OWI Morning Shrine

御製神苑の朝

Morning in the Shrine garden, Imperial poem

しづかなる神のみそのゝあさぼらけ

世のありさまもかゝれとそ思ふ

Quiet Morning Dawn at the Shrine

I think about the state of the world

しづかなる神のみそのゝあさぼらけ

世のありさまもかゝれとそ思ふ

Quiet Morning Dawn at the Shrine

I think about the state of the world

昭和十三年の御歌始の御製はなんとありがたき御歌詞でしたでしょう。

What a wonderful poem, written at the beginning of the 1938 New Year's Poetry Reading.

聖上陛下は昭和十五年またも

His Majesty the Emperor of Japan again in 1940

西ひかしむつみかはして榮ゆかむ

世をこそいのれ年のはじめに

West East Mutual Friendship and Prosperity

Pray for the world at the beginning of the year

との御製を国民に下されました。

the people of Japan were given the following poem.

にもかかわらず大八洲は今日戦火の渦中にあるのはどうしたことでしょう。

How is it that despite all this, Japan is today in the middle of a war zone?

陛下は過去四年内に二度も貴き御製を通じて大御心の平和をお望み遊ばしますことを民草に下されたのにどうして日本の軍部は戦争をしているのでしょう。

Why is Japan's military fighting a war when His Majesty has twice in the past four years expressed his desire for peace through his noble writings?

その理由は他でもありません。

The reason for this is none other than this.

言うも恐れ多く、軍部の高官はあえて陛下の大御心を欺き奉ったのです。

I am afraid to say it, but the high military officials dared to deceive His Majesty's Imperial will.

軍部は支那事変を片付ける事が出来ず然も侵略地においける貴重品は全部掠奪してしまったのです。

The military was unable to clean up the Incident in China, and all valuables in the invaded area were looted.

にもかかわらず、尚も略奪品を得んとの強慾から巧みなるドイツの甘言にまんまと乗せられ、今日の大戦争を勃発したのです。

Despite this, they were still able to fall prey to Germany's greed and cleverness in their attempts to acquire loot, which led to the outbreak of today's great war.

彼ら軍部はその悪辣な計畫を陛下にはお知らせ申上げなかったのです。

The military did not inform Ηis Majesty of their devious plan.

どうなれば常に平和を望み遊ばしていまします。

Ηis Majesty always wished for world peace.

陛下はどうして戦争なぞをお許しになりましょう。

Why does His Majesty allow this war?

私利の為には盲目である軍部主脳者は戦争の必ず国民にもたらす艱難を無視し、然も御製

「西ひかしむみかはして栄ゆかむ」の御歌詞も無視したのです。

The military top leadership, blinded by self-interest, ignore the hardships that war will surely bring to the people, “West East Mutual Friendship and Prosperity” and yet, they ignored the Poem’s own words as well.

軍部こそ国賊です。

The military is a traitor to the nation.

今より十年前軍部によって開始された支那事変以来、日本国民は如何程栄えにでしょう。

How prosperous have the Japanese people been since the Second Sino-Japanese Incident initiated by the military ten years ago?

十数年前と今日皆さん日常のお膳を比べて御覧になってもお分りでしょう。

You can see this by comparing the daily meals of today with those of more than ten years ago.

最近の納税率をも考えて御覧なさい。

Consider also the recent tax rates.

景気？成程ごく少数の人々は好景気です。

The economy? Well, a very small number of people are prospering.

しかしそれはごく限られた、軍部首脳者或は軍部の特務員と関係のある人々ばかりでしょう。

However, it will only be a very limited number of people who are related to military leaders or military special agents.

彼らは掠奪品で景気が好いのです。

They are booming with plunder.

しかしながら一般国民の男子の死骸は軍部の私慾は滿足さす為に戦塲で腐敗しいるではありませんか。

However, the corpses of ordinary Japanese men are rotting in battlefields to gratify the military's private desires.

一体このような「栄え」を陛下が御望みになったのでしょうか。

Would His Majesty have wished for this kind of "prosperity"?

然し此の樣な自腹を太らす「栄え」を得ん為に軍部首脳者は恐れ多くも陛下を欺き奉ったのです。

However, in order to obtain such "prosperity" to fatten their own pockets, the military leaders fearlessly deceived His Majesty.

再び御製を拝読なさい

Respectfully read the poem again.

しづかなる神のみそのゝあさぼらけ

世のありさまもかゝれとそ思ふ

Quiet Morning Dawn at the Shrine

I think about the state of the world

西ひかしむつみかはして榮ゆかむ

世をこそいのれ年のはじめに

West East Mutual Friendship and Prosperity

Pray for the world at the beginning of the year