襟裳岬 (Erimo-Misaki) --- Teresa Teng

Please enjoy Teresa's performance of a Japanese song "襟裳岬 (Erimo-Misaki)", meaning "Cape Erimo", originally sung by 森進一 (Mori Shin-ichi). 吉田拓郎 (Yoshida Takurou) composed the song, and 岡本おさみ (Okamoto Osami) wrote the lyrics.

The song is about the severe winter season in Erimo Peninsula (襟裳岬), Hokkaido (北海道), the northernmost large island in Japan.

The following are the Japanese original lyrics, together with my English translation.

北の街では もう 悲しみを暖炉で
Kita no machi de wa mou kanashimi wo danro de
(In the northern towns, they seem to have already started)

燃やし　はじめてるらしい
Moyashi hajimeteru rashii
(to temper their grief over the fireplace)

理由の わからないことで　悩んでいるうち
Wake no wakaranai koto de nayande iru uchi
(While we are dwelling on meaningless matters,)

老いぼれて　しまうから
Oiborete shimau kara
(we are getting old)

黙りとおした 歳月を
Damari tooshita toshitsuki wo
(Therefore, let us warm ourselves,)

ひろい集めて 暖めあおう
Hiroi atsumete atatame aou
(by recollecting our silent incommunicable past)

襟裳の春は　何もない春です
Erimo no haru wa nanimo nai haru desu
(There is nothing special in Erimo in spring)

君は二杯め だよね コーヒーカップに
Kimi wa nihaime da yo ne koohii kappu (coffee cup) ni
(This is your second cup of coffee, and)

角砂糖を　ひとつ だったね
Kakuzatou wo hitotsu datta ne
(you like one sugar for that, don't you?)

捨てて　来てしまった
Sutete kite shimatta
(Forget about the cumbersome past)

わずらわしさ だけを くるくる かきまわして
Wazurawashisa dake wo kurukuru kakimawashite
(by stirring the cup of coffee)

通りすぎた　夏の匂い
Toori sugita natsu no nioi
(Recalling the last summer,)

想い出して 懐かしいね
Omoidashite natsukashii ne
(we had happy time, dind't we?)

襟裳の春は　何もない春です
Erimo no haru wa nanimo nai haru desu
(There is nothing special in Erimo in spring)

日々のくらしは　いやでも やってくるけど
Hibi no kurashi wa iya demo yatte kuru kedo
(Although our daily life comes even if we don't like it,)

静かに 笑ってしまおう
Shizuka ni waratte shimaou
(let us laugh our fears away quietly)

いじけること だけが　生きることだと
Ijikeru koto dake ga Ikiru koto dato
(Because we are accustomed to consider)

飼い馴らし　すぎたので
Kainarashi sugita no de
(that lacking spirits is the only way of life,)

身構えながら 話すなんて
Migamae nagara hanasu nante
(we are so nervous)

ああ おくびょう　なんだよね
Aa okubyou nanda yo ne
(as to talk by girding ourselves)

襟裳の春は 何もない春です
Erimo no haru wa nanimo nai haru desu
(There is nothing special in Erimo in spring)

寒い友だちが 訪ねてきたよ
Samui tomodachi ga tazunete kita yo
(Here, we have a friend visiting us in the cold place)

遠慮は　いらないから 暖まってゆきなよ
Enryo wa iranai kara atatamatte yuki na yo
(Please feel free to warm up here)