Tohiko [With Eng and Romaji sub]

討匪行 / Tōhikō / March to suppress bandits
Japanese military song

Singer: Japan Philharmonic Chorus
Performer: Japan Philharmonic Orchestra

[About this song]
This song was made in 1932, just after the Manchurian Incident. The lyrics were written by Takeo Yaginuma and the music was composed by Yoshie Fujiwara. The number of bandits, called 匪賊 (Hizoku), increased after the founding of Manchukuo, and the Kwantung Army moved to suppress them. This song is about the soldiers who were in charge of the suppression.

[About translation]
*Xing'anling
It's the general name for two mountain ranges in Manchuria.

[Full lyrics]
In this version, number 7–10, 12, 13, and number 15 of the lyrics aren't sung.
Japanese lyrics:
7–10
通信筒よ 乾パンよ
声も詰まりて仰ぐ眼に
溢るるものは涙のみ

今日山峡の朝ぼらけ
細くかすけく立つ煙
賊馬は草を食むが見ゆ

露冷えまさる草原に
朝立つ鳥も慌ただし
賊が油断ぞ ひしと寄れ

面輝かしつわものが
賊殲滅の一念に
焔と燃えて迫る見よ

12
賊馬もろとも倒れ伏し
焔は上がる山の家
さし照れる日の麗らけさ

13
仰ぐ御稜威の旗の下
幾山越えて今日の日に
会う喜びを語り草

15
亜細亜に国す吾日本
王師一度行くところ
満蒙の闇 晴れ渡る

English translation:
7–10
O message tubes, O hardtack.
My voice is choked, I look up,
and all that fills my eyes are tears.
(*The message tube - It's a cylinder that is dropped on the ground from an airplane or something containing a correspondence document.)

Today, daybreak comes to the valley
and smoke rises thinly and faintly.
You can see the bandits' horses grazing.

In the meadow where it's getting cold enough for dew to appear,
birds that fly off in the morning are in a hurry.
The bandits are off their guard, pull yourself together closely!

Lively-faced soldiers
with the determination to destroy the bandits
are blazing and approaching. Behold!

12
The bandits fall to the ground with their horses,
and a house in the mountains goes up in flames.
How beautiful the shining sun is.

13
Under the imperial flag to be revered,
We are talking about the joy of meeting today
after going over several mountains.

15
Our Japan, located in Asia.
Once its imperial army goes,
the darkness of Manchuria and Mongolia will be cleared up.

Rōmaji lyrics:
7–10
Tsūshintō yo kanpan yo
Koe mo tsumarite aogu me ni
Afururu mono wa namida nomi

Kyō yamakai no asaborake
Hosoku kasukeku tatsu kemuri
Zokuba wa kusa o hamu ga miyu

Tsuyu hie masaru kusahara ni
Asa datsu tori mo awatadashi
Honō to moete semaru miyo

12
Zokuba morotomo taore fushi
Honō wa agaru yama no ie
Sashi tereru hi no urarakesa

13
Aogu miitsu no hata no moto
Ikusan koete kyō no hi ni
Ou yorokobi o katarigusa

15
Ajia ni kuni su waga nihon
Ōshi hitotabi yuku tokoro
Manmō no yami hare wataru

[Rōmaji]
Doko made tsuzuku nukarumi zo
Mikka futayo o shoku mo naku
Ame furi shibuku tetsukabuto

Inanaku koe mo tae hatete
Taoreshi uma no tategami o
Katami to ima wa wakare kinu

Hizume no ato ni midare saku
Akikusa no hana shizuku shite
Mushigane hosoki higure zora

Sude ni tabako wa nakunarinu
Tanomu matchi mo nure hatenu
Ue semaru yo no samusa kana

Samo ara ba are hinomoto no
Ware wa tsuwamono kanete yori
Kusa musu kabane kuyuru nashi

Aa hingashi no sora tooku
Amagumo yurite todoroku wa
Waga yūgun no hikōki zo

Yama kodama suru tsutsu no oto
Tachimachi hibiku toki no koe
No no he no kusa o ake ni somu

Teki niwa aredo nakigara ni
Hana o tamukete nengoro ni
Kōanrei yo iza saraba

[Japanese]
何処まで続く泥濘ぞ
三日 二夜を食も無く
雨降りしぶく鉄兜

嘶く声も絶え果てて
倒れし馬の鬣を
形見と今は別れ来ぬ

蹄の跡に乱れ咲く
秋草の花 雫して
虫が音細き 日暮れ空

既に煙草は無くなりぬ
頼むマッチも濡れはてぬ
飢え迫る夜の寒さかな

さもあらばあれ日の本の
我はつわものかねてより
草生す屍 悔ゆる無し

ああ東の空遠く
雨雲揺りて轟くは
我が友軍の飛行機ぞ

山こだまする砲の音
たちまち響く鬨の声
野の辺の草を紅に染む

敵にはあれど遺骸に
花を手向けて懇ろに
興安嶺よ いざさらば