Tinsagu nu Hana

Tinsagu nu Hana (てぃんさぐぬ花), also erroneously called Chinsagu nu Hana, is an Okinawan song about traditional Ryukyuan values such as filial piety and other Confucian teachings in the Okinawan language.



Description
The title of the song can be translated as "The Balsam Flowers". The song is an Okinawan children's song; Okinawan children would squeeze the sap from balsam flowers to stain their fingernails as a way to ward off evil. The lyrics of the song are Confucian teachings. Of the first six verses, the first three relate to filial piety, while the latter three refer to respecting one's body and one's goals. Each verse has exactly the same number of notes using language and meter devices that are uniquely Okinawan, called Ryūka.

Lyrics
The last four of the ten verses are missing.

Okinawan
 * てぃんさぐぬ花や
 * 爪先に染みてぃ
 * 親ぬゆし事や
 * 肝に染みり


 * 天ぬ群星や
 * 読みば読まりしが
 * 親ぬゆし言や
 * 読みやならん


 * 夜走らす舟や
 * 子ぬ方星見当てぃ
 * 我ん生ちぇる親や
 * 我んどぅ見当てぃ


 * 宝玉やてぃん
 * 磨かにば錆す
 * 朝夕肝磨ち
 * 浮世渡ら


 * 誠する人や
 * 後や何時迄ん
 * 思事ん叶てぃ
 * 千代ぬ栄い


 * なしば何事ん
 * なゆる事やしが
 * なさぬ故からどぅ
 * ならぬ定み

Transliteration


 * Tinsagu nu hana ya
 * Chimisachi ni sumiti
 * Uya nu yushigutu ya
 * Chimu ni sumiri


 * Tin nu muribushi ya
 * Yumiba yumarishi ga
 * Uya nu yushigutu ya
 * Yumiyanaran


 * Yuru harasu funi ya
 * Ninufabushi miati
 * Wan nacheru uya ya
 * Wan du miati


 * Takaradama yati n
 * Migakaniba sabisu
 * Asayu chimu migachi
 * Uchi yu watara


 * Makutu suru hitu ya
 * Atu ya ichi madi n
 * Umukutu n kanati
 * Chiyu nu sakai


 * Nashiba nangutu n
 * Nayurugutu yashi ga
 * Nasanu yui kara du
 * Naranu sadami

English translation


 * Just as my fingernails
 * Are stained with the pigment from balsam flowers
 * My heart is painted
 * With the teachings of my parents


 * Although the stars in the sky
 * Are countable
 * The teachings of my parents
 * Are not


 * Just as ships that run in the night
 * Are guided to safety by the North Star
 * I am guided by my parents
 * Who gave birth to me and watch over me


 * There's no point in possessing magnificent jewelry
 * If you don't maintain it
 * People who maintain their bodies
 * Will live life wonderfully


 * The desires of the person who lives sincerely
 * Will always run true
 * And as a result
 * She will prosper


 * You can do anything
 * If you try
 * But you can't
 * If you don't