Soran Bushi

Ey yaren soran
soran soran
soran soran
hai hai!

To the north
If you ask the seagulls
I am a fisherman
Listen to the waves
Yasa en yan sano
Dokkoisho

A Dokkoisho!
Dokkoisho!

The fisherman's wife
Paints her white body
With the scales of the silver fish
She shines, sparkling
Yasa en yan sano
Dokkoisho
A dokkoisho!
dokkoisho!

* soran = herring, a common fish in Hokkaido

"Where are the herrings, seagull?"
ask the fishermen
The seagull answers:
"I don't know!, fisherman, I don't know!
I live here and there.
Maybe it's the sea waves.
Only they will say
where the fish might be."

So, let's go!! Let's go there!!
Let's listen to the sea waves!

And while everyone works
the fishermen's wives
paint their bodies so white
with the fish scales.
They shine, silver!
Enchanting their husbands,
fishing the fish.

Go go! fisherman,
catch your fish!

Translation: Tamie Kitahara / Karen Tada