歌うた

noun

song; singing

Only when written 歌 / 唄

The ordinary word for a song or the act/sound of singing. 唄 is especially associated with folk songs and shamisen or traditional singing.

• この歌うたは子こどものころから知しっている。

  I have known this song since I was a child.

• 祖そ母ぼは古ふるい唄うたを小ちいさな声こえで口くちずさんだ。

  My grandmother softly hummed an old folk song.

noun

classical Japanese poem; tanka

Only when written 歌

Used for classical Japanese verse, especially tanka; common in literary and historical contexts such as anthologies.

See also: 短歌

• 万まん葉よう集しゅうには多おおくの歌うたが収おさめられている。

  Many poems are included in the Man'yōshū.

noun

modern poetry; poem

Only when written 歌 / 詩

A literary use referring to poetry rather than music. The spelling 詩 with the reading うた is poetic and can be ambiguous because 詩 is usually read し.

• 彼かれの歌うたは、現げん代だい詩しとして高たかく評ひょう価かされている。

  His poems are highly regarded as modern poetry.

• 詩し集しゅうの題だい名めいにある「愛あいの詩うた」は「あいのうた」と読よませている。

  The phrase 愛の詩 in the poetry collection's title is intended to be read as ai no uta.