étranger

myka / he / translator

[quantumstranger]

ok pinned HELLO!!! i'm Myka. i come here on & off to translate soma saito's music and other works. asks are open for requests. also This is my main blog I follow from here!!

Requests are open and I would Really like if you gave me some because I need something to do LOLOL

[starlit-twilight]

There is a dedicated place in my brain for Kagehira Mika.

[quantumstranger]

Ventura - Soma Saito (TL + rom + notes)

hey guys. To Whoever requested this about three months ago and i was like “yeah it’s halfway done!” #Sorry

Also i am not footnoting every creative liberty i took with this tl because there are about five thousand and i Cant be bothered to list every single one. Tl under the cut ok?

———————

Ventura [1] ー Soma Saito

ベントラー - 斉藤壮馬

誰もが単に

daremo ga tanni

even if everybody

年を重ねていくとしても

toshi wo kasaneteiku toshite mo

must age someday

こんなふうに

konna fuu ni

who would have thought

いやらしい大人になるとはね

iyarashii otona ni naru to wa ne

i’d grow to be so sour?

名前や論理をどれだけ

namae ya ronri wo doredake

for no matter what names

覚えたとこで

oboeta toko de

and logic you can remember,

模範解答だけじゃ届かない

mohan kaitou dake ja todokanai

you’re so far from a perfect answer

大事にしていた

daiji ni shiteita

i held that treasure box

あの宝箱はとっくに

ano takarabako wa tokku ni

important to me so long ago

ゴミの山になっている

gomi no yama ni natteiru

all of it becomes a mountain of debris

いつか信じたあの呪文も

itsuka shinjita ano jumon mo

i used to believe those spells

来るはずだった週末も

kuru hazu datta shuumatsu mo

by the weekends that came

気づけば通りすぎていた

kizukeba toori sugiteita

and before i could notice,

笑い話しで

waraibanashi de

those jests had passed me by

石ころを蹴って歩いた

ishikoro wo kette aruita

i walked, kicking little pebbles along

祈りを込め空を見上げた

inori wo kome sora wo miageta

and in a crowd of prayers i stared at the sky

あの気持ちはなんだったっけ

ano kimochi wa nandattakke

really, what was i feeling?

あるいは単に

arui wa tanni

everyone has maybe

誰もが気づいてはいたけど

daremo ga kizuitewa itakedo

already noticed me

優しいあまり

yasashii amari

well, they’re so kind

見てみぬフリをしてくれていて

miteminu furi wo shite kureteite

in pretending not to even see

もしかしたら

moshikashitara

seems plausible to me

全て何もかもが陰謀

subete nanimokamo ga inbou

that everything’s scheming talk

あれもこれも

are mo kore mo

all this and all that

借り物でいいや

karimono de ii ya

it’s fine if i borrow it

ずるくて狭い

zurukute semai

unfair, and confined,

僕の宝箱はとっくに

boku no takarabako wa tokku ni

my treasure box has long since

ガラクタで埋まってる

garakuta de umatteru

filled up with debris

あの日なったORIGINAL CODE

ano hi natta orijinaru koodo

that day, i made the original code —

午前4時の世界の温度

gozen yo ji no sekai no ondo

took the temperature of the world at four in the morning

肺を満たす空気の匂い

hai wo mitasu kuuki no nioi

and i fill my lungs with the smell of fresh air

鉱石の色

kouseki no iro

and the colour of crystal

どこで落とたんだろうな

doko de otoshitan darou na

i wonder where i lost it —

自ら手放してような

mizukara tebanashite you na

myself, where did i let go?

本当に持ってたんだっけ

hontou ni mottetan dake

or did i ever truly have it?

いつか信じたあの呪文も

itsuka shinjita no jumon mo

i used to believe those spells

来るはずだった週末も

kuru hazu datta shuumatsu mo

by the weekends that came

気づけば通りすぎていた

kizukeba toori sugiteita

and before i could notice,

笑い話しで

waraibanashi de

those jests had passed me by

石ころを蹴って歩いた

ishikoro wo kette aruita

i walked, kicking little pebbles along

祈るように空を見上げていた

inoru you ni sora wo miageteita

and like praying i’d stare at the sky

この気持ちはなんだったっけ？

kono kimochi wa nandattakke

really, what is this feeling?

ベントラー、ベントラー、

bentoraa bentoraa

ventura, ventura

スペース・ピープル

supeesu piipuru

space people

Foot note (there is One)

[1] ventura = spanish for fortune or luck

in japanese pop culture, ベントラー is what ufo enthusiasts in japan believe is an alien word for ‘spaceship’, therefore ‘ventura ventura space people’ is what one would call to contact aliens

———————

Ok personal update. Do not fucking decide you need to do an extra japanese exam last minute and then walk into the speaking part having learned about 800 words in a week because you Genuinely forgot japaneseAlso i love this song i always sing it in the car with my mama

[mikyapixie]

𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝙱𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚊 𝚂𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚘!

[ultopias]

happy birthday soma! i forgot to make space to write happy birthday in the drawing itself 😭🤦🏻‍♀️

only drawing the albums starting from 2020 since that's when i started liking him :") will try my best to support artist soma too💚

i had to immortalise the coloured tips, i miss it every day 😔💔💔💔

(the colour was green-ish... i should've remembered.... i'm a fake fan............)

also no one asked but the state of my desk from looking for refs for this one drawing @_@ (i still haven't bought nuance so i just used whatever image is available on the net lol)

[ultopias]

happy birthday soma! i forgot to make space to write happy birthday in the drawing itself 😭🤦🏻‍♀️

only drawing the albums starting from 2020 since that's when i started liking him :") will try my best to support artist soma too💚

i had to immortalise the coloured tips, i miss it every day 😔💔💔💔

(the colour was green-ish... i should've remembered.... i'm a fake fan............)

also no one asked but the state of my desk from looking for refs for this one drawing @_@ (i still haven't bought nuance so i just used whatever image is available on the net lol)

[quantumstranger]

happy 35th birthday, dear soma saito <3 thank you for changig my life.

[quantumstranger]

It's my 1 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳 THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR UR SUPPORT LOVE U ALL! Highkey being overworked at the moment so I will Return with translations and maybe an arrangement or two when I am able 🩵

[mikubinderdrawsfanfiction]

this is going to kill people btw

Ik most people around my tumblr know this already, but ChatGPT is made to LOOK LIKE it knows what it's talking about, meaning it will say the wrong thing with 100% confidence. It will not hesistate to send you a link to a website with advice that will kill you because its data says that website sounds the most plausible.

Do not trust metal with your flesh.

[quantumstranger]

can i ask what soma's first book was about?

hi! yes u can ask anything you like!! ^_^

so, it’s called “a minimum standard for fulfilled cultural living”, (at least that’s how id put it in english) which is a term from the japanese constitution that has relevance in pop culture too

it’s a collection of essays on various topics. as with, like, any soma saito work ever, it isn’t confined to one idea (literally. pick any). it’s where the rain shoes essay comes from.

i have plans to translate it soon,,, stay tuned

[quantumstranger]

Hello! I was wondering if you have a TL of "Ventura" by Saito Soma. If not, could I request a TL of that? No pressure if not. Thank you so much for your help!

I’m halfway through Ventura actually!! i definitely need to finish it 👀💭 once it’s done I’ll let you know

There are other Ventura translations whirling in the void atm so do check those out !! Mine will be done at some point this month I AM SO BUSY . thank you for ur support uwehehe

[quantumstranger]

weird soma saito things that Exist

these are all real and you can cop them here. left -> right and top -> bottom:

summerholic loungewear. I included the price on this one in case anyone feels like blowing like 70 dollars on it. (Never mind thst is such a bad screenshot) i actually kind of want this & would wear the shorts out in summer ….whatever

soma slippers for your sai-toes (pls laugh). I Want these too. I need them to make soma saito socks at some point because i’m like. A big sock collector now (whixh ISNT MY FAUKT) and i would REALLY like to combine my Passions (socks and soma saito)

in case your ears get cold u can buy the non fictions horizontal earmuff things.i saw these and i was like okay. yeah no

there is a Concerning amount of soma saito face towels .in case anyone feels like they need to wash their face with a soma saito face towel. I love how in the west this would literally never happen but no these are selling out in Japan. This is just one of many designs.

soma saito washi tape in case that is something you need…. I would unironically eat this up though like. quantum strangers themed schoolwork would be so cool !i want this.

petrichor themed umbrella. living in the uk, it obviously rains a lot, so i think this would actually be really Cool.

there are lots more weird soma things that exist but i kinda wanna make a part 2 at some point so keep waiting….

[buddie-romance]

thank you ao3 for being an archive and not an algorithm. thank you for letting me like things without consequences, thank you for being free with no ads, thank you for having lawyers to defend our freedom of speech. thank you tag wranglers. thank you to all authors and thank you ao3

[quantumstranger]

SOMA SAITO BOOK THING SEQUEL

GUYS ARE WE EXCITED Ok yes this is a photo of my ipad screen Ignore that. I’m genuinely so lazy right now okay

soma saito is releasing a continued edition of his first weird book thing (kenko de bunkateki na saiteigendo no seikatsu) on feb 13 (which is actually a day after my birthday👀👀👀 pls send me asks and requests as a present) and i am very very excited!!thanks ok that’s it.

On a more personal note if im less active soon. It’s cause these Exams and increasingly severe paranoia are kicking my BUTT. anyway. I finalised that I’m doing the japanese exam too which is good BUT this means I actually have to revise stuff and I can’t just listen to soma saito and call it “passive study”. Ready to shoot Myself.

[amethystsoda]

trigger boys // 2019 vs 2026

[quantumstranger]

afterschool - Soma Saito (斉藤壮馬) - TL, rom, notes

tl is under the cut ^_^ ok see notes at the end

afterschool - 斉藤壮馬

afterschool - saitou souma

afterschool - Soma Saito

ずいぶん長いあいだ

zuibun nagai ai da

it's been a long time

余熱で歩いている

younetsu de aruiteiru

walking in the residual heat

放課後の世界では

houkago no sekai de wa

in this world of 'afterschool'

誰も彼もあいまいで

dare mo kare mo aimai de

everyone feels so vague

誤魔化せる気がしたの

gomakaseru kigashita no

having thought to deceive [1]

光に騙されて

hikari ni damasarete

fooled in the light

みだりに薬掻いていた

midari ni kaiteita

and carelessly swallowed[2]

悲哀に染まるだけ

hiai ni somaru dake

stained in only sorrow

なんて意味ない 分かるよ

nante imi nai wakaru yo

it means nothing, that's understood

光に眼を焼かれ

hikari ni me wo yakare

the light, burning back into the retina

飽きずに求めていた

akizu ni motometeita

and lethargically making a wish

浸りきてなんてぬるま湯

hitari kite nurumayu

soaked in lukewarm water,

なんて意味ない場所だろう

nante imi nai basho darou

this place has no meaning

随分遠い所に

zuibun tooi toko ni

such a faraway place

気づけば来ていたんな

kizukeba kiteitandana, aa

having arrived before noticing

放課後の世界では

houkago no sekai de wa

in the world of ‘afterschool’

眩しさに慣れきて

mabushisa ni nare kite

becoming accustomed to the light

やれている気がしたの

yareteiru kigashita no

it felt like i was doing it

光に絆されて

hikari ni kizunasarete

bonded to the light,

被害に困ったふうで

higai ni komatta fuu de

troubled by the damage

それなりにこなすの

sorenari ni konasu no

to a certain extent,

なんて意味ない わかるよ

nante imi nai wakaru yo

this has no meaning, understood

光にいざなわれ

hikari ni izanaware

invited into the light

無様に取り繕う

buzama ni toritsukurou

covering up so shamefully

漁り火のない海で

isaribi no nai umi de

in this sea with no lurelight[3]

もう息もできないよ

mou iki mo dekinai yo

i can't survive anymore

光に憧れて

hikari ni akogarete

admiring the light,

光に近づけたら

hikari ni chikazuketara

if i come any closer —

もしかして自分も なんて意味ない

moshikashite jibun mo nante imi nai

maybe i have no meaning in myself —

わかれよ

wakare yo

understand

光に伸ばした手

hikari ni nobashita te

a stretched out hand in the light

光に焦がれたって

hikari ni kogaretatte

yearning for the light,

気が狂ったような

ki ga kurutta you na

like having gone insane

この悲喜劇は終わらないから

kono hikigeki wa owaranai kara

over this never ending tragicomedy

光に 焦がれたって意味はないから

hikari ni kogaretatte imi wa nai kara

because there was no meaning in yearning for the light at all

FOOTNOTES

so basically i am never transcribing again

[1] sorry this line was super hard.... basically the proper translation would be 'i felt like i could decieve' (sentence has no object) but i wanted to reflect how soma literally never uses pronouns. i actually almost drew a syntax tree for this one to figure out how to put it into english but i decided to be lazy and just go with this interpretation for now.

[2] translated as 'swallowed' but in reality it's '(kusuri) kaite' so the whole line should read 'carelessly, i took (the medicine/drugs)'. for some reason he doesnt actually say 'kusuri'.... just 'kaite'. in my translation i wanted to reflect his lack of pronouns aswell which is why i used 'swallowed' rather than just 'took'

[3] jp: isaribi — fishing equipment that is basically a lure with a little light on the end of it that people use to catch fish

if youve ever been Hopeless at school or in your teenage years in general i bet you understand these lyrics all too well. i love this song's nihilistic approach to life LMAO. it hits a few dark spots for me but i relate hard t_t

thank you, soma-san, for another lovely song ^_^

[quantumstranger]

I have something to add to this actually. i remembered.

I was listening to a really old radio clip just now where soma & kaito were talking about not enjoying school (which is why they ended up in voice acting) & realised i completely forgot to footnote that soma struggled a lot with adapting to highschool and literally just didn't go LMAO. (which is Totally understandable i get it. my attendance is genuinely atrocious). but in the time he was at home he spent lots of time watching anime and films & was inspired by the work of akira ishida and became a seiyuu, taking voice acting classes while still attending school

but i think the best thing about the story is that he still ended up studying literature at a prestigious university and is now like a triple-threat-singer-actor-writer or whatever. it just proves my theory that he's very very clever

i admire soma a lot Ok i find his openness regarding his art to be something modern celebrities really do lack & i wish more people would speak about low school attendance specifically. i think afterschool is so reminiscent of my struggle with it & i WISH the speech around it was less dehumanising. we all need to take lessons from nuance everybody

source: wikipedia, kaito's extend radio 10.

[quantumstranger]

Hiraeth - Soma Saito (TL + rom + notes)

initially I was never going to post this (it’s overdone, there are so many different translations of this already & I don’t care to add to the list & THE CREATIVE LIBERTY IN TGIS WAS INSANE)) but im biting the bullet and just Posting it don’t hate me. Read under the cut

---------------------

Hiraeth - Soma Saito <3 [1]

たとえば 誰かとすれ違い なぜだか

tatoeba dareka to surechigai naze daka

say I brush shoulders with a stranger, for any or no reason

処理落ち 世界の時が止まったり

shori ochi sekai no toki ga tomattari

and processing the slowdown, this world’s time has stopped.

どこかでなにかを忘れてきたような

dokoka de nanika o wasurete kita yō na

having forgotten where I was and what I had done

予感がふと訪れたら

yokan ga futo otozuretara

when that thought suddenly visits,

あるいは 木の葉が舞い散る季節や

arui wa konoha ga maichiru kisetsu ya

the leaves might flutter to the ground,

風の音 ふとした戯言なんかに

kaze no ne futo shita zaregoto nanka ni

or the wind will blather on about something meaningless

どうしようもなくね デジャヴがよぎる

doushiyou mo naku ne deja vu ga yogiru

and nothing can help this feeling of deja vu —

毒が混ざる

doku ga mazaru

the poison is mixed in [2]

美しい記憶だわ

utsukushii kioku da wa

it’s such a pretty memory

なんて身勝手な

nante migatte na

maybe even slightly selfish,

ぬるま湯に溺れて痛いな

nurumayu ni oborete itai na

I’m drowning in tepid water and it hurts

ダーザイン ゆらいで

daazain yuraide

dasein [3] itself wavers

空を切るQはA

kuu o kiru Q wa A

questions and answers cut through the sky

答えを求めているよ

kotae o motomete iru yo

And I seek the answers

掌からこぼれた

tenohira kara koboreta

spilled from the palm of my hand,

幾億の祈りの残滓

ikuoku no inori no zanshi

the remains of millions of prayers

二度とは開けない 土の深い底

nido to wa akenai tsuchi no fukai soko

deep within the ground, never to see the light of day again,

タイムカプセルは眠らせたまま

taimu kapuseru wa nemuraseta mama

the time capsule remains asleep

懐かしい場所ごと 星に還したら

natsukashii basho goto hoshi ni kaeshitara

and if I gave those nostalgic places back to the stars

バクテリアが食べてくれる

bakuteria ga tabete kureru

the bacteria would come to feed on it

もどかしくもあるけど

modokashiku mo aru kedo

and it really does get at me, but,

不思議とどこか

fushigi to dokoka

in some strange manner

満ち足りたような気もするから

michitarita you na ki mo suru kara

I feel so satisfied,

さよなら も またね も

sayonara mo mata ne mo

I won’t say goodbye,

言わずにこのまま

iwazu ni kono mama

I’ll leave without a word,

砕け散ってしまえばいいよ

kudakechitte shimaeba ii yo

and if everything falls apart, I couldn’t care less

あのころに戻れないなら

ano koro ni modorenai nara

if there’s no going back to how things were,

せめてこの身 焼き尽くして

semete kono mi yakitsukushite

at the very least, i’ll set this body [4] on fire

整合性など

seigousei nado

staying consistent and stuff,

捨ておけ だろ?

suteoke daro?

just forget about it, okay?

正当性など

seitousei nado

legitimacy and so on —

灰にきらめく過去を

hai ni kirameku kako wo

my past sparkles into ashes

日常が上書きしていく

nichijou ga uwagaki shite iku

I’m overwriting my daily life as it is now

きっと

kitto

and I’m sure about it —

もう二度とはない

mou nido to wa nai

never again,

名前も失くしてしまうよ

namae mo nakushite shimau yo

I’ll even lose my name —

もう二度とはない

mou nido to wa nai

never, ever, again.

—————————

Soma. stop Talking you are going to get us killed (FOOTNOTES)

[1] Welsh - deep longing for Something which usually refers to a Home. I’m 1/4 Welsh This meant a lot to me

[2] I translated this weirdly and wrong The sentence itself effectively personifies the poison as the one that is doing the mixing but i couldn’t think of a way to represent it in English THIS IS WHY I FOOTNOTE 😓😓😓

[3] FUUUCKKK this line was hard . Dasein, simplified, is Heidegger’s philosophy for like the state of being I don’t know it was HARD ok

[4] 身 (mi) could like possibly not mean the speaker’s body / a human body at all like it could just refer to The Main Body of Something and I feel like that is important but I chose to translate it as such just because of common usage & connotation

—————————

“I’m not gonna talk about my personal life on hereanymore” whatever. Yeah. Not gonna last long. I’ll analyse this song based on my own translation & life experience fully at some point. Wow this might just be the “cut off my family and leave my small town” anthem of all time (at least it’s MY anthem) anyway. Reminds me of tshd lots. Yoshiki my boy this is so you…. Also I want to change the way I format translations (associations, not hard to figure that out LOL) so if you see something Different about my next stuff it’s That. Love you all bye hope this blog is your hiraeth <3