Translation of the song 山谷ブルース artist Nobuyasu Okabayashi

今日の仕事はつらかった

Today’s work really broke my back

あとは焼酎をあおるだけ

Now there is nothing to do but to drink hard shochu spirit

どうせどうせ山谷のドヤ住まい

After all I'm a dweller at a scratch house

他にやることありゃしねえ

I have nothing else to do

一人酒場で飲む酒に

Drinking alone in a bar

かえらぬ昔がなつかしい

I miss the old days that will never come back

泣いてないてみたってなんになる

What good is crying over them?

今じゃ山谷がふるさとよ

Now San-Ya is my hometown

工事終わればそれっきり

When construction work is over

お払い箱のおれ達さ

They're gonna just sack me

いいさいいさ山谷の立ちん坊

So what? I am just a day laborer of San-ya

世間うらんで何になる

What good is complaining of the world?

人は山谷を悪く言う

They say bad things about San-ya

だけどおれ達いなくなりゃ

But if we were all gone

ビルもビルも道路も出来やしねえ

There would be no new buildings or new roads

誰も分かっちゃくれねえか

How come they don’t understand?

だけどおれ達や泣かないぜ

But we will not cry

働くおれ達の世の中が

‘Cause the world for the workers like me

きっときっと来るさそのうちに

Is sure to come some day

その日は泣こうぜうれし泣き

We're gonna shed tears of joy that day