＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・星をテーマにした曲や歌。スターダスト・星に願いを・昴・冬の星座など
Stars have been cherished by people all over the world since ancient times, as evidenced by the legend that “if you make three wishes in your heart while a shooting star is passing, your wish will come true,” the widespread practice of “astrology” (horoscopes) since ancient times, and the fact that the 88 “constellations” have been given names.
In the past, the air was clearer than it is now, and many more stars must have been visible, so people in ancient times must have gazed up at the starry sky and pondered various thoughts.
Therefore, there are many hit songs with stars as a theme, including the children’s song “Winter Constellations,” Kyu Sakamoto’s “Look Up at the Stars at Night,” Shinji Tanimura’s “Subaru,” the jazz song “Stardust,” and “When You Wish Upon a Star,” familiar from the Disney movie “Pinocchio.”
(1) Winter Constellations
“Winter Constellations” is a Japanese children’s song with lyrics by Keizo Horiuchi (1897-1983). It was included in the 1947 (Showa 22) national textbook “Secondary School Music.” In 2007 (Heisei 19), it was selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Songs.
“Sayuru Sora” (clear sky) – “Sayuru” means “clear and bright.” It describes a sky that is clear and bright.
“Kusushiki” means “mysterious.” It is the attributive form of the archaic word “kusushi.”
“Monomina” means “all things,” or “everything.”
“Ikoeru” means “to rest.” It means to relax, to take a break, etc.
“Shijima” means complete silence. In kanji, it can be written as “静寂” or “無言.”
“Orion, Subaru, and Big Dipper” are constellations.
“Mukyu” means endless, infinite, or eternal.
「さゆる空」の「さゆる」は「冴ゆる」。空が冴えわたってくっきり見えること。
「奇しき（くすしき）」は、「不思議な」の意味。古語「奇し（くすし）」の連体形。
「ものみな」は、物は皆、つまり「すべての物が」の意味。
「いこえる」は「憩える」。ゆったりとくつろぐ、休息する、といった意味。
「しじま」は、静まり返っていること。漢字では「静寂」または「無言」を充てる。
「オリオン、スバル、北斗」は星座。
「無窮（むきゅう）」とは、果てしないこと、無限、永遠
The melody is based on the American popular song “Mollie Darling,” written and composed in 1871 by William S. Hays (1837-1907). It’s a love song about a man’s agonizing feelings for a woman named Molly, yearning for her to say she loves him.
I think the melody of this song is like a hymn and perfectly suits the lyrics of “Winter Constellations,” so it’s surprising that the original lyrics were about such intense love.
The lyrics were newly written and are not a translation. Incidentally, in Japan, even before “Winter Constellations,” the children’s song “Tsuki no Takyo” (Moon in a Foreign Land), with lyrics by Nakamura Akika (1841-1910), also used the melody of “Mollie Darling.” (2) Look Up at the Stars at Night
“Look Up at the Stars at Night” is a single released in May 1963 by Kyu Sakamoto (lyrics by Roku-suke Ei, music by Taku Izumi).
Originally, it was the theme song for a musical that premiered in 1960, and the lyrics reflect the story of that musical. It was made into a film in November 1963, starring Kyu Sakamoto.
The musical “Look Up at the Stars at Night,” which premiered in 1960, is a pioneering Japanese musical produced and performed by Roku-suke Ei and Taku Izumi. Its story is set against the backdrop of the era of mass employment in Japan at the time of its premiere.
During the post-war period of rapid economic growth, many young workers were needed, particularly in manufacturing. At Ueno Station in Tokyo, young people from rural areas arrived in droves for group employment, a scene even captured in the 1964 popular song “Ah, Ueno Station.”
Many of these young people worked during the day at companies while attending evening high schools (night schools) to study. The protagonist of the musical “Look Up at the Stars at Night” was one such struggling student, working during the day and attending evening high school.
The “stars at night” in “Look Up at the Stars at Night” symbolize the young people studying at evening schools, their own struggles and pursuit of simple happiness projected onto the small stars in the night sky.
Evening high schools (night schools) use the same buildings and classrooms as daytime high schools (full-time high schools). The desk used by the protagonist in the musical “Look Up at the Stars at Night” at night school was the same desk used by a female student at the daytime high school.
The young protagonist begins corresponding with the female student who sits at the same desk during the day, and they eventually become acquainted. Both are at an age filled with dreams for the future and many worries. The young protagonist takes her hand and sings “Look Up at the Stars at Night.”
(3) Subaru
“Subaru” is a single released in April 1980 by Shinji Tanimura. It is his biggest hit as a solo artist, and he has performed it five times at the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Contest).
Shinji Tanimura is known as an admirer of the Meiji-era poet Ishikawa Takuboku, and the lyrics of “Subaru” are heavily influenced by Takuboku’s works.
While listeners are free to interpret the lyrics as they see fit, Shinji Tanimura himself offers one interpretation in his own writings. I previously shared my interpretation in an article titled “Shinji Tanimura’s lyrics for ‘Subaru’ originate from Takuboku’s ‘Sad Toys.’ Also introducing the secret story of communication with the Pleiades star cluster.”
Incidentally, “Subaru” refers to the Pleiades star cluster, an open star cluster in the constellation Taurus. It’s a group of pale blue stars, and around seven stars can be seen with the naked eye.
The etymology of “Subaru” comes from “to govern/to govern/to unite,” representing a state where many things are united as one.
(4) Stardust
“Stardust” is a jazz standard released by Hoagy Carmichael in 1927. The song is also sometimes referred to as “Stardust.”
Incidentally, “Stardust” means “stardust” or “star debris.”
The first recording was made by the Carmichael Orchestra at the Gennett Records studio in Richmond, Indiana. Originally a medium-tempo song, a slow-tempo recording was made in 1928, and since Isham Jones’ ballad recording in 1930, it has become established as a slow ballad.
Lyrics were added in 1929 by Mitchell Parrish. Since Bing Crosby’s 1931 release, the song has been covered by numerous vocalists.
In Japan, the most famous cover version is by The Peanuts, who sang it as the ending theme for the NTV program “Shabondama Holiday,” which aired from 1961 to 1972. Other artists who have covered it include Chiemi Eri and Hibari Misora.
(5) When You Wish Upon a Star
“When You Wish Upon a Star” is the theme song from the 1940 Disney film “Pinocchio.”
At the beginning of the film, Jiminy Cricket, the “talking cricket,” sings “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
Pinocchio is a puppet created by the toy maker Geppetto. Geppetto, who had no children, wished upon a star that Pinocchio would become his child.
Geppetto’s wish was an absurd one—to turn his puppet into a human—but the blonde Blue Fairy appeared and gave Pinocchio life, even though he remained a puppet.
“If you have courage, honesty, and kindness, you can become human,” he told Geppetto, giving him a chance to fulfill his wish and appointing Jiminy Cricket the cricket as his conscience…
“When You Wish Upon a Star”
Lyrics: Ned Washington
Music: Leigh Harline
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you星に願いをかけるとき
あなたが誰かなんて関係ない
心の底から願えば
何でもきっと叶う
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers doもしあなたの心が夢の中にあれば
どんな願いも 願い過ぎなんてない
あなたが星に願う時
夢見る者がそうするように
Fate is kind
She brings to those to love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing運命は優しい
愛すべき人々の
密かな願いを
優しく叶えてくれる
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come trueそれは青天の霹靂(へきれき)
運命は歩み寄り あなたの心を見通す
あなたが星に願う時
夢はきっと叶う