The Echizen Papermaking Song!

My friend Allison who is a Japanese translator sent me this link!

How sweet is this!

Thanks Allison!

suku 【漉く· 抄く】

• godan く verb → conjugation:
  1. to make something (i.e. paper) from wet, pulpy material by spreading it thin and drying it

The Echizen Papermaking Song
You can listen to it on YouTube: http://youtu.be/EA7slxjlRpc

五箇に生まれて紙漉き習うて　横座弁慶で人廻す

Born in Goka, learn papermaking , now managing a paper studio.

(Goka is another name when people call this paper village. Go means five. The village is composed of the five towns. )

神の授けをそのまま継いで　親も子も漉く 孫も漉く

Taking after what God gave, parents and children make paper, grandchildren make paper.

(God here means Paper goddess worshipped by people since 719 )

七つ八つから紙漉き習うて ネリの合加減 まだ知らぬ

Having learned papermaking since age seven or eight, still don't know how to mix neri very well.

(Neri is how we called `the mediation aid` to mix materials well in water.)