Sesoko

Okinawa Motobu Sesoko

About

Shinkō Uema (born 1919). Recorded on 22th August 1969.

上間真好	しーくじまぬ くにびらきや むかしぬ とぅしんちゃからぬ ふぁなしー きち みるん さーびれん, ɕiːkuʥimanu kunibiɾakija mukaɕinu tuɕinʨakaɾanu ɸanaɕiː kiʨi miɾuɴ saːbiɾeɴ, "Going by what the elderly said back in the day, the beginning of Sesoko island"

上間真好	てーげー よんひゃくはちずーにんばかー なてぃん ふぁなしー いぇーびん. teːgeː joɴhjakuhaʨizuːnimbakaː natiɴ ɸanaɕiː jeːbiɴ. "is a 480-year old story"

上間真好	‘あんさーい ふぁじみや なちじんから ʔansaːi ɸaʥimija naʨiʥiŋkaɾa "By the way, at the beginning, from Nakijin"

上間真好	ななきねーぬ やーにんじゅぬ しーくかい ‘めんそーち, nanakineːnu jaːninʥunu ɕiːkukai ʔmeɴsoːʨi, "seven families came to Sesoko and"

上間真好	しまぬ ‘いちばん たかしぇーぬ ‘うちぐしくやま るぬ ‘あぬ ひんねー やーしき むとぅみてぃ, ɕimanu ʔiʨibaɴ takaɕeːnu ʔuʨiguɕikujama ɾunu ʔanu hinneː jaːɕiki mutumiti, "built their houses around Mt. Uchigushiku, the highest mountain on the island."

上間真好	ななきねーさーい しーくじまや はじみてぃ nanakineːsaːi ɕiːkuʥimaja haʥimiti "Seven families, at the beginning, Sesoko island"

上間真好	くにびらき しちぇんぐとぅ ‘あいびん. kunibiɾaki ɕiʨeŋgutu ʔaibiɴ. "they opened it up"

上間真好	‘あんさーい よんひゃくはちじゅーねんかんに じんこーん にしぇんさんびゃくにん ʔaɴsaːi joɴhjakuhaʨizjuːneŋkanni ʥiŋkoːɴ niɕeɴsambjakuniɴ "In those 480 years, that turned into a population of 2300,"

上間真好	きねーん さんびゃくにじっこ. kineːɴ sambjakuniʥikko. "comprising 320 households."

上間真好	なまや むとぅぶちょーねーてぃん ‘いちばん まぎしぇーぬ ‘あざんがてぃ なとーびん. namaja mutubuʨoːneːtiɴ ʔiʨibaɴ magiɕeːnu ʔaʣaŋgati natoːbiɴ. "It's even now the largest section of Motobu Town."

上間真好	いぇー しまぬ ‘あらまし うふぁなしー さーびれー, jeː ɕimanu ʔaɾamaɕi uɸanaɕiː saːbireː, "Now, let me give you an overview of the island."

上間真好	しまぬ まわりや にりはん, ながさぬ ‘いちり. ɕimanu mawaɾija niɾihaɴ, nagasanu ʔiʨiɾi. "The island has a circumference of 2.5 ri [around 9.8 km], a length of 1 ri [around 3.9 km], and"

上間真好	‘あんさーい そーちぶすーや じぇんぶさーい, むるさーい いぇー きゅーじゅーまんちぶりぬぐとぅ なとーいびん. ʔaɴsaːi soːʨibusuːja ʥembusaːi, muɾusaːi jeː kjuːzjuːmanʨibuɾinugutu natoːibiɴ. "a total surface area of 900,000 tsubo [around 3 km2]."

上間真好	むかしとぅ くらしとぅ なまぬ くらしぬ (くら)びーねー しーくじまや ふんとー わくみじん ねーらん mukaɕitu kuɾaɕitu namanu kuɾaɕinu (kuɾa)biːneː ɕiːkuʥimaja ɸuntoː wakumiʥiɴ neːɾaɴ "Comparing life back then to that now, well, there's no spring water at all on Sesoko Island,"

上間真好	たみねー めーにんめーにんぬ くらーしるーしや ‘うむーとぅ をぅじー すこーてぃ tamineː meːnimmeːninnu kuɾaːɕiɾuːɕija ʔumuːtu wuʥiː sukoːti "because of that, growing sweet potatoes and sugar cane year in and year out"

上間真好	くらしがたや (すー ‘えー) そーびーしが, kuɾaɕigataja (suː ʔeː) soːbiːɕiga, "is the kind of living that people had"

上間真好	‘えー ‘ぴゃいねー ‘あたい とぅしねーてー みじん ねーらぬ ʔeː ʔpjaineː ʔatai tuɕineːteː miʥiɴ neːɾanu "hm, in the years of drought, since there was no water"

上間真好	はまさきがー はよーてぃ なー みじん くり せーかつ すーぬ ‘あたい いぇーびたん. hamasakigaː hajoːti naː miʥiɴ kuɾi seːkaʦu suːnu ʔatai jeːbitaɴ. "it even went so far as having to regularly go to the Hamasaki River to draw water"

上間真好	‘あんさーい わく ねーぬ くぬ みじあ ちゃぬふーじ ひち みじ しけーかやーち … ʔaɴsaːi waku neːnu kunu miʥia ʨanuɸuːʥi hiʨi miʥi ɕikeːkajaːʨi … "As there isn't any spring water, this water… People were able to use water…"

上間真好	しまーぬ ‘いちばん ‘ういぬ はーやまーるん とぅくまーにー けーがー ふってぃ ɕimaːnu ʔiʨibaɴ ʔuinu haːjamaːrun tukumaːniː keːgaː ɸutti "on the highest place of the island, Kāyamā, reservoirs were dug"

上間真好	さんかしょばかー けーがー ふとーびーしが ‘うりー ながーり みじ ‘あちみてぃ saŋkaɕobakaː keːgaː ɸutoːbiːɕiga ʔuɾiː nagaːɾi miʥi ʔaʨimiti "about three reservoirs were dug, and people gathered flowing water,"

上間真好	くぬ みじ ぬり なー しぇーかつん そーびーたしが, kunu miʥi nuɾi naː ɕeːkaʦuɴ soːbiːtaɕiga, "and lived their everyday life by drinking this water"

上間真好	また くまに ‘いわりぬ ‘あいびんさい. mata kumani ʔiwaɾinu ʔaibiɴsai. "There's a story connected to this, too."

上間真好	‘うぬ はーやまーぬ とぅくまーや くまねーや かみさま まつらり ʔunu haːjamaːnu tukumaːja kumaneːja kamisama maʦuɾaɾi "A deity is enshrined at the place of the Kāyamā;"

上間真好	くぬ かみさまぬ みじん かみさま りち まつらり kunu kamisamanu miʥiɴ kamisama ɾiʨi maʦuɾaɾi "that deity is enshrined there as the god of water, and"

上間真好	くぬ かみさまぬ めんしぇー… kunu kamisamanu meɴɕeː… "…it is said that it's because of this deity "

上間真好	しーくぬ むらんちゅーや ‘くぬ みじ ぬりん ぬーん びょーきん さん しぇーかつねー じょーとーろー… ɕiːkunu muɾanʨuːja ʔkunu miʥi nuɾiɴ nuːɴ bjoːkiɴ saɴ ɕeːkaʦuneː ʥoːtoːɾoː… "that when the villagers of Sesoko drink that water, nothing befalls them and they don't get sick, and that it's very wholesome."

上間真好	そー ‘ゆー しんこーぬ かみ ‘あがみーぬ くくるさーい くぬ みじ ぬり soː ʔjuː ɕiŋkoːnu kami ʔagamiːnu kukuɾusaːi kunu miʥi nuɾi "It's with this belief, with this attitude of worshipping the gods, that people drank this water"

上間真好	しぇーかつん ひち いぇー そーびーたん. ɕeːkaʦuɴ hiʨi jeː soːbiːtaɴ. "and lived their lives."

上間真好	いぇー しーくじまや ‘うみぬ はくまってぃ jeː ɕiːkuʥimaja ʔuminu hakumatti "As Sesoko Island is surrounded by the sea,"

上間真好	‘うみんちゅーが ‘うーしはらる ‘うむいやびーらふぁじ いぇーびーしが ‘あん いぇーびらん. ʔuminʨuːga ʔuːɕihaɾaɾu ʔumuijabiːɾaɸaʑi jeːbiːɕiga ʔaɴ jeːbiɾaɴ. "surely you would think that there are a lot of fishermen, but that isn't the case."

上間真好	はるや なー よんじゅーまんちぶぬ ふぁるー ‘あいさびーとぅ haɾuja naː jonʥuːmanʨibunu ɸaɾuː ʔaisabiːtu "There are 40 tsubo [around 1.3 km2] of farmland, "

上間真好	むかしから ‘うみんちゅーちや ‘めんそーらぬ. mukaɕikaɾa ʔuminʨuːʨija ʔmeɴsoːɾanu. "so there haven't been any fishermen since long ago."

上間真好	むる ひゃくそー muɾu hjakusoː. "Everyone is a farmer"

上間真好	‘うり そーびてぃ えー そーびん. ʔuɾi soːbiti eː soːbiɴ. "They have been expanding that."

上間真好	‘あんさーい すこいむんや むかしや なー ‘うむー. ʔaɴsaːi sukoimuɴja mukaɕija naː ʔumuː. "As for the crops: long ago, they were just sweet potatoes."

上間真好	なー なかぐるから ちー をぅじん すこーてぃ さーたー しくてーびしが naː nakaguɾukaɾa ʨiː wuʥiɴ sukoːti saːtaː ɕikuteːbiɕiga "From about halfway through, people have also been growing sugar cane and making sugar, but"

上間真好	‘うむー やたんてーちゃんや なー むかしぬ ゆぬ ‘うむー. ‘ういるしや ʔumuː jatanteːʨaɴja naː mukaɕinu junu ʔumuː. ʔuiɾuɕija "the sweet potatoes are still the same sweet potatoes as back then. The planting"

上間真好	ちょーる すーまんぼーすーぬ しんぐゎちねー ‘うむー ‘ういりば なー ‘いっかねんかん ‘うむー ‘ういらぬ. ʨoːɾu suːmamboːsuːnu ɕiŋgʷaʨineː ʔumuː ʔuiɾiba naː ʔikkaneŋkaɴ ʔumuː ʔuiɾanu. "took place around the rainy season, in the fourth month [of the lunar calendar], and when the sweet potatoes were planted, no more sweet potatoes would be planted for a year."

上間真好	‘あんひち めーにん めーにん がし． ʔaɴhiʨi meːniɴ meːniɴ gaɕi. "And year in, year out, there was death from hunger."

上間真好	‘なー けーむぬん ねーん, みじん ねーんねー なー けーむぬん ねーん. ʔnaː keːmunuɴ neːɴ, miʥiɴ neːnneː naː keːmunuɴ neːɴ. "There would be no food and no water."

上間真好	‘うぬ くらしかたや あー そーびん. ʔunu kuɾaɕikataja aː soːbiɴ. "That's the kind of life they lived."

上間真好	‘うりや むかしから まーんくいん ‘あんやたら ‘うむいや さびーしが, ʔuɾija mukaɕikaɾa maːŋkuiɴ ʔaɴjataɾa ʔumuija sabiːɕiga, "I suppose that long ago, it was like that everywhere, but…"

上間真好	しーくじまや なー ふぬ ‘うむーとぅ. ɕiːkuʥimaja naː ɸunu ʔumuːtu. "…on Sesoko Island, just those sweet potatoes and…"

上間真好	みじ ねーん ゆに くみん ちゅくゆーさぬ. miʥi neːn juni kumiɴ ʨukujuːsanu. "Because of the water, rice can't be grown."

上間真好	なー ‘うむばかーち なー しぇいかつ ひちょーびーしが, naː ʔumubakaːʨi naː ɕeikaʦu hiʨoːbiːɕiga, "People lived on just sweet potatoes, but…"

上間真好	えー じぇんじぇん しーくねーや しまねーや たーや ねーやびらんしが, eː ʥenʥeɴ ɕiːkuneːja ɕimaneːja taːja neːjabiɾaɴɕiga, "In Sesoko, on the island, there aren't any rice fields, but…"

上間真好	はまざき ‘うぬ (‘あんち) ‘あんちぬー わたーてぃ てぃぶーにさー わたーてぃ hamaʣaki ʔunu (ʔanʨi) ʔanʨinuː wataːti tibuːnisaː wataːti "…people would cross over to Hamasaki by boat from Anchi, and…"

上間真好	えー たー まんなたーぶく くれーんがてぃ eː taː mannataːbuku kuɾeːŋgati "…they would go to the rice paddy area in Manna; "

上間真好	しまーぬ ‘えーきんちゅたー たー むっち ‘めんそーち くみー ‘いくぶんか すこーてぃ えー そーびーてーしが, ɕimaːnu ʔeːkinʨutaː taː mutʨi ʔmeɴsoːʨi kumiː ʔikubuŋka sukoːti eː soːbiːteːɕiga, "the island's wealthy had rice paddies, and they grew a certain amount of rice, but…"

上間真好	なー むかしぬ くらしがたーねーてぃや ‘うむーる どぅーなーぬ ふぁんめー にんじゅーぬ ふぁんめー． naː mukaɕinu kuɾaɕigataːneːtija ʔumuːɾu duːnaːnu ɸammeː ninʥuːnu ɸammeː． "…in the life of long ago, sweet potatoes were the islanders' food, year-round."

上間真好	なー くみや なー ‘あんまさるばー naː kumija naː ʔammasaɾubaː "as for the rice, when peoople were ill"

上間真好	また ‘ありや な ひちびぬばー … なー かるてーぬふーじ いぇーびん. mata ʔaɾija na hiʨibinubaː … naː kaɾuteːnuɸuːʥi jeːbiɴ. "or at special events only people would eat it"

上間真好	なまやてぃん たーや さーびらんしが やっぱし ふぁるばかー なといびんさい. namajatiɴ taːja saːbiɾaɴɕiga jappaɕi ɸaɾubakaː natoibiɴsai. "Even now, people don't cultivate rice paddies; there are only other kinds of farmland."

上間真好	‘あー しーくじまや ‘な むかしから わくわ ねーらん. ʔaː ɕiːkuʥimaja ʔna mukaɕikaɾa wakuwa neːɾaɴ. "There hasn't been any spring water on Sesoko Island since long ago."

上間真好	なー てぃんしーみじ たみーてぃ えー ぬろーびたしが. naː tiɴɕiːmiʥi tamiːti eː nuɾoːbitaɕiga. "People drank rainwater that they collected, but…"

上間真好	‘いじゃーぬ ‘んー しぇんきゅーひゃくろくじゅーさんねんぬ なー はんかにんぬ ぴゃーてぃ さびーたくとぅ ʔiʥaːnu ʔɴː ɕeŋkjuːhjakuɾokuʥuːsannennu naː haŋkaninnu pjaːti sabiːtakutu "…when, in 1963, it had been completely dried up for as long as six months, and…"

上間真好	ちゅーぬ くにねー みじん ねーんりち ‘あいんなーりち ʨuːnu kunineː miʥiɴ neːɴɾiʨi ʔainnaːɾiʨi "…when the villagers were saying that it shouldn't happen that there isn't even any water in a land where people live, …"

上間真好	なー ‘あざみんや むる でぃー てぃーちや なー ぼーりんぐやてぃん しみーてぃ naː ʔazamiɴja muɾu diː tiːʨija naː boːɾiŋgujatiɴ ɕimiːti "…that they should entertain with, perhaps, a game of bowling and…"

上間真好	しぇーふぬ かたがた ぼーりんぐれーん しみーてぃ ɕeːɸunu katagata boːɾiŋguɾeːɴ ɕimiːti "entertain some government officials with a game of bowling and"

上間真好	みじ むとぅみん さんねーてぃや ならんしが りてぃ ふぁなしぬ なー むらくゎいねーてぃん ‘あてぃ さびーたぐとぅ miʥi mutumiɴ sanneːtija naɾaɴɕiga ɾiti ɸanaɕinu naː muɾakʷaineːtiɴ ʔati sabiːtagutu "…petition them for water, and this was brought up in a village gathering, too, and…"

上間真好	‘あんさーい ちょーちょーさん えー ねー ‘うにげー ひち ʔaɴsaːi ʨoːʨoːsaɴ eː neː ʔunigeː hiʨi "then they requested this of the mayor "

上間真好	なー ろくじゅーさんねんぬ ふぁちぐゎちぐる ぼーりんぐ さびたぐとぅ naː ɾokuʥuːsannennu ɸaʨigʷaʨiguɾu boːɾiŋgu sabitagutu "and they went on with the game of bowling around August 1963, …"

上間真好	な ‘うむいがきない な みじぬ ‘いじゃびてぃ. na ʔumuigakinai na miʥinu ʔiʥabiti. "completely unexpectedly, water was found."

上間真好	ふかさや てーげー ひゃくななじっしゃく りゅーぬ とぅくまー ふてぃ さぐとぅ みじぬ ‘いじーてぃちー ɸukasaja teːgeː hjakunanaʥiɕɕaku ɾjuːnu tukumaː ɸuti sagutu miʥinu ʔiʥiːtiʨiː "Upon digging to a depth of about 170 shaku [around 51.5 m], water was found, and…"

上間真好	なまや すいどー やーやー ‘いっち namaja suidoː jaːjaː ʔitʨi "…now, every house has running water"

上間真好	みじ ねーん ふじゆー さんぐとぅ りっぱな せいかつ ひち miʥi neːɴ ɸuʥijuː saŋgutu ɾippana seːkaʦu hiʨi "and people can live a wonderful life without the difficulties of not having water; …"

上間真好	むる なー がくもんぬ ちかーら. muɾu naː gakumonnu ʨikaːɾa. "it's all thanks to the power of science."

上間真好	ちゅーぬ ‘んー きかいぬ はったつ しーば ‘あんしん くとぅーん ないさやーりち ʨuːnu ʔɴː kikainu hattaʦu ɕiːba ʔaɴɕiɴ kutuːɴ naisajaːɾiʨi "To think that when the development of man-made machines advances, that kind of thing is possible…"

上間真好	‘あざみんや なー ちゅぬ しまねーん まきらん たーがん ちゅーねー わららんぐとぅ ʔaʣamiɴja naː ʨunu ɕimaneːɴ makiɾaɴ taːgaɴ ʨuːneː waɾaɾaŋgutu "All the villagers can now live a life that it isn't any worse than on other people's islands and they won't be ridiculed by anyone."

上間真好	りっぱな しぇーかつ な… むる なー ゆるくるぬ しれー いぇーびん. ɾippana ɕeːkaʦu na… muɾu naː juɾukuɾunu ɕiɾeː jeːbiɴ. "everybody is living a wonderful life and they are happy"

上間真好	‘あんさーい むかしや ‘うぬ しーくじまぬ わたさーりゅーしや ʔaɴsaːi mukaɕija ʔunu ɕiːkuʥimanu watasaːɾjuːɕija "Now, about the Sesoko Island ferries back in the day,"

上間真好	むとぅぶぬ はまさきとぅ なー しーくぬ ‘あんちばまとぅしぇーい わたさー さーびてぃ mutubunu hamasakitu naː ɕiːkunu ʔanʨibamatuɕeːi watasaː saːbiti "people would ferry between Hamasaki in Motobu and Anchi Beach in Sesoko; …"

上間真好	なー むかしぬ ふにり ‘いーねーてぃや たったなーりち なー まちしぇー ちゅくてーる ふにし naː mukaɕinu ɸuniɾi ʔiːneːtija tattanaːɾiʨi naː maʨiɕeː ʨukuteːɾu ɸuniɕi "the boats back then were boats made of pinewood called 'tattanā', and"

上間真好	ちゅー ぬりーば なー じゅーにんなー ‘あたいなー ぬてぃ ‘あんし ‘えーくさー ふじ ʨuː nuɾiːba naː ʥuːninnaː ʔatainaː nuti ʔaɴɕi ʔeːkusaː ɸuʥi "when people would board them, at most around ten people would board at a time and row with oars; "

上間真好	なー ‘あんし ひちゅーてぃ なー (あー ちゅーん) しーくじまぬ ちゅーたー わたーてぃ naː ʔaɴɕi hiʨuːti naː (aː ʨuːɴ) ɕiːkuʥimanu ʨuːtaː wataːti "…that's how the people of Sesoko Island would cross over, …"

上間真好	とくん なー みじ ねーぬ ‘うー じだいねーが やいびねーてぃや tokun naː miʥi neːnu ʔuː ʥidaineːga jaibineːtija "…especially as it was a difficult time without any water."

上間真好	はまさきから みじ とぅいんり ‘うぬ わたさーねー なー みじん hamasakikaɾa miʥi tuiɴɾi ʔunu watasaːneː naː miʥiɴ "from Hamasaki, in order to get water, using this ferry, the water"

上間真好	なー はやーち しぇーかつん くらしかたん ひちょーびーたしが naː hajaːʨi ɕeːkaʦuɴ kuɾaɕikataɴ hiʨoːbiːtaɕiga "they carried it and people lived their lives like this"

上間真好	なー ‘うりん とぅしー とぅいくーとぅ しんれーしんれー naː ʔuɾiɴ tuɕiː tuikuːtu ɕiɴɾeːɕiɴɾeː "but as I got older,"

上間真好	ふぁじみや たったなーはら きかい しきーぬ ふにん りきーてぃ ɸaʥimija tattanaːhaɾa kikai ɕikiːnu ɸuniɴ ɾikiːti "after the tattanā in the beginning, boats with engines appeared as well and ..."

上間真好	なまや なー むかしから ひかく しーねーてぃや namaja naː mukaɕikaɾa hikaku ɕiːneːtija "today, comparing with back then,"

上間真好	さった ‘うりん ろくじゅー ろくじゅーさんねんぬ ひちぐゎちねー なまぬ わたさーん りきーてぃ なー くるまん ちでぃ satta ʔuɾiɴ ɾokuʥuː ɾokuʥuːsannennu hiʨigʷaʨineː namanu watasaːɴ ɾikiːti naː kuɾumaɴ ʨidi "in July 1963 the present ferry also appeared; cars can be loaded,"

上間真好	ほんとーん しーくじまん ぬーん かわらんをぅてぃ じどーしゃはら とらっくから ぬんくい なー しまーんかい をぅてぃ hontoːɴ ɕiːkuʥimaɴ nuːɴ kawaɾaɴwuti ʥidoːɕahaɾa toɾakkukaɾa nuŋkui naː ɕimaːŋkai wuti "exactly as on the main island [Okinawa Island], there are now cars, trucks, and so forth on the island."

上間真好	りっぱな くの わたさん りきとーん しれー いぇーびんさい. ɾippana kuno watasaɴ ɾikitoːɴ ɕiɾeː jeːbiɴsai. "the wonderful ferry is now in operation"