Song of shells

貝殻節 (Kaigarabushi, "Song of shells"), is the song of scallop dredge that was sung until around 1930 in Tottori, Japan.

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

ひさまつやまから　沖合い見れば
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)