By J. Derrick
McClure
MIYA SAMA
- "Noble
Prince" approximately
- MIYA
is "prince" and SAMA is a highly
respectful honorific.
ON UMA NO MAE NI
- UMA
is "horse", ON as a prefix
is another honorific "your (honourable) horse". NO MAE NI is "in front
of".
So "In front of
your Highness's horse"
PIRA-PIRA
SURU NO WA
- PIRA-PIRA
is an onomatope meaning "flutter".
The whole line means "the
thing which is fluttering".
NAN
GIA NA?
- Just "What is
it?"
GIA is not the usual transliteration: pronounce it like the Italian word GIA which means "already",
i.e. pronounce it JA.
So the whole verse means
"Oh noble Prince, what is that thing which is fluttering in front
of your Highness's horse?"
TOKO TONYARE TONYARE NA
has no literal meaning - it's just a series of
onomatopes for musical instruments, like "Tantantara tzing boom"!
The second verse, which Gilbert
didn't use, gives the answer to the question: "Know you not it is the
Imperial banner of silken brocade, the sign of punishment for rebels?"
Words and music are authentic Japanese - and it is NOT the foulest ditty
ever sung in the lowest tea-house in Japan!
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