnHA<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u7435\u7436\u6e56\u5468\u822a\u306e\u6b4c\" width=\"880\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kIPdC3qfnHA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Video link: <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/kIPdC3qfnHA\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/kIPdC3qfnHA<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated: April 27, 2023 My friend in Niigata recently posted this video of a choir singing Hitsuji-gusa or Water Lilies. What&#8217;s significant about this obscure song from 1915 is that its melody was used in the much more famous song,\u00a0Biwako&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8379,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-popular","category-biwakosong"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1796"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8386,"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1796\/revisions\/8386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}