1937 song
"Aikoku Kōshinkyoku" (愛国行進曲, Patriotic March) is a Japanese march composed by Tōkichi Setoguchi with lyrics by Yukio Morikawa. It was released in December 1937.[1]
History
At the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Cabinet of Japan sponsored several public competitions for lyrics to Aikoku Kōshinkyoku in September 1937.[2] There were 57,578 entries for lyrics that were received, and Morikawa's entry was selected as the winner. For the music, 9,555 entries to accompany the lyrics were then received, and Setoguchi was declared the winner. Setoguchi was already a noted composer who had written the Gunkan kōshinkyoku, the official march of the Imperial Navy.
A few days after its release, Aikoku Kōshinkyoku sold a hundred thousand copies from six labels. It sold over a million by 1938.[3][4]
In popular culture
This song is used in the 1972 Malaysian film Laksamana Do Re Mi, but with different lyrics.
Lyrics
Japanese script
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Latin script
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Literal English translation
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Poetic English translation
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見よ東海の空明けて
旭日高く輝けば
天地の正気溌剌と
希望は躍る大八洲
おお清朗の朝雲に
聳ゆる富士の姿こそ
金甌無缺揺ぎなき
我が日本の誇なれ
起て一系の大君を
光と永久に戴きて
臣民我れら皆な共に
御稜威に副はん大使命
往け八紘を宇となし
四海の人を導きて
正しき平和打ち建てん
理想は花と咲き薫る
今幾度か我が上に
試練の嵐哮るとも
断乎と守れ其の正義
進まん道は一つのみ
ああ悠遠の神代より
軣く歩調 受け継ぎて
大行進の 往く彼方
皇国常に 栄在れ
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Miyo Toukai no sora akete
Kyokujitsu takaku kagaya ke ba
Tenchi no seiki hatsuratsu to
Kibou wa odoru Ōyashima
Oo seirou no asagumo ni
Sobiyuru Fuji no subata koso
Kin'ou muketsu yuruginaki
Waga Nippon no hokorinare
Tate ikkei no Ōkimi wo
Hikari to towa ni itadaki te
Shinmin warera minna tomo ni
Miitsu no sowan Taishimei
Yuke Hakko wo Ie to nashi
Shikai no hito wo michibi kite
Tadashiki Heiwa uchitaten
Risou wa hana to saki kaoru
Ima ikutabika waga ue ni
Shiren no arashi takeru tomo
Tanko to mamore sono seigi
Susuman michi wa hitotsu no mi
Ā, yūen no Kamiyo yo ri
Todoroku hochou uke tsugite
Daikoushin no yuku kanata
Koukoku tsune ni sakae are
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Look at the bright eastern sky,
The sun rises high;
The true spirits of the sky and the earth
fill all the hearts of Oyashima.
Beyond the clouds of dawn
Fuji's peak rises.
Unwavering and beautiful,
It brings pride to my Japan.
He who reigns in power and virtue
Is our unbroken light.
All of us subjects shall follow
And accomplish our great mission.
Carry forth the eight cords across the universe,
Guide the peoples of the four seas.
Let us build a tower of true peace
So our ideal shall bloom like a flower!
Now we face many times
Various storms and trials,
We must protect and defend righteousness
In its single path.
Ah, we remember from the divine era,
The march of our ancestors that we must follow.
We shall go beyond the great march,
So our empire will always be glorious!
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Look above the eastern sea clearly dawns the sky;
Glorious and bright the sun rideth up on high.
Spirit pure of heaven and earth fills the hearts of all,
Hope abounding springs--O sweet Isles Imperial.
Yonder where the clouds of morn shed a radiant glow,
Fuji Mountain, Nippon's pride, rears its crown of snow.
Fair of form without a blot nobly doth it stand,
And unshakable--a true symbol of our land.
He who reigns above in power and in virtue dight,
Sovereign of unbroken line, is our changeless light.
We will follow--one and all loyal subjects, we--
Follow Him aright: fulfil our great destiny!
Onward, east, west, north and south. Over land and main!
Let us make the world our home, call to fellow-men
Everywhere on the four seas, let us build the tower
of just peace--let our ideal bloom forth like a flower!
Though again and yet again trials we may meet,
Over us may tempests roar, storms upon us beat,
Resolute in heart and mind justice we defend.
But one road we know to gain triumph in the end.
Hark! Far from the hallowed past of the Age Divine
Sounds our fathers' measured tread. O come fall in line!
As we, sons and daughters, march, shines our path before.
Glory be unto our land ever, evermore!
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References