The City of Hiroshima was reduced to ruins in a fraction of a second by an atomic bomb dropped on August 6th, 1945 claiming a large number of lives.
In particular, extremely disastrous spectacles were seen in the tragic death of the numerous students boys and girls mobilized in a hot midsummer day for the cleanup after evacuation of the buildings.
How deep was the grieving and sorrows of the families bereaved of their dearest children! In particular, mothers' anguish and torment exceed our imagination insofar as made known in the 31-syllable poems written by some of them.
These 31-syllable poems were melodized by me calling further attention to the people of the world.
Those who experienced the devastation of atomic bombing have obsessive need to deliver signals to the people of world about these misery and despondency, all the more for their profoundness, and take all possible measures to prevent recurrence of similar folly that absolute peace with absence of wars, not to mention nuclear weapon, is our never-ending yearning.
I therefore supplemented an introduction and appended the 4th part of the lyrics.
This music makes an impassioned pleading of three mother's incurable embitterment of losing their children all of a sudden by the atomic bombing. We cannot but deeply empathized with their grieving and moan, which will last for our lifetime.
However, at the closing stages of the music, the tone solemnly comes up with a finale in chorus with keen awareness that today's peace was build up at the sacrifice of precious lives; passing on our determination to preserve lasting peace and offering prayers for the souls of the victims.