Just by having you there by my side
When I can't be honest, when I keep crying
I sing
One day we'll say goodbye, strangers to each other
But meeting and parting
There is no end to them
I'll sing on
---
Okay first of all, why is there no good synonym for "sing" that doesn't use "i" vowel :'( And how come there are so many "ing" as the last syllables. I couldn't seem to find a good way to word the translation. Also the lyrics is so simple that it ends up being difficult to translate instead... Micchan whyyy...
All in all, not quite happy with my translation, especially since I really love the song. I should come back to this one day and hopefully can find a better way to translate it, preferrably one which goes well with the melody.
During today's class sensei shared about this poem (we were talking about grammar, lol). Her student from another class translated it to Chinese, so I thought why not try translating it to English haha. Anyway, here goes.
Tanikawa Shuntaro - From Husband To Wife
When I meet you
I regain my manliness
Your chapped skin
The wrinkles engraved
at the corner of your lips
Heavy might your heart be
from the weight of the days
Still,
When I look at you
I regain my kindness
My day is made
When I look at you
I can't help protecting you
Protecting you
from any mayhem
and misfortune
A lady
so exquisite like you
I can't help loving you
---
First impression after I finished it: it's waaay faster than translating song lyrics (or just NICO's lyrics? lol). Although to be fair, it's quite short and simple. Second thing came to mind was how I'm still unsure about how much creative liberty I can take (more literal vs more natural translation). Some word choices I'm still quite iffy too. But overall, I'm quite happy about it, I guess, haha. Especially considering how long I haven't translated anything.
Anyways, first post in a while and it's pretty random. Might go back to translating song lyrics some time soon if I'm in the mood for it lol.
Opened Youtube after some time only to find all (most of?) NICO’s songs are available worldwide on their official channel now o.o
First Spotify, now Youtube too!? I’m happy really, so grateful that they (or more like Sony? A-Sketch?) stopped locking their content within Japan, but also kinda hoped that this happened slightly earlier, like, you know, maybe before they disband so that they can see how many people are enjoying their music overseas too :’)
But anyways, if anyone reading this, go give them a listen. They’re on Spotify too. Listen to their acoustic album, while you’re at it. Still can’t believe the acoustic album is basically free, they recorded 20 songs and put them as the bonus for purchasing the EPs and album, sheeshh.. Anyway, yeah, give them a listen.
NICO Touches the Walls - A-Kyuu License (エーキューライセンス)
Nemurenai kimi o nosete Shiranai machi kara machi e
Ashiato ga michishirube Doko e datte ikeru no sa
Kudarizaka Amaeteita koro ni wa Wakare uta utawanakucha
Dubidubida Hashiridasenai
Noborizaka hodo kurushii mono yo to Kimi ga iu kara
Sono ki ni naru kurai wa amanojaku
Fukurettsura kojiraseteiru no wa Boku no sei kamo
Susume Tomare Susume!
Ima wa akuseru fumikonde
Nemurenai kimi o nosete Yoake o tsukamaetai
Hitasura sokudo agete Kuchizusanda haiwei sutaa
Tonari de kimi ga ki ni shidasu no wa Touchaku yotei jikoku ka
Koutsugou na seiza uranai
Taikutsu sou na kimi no yokogao Hokorobaseruyouna
Wadai hyaku pataan wa youi shitokanakya
Demo terekusakute nantonaku ienai Honne ga arundayo
Zutto kimi no soba de Handoru nigitteitaitte
Manuke na boku o nosete Kyou mo chikyuu wa mawaru
Migi mo hidari mo nakereba Atomodori mo shinakute
Boku wa konya mo imetore Shiranai kimi o shiritai
Ashiato no michishirube Doko e datte ikeru no sa
Kono hoshi wa boku o nosete Akiru koto naku mawaru
Itsuka tomaru sono hi made Akiru koto naku mawaru
Dakara
Nemurenai kimi o nosete Yoake o tsukamaetai
Hitasura sokudo agete Boku wa kimi no haiwei sutaa
Kurikaesu no sa imetore Shiranai machi kara machi e
Ashiato ga michishirube Nani mo shinpai shinaide ne
Kimi ni totte yuuitsumuni no A kyuu de itai dake
The wind blows, where are you looking at
Not even the slightest scratch can be found on the window
All of a sudden the sky gets murky
Half asleep, I fall silent and gaze outside
At the mini garden stained green with rust
Why does it look so old
The magic of time couldn’t be resisted
“Please don’t go any further”
It’s as if the days past are intertwined
Even now, I still can’t forget
The melody from my youth
In this town where I lost my way, the wind merely hums
I laugh scornfully at my tear-stained past
I can no longer understand my drenched heart
The sky is getting away
Even though the magic of time was right beside me
I can no longer find it
I tried reaching my hand out
Until I’m torn into pieces
My dreams kept passing right before my eyes
To the point that I keep wanting more
Somewhere in the corner of the city
A small chamomile is swaying
Let me hear that song once more
From when my heart was crushed
It’s just a bit more until the town behind the heat haze
“So please don’t go any further”
I embrace your trembling figure
My wandering self becomes a wind that won’t vanish
Waiting for tomorrow
In this town where I lost my way, the wind merely hums
In this sleepy town, I only want to dream
You whispered that you were getting tired,
Got a look in your eye,
Looks a lot like goodbye.
Hold on to your secrets tonight.
Don't want to know I'm ok with this silence
It's truth that I don't want to hear
You're hiding regret in your smile
There's a storm in your eyes I've seen coming for awhile
Hang on to the past tense tonight
Don't say a word,
I'm ok with the quiet.
The truth is gonna change everything.
So lie to me and tell me that it's gonna be alright
So lie to me and tell me that we'll make it through the night
I don't mind if you wait before you tear me apart,
Look me in the eye,
And lie, lie, lie.
Lie, lie, lie.
I know that there's no turning back.
If we put too much light on this we'll see through all the cracks.
Let's stay in the dark one more night.
Don't want to know I'm ok with the silence.
It's truth that I don't want to hear.
So lie to me and tell me that it's gonna be alright
So lie to me and tell me that we'll make it through the night
I don't mind if you wait before you tear me apart,
Look me in the eye,
And lie, lie, lie.
Don't want to believe in this ending
Let the cameras roll on,
Keep pretending
Tomorrow's all wrong if you walk away
Just stay
So lie to me and tell me that it's gonna be alright
So lie to me and tell me that we'll make it through the night
I don't mind if you wait before you tear me apart,
Look me in the eye,
And lie, lie, lie.
So lie to me and tell me that we're gonna be ok
So lie to me and tell me that we'll make it through the day
I don't mind if you wait before you tear me apart
Look me in the eye,
And lie, lie, lie.
Lyrics: Zac Maloy, David Cook, Espen Lind, Amund Bjorklund
Whenever I hear this song, I’m always in awe of the great word plays here.
My number one favorite bit is definitely this part on the chorus:
Look me in the eye,
And lie, lie, lie.
When you tell other people to look you in the eye, you’d normally want to hear the truth. After all, the eyes are the windows to the soul, so you’d be able to tell right away if someone’s lying. But in this song, the singer knows what the truth is, but he refuses to accept it. So much so that he’ll take a lie over the truth. So much so that he begs his partner to tell him a lie as convincingly as possible, while looking at him in the eye. As if it’s the truth.
Bonus point: It rhymes nicely.
Next favorite is this part just after the chorus:
If we put too much light on this we'll see through all the cracks.
Let's stay in the dark one more night.
These two sentences are a metaphorical expression of how the singer would rather continue pretending everything is ok over facing the truth. While the second sentence alone could deliver the message, the first sentence gives a more concrete image to it. So when I hear “Let’s stay in the dark”, a scene where light starts filtering in comes to my mind. But at the same time, I know it’s actually about its metaphorical meaning to remain ignorant of their unsalvageable relationship. I really, really love this. I think it’s such a smart writing.
Other bits that I love, but can’t quite put my finger on why.
Got a look in your eye,
Looks a lot like goodbye.
Hang on to the past tense tonight
Don't want to believe in this ending
Let the cameras roll on,
Keep pretending
And honestly just the whole chorus in general:
So lie to me and tell me that we're gonna be ok
So lie to me and tell me that we'll make it through the day
I don't mind if you wait before you tear me apart
Look me in the eye,
And lie, lie, lie.
Don’t we all just love a good heart-wrenching lyrics sometimes? I know I do.
For extra heart-wrenchingness (that’s not a word, I know), listen to the first chorus here where David Cook sings unaccompanied. Chills.
I love gushing about how cool a line is in my head but I have no one to talk to about that, lol.
Well, I think it’s gonna be a good practice for me to write it out, so here I am. Though I’ll have to say my vocab diminish significantly when I’m getting excited, ha.