To You, Born in June

Please listen if you'd like 😊
With all my heart, to everyone born in the rainy season

“On the Day I First Met You”

I was born when hydrangeas bloomed in the rain
Carried through the summer heat, through winter’s gentle pain
I don’t recall the darkness where your heartbeat held me tight
But somehow I remember your voice, a soft and glowing light

The very first thing I saw in this world
Was your face—so kind, so calm, so warm

“Hello, sweet child,” you softly said
“I’m so glad you came,”—that’s what Dad once said you said

In your arms on a rainy day, I came home to you
Under skies where the hydrangeas swayed in every hue
With blurry eyes and ears so new, I tried to find my way
Through droplets falling from the roof, I searched that rainy day

Rain washes all and sets it free
Flows to rivers, to the sea
And you, you taught me what it means
To live, to love, to simply be

Every year, my birthday comes like a song
And your smile plays in my mind where it’s always belonged
You gave me life, and that’s a gift I now truly understand
The day I first met you—was the day my joy began

In your arms on a rainy day, I came home to you
Under skies where the hydrangeas swayed in every hue
And now each drop of falling rain reminds me of your grace
I see your eyes in every bloom, I long for your embrace

Thank you for the pain you bore
For choosing me and so much more
To be your child, to live this way
There’s nothing more that I could say

So when the rain begins to fall, I close my eyes and see
The day you brought me into life, and gave the world to me
Thank you, Mom, for all you gave
For your love, so deep, so brave
I’ll always be your child,
From the first bloom to the grave

Japanese Translation

I was born when the hydrangeas on a rainy day were in full bloom.
I spent the hot summer and passed through the cold winter inside your womb.
I don't have memories of growing inside you, but I feel like I can still remember your voice.
The first thing I saw at the hospital was your kind face.

Nice to meet you, hello.
I'm so glad you were born.
My father told me that was what you said.

Hydrangeas beaten by the rain are clusters of small flowers blooming in various colors.
On the day the hydrangeas were in full bloom, I was held in your arms and headed home.

What was it that I saw with my blurry eyes?
What was it that I heard with my blurry ears?

On a rainy day when raindrops spilled from the eaves of the roof, I tried to search for the memory of the day I was born.

Rain purifies everything and makes it clear.
That rain eventually flows to the river and then to the sea.

It was you who taught me the preciousness of life.
It was you who taught me the wonder of life.

Every time the day I was born comes around once a year, I remember your smile.

Thank you for giving birth to me.
A day when I can truly feel from the bottom of my heart that I am so glad to be your daughter.

That is my birthday.

The day I first met you.
I realize now that this day was the happiest day since I was born.

Every time I see hydrangeas, I think of you.
And I shed as many tears as there are raindrops, wishing to see you.

Thank you for giving birth to me.
Thank you for choosing me to be your daughter.