Saturday 21 November 2015

大野智 - 暁

(Translation Index: Here)

大野智 - 暁 (Akatsuki)

ふと見上げ おぼろ月浮かんだ 夜に
可憐に咲いた 花よ
時代が 流れ流れても
遠く 時を超えて 運んでゆく あなたの元へ
Casually, I looked up at the moon  hanging dimly in the night sky
Like a flower that has bloomed, oh so sweetly
Even as time flows on and on
From far away, overcoming time itself, I'll make my way to your side

離れてく 千切れ雲
追いかけて さざ波
触れずとも 魅せられて
儚き 影の中で
The scattered clouds have drifted away
The ripples are scattering to catch up
And without even needing to touch you, I am enchanted
Into those fleeting shadows

風 いたずらに 吹き抜けて 水面に
浮かぶ空 掻き乱してゆく
移ろう (時を) 願う
手を伸ばしても ただ 溢れるだけ
The wind aimlessly blows upon the water's surface
Disturbing the reflection of the sky drowning within it
I wish (that time) would move on
But even when I stretch out my hands, it simply floods past me

もう 来ぬ人を 待つような 想いで
過ぎてゆく あてもなき夜
心 (消えぬ) 景色 汚れなき 微笑みに
Feeling as though I am waiting for someone who will never arrive
I pass these aimless nights
And in my heart is a scenery (that won't disappear), giving me a smile not marred by anything

「心にも あらで憂き世に 長らへば...」
知らぬはずの 燃えるように 鮮やかに 輝いて 
"Even if I do not wish to, if I must remain within this bleak world..."
I shouldn't have know about it, but there it is shining so brightly, like it's burning

暁に 胸の中
叩く音 とまどい
夢の中 近くとも
どんなに 遠きことか
As dawn enters into my heart
I am troubled by a throbbing sound
Although you are close to me in my dreams
How far am I away from you in reality?

今 映し出す 離れない 記憶は
叶わない 約束としても
深く (響き) 渡り
身を尽くして ただ 羽ばたいてく
These memories appearing in my mind that I can't be rid of
Act like a promise I will not be able to fulfill
(Echoing) deeply inside me
Simply flapping their wings to the point of exhaustion

そう 舞い落ちる 花びらは 夢想の
彼方へと 呼び覚ましゆく
出逢い (深い) 調べ ざわついた 隙間にも
The petals that have fluttered down
Call for you, who are in my dreams, to wake up
Meeting, creating (profound) music, stirring up the spaces in my heart

「心にも あらで憂き世に 長らへば...」
追えど見えぬ 掻き分けて 雲の間に 輝いて
"Even if I do not wish to, if I must remain within this bleak world..."
I chase it without seeing it. Pushing it's way through, it shines brightly between the spaces within the clouds.

「心にも あらで憂き世に 長らへば 恋しかるべき 夜半の月かな」
"Even if I do not wish to, if I must remain within this bleak world I will yearn for the moon hanging in the midnight sky"[*]

[*] - this line is actually a poem from part of the "百人一首" (Ogura Hyakunin Isshu), a collection of 100 poems written by 100 poets, and is central to the card game karuta

----Translators Notes---

I don't usually make comments but this song is actually just so beautiful lyrically and very poetic--so much so that I think I actually need to explain a few things and my translation choices.

I don't think I did justice translating the poem itself, and thus the rest of the song, but I also didn't like any of the translations I found online. The idea behind the poem though seems to be that if the person must continue living in their present reality against their wishes, what they will find solace in, is the beauty of the moon.

And this song--Akatsuki--reflects the sentiments of the poem almost perfectly. The subject of this song is also taking about their longing for the moon and to be close to it. Also there is a line up there "I wish that time would move on" - and this reflects the part of the poem that expresses having to remain in the world against the persons wishes. In the song, "wishing that time would move on" implies a notion of change as time moves on---so not just time passing, but time changing and ultimately (I assume) for time to bring this persons death. But the next line "even when I stretch out my hand..." shows that despite the subjects wishes, time just continues moving on but not affecting him.

In fact--the fact that the song itself is named Dawn just makes so much sense because this is the moment when the moon begins to disappear. So the subject tries to chase the moon as it it outshone by the sun, despite not being able to see it--but you know how you can see the moon sometimes on a clear day? So the moon shines through regardless, even when it should have disappeared with the morning light.

Blargh, I honestly hated analyzing poems but man, this song just... I don't know, it strikes a chord in me. My English tutor would probably have tears in her eyes if I told her this xD.

Friday 20 November 2015

櫻井翔 - Rolling Days

(Translation Index: Here)

櫻井翔 - Rolling Days

揺らめく様な 香り近づく 目を閉じても 君と分かる
夢じゃないさ 零れる吐息は 高鳴りを連れて
A faint scent comes closer and even with my eyes closed I know it's you
This isn't a dream. The breath that escapes you makes me tremble.

聞こえているか? 漂う音が
気付けば falling down 止まらない想いで
Can you hear it? The sound hanging in the air.
By the time I realized, I was already falling down in to memories that wouldn't stop.

刻まれた 時間の中 生まれゆくダイヤのような
そこにしかない 輝きを 君の指に飾るから
In the time that has passed, a brightness is born that can only be found in diamonds
And I want to put it on your finger

どこまでも深い場所まで 二人落ちてゆけるなら
何も見えない闇さえ 優しく包み込むから
終わりなんて 怖くないのさ…
始まりは いつも underground
もっと響かせ
If the two of us fall into the deepest of places
Even in such absolute darkness where we can't see one another, I'll embrace you gently
I'm not afraid of the end...
The beginning always starts from underground
Make it echo even more

とても綺麗な 涙が落ちる 透き通る様な 水晶になる
触れてみれば 懐かしさに似た 痛みを映した
A breathtaking tear falls, becoming a clear crystal
And when I tried to touch it, a pain close to nostalgia was reflected

覚えているか? あの日の音が
打ち抜いた breaking down 変わらない想いで
Do you remember? The sound from that day.
Hitting and breaking down those unchanging memories.

脱ぎ捨てた その肌は なめらかな刃のようさ
傷ついたって かまわない 君のそばにいたいから
The skin that you've shed is like a smooth blade
Even if you hurt me I won't mind, as long as I can be near you

強く抱きしめるたびに 壊れ落ちてゆくのなら
全て無くなるほどに ひとつになればいいから
終わりなんて いつか来るのさ…
始まりは いつだってあるのさ
ずっと響かせ
If we break and fall apart every time we hold each other
As long as we become one, to the point where everything else is gone, it's fine.
When will the end come?
There will be always be a new beginning.
Keep on echoing

Ah 一時の快楽
燃えて また灰になる
終わりなんてないはず
会いたく...(なる) また拝借
Ah. That small moment of pleasure.
Burning and returning to ashes
There shouldn't be such a thing as an end
I want... (to see you). To borrow you again.

香りだけ漂う
想いまだ彷徨う
嗚呼もう Wanna know?
Only your scent hangs the air
As my feelings continue to wander
Ah, that's enough. Wanna know?

もう闇の中へ逃げよう (Oh)
僅かな光の強さを見せよう (Oh)
もう離れなくていいんですよ (Oh)
だから… 傍にいてよ (Oh)
Let's escape into the darkness (Oh)
Let me show you how powerful even the smallest light can be (Oh)
We don't have to be apart anymore (Oh)
So please... stay by my side (Oh)

汚れたまんまでもいいの
夢の中まで逃避行 (Yeah yeah)
いつも現実は強引で (Yeah yeah)
Rolling, rolling days
Even while tainted, you are fine
Let's disappear in to our dreams
But reality is always pulling us out to those
Rolling, rolling days

心叩くたびに 火花を巻き上げた
二人見つめたまま 光の中へ
重なり合う音が 螺旋を描いてた
溶け合いながら 永遠へ
Every time my heart beats, sparks fly
While gazing at each other, we head in to the light
And the sounds overlap to create a spiral
As we meld together into eternity

どこまでも深い場所まで 二人落ちてゆけるなら
何も見えない闇さえ 優しく包み込むから
終わりなんて 怖くないのさ…
始まりは いつも underground
もっと響かせ
If the two of us fall into the deepest of places
Even in such absolute darkness where we can't see one another, I'll embrace you gently
I'm not afraid of the end
The beginning always starts from underground
Make it echo even more

Arashi - Ai wo Sakebe review [Single + Performance]

As promised in my Japonism album review, I will be reviewing Ai wo Sakebe. Mainly because it wasn't on the album so I couldn't talk about it there, and also because I actually have quite a bit to say about this single. So, first up I will talk about each of the individual tracks, then the PV+Making, and then... I don't have any of the performances downloaded on my computer, but I watched all of them (I think?) so I'll review whatever performance I can find still streaming online.

Before I start, I just want to say the thing about this single was that I was really surprised when it came out because I had totally forgotten about it. It's the song to a wedding CM or something right? I'm still not really sure what it was for, but yeah. So, when it came out I wasn't excited or happy, I was just downright confused and sort of blah, because weddings. Blergh. But... in the end, I was pleasantly surprised.