BATTŌTAI | Imperial Japanese March
Lyrics in Hiragana
"Battōtai" (抜刀隊, Drawn-Sword Regiment) is a Japanese gunka composed by Charles Leroux [ja] with lyrics by Toyama Masakazu in 1885. Upon the request of the Japanese government, Leroux adapted it along with another gunka, "Fusōka" (Song of Fusang), into the military march Rikugun bunretsu kōshinkyoku in 1912.
The song references the Battōtai who fought in the Battle of Tabaruzaka during the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion. Because of supply problems and heavy rains, the Satsuma rebels were forced to engage with the Imperial Japanese Army in hand-to-hand combat. They inflicted heavy casualties against Imperial forces, who were mostly conscripts with no experience in wielding swords. Lieutenant General Yamagata Aritomo selected and deployed men from the surrounding area who were proficient with swords. He named this unit Battōtai or "Drawn-Sword regiment."
Japanese:
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
刃の下に死すべきに
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
前を望めば劔なり
右も左りも皆劔
劔の山に登らんは
未來の事と聞きつるに
此世に於て目のあたり
劔の山に登るのも
我身のなせる罪業を
滅す爲にあらずして
賊を征討するが爲
劔の山もなんのその
敵の亡ぶるそれ迄は
進めや進め諸共に
玉ちる劔拔き連れて
死ぬる覺悟で進むべし
劔の光ひらめくは
雲間に見ゆる稻妻か
四方に打出す砲聲は
天に轟く雷（いかづち）か
敵の刃に伏す者や
丸に碎けて玉の緒の
絶えて墓なく失する身の
屍は積みて山をなし
其血は流れて川をなす
死地に入るのも君が爲
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
死ぬる覺悟で進むべし
彈丸雨飛の間にも
二つなき身を惜まずに
進む我身は野嵐に
吹かれて消ゆる白露の
墓なき最期とぐるとも
忠義の爲に死ぬる身の
死（しに）て甲斐あるものならば
死ぬるも更に怨なし
我と思はん人たちは
一歩も後へ引くなかれ
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
死ぬる覺悟で進むべし
我今茲（われいまここ）に
死（しな）ん身は
君の爲なり國の爲
捨つべきものは命なり
假令（たと）ひ
屍は朽ちぬとも
忠義の爲に捨る身の
名は芳しく後の世に
永く傳（つた）へて
殘るらん
武士と生れた（うまれた）
甲斐もなく
義もなき犬と
云（い）はるゝな
卑怯者とな
そしられそ
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
死ぬる覺悟で進むべし
Romanji:
Ware wa kangun waga teki wa
Tenchi irezaru chouteki zo
Teki no taishou taru mono wa
Kokon musou no eiyuu de
Kore ni shitagou tsuwamono wa
Tomo ni hyoukan kesshi no shi
Kijin ni hajinu yuuaru 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 fuuto mono no fu wa
Sonomi wo mamoru tamashii no
Ishiin kono kata sutaretaru
Nippontou no ima sara ni
Mata yo ni izuru mi no homare
Teki mo mikata mo moro tomo ni
Yaiba no shita ni shisu beki ni
Yamato-damashii 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
Mae wo nozomeba tsuruginari
Migi mo hidari mo mina tsurugi
Tsurugi no yama ni noboranwa
Mirai no koto to kikitsuru ni
Kono yo ni oite manoatari
Tsurugi no yama ni noboru nomo
Wagami no naseru zaigou wo
Horobosu tame ni arazushite
Zoku wo seibatsu suru ga tame
Tsurugi no yama mo nann' no sono
Teki no horoburu sore made wa
Susume ya susume moro tomo ni
Tamachiru tsurugi nuki tsurete
Shisuru kakugo de susumu beshi
Tsurugi no hikari kirameku wa
Kumoma ni miyuru imazuma ka
Yomo ni uchidasu housei wa
Ten ni todoroku ikazuchi ka
Teki no yaiba ni fusumono ya
Tama ni kudakete tama no o no
Taete hakanaku usuru mi no
Kabane wa Tsumite yama wo nashi
Sono chi wa nagarete kawa wo nasu
Shichi ni hairu nomo kimi ga tame
Teki no horoburu sore made wa
Susume ya susume moro tomo ni
Tamachiru tsurugi nuki tsurete
Shisuru kakugo de susumu beshi
Dangan'uhi no aida nimo
Futatsu naki mi wo oshimazu ni
Susumu wa ga mi wa noarashi ni
Fukarete kiyuru shiratsuyu no
Hakanaki saigo wo togurutomo
Chugi no tame ni ususu mi no
Shishite kai aru mono naraba
Shisurumo sarani uraminashi
Wareto owowan hitotachi wa
Ippo mo ato e hikunakare
Teki no horoburu sore made wa
Susume ya susume moro tomo ni
Tamachiru tsurugi nuki tsurete
Shisuru kakugo de susumu beshi
Ware ima koko ni
Shinan mi wa
Kimi no tame nari Kuni no tame
Sutsu beki mono wa inochi nari
Tatoi (tatohi)
Kabane wa kuchinu tomo
Chugi no tame ni usuru mi no
Na wa kanbashiku nochi no yo ni
Nagaku tsutaete
Nokoru nan
Bushi to umareta
Kai mo naku
Gi mo naki inu to
Iwaruruna
Hikyou mono to na
Soshirare so
Teki no horoburu sore made wa
Susume ya susume moro tomo ni
Tamachiru tsurugi nuki tsurete
Shisuru kakugo de susumu beshi
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