Miyasan, Miyasan
First known military song in Japan
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"Miyasan, Miyasan" (宮さん宮さん)[note 1], was a loyalist song, popular during the Boshin War.[3] It is also Japan's oldest extant military song.[4][5]
 The song's lyrics, c. 1868 | |
| Lyrics | Shinagawa Yajirō, c. 1868 |
|---|---|
| Published | c. 1868 |
Overview
The lyrics refer to Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, or "Miya-san" in the song.[6][7] He was an influential figure in the Meiji Restoration.[8][9] He was also the Grand Governor of the Eastern Expedition during the war.[10] The lyrics represent the spirits of the new government forces[10] which was the military forces belonging to the emperor and the Imperial Court.
In January 1868, the new government forces, formed from the three domains of Satsuma, Choshu, and Tosa and the respective lords of each province, fought and won the Battle of Toba-Fushimi against the old shogunate forces.[9] The following month, the new government's president, Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, also serving as the Grand Governor-General of the Eastern Expedition, was given a brocaded flag and a ceremonial sword by Emperor Meiji, and began marching along the Tokaido Highway.[9] All these events are mentioned in the songs lyrics.
A version of the melody, renamed "Mi-ya Sa-ma", is used in the comic opera The Mikado (1885) by Gilbert and Sullivan.[11]
Lyrics
The lyrics are given in Japanese, next to a transliteration and an English translation. Sources:[12][13]
| Japanese | Transliteration into rōmaji | English translation |
|---|---|---|
宮さん宮さんお馬の前に |
Miya san miya san o uma no mae ni |
My Lord, My Lord, what is that |
Notes
- i.e. "to the east": After the Fall of Osaka Castle, Tokugawa Yoshinobu fled east to Edo.