In time when scallop dredge was not mechanized, the fishermen were operating heavy dredging gear by hand. The song of prayer for good catches would have been sounded as curse upon the sea life and also upon the fishermen who sang it because as long as there lots of scallops are, their work is not end.
The dredges damaged the seabed in the area, scallops are gone. And fishermen were released from hardship, the prayer has finished its role.
賀露 元唄貝殻節 (Song of shells) --------------------------------
* ヤンサノエー イヤサカサッサ
** ヤサホーエーヤ ホーエヤエー イヤサカサッサ
*
 |
| scallops, Pecten albicans |
ア ソコダガノ ソコダガノ
あれが賀露かや コリャ 鳥ヶ島
**
*
何の因果で 貝殻漕ぎなさる
ア ソコダガノ ソコダガノ
色は黒なる コラ 身はやせる
**
*
賀露の沖から 貝殻がまねく
ア ソコダガノ ソコダガノ
かかよ まま 炊け コラ 出にゃならぬ
**
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* and ** are the Shinto prayers and are repeated.
Various lyrics are known, this is the version of Karo.
interliner-------------------------------------------------
* ヤンサノエー イヤサカサッサ
yansano⋅ee iyasaka⋅sassa
on-fishing-village·rich-catch, more-and-more·without-delay
** ヤサホーエーヤ ホーエヤエー イヤサカサッサ
yansa⋅hoei⋅ya hoe⋅ya⋅ee iyasaka⋅sassa
fishermen·drag-for-you·and rich-catches-and-rich-lives·on-them
more-and-more·without-delay
| ひさまつやまから 沖合い見れば hisamatsuyama⋅kara okia⋅mireba ア ソコダガノ ソコダガノ a soko⋅dagano soko⋅dagano あれが 賀露かや コリャ 鳥ヶ島 arega karo⋅kaya krya torigashima | from·Hisamatsuyama the-sea·I-see, "ah, here·I-am!" "on-the-sea-bottom·I-am!" that Karo·? and Torigashima |
| 何の因果で 貝殻漕ぎなさる nanno⋅inga⋅de kaigara⋅kogi⋅nasaru ア ソコダガノ ソコダガノ a soko⋅dagano soko⋅dagano 色は黒なる コラ 身はやせる irowa⋅kuro⋅naru kora miwa⋅yaseru | by·what·cause you-are·dredging-shellfish? "ah, here·I-am!" "on-the-sea-bottom·I-am!" skin-color·turns·dark, and you·lose-weight |
賀露の沖から 貝殻がまねく karono⋅oki⋅kara kaigaraga⋅maneku ア ソコダガノ ソコダガノ a soko⋅dagano soko⋅dagano かかよ まま炊け コラ 出にゃならぬ kaka⋅yo mama⋅take kora denyanaranu | in·the-sea·of-Karo, shells·are-calling "ah, here·I-am!" "on-the-sea-bottom·I-am!" wife·! with-rice·cook-for-me ! by-this, I'm-off-to-work |
note-------------------------------------------------
kaigara: shells, meaning scallops, Pecten albicans : shell length 10cm
Karo: a fishing village located in Tottori
Hisamatsu-yama: the mountain located in Tottori
-yama: suffix, meaning mountain
Toriga-shima: the islet in Tottori
-shima: suffix, meaning island or islet
soko: meaning adverb "there" or noun "bottom"
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References
History of Karo(Japanese)
Musical score
Movie (version of Aoya)
