Battōtai

"**Battōtai**" (抜刀隊) is a Japanese military march (*gunka*) from the Meiji era. The lyrics were written by Masakazu Toyama, and the music was composed by French soldier Charles Leroux in 1885. The march is named after the police brigades of the Meiji era. It was first published that year.

The Meiji era was the period when Japan opened up to the world after centuries of voluntary isolation, and thus "Battōtai" became the first Japanese song with Western musical influences. This march didn't garner much attention until World War II where it was considered as the military anthem by many soldiers. This song was meant to be the Japanese version of "Die Wacht am Rhein".

## Lyrics

### Japanese original

我は官軍我敵は
天地容れざる朝敵ぞ
敵の大將たる者は
古今無雙の英雄で

之に從ふ兵は
共に慓悍决死の士
鬼神に恥ぬ勇あるも
天の許さぬ叛逆を

起しゝ者は昔より
榮えし例あらざるぞ
敵の亡ぶる夫迄は
進めや進め諸共に

玉ちる劔拔き連れて
死する覺悟で進むべし
皇國の風と武士の
其身を護る靈の

維新このかた廢れたる
日本刀の今更に
又世に出づる身の譽
敵も身方も諸共に

刃の下に死ぬべきぞ
大和魂ある者の
死ぬべき時は今なるぞ
人に後れて恥かくな

敵の亡ぶる夫迄は
進めや進め諸共に
玉ちる劔拔き連れて

死する覺悟で進むべし

Ware wa kangun waga teki wa
Tenchi irezaru chōteki zo
Tekino taishō taru mono wa
Kokon musō no eiyū de

Kore ni shitagō tsuwamono wa
Tomo ni hyōkan kesshi no shi
Kijin ni hajinu yūaru mo
Ten no yurusanu hangyaku wo

Okoseshi mono wa mukashi yori
Sakaeshi tameshi arazaru zo
Teki no horoburu sore made wa
Susume ya susume moro tomo ni

Tamachiru tsurugi nuki tsurete
Shisuru kakugo de susumu beshi
Mikuni no fūto mono no fu wa
Sonomi wo mamoru tamashī no

Ishīn kono kata sutaretaru
Nippontō no ima sara ni
Mata yo ni izuru mi no homare
Teki mo mikata mo moro tomo ni

Yaiba no mono ni shisu beki ni
Yamato-damashī aru mono no
Shinubeki toki wa ima naruzo
Hito ni okurete haji kakuna

Teki no horoburu sore made wa
Susume ya susume moro tomo ni
Tamachiru tsurugi nuki tsurete
Shisuru kakugo de susumu beshi

Варева кангун вага текива
Тенти ирезару тёутеки зо
Текино тайсёу тару монова
Кокон мусоуно ейюуде

Корени ситагоу тувамонова
Томони хёокан кессино си
Кизинни хазину юуарумо
Тенно юрусану хангякуво

Окосеси монова мукаси ёри
Сакаеси тамеси аразару зо
Текино хоробуру соре мадева
Сусуме я сусуме моро томони

Таматиру туруги нуки туререте
Сисуру какугоде сусуму беси
Микунино хууто мононо хува
Сономиво мамору тамасийно

Исийн коно ката сутаретару
Ниппонтоуно има сарани
Мата ёни изуру мино хомаре
Текимо микатамо моро томони

Яйбано монони сису бекини
Ямато-дамасий ару мононо
Синубеки токива има нарузо
Хитони окурете хази какуна

Текино хоробуру соре мадева
Сусуме я сусуме моро томони
Таматиру туруги нуки турере
Сисуру какугоде сусуму беси

[ɰa.ɾe.ɰa kaŋ.ɡɯɴ ɰa.ga te.ki.ɰa]
[teɲ.t͡ɕi i.ɾe.d͡za.ɾɯ t͡ɕoː.te.ki d͡zo]
[te.ki.no tai̯.ɕoː ta.ɾɯ mo.no.ɰa]
[ko.koɴ mɯ.soː.no ei̯.jɯː.de]

[ko.ɾe.ni ɕi̥.ta.goː t͡sɯ.ɰa.mo.no.ɰa]
[to.mo.ni çoːkaɴ keɕ.ɕi.no ɕi]
[ki.d͡ʑin.ni ha.d͡ʑi.nɯ jɯː.a.ɾɯ.mo]
[ten.no jɯ.ɾɯ.sa.nɯ haŋ.gʲa.kɯ.o]

[o.ko.se.ɕi mo.no.ɰa mɯ.ka.ɕi jo.ɾi]
[sa.ka.e.ɕi ta.me.ɕi a.ɾa.d͡za.ɾɯ d͡zo]
[te.ki.no ho.ɾo.bɯ.ɾɯ so.ɾe ma.de.ɰa]
[sɯ̥.sɯ.me ja sɯ̥.sɯ.me mo.ɾo to.mo.ni]

[ta.ma.t͡ɕi.ɾɯ t͡sɯ.ɾɯ.gi nɯ.ki t͡sɯ.ɾe.te]
[ɕi̥.sɯ.ɾɯ ka.kɯ.go.de sɯ̥.sɯ.me be.ɕi]
[mi.kɯ.ni.no ɸɯː.to mo.no.no ɸɯ.ɰa]
[so.no.mi.o ma.mo.ɾɯ ta.ma.ɕiː.no]

[i.ɕiːɴ ko.no ka.ta sɯ̥.ta.ɾe.ta.ɾɯ]
[nip̚.pon.toː.no i.ma sa.ɾa.ni]
[ma.ta jo.ni i.d͡zɯ.ɾɯ mi.no ho.ma.ɾe]
[te.ko.mo mi.ka.ta.mo mo.ɾo to.mo.ni]

[jai̯.ba.no mo.no.ni ɕi̥.sɯ be.ki.ni]
[ja.ma.to da.ma.ɕiː a.ɾɯ mo.no.no]
[ɕi.nɯ.be.ki to.ki.ɰa i.ma na.ɾɯ.d͡zo]
[çi̥.to.ni o.kɯ.ɾe.te ha.d͡ʑi ka.kɯ.na]

[te.ki.no ho.ɾo.bɯ.ɾɯ so.ɾe ma.de.ɰa]
[sɯ̥.sɯ.me ja sɯ̥.sɯ.me mo.ɾo to.mo.ni]
[ta.ma.t͡ɕi.ɾɯ t͡sɯ.ɾɯ.gi nɯ.ki t͡sɯ.ɾe.te]
[ɕi̥.sɯ.ɾɯ ka.kɯ.go.de sɯ̥.sɯ.me be.ɕi]

### English version

Loyal to the emperor, we're his soldiers all

Ready for battle and not afraid to fall

The enemy is led by a man of great acclaim

No other general is equal to his fame

And those who follow him aren't afraid of death

Fiercer than tigers to their final breath!

But their rebellion shall heaven not allow!

All who spurn the emperor, will be made to bow

Those who raise rebellion's flag never will prevail!

Cast against our righteous might, they cannot avail!

Now 'till the enemy is laid low in defeat

We will march with spirits high and never sound retreat!

Onwards like a blazing sword, forward to the fray!

Being not afraid to die, we'll carry the day!

As it was before, in the storied days of old

When noble samurai braved the field so bold

The proudly wielded sword, once a relic of the past

Now is made sharp again, and unsheated at last!

So take a warning now, whether friend or foe!

Those wishing for a fight will be laid low!

But those with spirits pure, be ye not afraid!

For death has no power over those who wield the blade!

Now's the time for gallant deeds, so do not fear to fall!

Marching to our destinies, ready one and all!

Now 'till the enemy is laid low in defeat

We will march with spirits high and never sound retreat!

Onwards like a blazing sword, forward to the fray!

Being not afraid to die, we'll carry the day!

## References

1. ↑ 堀内敬三編纂『童謡唱歌名曲全集続篇・明治回顧軍歌唱歌名曲選』京文社、1932年。
2. ↑ 倉田喜弘、1994、「民衆歌謡：近世末期から近代への流れ」、『成立と展開』2、 東京書籍〈岩波講座 日本の音楽・アジアの音楽〉 ISBN 4000103628 pp. 153-159.
3. ↑ 抜刀隊と扶桑歌を合わせた行進曲の呼び名は「陸軍分列行進曲」「抜刀隊行進曲」「観兵式行進曲」「扶桑歌行進曲」など一定していない。
4. ↑ 堀内敬三「ヂンタ以來」59ページ　アオイ書房　1935年
5. ↑ 新体詩抄. 初編 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション
6. ↑ (zh.) 關於該詞，是在明治15年出版的「新體詩抄」所刊載，為外山正一所作。
7. ↑ Battotai (English Version) (2022-07-04). Performed by The Southern Singer via YouTube.