Battōtai (song)

Battōtai
抜刀隊
Lyrics	Toyama Masakazu
Music	Charles Leroux
Published	1885
Audio sample
	Recording made on August 8, 1939 by the Imperial Japanese Army Band conducted by Ōnuma Satoru. The B and C sections of the march use the "Battōtai" melody. file; help;

"Battōtai" (抜刀隊, Drawn-Sword Regiment) is a Japanese gunka composed by Charles Leroux with lyrics by Toyama Masakazu in 1885. Upon the request of the Japanese government, Leroux adapted it along with another gunka, "Fusōka" (Song of Fusang), into the military march Rikugun bunretsu kōshinkyoku in 1912.

Background

The song references the Battōtai who fought in the Battle of Tabaruzaka during the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion. Because of supply problems and heavy rains, the Satsuma rebels were forced to engage with the Imperial Japanese Army in hand-to-hand combat. They inflicted heavy casualties against Imperial forces, who were mostly conscripts with no experience in wielding swords. Lieutenant General Yamagata Aritomo selected and deployed men from the surrounding area who were proficient with swords. He named this unit Battōtai or "Drawn-Sword regiment."[1]

Composition

Charles Leroux, a bandmaster and composer born in Paris, arrived in Japan in 1884 as part of a French military advisory group. He composed his "Battōtai" in 1885, while serving as bandmaster of the Imperial Japanese Army Band. The song was first publicly performed the same year at a concert hosted by the Greater Japan Music Society at the Rokumeikan. It was considered the first Western-style military song in Japan and the first to become popular across the country, although it was initially believed to be difficult to sing for Japanese unaccustomed to modulation.[2]

Lyrics


Japanese[3]	Transliteration into rōmaji
我は官軍我敵は天地容れざる朝敵ぞ敵の大將たる者は古今無雙の英雄で之に從ふ兵は共に慓悍决死の士鬼神に恥ぬ勇あるも天の許さぬ叛逆を起しゝ者は昔より榮えし例あらざるぞ敵の亡ぶる夫迄は進めや進め諸共に玉ちる劔拔き連れて死する覺悟で進むべし皇國の風と武士の其身を護る靈の維新このかた廢れたる日本刀の今更に又世に出づる身の譽敵も身方も諸共に刃の下に死ぬべきぞ大和魂ある者の死ぬべき時は今なるぞ人に後れて恥かくな敵の亡ぶる夫迄は進めや進め諸共に玉ちる劔拔き連れて死する覺悟で進むべし	Ware wa kangun waga teki wa Tenchi irezaru chouteki zo Teki no taishou taru mono wa Kokon musou no eiyuu de Kore ni shitagou tsuwamono wa Tomo ni hyoukan kesshi no shi Kijin ni hajinu yuuaru mo Ten no yurusanu hangyaku wo Okoseshi mono wa mukashi yori Sakaeshi tameshi arazaru zo Teki no horoburu sore made wa Susume ya susume moro tomo ni Tamachiru tsurugi nuki tsurete Shisuru kakugo de susumu beshi Mikuni no fuuto mono no fu wa Sonomi wo mamoru tamashii no Ishiin kono kata sutaretaru Nippontou no ima sara ni Mata yo ni izuru mi no homare Teki mo mikata mo moro tomo ni Yaiba no shita ni shisu beki ni Yamato-damashii aru mono no Shinubeki toki wa ima naruzo Hito ni okurete haji kakuna Teki no horoburu sore made wa Susume ya susume moro tomo ni Tamachiru tsurugi nuki tsurete Shisuru kakugo de susumu beshi

Score

References

Kotō, Masayoshi (1987). 西南戦争警視隊戦記 (in Japanese). 産経新聞データシステム. pp. 221–222.
Kurata, Yoshihiro. 民衆歌謡：近世末期から近代への流れ. 岩波講座日本の音楽・アジアの音楽 (in Japanese). Tokyo: 東京書籍. pp. 153–159. ISBN 4000103628.
"新体詩抄. 初編 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション".

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[1] Kotō, Masayoshi (1987). 西南戦争警視隊戦記 (in Japanese). 産経新聞データシステム. pp. 221–222.

[2] Kurata, Yoshihiro. 民衆歌謡：近世末期から近代への流れ. 岩波講座日本の音楽・アジアの音楽 (in Japanese). Tokyo: 東京書籍. pp. 153–159. ISBN 4000103628.

[3] "新体詩抄. 初編 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション".