Sakura Namiki in Washington D.C., USA (photos compiled by Tuan Vu, Olympia, WA, USA, lyrics embedded by Dang Luong Mo of HCM City, VN) MY DEAR LOVER (translation by Dang Luong Mo) On the evening when withered leaves are falling, Telling of a cold that is coming, I was sitting in the rain on a broken bench Without a murmuring love song My dear lover please stay by me Just stay with me for I am being frozen Tell me you are just kidding By saying good-bye and please smile A jogging man passing by On the gravel road Seems to seduce me who am standing still As if I want to forget all My dear lover good-bye The seasons keep on changing though The shooting star we were looking at that evening Flashing and disappearing, has just become a heartless dream My dear lover please stay by me Just stay with me for I am being frozen Tell me you are just kidding By saying good-bye and please smile KOIBITO-YO Mayumi ITSUWA ca Kareha chiru yuugure wa Kuruhi no samusa wo monogatari Ame ni kowareta benchi niwa Ai wo sasayaku uta mo nai Koibito yo, soba ni ite Kogoeru watashi no soba ni ite yo Soshite hitokoto kono wakare-banashi ga Joudan da yo to waratte hoshii Jarimichi wo kakeashi de Marason bito ga yuki sugiru Marude boukyaku wo nozomu youni Tomaru watashi wo sasotte-iru Koibito yo, sayonara Kisetsu wa megutte kuru kedo Anohi no futari, yoi no nagare-boshi Hikatte wa kieru, mujou no yume yo Koibito yo, soba ni ite Kogoeru watashi no soba ni ite yo Soshite hitokoto kono wakare-banashi ga Joudan da yo to watte hoshii

Kareha chiru yuug(k)ure wa (On the evening when withered leaves are falling)

Kuruhi no samusa wo monogatari (Telling of a cold that is coming)

Ame ni kowareta benchi niwa Ai wo sasayaku uta mo nai (I was sitting in the rain on a broken bench Without a murmuring love song)

Koibito yo soba ni ite (My dear lover please stay by me)

Kogoeru watashi no soba ni ite yo (Just stay with me for I am being frozen)

Soshite hitokoto kono wakarebanashi ga (Tell me you are just kidding, by saying good-bye…) Joudan da yo to…

waratte hoshii (…and please smile)

Jarimichi wo kake-ashi de (On the gravel road,…)

Marason bito ga yuki sugiru Marude boukyaku (wo) nozomu youni (A jogging man passing by) (As if I want to forget all)

Tomaru watashi wo sasotte-iru (Seems to seduce me who am standing still)

Koibito yo, sayonara (My dear lover good-bye)

Kisetsu wa megutte kuru kedo Anohi no futari yoi no nagareboshi (The seasons keep on changing though) (A shooting star we were looking at that evening)

Hikatte wa kieru mujou no yume yo (Flashing and disappearing, has just become a heartless dream)

Koibito yo, soba ni ite (My dear lover please stay by me)

Kogoeru watashi no soba ni ite yo Soshite hitokoto… (Just stay with me for I am being frozen) (Tell me…)

Joudan da yo to… …kono wakarebanashi ga (…you are just kidding) (By saying good-bye…)

…waratte hoshii (…and please smile)

History of Cherry Trees in America -City of Tokyo gave 3,000 Cherry trees to Washington, D.C., in ,800 more Cherry trees were given in In 1981 the cycle of giving came full circle. Japanese horticulturalists came to take cuttings from our trees to replace Yoshino cherry trees in Japan which had been destroyed in a flood. -Cuttings from a famous 1500 years old Japanese cherry tree in Gifu province were planted in Washington D.C. - The National Cherry Blossom Festival annually commemorates the gifts of Japan to America