The Karate Song

Discovered by Joe Swift

translation

http://www.stamfordisshinryu.com/id187.htm

Aa sanjento hi no hikari

Myo gunjorno umi no iro

Saekeki shima no tokonga

Saegigaumishi mute no ken.

 

Kokoro o Kitau, mi o kitau

Aa, Okinawa no, Karate-do !

 

Aa ware osou tekki araba

Shurei no kuni ni shingiari

Tetsu no kobushi wa kanzento

 

Niku o kirasete, hone o utsu

Kokoro o mamaru, Mi o mamaru.

Aa, Okinawa no Karate-do !

 

Aa tensenshi kodai yori

Hewa no kane wa naritsutau

Semeru ni arazu fusegu waza

 

Gotai ga bukizo kono karate

Kokoro o tadasu, mi o tadasu

Aa Okinawa, no Karate-do !!

 

ENGLISH

 

Ah, beautiful islands of sunlight

and the color of the sea

the proud fighting spirit of the

islanders and the empty handed

sword of Justice.

Training spirit and training body

This is Okinawan Karate-do !

O, but if an enemy should happen to

attack us, and the method of

courtesy prove to no avail, if he

should cut our flesh with

his iron weapon, even then

we will punch through to his bone.

Courtesy and defense together

this is Okinawan Karate-do !

 

O ! Ever since the mythical

ancestry of Japan, the bell of

peace has been ringing continually

in Okinawa. The way of courtesy

and the five bodily weapons of

Karate together, to make a straight

character and good etiquette,

This is Okinawan Karate-do !!!

 

 

This song, "Karate-Do Sanka", attempts to epitomize some of the most important aspects of Karate. The most important lines of the three verses are:   "Kokoro o kitau, mi o kitau"; "Kokoro o mamaru, mi o Mamaru"; and "Kokoro o tadasu, mi o tadasu".   "Kokoro" means spirit, heart, mind, or feeling. "Mi" is the body. Since the word "Kitau" means training or practice, the first line may be translated as, "Training spirit and body", i.e. making not only the body strong through the many repetitions of years of continuous practice, but also strengthening the spirit to be able to tackle the most difficult tasks, both physical, mental and spiritual.   The second line combines with the word for defense, "Mamaru". Hence the total meaning is defense with body or the blocking and attacking method of the Karate-jutsu, and more importantly the ability to avoid fighting even when it means walking away from the insult or some other difficult situation, in other words, defense with the spirit, or in a rough approximation, courtesy.   The third line builds us up to the most important and difficult of the three concepts, character and etiquette. "Tadasu" means to make straight and so the literal translation of this is, "Make a straight spirit and a straight body." In other words, to correct and perfect the very way in which each individual thinks and acts on a moral basis, as determined by his society and religion.