Hibari Misora (美空ひばり Misora Hibari, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Ja… Read Full Bio ↴Hibari Misora (美空ひばり Misora Hibari, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer and the predominant figure in postwar enka music. Born Kazue Kato (加藤和枝) in Yokohama, she was an accomplished singer by the age of seven, and appeared in film for the first time at age 12. Between 1949's Kanashiki kuchibue and 1971's Onna no Hanamichi, she appeared in over 60 movies.

In April of 1987, on the way to a performance in Fukuoka, she suddenly collapsed. Rushed to hospital, she was diagnosed with bilateral femoral necrosis brought on by chronic hepatitis. Until August she was confined to hospital and eventually showed signs of recovery. She commenced recording a new song Midaregami in October, and in 1988 performed at a concert called Fushichou konsaato (Phoenix Concert) at the Tokyo Dome. Against overwhelming pain in her legs, she performed a total of 39 songs while assuring her fans that she had completely recovered. However, on 24 May 1989, having been re-admitted to the Juntendou hospital in Tokyo, she died from interstitial pneumonitis at the age of 52.

In July 1989 after her death, she became the first female recipient of the National Prize of Honour (国民栄誉賞) for her longstanding contributions to the music industry.

In 1993, the Misora Hibari-kan opened in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Its popularity with fans and tourists has endured through to the present.

Her most famous song, "Kawa no nagare no yō ni," (1989) was voted #1 in a 1997 NHK poll of the best Japanese songs of all time.

博多夜船
美空ひばり Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

逢いに来たかよ
松原越しにヨー
博多通いの
アレサ夜船の灯が見える
灯が見える

恋の夜船は
夜の間にかえせヨー

明けりゃ仇波
アレサ浮名の波が立つ
波が立つ

波も荒かろ
玄海あたりヨー
かえしともない
アレサ未練の船じゃもの
船じゃもの
逢いに来たかよ
松原越しにヨー
博多通いの
アレサ夜船の灯が見える
灯が見える

恋の夜船は
夜の間にかえせヨー
明けりゃ仇波
アレサ浮名の波が立つ
波が立つ

波も荒かろ
玄海あたりヨー
かえしともない

アレサ未練の船じゃもの
船じゃもの

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 美空ひばり's "博多夜船" describe a night boat ride to meet someone in Hakata. The first two lines ask if the person being awaited has come and suggests looking for them across the Matsubara tree. The song then goes on to describe the "love boat" that is only available at night and the rough waves that it must navigate. Despite the danger, the lyrics emphasize the importance of getting to one's lover and the hope for a happy ending.

The last two lines repeat the beginning, with the singer expressing excitement at the sight of the boat's light on the water. The repetition of the lyrics in a circular structure creates a sense of cyclical motion, much like the waves it describes. Throughout the piece, there is a sense of yearning and desire for someone, yet also a sense of danger and potential heartbreak.

Overall, the lyrics to "博多夜船" create a vivid image of a night boat ride that is filled with danger, anticipation, and desire. The repetition and circular structure of the lyrics emphasize the cyclical nature of love and the waves that the boat must navigate.

Line by Line Meaning

逢いに来たかよ
Did you come to meet me?

松原越しにヨー
Over the pine trees?

博多通いの
As a frequent traveler to Hakata

アレサ夜船の灯が見える
I can see the lights of the night boat

灯が見える
I can see the lights

恋の夜船は
A lover's night boat

夜の間にかえせヨー
Return during the night

明けりゃ仇波
At dawn, it becomes the enemy's waves

アレサ浮名の波が立つ
The waves of the floating world arise

波が立つ
The waves arise

波も荒かろ
The waves are also rough