北国の春 ..千昌夫 .. Kita Guni no Haru - Sen Masao - North Country Spring .. a Japanese song

(LYRICS, TRANSLATION & VIDEO) Whenever I hear this marvellous and eternal Japanese song by Sen Masao (千昌夫), it makes me nostalgic. This song is about the feelings of a son who left his northern homeland for a big city. He did not know how 5 years passed and one day he got a small gift from his mother which made him homesick. While leaving his home town, he did not even did not tell and shared his feelings with his beloved. He is now longing to return back to his motherland. He is recalling trees, flowers, snow, his family and his love- who he does not know anything about her.

I have been living in Nagoya, Japan for my studies long ago. I know a little bit of Japanese. The video of this song was not possible without the help of my friend Kiri Fukuyama (madhubala2009) of Itami, who helped me, understand the meanings of many difficult and subtle Japanese words of this unrivalled poetry. I humbly dedicate this song to her.

The Lyrics with Translation are:

しら かば　あお ぞら　みなみ かぜ
Shira kaba, aao zora, minami kaze　
White birch trees, blue sky, south wind,
こぶし咲くあの丘北国の
Kobushi saku ano oka kitaguni no
That hill where the magnolias are in bloom

ああ北国の春
Aaa... kitaguni no haru
aaa , the North country Spring!

季節が都会ではわからないだろうと
Kisetsu ga tokai dewa wakaranai darou to　
You won't feel how the seasons changed in the big city
届いたおふくろの小さな包み
Todoita ofukuro no chiisana tsuzumi
Till, a small package dropped in from Mom.

あの故郷へ帰ろうかな　かえろうかな。
Ano furusato e kaerokana kaerokana.......
Shouldn't I go back to my homeland? Shouldn't I ?

雪どけ せせらぎ　丸木橋　
Yuki doke, seseragi, marukibashi
Melting Snow, brook murmurs, wooden bridge
からまつの芽がふく北国の　ああ北国の春
Karamatsu no mei ga fuku kitaguni no
The larch's buds are coming out in the spring of the North Country,
ああ北国の春
Aaa... kitaguni no haru
aaa, the North country Spring!

好きだとおたがいに言い出せないまま
Suki da to otagai ni iidasenai mama
We could not dare to say each other, I love you,
わかれてもう五年
Wakarete mou gonen
five years have passed since we got separated,
あの子はどうしてる
ano ko wa doushiteru
How would she be doing now?

あの故郷へ帰ろうかな 帰ろうかな。
Ano furusato e kaerokana kaerokana.......
Shouldn't I go back to my homeland? Shouldn't I ?

やまぶき　あさぎり　すいしゃこや
Yamabuki, asagiri, suishyagoya
Butter murmurs, morning mist, a water-mill.
わらべうた聞こえる北国の
Warabe uta kikoeru kitaguni no
Children's song resonances in the spring of the North Country,
ああ北国の春　　
aaa, the North country Spring!

あにきもおやじ似で無口なふたりが
Aniki mo oyaji nite mukuchi na futari ga
My father and elder brother, sitting silently
たまには酒でも飲んでるだろうか
Tama niwa sake demo nonderu daroka　　
are both of them having drinks together once in a while?

あの故郷へ帰ろうかな　帰ろうかな。
Ano furusato e kaerokana kaerokana.........　
Shouldn't I go back home? shouldn't I?
http://www.youtube.com/user/myvision22
MUKHTAR