Saburou Hotaru (Saburo, the Firefly)
Performed by Hiroshi Kanoh
Lyrics written by Keizo Hoshi
Composed by Koji Tokuhisa
Arranged by Nobuyuki Sakuraba
Gauss Entertainment, 2005, CD
On June 5, 1945, Saburo Miyakawa told Tome Torihama, who
operated Tomiya Restaurant in Chiran, that he and his friend Enosuke Takimoto would
both return as fireflies after their kamikaze squadron completed
its mission the next
day. Takimoto was forced to return to Chiran Air Base due to driving rain and heavy clouds,
but Miyakawa continued on to try to complete his kamikaze mission. At 9 o'clock on June 6, a single firefly came into
Tomiya Restaurant, and Tome
Torihama and the people in the restaurant, including Takimoto, thought Miyakawa had
returned as a firefly.
The enka song entitled "Saburou Hotaru" (Saburo, the Firefly) by Hiroshi
Kanoh is based on the actual history of Saburo Miyakawa, but the song provides
few details related to Miyakawa's real story. Below is an English translation of
this song:
Tomorrow at the bottom of the sea somewhere
The short lives of both you and me
If they are lost we'll reach our long-cherished ambition
We'll become fireflies and return here
If I come, give me amazake [1] to drink
"Firefly, come to me, firefly, come to me"
Please softly sing
(spoken) Mother, my departure finally has arrived
It was a short life, but thanks for giving birth to me
I am going one step ahead
Mother, please come without hurry
Mother! (shouted)
Farewell, my homeland, my loved ones
We do not want to die but
Our lives will serve a useful purpose
If we say farewell to Mount Kaimon [2]
Even though tears may fall, still we'll be in high spirits
Firefly, come to me, firefly, come to me
Please congratulate and tell us, "Thanks for returning"
Firefly, come to me, firefly, come to me
Do not forget us
Translated by Bill Gordon
February 2008
Notes
1. Amazake is a sweet alcoholic drink
made from fermented rice.
2. Mount Kaimon, which looks like a smaller
version of Mount Fuji, is a mountain at the southern tip of mainland Japan where
kamikaze pilots from Chiran Air Base and other kamikaze air bases in southern Kyushu flew over on their
flights toward Okinawa.
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