also: ながうた
noun
chōka; traditional Japanese long poem
A classical Japanese poetic form consisting of alternating five- and seven-mora lines, repeated at least three times, and usually ending with a seven-mora line. Often contrasted with 短歌 (tanka).
See also: 短歌
万葉集には多くの長歌が収められている。
The Man'yōshū contains many chōka.
noun
nagauta; long epic song with shamisen
Only with reading ながうた
A genre of shamisen music that developed in Kyoto in the late 16th century, featuring extended narrative songs. Read ながうた; not to be confused with the classical poetic form 長歌 (ちょうか).
See also: 長唄
彼女は長唄ではなく長歌を習っている。
She is learning nagauta, not nagauta (the shamisen genre).
From 長 (long) + 歌 (song/poem). The reading ちょうか is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi, while ながうた is the native kun'yomi reading. The two readings distinguish the classical poetic form from the later musical genre.