Accompanied by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Spanish tenor José Carreras sings “Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni”, meaning “Like the Flow of the River”, by the Japanese composer Akira Mitake (born 1956). Lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto (born 1958), the Japanese record producer, lyricist and television writer. Recorded at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.
The song was voted the “greatest Japanese song of all time” during a national poll in 1997 by NHK, with more than 10 million votes.
Lyrics
Kawa no Nagare no Yō ni
Romaji
shirazu shirazu aruite kita
hosoku nagai kono michi
furikaereba haruka tooku
furusato ga mieru
dekoboko michi ya magari kunetta michi
chizu sae nai sore mo mata jinsei
aa kawa no nagare no you ni
yuruyaka ni ikutsu mo jidai wa sugite
aa kawa no nagare no you ni
tomedonaku sora ga tasogare ni somaru dake
ikiru koto wa tabi suru koto
owari no nai kono michi
ai suru hito soba ni tsurete
yume sagashinagara
ame ni furarete nugaru n’ da michi demo
itsuka wa mata hareru hi ga kuru kara
aa kawa no nagare no you ni
odayaka ni kono mi wo makasete itai
aa kawa no nagare no you ni
utsuri yuku kisetsu yukidoke wo machinagara
aa kawa no nagare no you ni
odayaka ni kono mi wo makasete itai
aa kawa no nagare no you ni
itsumademo
aoi seseragi wo kikinagara
Like the Flow of the River
I came walking on this long, narrow path
without knowing it
When I turn around,
my distant hometown is visible
The uneven path twists & turns
and doesn’t even have a map
So is the road of life
Ah, like the flow of the river
the era passes by leniently
Ah, like the flow of the river
the sky is just endlessly dyed at twilight
Living and taking a journey,
an endless path
Take The person I love to my side
while searching for a dream
Even if I’m rained on & the path is muddy,
someday the sunny day will come again
Ah, like the flow of the river
I want to calmly go with the flow
Ah, like the flow of the river
The changing seasons
Ah, like the flow of the river
I want to calmly go with the flow
Ah, like the flow of the river
Forever
while listening to the blue blabbling stream
- Maxim Vengerov and Daughter perform “Adagio” from Alessandro Marcello’s Oboe Concerto - March 24, 2023
- Dvořák: Cello Concerto [Ella van Poucke] - March 22, 2023
- Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto [Maxim Vengerov] - March 21, 2023
