しずかな湖畔の
At a Quiet Lake Shore
Words by: Unknown
Song by: Swiss Folk Tune

もう起きちゃいかがと　かっこうが鳴く
mou okichai ka ga to kakkou ga naku
A Cuckoo calls, "Isn't it time to wake up?"

カッコウ　カッコウ
kakkou kakkou
Cuckoo; cuckoo

カッコウ　カッコウ　カッコウ
kakkou kakkou kakkou
Cuckoo; cuckoo; cuckoo

VERSE TWO
しずかな湖畔の　森のかげから
shizukana kohan no mori no kage kara
From the shadow of the woods by a quiet lakeside

おやすみなさいと　ふくろう鳴く
oyasumi nasai to fukurou naku
"Good night" calls the owl

ホッホウ　ホッホウ
hohhou hohhou
Whoot whoo

ホッホウ　ホッホウ　ホッホウ
hohhou hohhou hohhou
Whoot whoo whoot

Some versions of the second verse on the net have:

夜もふけたよ
おしゃべりやめて
おやすみなさいと
鳴くふくろう
ホッホー　ホッホー
ホッホー　ホッホー　ホッホー

Yumi was only aware of the first verse, so we are not sure what the 'official' second verse is--if there is one.

VOCAB:

VERSE ONE:
しずかな shizuka na - quiet (-na adjective)
湖畔 kohan - lakeshore; lakeside
湖畔の森 kohan no mori - a forest by the lake
森 mori - forest
かげ kage - shadow; behind [In this case, it may just mean, 'behind the speaker' or 'from the forest behind (the speaker)...']
から kara - from

もう mou - already
起きちゃ okicha - waking up (起きては)
いかが ikaga - how about...?
と to - saying; quotation marker; (the cuckoo as if to say)
かっこう kakkou - cuckoo bird
鳴く naku - calling; singing

カッコウ kakkou - cuckoo (sound of a cuckoo bird)

VERSE TWO:
しずかな shizuka na - quiet (-na adjective)
湖畔 kohan - lakeshore; lakeside
湖畔の森 kohan no mori - a forest by the lake
森 mori - forest
かげ kage - shadow; behind [In this case, it may just mean, 'behind the speaker' or 'from the forest behind (the speaker)...']
から kara - from

おやすみなさい oyasumi nasai - good night
と to - saying; quotation marker; (the owl as if to say)
ふくろう fukurou - owl
鳴く naku - calling; singing

ホッホウ hohhou - whoot (sound of an owl)

しゃぼん玉
Soap Bubbles
Words by Noguchi Ujou
Song by Nakayama Shinpei
野口雨情作詞・中山晋平作曲

VERSE ONE
しゃぼん玉とんだ
shabondama tonda
Bubbles flew away

屋根までとんだ
yane made tonda
To the roof it flew

屋根までとんで
yane made tonde
Flying to the roof,

こわれて消えた
kowarete kieta
It burst and disappeared

VERSE TWO
しゃぼん玉消えた
shabondama kieta
The bubble disappeared

飛ばずに消えた
tobazu ni kieta
Without flying, it disappeared

うまれてすぐに
umarete sugu ni
As soon as it was born

こわれて消えた
kowarete kieta
It burst and disappeared

CHORUS
風風吹くな
kaze kaze fukuna
Wind, wind--do not blow!

しゃぼん玉とばそ
shabondama tobaso
Let's blow bubbles!

VOCAB:

VERSE ONE:
しゃぼん玉 shabon dama - (soap) bubble
とんだ tonda - flew

屋根 yane - roof (of a house)
まで made - until; as far as
屋根まで yane made - until the roof; to the roof

とんで tonde - flying...
こわれて kowarete - bursting...
消えた kieta - extinguished; disappeared

VERSE TWO:
飛ばずに tobazu ni - not flying; without flying
うまれて umarete - born...
すぐに sugu ni - soon (thereafter)

こわれて kowarete - breaking...
消えた kieta - extinguished; disappeared

CHORUS:
風 kaze - wind
吹くな fukuna - don't blow [～な is a negative ending]
とばそ tobaso - Let's (make it) fly; blow (bubbles)

The Elephant's Song

ぞうさん、ぞうさん
zou-san, zou-san
Mr. Elephant, Mr. Elephant

おはな が ながい の ね
ohana ga nagai no ne
Your nose is long, you know

そう よ、かあさん も
sou yo, kaasan mo
That's right, my mama('s) also

ながい の よ
nagai no yo
is long.

VOCAB:

ぞうさん zou san - 'zou' means elephant; san means 'mister' or 'miss' and is often added for cuteness in children speak
おはな ohana - 'hana' means nose; the 'o' before it is honorific and is often used before nouns when speaking to others
が ga - the subject marker; (what is before 'ohana' is the subject)
ながい nagai - long
の ね no ne - I have this as 'you know,' but really this is one of those things that can't be directly translated into English; You have to get a feel for it. Both the 'no' and the 'ne' are used when explaning something and showing emotions.
そうよ sou yo - 'sou' means 'yes' 'that's right'... 'yo' is added for emphasis
かあさん も kaa san mo - 'kaa san' is mother, mama; 'mo' means also, too
ながい の よ nagai no yo - long; the 'no yo' is like the 'no ne' but the difference is the 'ne' is less sure than the 'yo.'

かえるの歌
The Frog's Song

かえるの歌が
kaeru no uta ga
The frog's song

聞こえてくるよ
kikoete kuru yo
we can hear it (the song)

ぐぁ ぐぁ ぐぁ ぐぁ
gwa gwa gwa gwa
ribbit <frog noise>

げろ げろ げろ げろ
gero gero gero gero
ribbit <more frog noise>

ぐぁ ぐぁ ぐぁ
gwa gwa gwa
ribbit <still more frog noise>

VOCAB:

かえる kaeru - Frog
の no - 's (possessive)
歌 uta - song
が ga - subject marker / particle

聞こえてくる kikoetekuru - able to hear gradually - (the feeling is we are approaching the frogs and their voices are getting louder.)
よ yo - 'hey you' or 'listen you!'

ぐぁ gwa & げろ gero - the effect of a frog singing

JUST A NOTE:
Another meaning of げろ gero is 'to throw up; puke'

うれしいひな祭り
Happy Doll's Festival
Words by Satou Hachiro
Song by Kawamura Kouyou
サトウハチロー作詞・河村光陽作曲

VERSE ONE
あかりをつけましょ　ぼんぼりに
akari o tsukemasho bonbori ni
Let's light the paper covered lamps

お花をあげましょ　桃の花
o hana o agemasho momo no hana
Let's give flowers, peach flowers (to doll)

五人ばやしの　笛太鼓
gonin bayashi no fuetaiko
Five (doll) musicians with flute and taiko

今日はたのしい　ひな祭り
kyou wa tanoshii hinamatsuri
Today is the enjoyable Hina Matsuri

VERSE TWO
お内裏様と　おひな様
odairisama to ohinasama
The Emperor and Hina dolls

二人ならんで　すまし顔
futari narande sumashi gao
The two lined up with straight faces

お嫁にいらした　姉様に
oyome ni irashita neesama ni
My sister-in-law who, coming as a bride,

よく似た官女の　白い顔
yoku nita kanjo no shiroi kao
Looked similar to the (doll) court lady's white face

VERSE THREE
金のびょうぶに　うつる灯を
kin no byoubu ni utsuru hi o
On the golden folding screen, the light

かすかにゆする　春の風
kasuka ni yusuru haru no kaze
Gently flickers in the Spring breeze

すこし白酒　めされたか
sukoshi shirozake mesaretaka
Did you have a little white sake?

あかいお顔の　右大臣
akai o kao no udaijin
The Minister of the Right doll with the red face

VERSE FOUR
着物をきかえて　帯しめて
kimono o kikaete obi shimete
Changing clothes; tying the obi

今日はわたしも　はれ姿
kyou wa watashi mo hare sugata
Today I also will dress in my finest

春のやよいの　このよき日
haru no yayoi no kono yoki hi
For this special Spring day

なによりうれしい　ひな祭り
nani yori ureshii hinamatsuri
More than anything--Hina Matsuri

VOCAB:

VERSE ONE:
あかり akari - light; lamp
を o - (direct object marker)
つけましょ tsukemasho - let's light
ぼんぼり bonbori - paper covered lantern box
に ni - to (light the lamp in the bonbori)

お花 o hana - flowers (honorific お)
あげましょ agemasho - let's give
桃の花 momo no hana - peach flowers

五人 gonin - five people
ばやし bayashi - musical accompaniment (はやし)
五人ばやし gonin bayashi - dolls representing five musicians for the Hina Matsuri
笛 fue - a flute; a pipe
太鼓 taiko - taiko drums

今日 kyou - today
たのしい tanoshii - happy; fun
ひな祭り hina matsuri - Hina Matsuri; Doll festival; Girl's festival; Peach festival (Festival held on March 3rd at which families with girls display the hina dolls eat special sweetmeats, and drink shirozake)

VERSE TWO:
お内裏様 o dairi sama - doll representing the emperor (with the hina doll, they represent the emperor and empress in ancient costume)
と to - and
おひな様 ohina sama - doll for festival in ornamental dress

二人 futari - the two (dolls)
ならんで narande - set in a line; side by side
すまし顔 sumashi gao - a serious face

お嫁 oyome - bride
お嫁にいらした oyome ni irashita - came as a bride
姉様 neesama - older sister (polite)
(She came (いらした) so she must be a brother's wife hence 'sister-in-law')

よく似た yoku nita - looked very similar to...
官女 kan jo - court lady; lady in waiting; a maid of honor
白い顔 shiroi kao - white (powdered for wedding) face

VERSE THREE:
金 kin - gold (金の golden...)
びょうぶ byoubu - byoubu; a folding screen
うつる灯 utsuru hi - reflected light; (This kanji 灯 is often used poetically; for example: 希望の灯 kibou no hi A ray of hope)
を o - direct object marker

かすかに kasuka ni - faintly
ゆする yusuru - to rock; shake
春の風 haru no kaze - Spring breeze (causes the light to faintly flicker)

すこし sukoshi - a little bit
白酒 shirozake - white sake; (made from sake and rice malt)
めされたか mesareta ka - were you given to drink (sake); (said to the doll)

あかいお顔 akai okao - red faced
右大臣 udaijin - Minister of the Right (in old Japan)

VERSE FOUR:
着物 kimono - kimono; clothing
きかえて kikaete - change clothes (着替えて)
帯 obi - an obi; a broad sash worn with a kimono
しめて shimete - close; tie (obi)

今日は kyou wa - As for today
わたしも watashi mo - I also
はれ姿 hare sugata - dress up; in finest clothes

春 haru - Spring
やよい yayoi - third month of the lunar calendar; spring
このよき日 kono yoki hi - this auspicious day

なにより nani yori - more than anything
うれしい ureshii - happy

さくら
Cherry Blossoms
Author Unknown
作詞・作曲不詳

VERSE ONE
さくら　さくら
sakura sakura
Cherry blossoms; cherry blossoms

弥生の空は　見渡すかぎり
yayoi no sora wa miwatasu kagiri
The spring sky--as far as you can see

霞か雲か　匂いぞ出ずる
kasumi ka kumo ka nioi zo izuru
Is it a mist? Is it a cloud? The fragrence comes out!

いざや　いざや　見にゆかん
iza ya iza ya mi ni yukan
Come now, let's go see.

The above verse was the original lyrics, but in Showa 16 (1941), the Ministry of Education revised the lyrics to:

さくら　さくら
sakura sakura
Cherry blossoms; cherry blossoms

野山も里も　見わたす限り
no yama mo sato mo miwatasu kagiri
The hills and fields and countryside also as far as you can see

かすみか雲か　朝日ににおう
kasumika kumo ka asahi ni niou
Is it a mist? Is it a cloud? Fragrant in the morning sunlight

さくら　さくら　花ざかり
sakura sakura hana zakari
Cherry blossoms; cherry blossoms - flowers in full bloom

VOCAB:

VERSE ONE:
さくら sakura - cherry blossoms; Japanese cherry tree
弥生 yayoi - third month; March; spring
空 sora - sky
見渡す miwatasu - look out over...; take in the view
かぎり kagiri - limits; bound

霞か kasumi ka - is it a mist?
雲か kumo ka - is it a cloud?
匂いぞ nioizo - the smell! (the ぞ stresses)
出ずる izuru - comes out (old way to say 出る deru)

いざや iza ya - come now; well now (like さあ)
見にゆかん mi ni yukan - let's go and see (ゆかん＝いこう)

VERSE TWO:
さくら sakura - cherry blossoms; Japanese cherry tree
野 no - field
山 yama - mountains
野山 noyama - hills and fields
も mo - also
里 sato - village; countryside
見わたす mi watasu - look out over; take in the view
限り kagiri - limits; bound

かすみ kasumi - mist; haze
か ka - (shows uncertainty)
雲 kumo - cloud
朝日 asahi - morning sun; morning sunlight
におう niou - be fragrant

花ざかり hana zakari - flowers at their best

雀の学校
The Sparrow's School
by Shimizu Katsura (清水かつら)

チイチイパッパ チイパッパ　
chii chii pappa chii pappa
Chii chii pappa chiipappa

雀の学校の先生は
suzume no gakkou no sensei wa
The teacher of the sparrow's school

むちをふりふり チイパッパ
muchi o furi furi chii pappa
swings about a whip

生徒の雀は 輪になって　
seito no suzume wa wa ni natte
The sparrow students make a circle

お口をそろえて チイパッパ
o kuchi o soroete chii pappa
All together they open their mouths with chiipappa

まだまだいけない チイパッパ　
madamada ikenai chii pappa
It's still no good

も一度一緒にチイパッパ
mo ichido isshou ni chii pappa
One more time all together now, chiipappa

チイチイパッパ　チイパッパ
chii chii pappa chii pappa
chiichii pappa chiipappa

This song's lyrics was written by 清水かつら (Shimizu Katsura) and the melody by 弘田龍太郎 (Hirota Ryuutarou) in 1921.

Apparantely, the sounds ちいちいぱっぱ was inspired by the sound of his young daughter learning to talk (ちいちい) and by the sound of the fluttering of sparrow's wings (ぱっぱ). For a discussion on this, click here.

VOCAB:

雀 suzume - sparrow
の no - 's (possessive)
学校 gakkou - school
先生 sensei - teacher

鞭 muchi - whip
を o - direct object marker
ふりふり furi furi - shake; swing

生徒 seito - student
輪 wa - ring; circle
になって ni natte - become (make)

お口 okuchi - mouth (polite)
そろえて soroete - be uniform; gather together

まだまだ mada mada - not yet; still more...
いけない ikenai - no good; wrong

も一度 mo ichido - one more time
一緒に issho ni - together

For photos of the authors, click here.

一年生になったら
When I Become a First Grader
Words by Mado Michio
Song by Yamamoto Naozumi
まどみちお作詞　山本直純作曲

VERSE ONE
一年生になったら
ichi nen sei ni nattara
When I become a first grader

一年生になったら
ichi nen sei ni nattara
When I become a first grader

ともだち１００人　できるかな
tomodachi hyakunin dekiru kana
I wonder if I can make hundred friends

１００人で　食べたいな
hyakunin de tabetai na
I'd like to eat with a hundred friends

富士山の上で　おにぎりを
fuji san no ue de onigiri o
Eat onigiri on top of Mt. Fuji

パックン　パックン　パックンと
pakkun pakkun pakkun to
Chew, Chew, Chew

VERSE TWO
一年生になったら
ichinensei ni nattara
When I become a first grader

一年生になったら
ichinensei ni nattara
When I become a first grader

ともだち１００人　できるかな
tomodachi hyaku nin dekiru kana
I wonder if I can make a hundred friends

１００人で　かけたいな
hyaku nin de kaketai na
I'd like to run with a hundred friends

日本中を　ひとまわり
nipponjuu o hitomawari
Go around throughout Japan

ドッシン　ドッシン　ドッシンと
dosshin dosshin dosshin to
Stomp, Stomp, Stomp!

VERSE THREE
一年生になったら
ichinensei ni nattara
When I become a first grader

一年生になったら
ichinensei ni nattara
When I become a first grader

ともだち１００人　できるかな
tomodachi hyaku nin dekiru kana
I wonder if I can make a hundred friends

１００人で　笑いたい
hyaku nin de waraitai
I'd like to laugh with a hundred friends

世界中を　ふるわせて
sekaijuu o furuwasete
Make it vibrate throughout the world

ワッハハ　ワッハハ　ワッハッハ
wahhaha wahhaha wahhaha
Wahhaha, haha, haha!

一年生になったら

VOCAB:

VERSE ONE:
一年生 ichinensei - first grader (can be elementary, junior high, or college, but the context makes this obviously elementary first grade)
になったら ni nattara - become (になる to become)
ともだち tomodachi - friend(s)
１００人 hyaku nin - a hundred people
できる dekiru - can; able
かな kana - I wonder if...?

１００人で hyakunin de - with a hundred people (children)
たべたい tabetai - want to eat (たべる to eat ～たい want to)
な na - (stresses the thought)

富士山 fujisan - Mount Fuji
の上で no ue de - on top of
おにぎり onigiri - rice balls
を o - (direct object marker)

パックン pakkun - (sound of chewing food)
と to - (shows how they would eat the onigiri)

VERSE TWO:
一年生 ichinensei - first grader (can be elementary, junior high, or college, but the context makes this obviously elementary first grade)
になったら ni nattara - become (になる to become)
ともだち tomodachi - friend(s)
１００人 hyaku nin - a hundred people
できる dekiru - can; able
かな kana - I wonder if...?

１００人で hyakunin de - with a hundred people (children)
かけたい kaketai - want to run (駆ける kakeru run; race; dash)
な na - (stresses the thought)

日本中 nipponjuu - Throughout Japan (Japan is normally nihon, but nippon is often used for the grandiose factor)
ひとまわり hito mawari - go around; make a tour (一回り)

ドッシン dosshin - (sound of feet stomping)
と to - (shows how they would go around Japan)