Japanese art song ‘The Bell Rings’ ‘Kane ga Narimasu’ by Kosaku Yamada and Hakushu Kitahara with video and translation.

Hello, I’m Miyako, a soprano singer.

Today, I’d like to introduce a Japanese art song:

“Kane ga Narimasu” (The Bell Rings)
Music by Kosaku Yamada
Lyrics by Hakushu Kitahara

 

Kosaku Yamada and Hakushu Kitahara

— truly a golden duo in the world of Japanese art songs.
Just to name a few of their famous works:
“Akatombo” (Red Dragonfly), “Machibōke” (Left Waiting), “Karatachi no Hana” (The Trifoliate Orange Blossom), “Pechika,” “Kono Michi” (This Road)…
These are songs that almost every Japanese person knows — even if they haven’t formally studied music.

Compared to those, “Kane ga Narimasu” might be a little more on the lesser-known side.
Still, it’s a deeply beautiful piece that evokes vivid imagery — one that would surely resonate with anyone familiar with Japanese sensibilities.

About Kosaku Yamada

Kosaku Yamada (1886–1965) was a Japanese composer and conductor.
He helped spread classical music throughout Japan and founded the country’s first orchestra.
He was also the first Japanese composer to write a symphony.

But his achievements didn’t stop there — he performed his works at Carnegie Hall in the U.S., and conducted internationally renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic and the Leningrad Philharmonic.
Truly, he was a representative figure of Japanese music with international acclaim.

I myself studied abroad in London in 1992 — a time with no internet or smartphones.
Even then, it was incredibly difficult to get information or stay connected with Japan.
Despite having studied English in Japan, I was shocked to find my language skills completely inadequate.

And yet, Kosaku Yamada studied abroad in Germany in 1930 — back in the Meiji era — spending three years at the Royal Academy of Music in Berlin.
I can only imagine the enormous challenges he must have faced during that time.

About Hakushu Kitahara

Hakushu Kitahara (1885–1942) was a Japanese poet, children’s songwriter, and tanka (short poem) artist.
How can I put this…?

Like I felt when introducing lyricist Yumeji Takehisa of “Yoimachigusa” (Evening Primrose) —
Writers often seem to live such dramatic lives!

His family’s sake brewery burned down… they went bankrupt…
He went through multiple marriages and divorces — quite rare for the Meiji era. 😅💦
He even had a scandal involving a romantic relationship with a neighbor who was separated from her husband — he was sued and arrested!

It was a life full of ups and downs.

Still, the many children’s songs and lyrical works he produced together with Kosaku Yamada left an undeniable legacy in Japanese musical history.

Lyrics to “Kane ga Narimasu” (The Bell Rings)

Kane ga narimasu Kaya no ki yama niYama wa Samuzora Tō akaneHitotsu boshi sae Chiratsuku mono oNaze ni Chirari to mo Dete mienu

かねが　なります かやのきやまに やまは さむぞら とおあかね ひとつぼし　さえ ちらつくものを なぜに ちらりとも でて　みえぬ

The bell is ringing On the hill of kaya trees The hill Under the cold sky Blushes faintly in the distance Even a lone star Begins to flicker And yet— Why is it You won’t even briefly Show yourself?

 

About the Song

From the very first piano notes,
you can hear the deep booon —
a temple bell echoing at dusk.
The music opens with a sense of night quietly approaching.

The melody has a touch of folk song flavor, capturing the melancholy of twilight.
The lyrics suggest:

“Even a star has appeared and is twinkling…
So why won’t you even show yourself, just for a moment?”

This complex emotion — not quite despair, not quite passion — is expressed throughout in a major key, which somehow deepens the sense of sadness.

It’s a truly profound and touching piece.

 

Detailed Explanation of the Lyrics（For Japanese learners)

 

1. かねが なります

Kanji: 鐘が鳴ります
Translation: The bell is ringing.

鐘（かね / kane）: A large bell, usually found at temples in Japan. Often associated with evening, reflection, and the New Year.
鳴ります（なります / narimasu）: “To sound” or “to ring.”

💡 This sets a quiet, reflective mood — a temple bell at dusk.

—

2. かやのきやまに

Kanji: 茅の木山に
Translation: On the hill of kaya trees.

かやの木（kaya no ki）: A type of tree (Torreya nucifera or similar), associated with rural landscapes in Japan.
山（やま / yama）: Mountain or hill
に: A location particle — “at” or “on.”

👉 “The bell is ringing on the kaya tree-covered hill.”
A vivid image of a natural landscape.

—

3. やまは さむぞら とおあかね

Kanji: 山は 寒空 遠茜
Translation: The mountain under a cold sky, tinged with distant crimson.

寒空（さむぞら / samuzora）: A cold, wintry sky.
遠茜（とおあかね / tōakane）: “Far crimson” — a poetic expression referring to the reddish glow of the sky at sunset in the distance.
No verbs or particles** are used — this is a common poetic structure in Japanese. Nouns are juxtaposed to paint a picture.

💡 This line shows a chilly but beautiful twilight scene, using color and atmosphere instead of direct emotion.

—

4. ひとつぼし さえ ちらつく ものを

Kanji: 一つ星さえ ちらつくものを
Translation: Even a single star is flickering… and yet…

一つ星（ひとつぼし / hitotsuboshi）: The first star that appears in the evening — often symbolic of loneliness or waiting.
さえ: “Even…” — an emphatic particle.
ちらつく: To flicker or twinkle (like a star).
ものを: An old poetic grammar form, meaning “and yet” or “although.”

👉 Even the first star has appeared, and still… (you are not here).

💡 The use of  ものを  expresses a soft regret or sadness — a feeling left unsaid but clearly felt.

—

5. なぜに ちらりとも でて みえぬ

Kanji: なぜに ちらりとも 出て見えぬ
Translation: Why won’t you show yourself — not even for a moment?

なぜに: Old poetic form of “why.” Adds a gentle, sorrowful tone.
ちらりとも: “Not even a glance” or “not even for an instant.”
出て（でて / dete）: From 出る — to appear, to come out.
見えぬ: Old-fashioned negative form of 見える (“to be seen”) → 見えない

👉 The speaker is wondering why the person they are waiting for does not appear — not even briefly.

💡 This final line brings emotional tension. There’s a sense of yearning, sadness, and unanswered hope.

—

🌅 Overall Meaning (Simplified Summary)

As evening falls, a temple bell rings on a mountain covered with kaya trees.
The sky is cold, the mountain tinged with soft red.
A single star twinkles in the fading light — and yet,
the person the speaker longs for does not appear.
Why won’t they even show themselves, just for a moment?

—

🧭 Cultural and Poetic Notes

The bell (鐘 / kane): Symbolizes time, prayer, transience, and reflection in Japanese culture — especially connected with evening and spiritual quietness.
Nature as emotion: In traditional Japanese poetry, emotions are often expressed **indirectly** through natural scenery instead of directly stating feelings.
The major key: Though the melody is in a major key (typically used for cheerful music), it contrasts with the sadness of the lyrics, creating a bittersweet, refined mood.

Vocabulary List

Japanese (Kana)	Kanji	English Meaning	Notes
かね	鐘	bell	Large bell at temples
なります	鳴ります	to ring, to sound	Verb (polite form)
かや	茅	kaya (tree/grass)	Traditional plant/tree
き	木	tree	Often combined in names (like “kaya tree”)
やま	山	mountain/hill	Common poetic image
さむぞら	寒空	cold sky	Symbolizes winter, loneliness
とおあかね	遠茜	distant red sky	Sunset imagery, poetic word
ひとつぼし	一つ星	first star	“Lone star”; metaphor for loneliness
さえ	—	even	Emphatic particle
ちらつく	—	to flicker	Used for stars, snow, memories, etc.
ものを	—	although, and yet	Classical Japanese expression
なぜに	—	why	Older poetic form of “なぜ”
ちらりとも	—	not even a glimpse	ちらり＝glimpse + とも＝even
でて	出て	to come out, to appear	From verb 出る
みえぬ	見えぬ	cannot be seen	Classical negative of 見える

 

Grammar & Expression Breakdown

A. ～が鳴ります

Noun + が + 鳴ります

• Used for sounds: 鐘が鳴ります (The bell rings), 犬が鳴きます (The dog barks)

---

B. ～に (location particle)

Place + に → indicates where something happens

• かやのきやまに = on the kaya tree-covered hill

---

C. 寒空 遠茜（no particles, no verbs）

Poetic structure using noun stacking to describe a scene

• “Cold sky, distant crimson” — imagery over grammar

---

D. ～さえ

Noun + さえ = even…

• 一つ星さえ = even the first star

👉 Often used to emphasize something surprising or unexpected.

---

E. ～ものを

Classical grammar. Means: “and yet…” or “although…”

• Used to express regret or frustration
• Example:「来ればいいものを」= You could have come (but didn’t)…

---

F. ちらりとも

ちらり = a glance / flicker
とも = “even” (used for strong emphasis in negative clauses)

• ちらりとも見えぬ = “not even a glimpse can be seen”

👉 This structure expresses complete absence — not even the smallest amount.

---

G. ～ぬ (classical negative)

Modern: ～ない
Classical: ～ぬ

• 見える → 見えぬ = “cannot be seen” / “does not appear”

---

Common Sentence Patterns in the Song

Structure	Meaning	Example from Song
Noun + が + Verb	Subject focus	鐘が鳴ります
Place + に	Location marker	かやのきやまに
Noun + さえ	Even ~ (emphasis)	一つ星さえ
Verb (stem) + ぬ	Negative (classical)	見えぬ
ちらりとも + Verb (neg)	Not even a bit	ちらりとも見えぬ
～ものを	Although… / If only…	ちらつくものを