RED DRAGONFLY etc in idelness

Take care not to suffer from the summer heat. It is summer in Japan too and very hot these days. How are you these days? I'm tired of summer heat. City area is a kind of frying pan. It is very warm because of the reflected heat of the sun. I think Tokyo's city plan was ill-planned. I want to criticize Tokyo's lack of foresight.



Several days ago, Kansai-international-air-port's second flight strip was opened. This air port was supposed to be a hub airport in Asia. All I can do is laughing at their plan. The air port costs them too much money. For that matter, the air port is far cry from Osaka. The air port was the world's first offshore airport, as I recall. There is not noise problem. But it is very inconvenient.



In Tokyo, there are two big air port. One is Haneda-air-port. The other is Narita air port. Haneda is convenience but it is mainly for domestic lines. Narita which is mainly for international airlines is far cry from Tokyo. (There is another Air-port in Tokyo. But it is American air base now.) Japanese government bureaucrats must be don't have human-brain.



The viaduct accident in America made the headlines in Japan too. I hope there is no more death. I heard there maybe 700 similar bridges which have the same structure in America. If so, it grow serious. I hope no more victims.



Immediately after Great -Hanshin-earth-quake, I went through one bridge in Kobe-city by my motorcycle. Minutes later or several tens minutes later, when I tried to go through the bridge again, there was no bridge. The bridge had vanished. Then I found the bridge in the water. It was like a movie. I can't regarded it is a real-life happening.





I took the photo at the park. It is a red dragonfly.

They sing "赤とんぼ" which means "Red Dragonfly", composed by Kosaku Yamada. All Japanese know and can sing this song.







These kids are Wiener Sängerknaben. Well,,, "Wiener boy's choir" in English?

They sang at Sensouji in Tokyo.







I found a translationed one.



１．夕やけ小やけの　赤とんぼ

負われて見たのは　いつの日か

Dragonflies as red as sunset,

Back when I was young

In twilight skies,

There on her back I'd ride

When the day was done



　　　/To the glorious sunset colors red dragonflies belong,

/When did I behold them as my mother carried me along?



//Dragon flies, bright red dragon flies

//Shining in the sun

//Summer's gone, the leaves are drifting

//Gently down from the golden trees



２．山の畑の　桑の実を

小籠（こかご）に摘んだ は　まぼろしか

Mountain fields, in late November

Long ago it seems

Mulberry trees and treasures we would gather

Was it only just a dream?



/Was it just a slowly fading dream, when I was a child?

/I picked up and gathered in a basket mulberries of the wild.



//Mountain farm, ripened mulberries

//Filling baskets full

//Harvest time, the autumn winds

//Are blowing seeds to their new homes



３．十五でねえや（姐や）は　嫁に行き（ゆき）

お里のたよりも　絶えはてた

Just fifteen, she went away one day

Married then so young

Like a sister, lost, I loved and missed her

Letters never seemed to come



/How I miss the maid so kind who was married young,

/How I love my infant days with the playmates I was among!



//Far away, I've traveled far away

//Living all alone

//Season's change, the year fly by and

//Still, I hear the autumn song of home



４．夕やけ小やけの　赤とんぼ

とまっているよ　竿の先

Dragonflies as red as sunset

Back when I was young

Now in my eyes,

When I see dragonflies

Tears are always sure to come



/To the glorious sunset colors red dragonflies adorn,

　　 /Don't you see alighting on tops of reeds they sojourn?



　　　　//Dragon flies, bright red dragon flies

//Shining in the sun

//Summer's gone, the leaves are drifting

//Gently down from the golden trees



Translated by Greg Irwin. I don't know who he is.



Have a great weekend!