Tanko Bushi
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese folk song. Despite the term "fushi/bushi" found in its name, the rhythm is in swung, ondo
style. It is a song about coal mining, and it refers to old Miike Mine in Kyūshū
. It is a common song used in Bon dances during the Bon Festival
, and the dance that accompanies it depicts actions in mines, i.e., digging, pushing a cart, hanging a lantern, etc.
Tsuki ga deta deta
Tsuki ga deta, a yoi yoi
Miike Tankō no ue ni deta
Anmari entotsu ga takai no de
Sazoya otsukisan kemutakaro
Sa no yoi yoi
Rough English translation:
The moon, has come out,
Oh, the moon is out, heave ho (kakegoe
)
Over Miike Coal Mine hath the moon come out.
The chimney is so high,
I wonder if the moon chokes on the smoke...
Heave ho!
Modern arrangements of Tankō Bushi replace the lyric "Miike Tankō" (Miike Mine) with "uchi no oyama," which means something more general like "our mountain" or "our plain," as Miike Mine is no longer in service, and the song is played at Bon dances outside of Kyūshū.
Ondo
Ondo is the name of:* Ondo , a style of Japanese folk music* Ondo, Hiroshima, a town in Japan* Ondo City in Nigeria* Ondo State in Nigeria* Ondo Phone in Europe...
style. It is a song about coal mining, and it refers to old Miike Mine in Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. It is a common song used in Bon dances during the Bon Festival
Bon Festival
or just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed...
, and the dance that accompanies it depicts actions in mines, i.e., digging, pushing a cart, hanging a lantern, etc.
Excerpt from Tankō Bushi
Japanese:Tsuki ga deta deta
Tsuki ga deta, a yoi yoi
Miike Tankō no ue ni deta
Anmari entotsu ga takai no de
Sazoya otsukisan kemutakaro
Sa no yoi yoi
Rough English translation:
The moon, has come out,
Oh, the moon is out, heave ho (kakegoe
Kakegoe
Kakegoe can be literally translated as "hung voice" or "a voice you hang." The "hanging" part is probably meant to be taken in an abstract sense to mean "ornament" or "decoration," as it is the same Japanese verb used when talk about kakemono. Kakegoe, therefore, refers to an auxiliary pitched or...
)
Over Miike Coal Mine hath the moon come out.
The chimney is so high,
I wonder if the moon chokes on the smoke...
Heave ho!
Modern arrangements of Tankō Bushi replace the lyric "Miike Tankō" (Miike Mine) with "uchi no oyama," which means something more general like "our mountain" or "our plain," as Miike Mine is no longer in service, and the song is played at Bon dances outside of Kyūshū.