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Children's Songs and Nursery Rhymes
Cherry Blossoms
Folk Song
(Japanese)

Folk Song
(English)

How happy, spring has come over the Sumida*,
Rowing up, rowing down in the warm sunbeams,
Drops from the boatmen's oars look like cherry blooms,
How can I describe for you the view o'er the streams?

Lo, see the cherry trees that stand in the morning mist,
I hear them speak to me in a tender tone,
In the eve I love to see the waving willows,
They stretch their hands to me strolling alone.

Oh, see the hazy moon rising o'er the banks,
Rows of cherry trees standing o'er the stream,
How I love the cherry blossoms in the moonlight!
How can I describe for you the night like in a dream?

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Note Left                Listen to Cherry Blossoms
(Format MP3)		                Note Left
 
Score_symbol                 Sheet Music for Cherry Blossoms                Score Symbol

*The Sumida River, which runs along the banks of Tokyo, Japan.

Sakura is how you say cherry tree in Japanese. You can write Sakura in Japanese as 桜or 櫻. This song is called Hana in Japanese, which means blossoms, but it's synonomous with cherry blossoms in Japan, especially in traditional literature. If anyone can send me the full romaji text to this song, I'd be grateful! Please email me. Thanks! Lisa

When the Cherry Blossoms bloom in March or April, people in Japan have Cherry Blossom viewing parties called Hanami. Come read more about Hanami on Mama Lisa's World Blog!

Many thanks to the Japan Information and Culture Center, a part of the Embassy of Japan, for contributing this song, the translation, illustration and the sheet music.

Many thanks to Susan Pomerantz for playing this tune on piano.

We'd be grateful if anyone could provide us with the computerized Japanese text of Hana. Please email me if you can help. Thanks! -Lisa

 
 
 
 


 
Copyright ©2008 by Lisa Yannucci. All rights reserved.
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