Happy Saint Patrick's Day

I was struck by this poignant video posted today on the New York Times site and thought how perfectly the Okinawan duo 

Isamu Shimoji and Yukito Ara's song captures a longing for a distant home. Sung to the tune of "Danny Boy" their song reinterprets and reframes  Frederic Weatherly's classic and makes it both more personal and more global. Isamu Shimoji and Yukito Ara's lyrics are below:


Beloved child of mine,

From beyond the skies is heard the voice of the flute calling to you.

Summer has passed, the flowers of the season have fallen.

You are preparing for the journey to distant lands.

Through the summer when the grasses and flowers bloom and peak,

Through the winter when the north winds bluster and blow, here on this island I’m always waiting for you.

Beloved child of mine, o beloved child of mine!

I’m watching and waiting for you to return, gentle and brave.

As the seasons turn and you finally come home to the island of your birth, 

Though you may no longer see my form, 

my love for you is true through eternity.

With your gentle voice, call to me!

Beloved child of mine, o beloved child of mine!

Beloved child of mine, o beloved child of mine!



Translation, by Sharon Nakazato.

More at: The Flute, The Flute Is Calling