Category Archives: Twelve Songs Commentary

Song Nine

Twelve Songs Commentary

Song Nine is about missionary work. It begins with the phrase go around once and twice in this wide world to engage in salvation work.

Verse 1

一ツ      ひろいせかいをうちまわり　一せん二せんでたすけゆく

一つ　広い世界を打ち回り      一洗二洗で救け行く

Hitotsu / Hiroi sekai o / uchi mawari / issen nisen de / tasuke yuku

One / [This] wide world / clap and go around / wash once, wash twice / go to save

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Song Eight

Twelve Songs Commentary

Song Eight’s themes are “construction” and using construction as a metaphor for engaging in salvation work. It is a Song that concerns the gathering of human resources used to reconstruct the world into that of the Joyous Life as well as the way we are to handle the mind in order to have this construction proceed.

Verse 1

一ツ      ひろいせかいやくになかに　いしもたちきもないかいな

一つ　広い世界や国中に　石も立木もないかいな

Hitotsu / Hiroi sekai ya kuni naka ni / ishi mo tachiki mo nai kai na

One / [This] wide world and countries within / are there not any rocks or trees?

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Song Seven, verses 1–2

Twelve Songs Commentary

Song Seven touches upon “hinokishin” and “spreading the fragrance” before using agricultural metaphors such as “denji” (rice fields), “yoki-ji” (good field), “ano ji” (that field), “tane” (seeds), and “koe” fertilizer. The contents of Song Seven include sprinkling the fragrance of the teachings, the ideal way faith ought to be, care for the children of the path, the tending and fertilizing, as well as contribution and dedication. Even though it is not mentioned outright, the theme of Song Seven is “fusekomi” or dedicating ourselves to the path and to Jiba specifically.

The structure of Song Seven is that of a dialogue between Kami and human beings. Verses 1 to 4, 6, 8, and 10 are sung from Kami’s viewpoint whereas verses 5, 7, and 9 are expressed from a follower’s standpoint.

Further the “washi” (I) in verses 5 and 9 are claimed by one commentator to be Oyasama expressing sentiments from a human standpoint.1

Verse 1

一ツ      ひとことはなしハひのきしん　にほひばかりをかけておく

一つ　一言話は日の寄進　匂いばかりを掛けて置く

Hitotsu / Hitokoto hanashi wa hinokishin / nioi bakari o / kakete-oku

One / A single word is / hinokishin / fragrance only / emit

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  1. Hirano 157 and 163. ↩

Song Four, verses 9–10 & Summary

Twelve Songs Commentary,

Verse 9

九ツ      こゝはこのよのごくらくや　わしもはや／＼まゐりたい

九つ　此処はこの世の極楽や　私も早々参り（詣り）たい

Kokonotsu / Koko wa / kono yo no / gokuraku ya / washi mo / hayabaya / mairi-tai

Nine / Here is / this world’s / paradise / I too / quickly, swiftly / want to visit (worship)

Continue reading Song Four, verses 9–10 & Summary →