国が異なっても・・・共通する花木と音楽・・・

　どうしたことか、殊更、寒かった「立春」と「雨水」が過ぎ、ようやく早春から待ちに待った春の陽気に近づきつつある今日この頃です。梅たちも例年より開花が２～３週間遅れ、太陽高度を察知してか、昨日から庭は「カッキー梅林」の様相を呈してきました。因みに今日の太陽高度は４５°【群馬県】で、冬至より１５°も高くなってます。

　梅は種類によって開花時期に若干の相違があり、真っ赤な品種名「鹿児島」は、ご覧の通り、すでに満開です。一方、１本の木で紅白に咲き分ける「思いのまま」は今日か明日には開花します。それにしても、１本の木で２色咲くとは世の中には不思議なこともあるものです。

　私は音楽が好きで昨日もお気に入り喫茶「さんぼ道」でピアノを弾かせて戴きましたが、管楽器や人間はいくら頑張っても瞬間的に二つの音は出せません。その点、ギター、オルガン、ピアノ、ハープなどは一台の楽器で、同時にいくつもの音が出せ、自らハーモニーを作ることができます。それにも増して、一人で旋律を弾きつつ伴奏ができたり、リズムの違う旋律を同時に演奏する対位法も味わえます。

　日常生活に音楽を取り入れたり、色とりどりの花を育てると心に潤いが生じます。一方、音楽や花は言葉が通じない人間同士でも共感することができます。拙い体験では、私が飼ってた鳩が迷って内モンゴルまで飛んで行ったとき、私はその鳩に再会するため現地に行き、鳩を保護してくださっていた中国の人に感謝のつもりで移動式住居ゲルの中で中国国歌をオルガンで弾きましたら、居合わせた多くの中国の方々から、私の演奏に合わせて大きな手拍子を戴いたことはいつになっても忘れません。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about international exchange and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation in English for your understanding is as follows.

................................................................

　For some reason, the particularly cold days of "Risshun" and "Usui" which means 24 solar terms in Japan have passed, so that the long-awaited spring climate is finally approaching now. This year, the plum blossoms are 2-3 weeks later than usual, and as if sensing the altitude of the sun, the garden has become the appearance of "Kakky Plum Grove" since yesterday. Incidentally, the altitude of the sun today is 45° [Gumma Prefecture], this is 15° higher than the winter solstice.

　Plum blossoms vary slightly depending on the type, and as you can see, the bright red variety named "Kagoshima" is already in full bloom. On the other hand, "Omoi no mama", which blooms in red and white on a single tree, will bloom today or tomorrow. However, it is strange that one tree can bloom in bicolor.

　I love music, yesterday I had the opportunity to play the piano at my favorite cafe "Sambo-michi", but no matter how impossible a wind instrument or a human tries, they cannot produce two sounds at the same time. In this respect, instruments such as the guitar, organ, piano, and harp can produce multiple sounds at the same time and create their own harmonies. What's more, we can play a melody by myself while playing an accompaniment, or we can enjoy counterpoint by playing melodies with different melody, rhythm at the same time.

　Incorporating music into our daily life and raising colorful flowers will nourish our soul. On the other hand, music and flowers can also be shared between people who do not speak the same language. In one of my humble experiences, when a pigeon I was keeping at my loft strayed and flew all the way to Inner Mongolia from Japan at Takasaki-city, I went there to reunite with my pigeon. As a token of my gratitude, I played the Chinese national anthem by the organ in the mobile yurt, as the result, the many Chinese people who were there applauded loudly along with my performance. I will never forget this experience perpetually.

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ユニークな景観を成す群馬西部の山岳

　昨日の夕刻時、群馬県はよく晴れ上がり、西の方角に目を向けた途端、テーブルマウンテン「荒船山」と「妙義山」の稜線がシルエットの如くくっきり見えました。写真左の「荒船山」の頂上は標高１４００mほどの林の高原が続き、その中を南北に散歩できる道が走ってます。周囲は２００ｍほどの断崖絶壁で落ちたら大変です。

　この高原の端から端までレース鳩の入った籠を持ちながら１時間ほど歩いたことがあります。左端の小高い山から鳩を放したら、鳩もこんな高い所を飛んだことがないのでしょう。驚いたように更に高く上がり、５０Ｋほど離れた高崎市の我が家をめざしました。この距離でしたらレース鳩はお茶の子さいさいです。すべての鳩が帰還しました。１５年ほど前で、この時も今は亡き友人Ｔと登った思い出の山です。

　写真右の妙義山は、昭和時代に妙義少年自然の家で高崎商業高校吹奏楽部の冬の合宿をした所です。自然に囲まれた環境でいっしょに練習したり、食事したり、レクレーションした思い出の地です。彼らはすでに５０代後半から還暦に差し掛かってます。懐かしい青春の１ページはきっと脳裏に焼き付いてることでしょう。いつの日か旧交を温めたいものです。それには私もいつまでも健康でなくてはなりません。年末の今日も心身ともに中身ある一日にしよう。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　As soon as I looked westward yesterday evening, Gumma Prefecture in Japan was clear and sunny, and the ridges of table mountains "Arafunesan" and "Myogisan" were clearly visible like silhouettes. The summit of "Mt. Arafune" in the left photo is a forested plateau at the altitude of about 1,400m, and a path runs through it from north to south. This plateau is surrounded by perpendicular cliffs about 200m high, so if we fall, we will be in big trouble beyond description.

　I once walked from one end of this plateau to the other for about an hour, carrying a cage containing several racing pigeons. When I released the pigeons from the small hill on the left, they probably had never flown so high before. Surprised, they flew even higher, heading for my home in Takasaki City, about 50km away. Racing pigeons are a piece of cake at this distance. All the pigeons returned my loft. It was about 15 years ago, and this is a mountain I remember climbing with my friend T, who has passed away 5 years ago.

　Mt. Myogi at the right photo is where the Takasaki High School of Commerce wind orchestra held their winter training camp at Myogi Youth Nature House during the Showa era. It is a place of fond memories where they practiced, ate and enjoyed recreation together in the environment surrounded by nature. They are now in their late 50s and approaching 60 years old. A page of their nostalgic youth will be surely burned into their minds now. I hope to rekindle old friendships someday. To do that, I need to stay healthy. Let's make today, at the end of the year, a fulfilling day in both body and mind.

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今日は「さんぽ道」で、床運動の伴奏音楽を弾く

　生活に変化が欲しいことから、今日の午後３時半ころからお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」で雄大な自然と静けさを満喫し、梅ソーダを味わいました。街中では味わえない広々した緑一色の環境が心を落ち着かせます。

　客が二人いましたが、いつもの通り、ママさんが「ピアノをどうぞ」と言われたので、１５分ほど「ロシア民謡」を弾きました。

　昔、女子体操選手の床運動の曲を依頼されたことがあり、それを思い出して弾きました。時代は経過し、彼女たちもすでに還暦を過ぎたでしょう。

　それにしても、今日飲んだ「梅ソーダ」はさっぱりし、その後、幾分か身体が軽くなった気がしました。次回はお盆で娘たちが来るので「さんぽ道」で暫くぶりに語ろうと思います。

Dear my friends who like piano music

　Wanting a change in my daily life, I went to my favorite cafe, Sampo-michi as you can see in the photo, from around 3:30pm today to enjoy the grand nature and tranquility. Today I tasted the plum soda. Here is the spacious green environment, if it is in the middle of busy street, we can't experience calmness.

　There were two customers, as usual, the owner asked me to play the piano, so I played Russian folk music for about 15 minutes.

　In fact, I remembered that I was once asked to write music for the floor exercise for girl's gymnasts, so I played it today. Times have passed, therefore, the girls at that time are probably over 60 now, I guess.

　Even so, the plum soda I drank today was refreshing, so that I felt a little lighter afterwards. Next time, my daughters will come over for Obon, so I'll talk with them at Sampo-michi for the first time.

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若き日の「思い出」一つ

　今日は４月１０日ですから思い出の日です。若き日に私はトロンボーンを吹いてました。たまたま手が長いので【これが言いたいのではありません。】スライドを動かすのに都合がよく、最も遠い第７ポジション【hの音が出るところ】まで楽々届きました。

　トロンボーンで何の曲を吹いたかと言いますと、団伊玖磨作曲「祝典行進曲」でした。調性はハ長調で一見楽でもハイトーンがあったり、三連符の連続があったり、他の楽器のように指を動かすのではなく、腕を速く動かさなければなりません。

　トロンボーンで最も印象的だった音楽は、アルフォード作曲「ボゲー大佐」で、別名は映画「戦場にかける橋」で有名な「クワイ川マーチ」でした。曲の途中でトロンボーンが大活躍する旋律があり、今でも、腕の動きを覚えており、途中に高いDisの音があるのが印象的です。

　ところで、今日４月１０日が、何故、思い出の日であるかと言いますと、高崎市本町～連雀町～高崎駅前まで市街地を「祝典行進曲」をトロンボーンを演奏しながらパレードに加わったからです。この日に、当時の皇太子殿下と美智子さまがご成婚されたのです。

Dear my overseas friends

　Today is April 10th, so it's a day to remember my young days. I played the trombone when I was young. I have long hands, so [this is not what I want to say. ] It was convenient for moving the slide of trombone, so that I could easily reach the farthest position, the 7th position where the low h tone comes out.a

　The music I played on the trombone was "Celebration March" composed by late Ikuma Dan. The music is C major, and although it looks easy at first glance, there are high tones and triplet in sequence, and I had to move the right arm quickly instead of moving fingers like other instruments.

　The most memorable piece of music for me on the trombone was Alford's composition "Colonel Bogey", also known as "March on the River Kwai", which is famous for the movie "Bridge on Earth". In the middle of the music, there is a melody in which the trombone plays an active role, and I can still remember the arm movements, and the high Dis note in the middle is impressive.

　By the way, April 10th is a memorable day for me because I joined the parade playing the trombone and playing the "Celebration March" through the city from Motomachi to Renjakucho to Takasaki-Station in Takasaki City. On this day, the Prince and Princess Michiko got married.

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明日の宵 いよいよ節分 豆まきだ

　紅梅がほぼ満開ですが、１０ヶ月前に観賞しやすいこの場所に植え替えたのが原因でしょう。幾分か元気がありません。今の私のようです。

　それでも花のない時季に、しかも、例年より寒い冬なのによく咲いてくれました。来年はもっと緻密に咲くように今後一年間よく世話します。

　ところで、明日は「節分で豆まき」です。「年の数だけ豆を食べるもの」と昔教わりました。皆さんは今でもこれを実践できるでしょう。しかし、私は無理です。

　その代わり、窓を開けて「鬼は外、福を内」と叫びます。ご利益はあるでしょうか。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Japanese traditions

　The red plum is as a glance in full bloom, but this is probably because it was replanted by me 10 months ago in this place where it is easy to see. She is somewhat down. The same situation as me now.

　Even so, it bloomed well in a season when there were no flowers, and even though it was a colder winter than usual. I will take good care of her for the next year so as to bloom even more densely next year.

　"By the way, tomorrow is Setsubun's bean-throwing event in our nation since the ancient times." I was taught a long time ago to eat as many beans as my age. You can still eat beans the same as your age now. But I can't.

　Instead, I open the window and shout, "Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi," that means "Fortune-in, Devils-out. Is there any benefit for me?

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/..

父母が搗く 餅つきの音 今も脳裏に

　何事も、子供のとき身に付けた「コツ」は生涯に亘り忘れないものです。写真は正に「昔取った杵柄」を絵で表したようなもので、ニュージーランドのスペンス一家が一年間に亘り高崎に滞在中、我が家でいっしょに搗いた餅つきの様子です。

　私は幼児の頃、年の暮れに両親が搗く餅つきの音で目が覚め、珍しそうに、そばに行って胸の高さほどある臼に摑まって見た記憶が今でも脳裏に焼き付いてます。

　その後、小学生になってから私も搗きましたが、地響きがするような大きな音で搗けました。それは父の搗き方を見よう見まねで自然と得た要領です。杵を持ち上げるときは右手を伸ばし、杵が上に持ち上がったのち、搗く直前に右手を左手のそばに滑らせて移動する方法です。これで疲れずに餅がよく搗けました。

　餅つきに限らず、芸術などの分野においても小学生時代に身に付ければ、生涯の生き方を左右するほど能力が発揮できるのではないでしょうか。こう考えると、小学校時代こそ、人生にとって本当に大切な教育の期間と思います。

Dear my friends abroad

　After all, we have a “knack” when getting at childhood, we will not forget it for the rest of life. The photo is like a picturesque figure that "I've had experienced to do that". This photo shows Spence family from New Zealand pounding rice cakes at my yard during their one-year stay at Takasaki-city in Japan.

　When I was a little boy, I still have vivid memories of waking up to the sound of my parents pounding rice cakes at the end of the year, and curiously going to the side and holding the mortar that was about the height of my chest.

　After that, when I became a schoolboy, I also pounded, but it was pounded with a loud sound that made the ground resonate. It's a real knack that I naturally got by watching and imitating my father's pounding method. In detail, when lifting the big pestle, extend my right hand, and after the pestle is lifted up, slide the right hand next to the left hand just before pounding. With this, I was able to pound the mochi that means rice cake well without getting tired.

　Not only in making rice cake, but also in fields such as art, if child acquires it in elementary school age, he or she will be able to demonstrate their abilities to the extent that they can influence for the rest of life. Considering this, I think that elementary school is a really important period of education for life.

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２０代 苦い体験 トラウマに！

　群馬県には飛行場がありません。しかし、日本の真ん中に位置することから、上空には東西南北ではなく、主に北東から南西に、逆に、南西から東北へ飛行機が通過します。訳あって最近の私は飛行機に殆ど乗りません。

　若き日は、特にインド滞在中は国が広いことから、ネパールも含め、旅行の殆どはインディアン・エアラインという飛行機に５０回ほど乗りました。実は、今でも、その時の状況を忘れませんが、一度、乗った飛行機が墜落しそうになった体験を持ちます。

　やはり、旅行中のことで、台風【インドではサイクロンと言う】が接近中でも、私が搭乗した飛行機がベンガル湾上空で、そのサイクロンの中に入ってしまったのです。私は主翼のすぐ下に乗ってましたが、窓から見て、今まで見えてた主翼が見えないのです。主翼が取れてしまい、もうだめかと思いました。推定、２００mほど落下したようです。

　荷物は機内の天井にぶつかり、浮いてしまう私は肘掛けにしがみつきましたが、どうにもなりません。揺れに揺れた恐ろしい時間は１５分ほど続きましたら、何とすぐ上に主翼が見えるではありませんか。サイクロンを通過したのです。この時、助かったと思いました。悪夢でした。

Dear my friends who suffer from acrophobia the same as me

　There is no airfield in my Gumma Prefecture, Japan. However, because it is located in the middle of the nation, many airplanes pass from northeast to southwest, on the contrary from southeast to northeast, therefore the contrails are not to the north and south. For some reason, I rarely get on the flight.

　In my young days, especially in India, the country was wide, so most of the travels, including Nepal, I used to get on the Indian Airline plane about 50 times. By the way, I still don't forget the severe situation at that time, in fact, I have an experience that the plane on board is about to crash above the sea.

　While traveling, even while the typhoon [Cyclone in India] was approaching, the plane I boarded entered the cyclone over the Bay of Bengal. I sat just under the main wing, but from the window, I couldn't see the wing I had seen so far. It was really scary that I thought the wing had been removed. It seems that our flight has fallen about 200m vertically.

　At that time, the luggage hits the ceiling in the cabin and floats, but I clung to my armrests, but it doesn't help. The terrible time that shakes in the shaking lasts for about 15 minutes, Oh, at last, I can see the wing right above me! At this time, I thought it was saved. It was an actual nightmare in my life.

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/..

楽しかった 銀座珈琲店の 思い出

　東京など用事がなければ行きませんが、すでに4年ほど経過するでしょうか。初めて数寄屋橋近くの銀座珈琲店に行きました。写真の如く、素敵な階段を登り、二階が広くて落ち着いた喫茶室です。

　受付に行くと「相手の方がお待ちです。」とのこと。このため少々緊張しましたが、お会いして、いろいろ話をしてるうちに打ち解け、結構リラックスして、確か紅茶を戴きながら、私は趣味の話や群馬の自然について、あるいは好きな車を話題にしたかもしれません。

　学生時代にはしばしば喫茶店に行きましたが、その後は高崎でも殆ど喫茶店に行くことはなく、暫くぶりに素敵な雰囲気の中で過ごせたことは今でもすごく印象に残ってます。

　２時間ほど喫茶室で楽しく過ごしてから銀座珈琲店を後にし、ビルが建ち並ぶ都会の風景を臨みつつ、自然豊かな皇居周辺のお堀近くを２kほど散策したら、確か丸の内ビルまで来て、ちょうどよい時間となり、今度は一杯飲みたくなり二次会となりました。お相手の方もアルコールはかなり行けたことから、楽しかった東京の夜を十分に満喫し、帰路につきました。

　また、いつか思い出の銀座珈琲店に行ってみたい。

Dear my friend in Tokyo

　I don't go to Tokyo unless I have something to do, but it has already been about 4 years, since I went to Ginza coffee shop near Sukiyabashi for the first time. As seeing in the picture, customers climb a nice staircase and the second floor is a spacious and calm tea room.

　When I went to the reception, I was told, "Your guest is already waiting for you". For this reason, I was nervous a little, but after meeting her and talking about various topics, we became friendly and relaxed. While drinking tea, I may have talked about my hobbies, the nature of Gumma prefecture, or my favorite car, and so on.

　When I was a student, I frequently went to a coffee shop, but after that I hardly went to a coffee shop even in Takasaki-city.

　After spending about two hours at the cafe, we left the Ginza coffee shop and walked near the famous moat around the Imperial Palace surrounded by nature for about 2km while enjoying the view of the city lined with buildings. It was a pleasure time. Since in the second party she was also able to enjoy alcohol considerably, the same as me, we fully enjoyed the fun night in Tokyo and left for home.

　"I'd like to visit the memorable Ginza coffee shop someday."

※上記の英文をネイティブの発音で聴くには英文をドラッグしてコピーし、次に貼り付けて下さい。なお、右上の欄を必ずUS Englishにしてください。https://ttsreader.com/ja/..