A ROMANTIC AULD EJEIT

Nat King Cole sings Autumn Leaves
on the radio - in Japanese.

My mother falls
in love with it.

I fail to find it for her
this being pre-Internet days.

So, I sing it for her
making up the Japanese words.

I sing different words
every day.

Sing she says...
"My...Donie's knee!"

Which is what we call it
after hearing it only the once.

"Share it with Yuku!"
I sing whatever comes to mind.

"Oh more each day!"
the words have a life of their own.

Now when I have grown
to be this man I am

I learn the proper Japanese
but she still thinks I'm making it up.

Now here in her dying
she says sing me

"My  Donie's knee!"

So I sing in my broken
Japanese.

She squeezes my hand
whispers softly...

"You were always
a romantic auld eejit!"

**

Phonetically speaking it goes something like this....

Ma doe bay knee
She re e yuku
Ha me kay no
Ha ray hi yo
Oh mo e day
Ha na a she ku
Wat su ra ray
Naf su no he
Key me ga oh day
Yat sa she cu
Wa tashi o
key da key tay
suki say nu ko e no
coo may o
ka tar esh she
an no hee