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.

昴 -すばる-
美空ひばり Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

目を閉じて何も見えず
哀しくて目を開ければ
荒野に向かう道より
他に見えるものは無し

ああ砕け散る宿命の星たちよ
せめて密やかにこの身を照せよ

我は行く蒼白き頬のままで
我は行くさらば昴よ

呼吸をすれば胸の中
凩は吠き続ける
されど我が胸は熱く
夢を追い続けるなり

ああさんざめく名も無き星たちよ
せめて鮮やかにその身を終われよ

我も行く心の命ずるままに
我も行くさらば昴よ

ああいつの日か誰かがこの道を
ああいつの日か誰かがこの道を

我は行く蒼白き頬のままで

我は行くさらば昴よ
我は行くさらば昴よ

Overall Meaning

The song 昴 -すばる- by 美空ひばり contemplates the inevitability of fate and the journey of life. The lyrics describe a desolate path with nothing to see except the stars. The singer asks the stars to at least shine on her as she journeys on, accepting the shattered destiny of the stars. The singer then proclaims that she too will continue to travel, following her dreams fervently, even as the cold winds of reality blow in her face. She urges the stars to end their lives in a beautiful and colorful way, while she continues forward with her heart as her guide.

The lyrics are an introspective reflection on the journey of life and the acceptance of the challenges one faces. The stars and the path symbolize the vastness of the world in front of us and the decision we must make to accept our fate or fight against it. The singer chooses to fight against the limitations and barriers of her life, following her dreams and chasing her passions, despite the obstacles.

Line by Line Meaning

目を閉じて何も見えず
Closing my eyes, I see nothing

哀しくて目を開ければ
Opening them, I feel sadness

荒野に向かう道より
On the path towards the wilderness

他に見えるものは無し
I can see nothing else

ああ砕け散る宿命の星たちよ
Oh, the shattered fate of the stars

せめて密やかにこの身を照せよ
At least let me shine with modesty

我は行く蒼白き頬のままで
I'm going, with pale cheeks

我は行くさらば昴よ
I'm going, farewell Subaru

呼吸をすれば胸の中
When I breathe, in my chest

凩は吠き続ける
The cold wind keeps howling

されど我が胸は熱く
But my heart is burning