an-insignificant-flower

[an-insignificant-flower]

Love Me, sections by Sakurai Atsushi

Cayce's translation is up on kagidokei's official reupload!

[an-insignificant-flower]

Addition:

Here's something I didn't know that a Japanese drummer colleague of mine recently shared with me.

As the winter weather's been hellish in my area of the country (hello, Fūjin-sama, Raijin-sama), we were exchanging related phrases in our L1 languages. When I mentioned that in English, we say that "the wind is howling," he perked up and said that the same is said in Japanese of guitars, and motioned playing a sustained note on an air guitar.

"Hoeteiru"? I asked, thinking he meant the older Japanese verb for "to howl."

"No," he corrected. "Hauringu. In katakana."

He also mentioned the feedback of a vocalist's microphone is also hauringu.

I think I scared him a bit when I started tearing up. 🥹

So there it is, yet another layer to the meaning of this song's lyrics, another color peaking through the aurora. The Twilight Howling isn't simply a metaphor for the band's pain presented as music, but a very direct and sorrowful pun for the touch of their fingers on their instruments.

Tasogare no Hauringu 黄昏のハオリング

Music and lyrics by Imai Hisashi

I think there has been some sentiment among some (certainly not all) fans that Imai's headstrong optimism and push forward can sometimes seem cold. I have long suspected that's more of a cultural clash, as in the west, a man who doesn't shed tears is doing it to keep a "stiff upper lip" because of the underlying belief that emotion is weakness (except for anger, of course). However, while forms of toxic masculinity do exist in the east as well, you're just as, if not more, likely to run into a motive to keep everyone together, and to not shed your own tears so as not to spread sadness further. I always felt such was Imai's motivation, especially after his tender speech at the 2023 Genshou performance.

I had been thinking that I wish Imai would show his sorrow a bit more. I think it's a vulnerability fans need to touch as much as for his own message of "Be Happy" as for the validation of their own tears. After all, if the man who can find contentment in this hell can also mourn, than can't we who mourn also be able to find contentment?

If there was any remaining concern that Imai might not be capable of tears, publicly or privately, this song blasts them out of the waters.

The Twilight Howling

Tasogare, as a modern term, refers to the time between sunset and night. An older version of the same word, tasokare, refers to the time of night when it has just become too dark to clearly see others' faces. In the Chinese zodiac counting of the day, it falls during the "hour of the dog" (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) when he takes his place to guard the gate.

While Japanese has many words for dusk or twilight, tasogare specifically also has a colloquial use as an expression of melancholy or nostalgia. As with twilight in English, it can refer to one's "twilight years."

Though I wouldn't say it necessarily applies to this song, but it does to the rest of the album, tasogare can also be used metaphorically to mean that, while the brightest time is past, there is still enough light worth pushing a little further.

And there in just the title alone we have a coming darkness, the inability to see the face of even a friend, the loyal guardian, melancholy, nostalgia, physical decline in aging, and the drive to continue regardless. Now on to the lyrics themselves...

オーロラの地へ　魂のパレード Oh Flyaway ōrora no chi he　tamashī no parēdo　oh fly away

to the land of the aurora, parade of souls, oh fly away

Okay, so, I'm already a hot, sobbing, facial tissue-consuming mess; how is everyone else???

Right off the bat, we know the album has been leading up to this song from the very cover. The aurora as not simply a visual metaphor, but here a lyrical one, specifically the parade that Acchan has ascended to, and the one we all will eventually join.

3000年後の　荒野に立て Oh Memory sanzen nen go no　kōya ni tate　oh memory

standing in the wilderness 3000 years from now, oh memory

Narratively, the lyrics here are less clear, but I'm inclined to see it as the end of humanity, that we as a species as much as we as individuals will leave nothing but a memory, with nature returning to take her place where our cities once stood.

エンジェルの群れ　虹色　風 Oh Flyaway enjeru no mure　niji iro kaze　oh fly away

a flock of angels, rainbow wind, oh fly away

More metaphoric descriptions of the aurora as the place where Acchan and all other beloved souls must be.

薔薇の下　獣たち　Oh Oh bara no moto　kemono-tachi　o-oh

we beasts under the rose, oh

In 2018, Sakurai Atsushi completed a performance in very obvious pain. After apologizing to the audience for not performing his best, he was rushed to hospital, where he was found to be bleeding internally from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage. While in recovery, he penned Kemonotachi no Yoru, ("Our Night" with "our" meaning "we beasts"). A few lyrics near the end of that song imply his promise, for the sake of his fans, to never leave the stage: "Dance for me, Pierrot / Tonight you stay on that stage till the end" (trans. by Cayce). If such was Acchan's intention, then it was in this song that he predicted his own death.

Kemonotachi ("we beasts") here means as much the remaining members of the band as the entire fandom, and "under the rose," the literal translation of "subrosa," the Latin meaning "done in secret," is the unique connection we share, having loved so dearly the one we all lost together.

黄昏のハウリング　歌うように　歌うように　Oh Oh tasogare no hauringu　utau yō ni　utau yō ni　o-oh

the twilight howling, like singing, (like a song), oh

Using the base noun "song" twice would probably be the more natural choice, if only to avoid the repeating continuous -ing form, which is not as it appears in the Japanese.

There's also an implication that what we the audience hear as music, and have heard throughout this album, has actually been the sorrowful cries of a lonely pack this whole time.

黄昏のハウリング　哭いている　咆えている tasogare no hauringu　naiteiru　hoeteiru

This line has two translations. If you're just listening to the lyrics, you might assume naiteiru and hoeteiru are 泣いている and 吠えている, which are the common characters used for those words, leading a listener(-only) to hear:

the twilight howling, crying, howling

with the second howling being the typical Japanese word for the howl of animals. However, with the very specific and uncommon characters used, the meaning is closer to:

the twilight howling, wailing, yowling

While the common "crying" with 泣 very simply means "crying" with no particular nuance, the "crying" with 哭 is a noisy cry, a wail, a sob. It implies uncontrolled emotions and a demand to be heard.

Likewise 咆 can mean "howling" like its common counterpart, 吠, but this roar, this howl, has a distinct undertone of violence, anger, or rage. There is no good direct translation for this one in English. Any word animalistic enough isn't dangerous enough. Any word dangerous enough isn't animalistic enough.

Harkening back to the previous line of "sounding like a song but (is actually) howling" we have a line that sounds like simple "crying, howling" but is actually far more gut-wrenching and unleashed.

From here on out, we repeat the previous lyrics:

オーロラの地へ　魂のパレード　Oh Flyaway

3000年後の　荒野に立て　Oh Memory

エンジェルの群れ　虹色　風　Oh Flyaway

薔薇の下　獣たち Oh Oh

黄昏のハウリング　歌うように　歌うように Oh Oh 黄昏のハウリング　哭いている　咆えている

Oh Oh　歌うように　歌うように Oh Oh　哭いている　咆えている

🌌

This song is only ever so slightly slower than Mudai and follows a similar chord progression. Sakurai has never clearly revealed what he intended for Mudai's message to be, but personally, I'm inclined to see it as the horror and confusion of being brought into existence—a trauma many of us never really recover from—and the inclination to pursue the darkness that once felt safe. From darkness we come and to darkness we go.

Even without interpretation, the theme of birth in the song is obvious. How poetic then, to end the album mourning Sakurai's passing with such an homage to it, reminding us that death and birth are part of a (painful) cycle.

After lyrics such as these, the sound of Imai's guitar ends on the same tones as ended Mudai, more discordant, more painful. A furious and heartrending howl you would almost mistake for a song.

[an-insignificant-flower]

The "Infinity Ranking" of the Paradeno Mori Game, and Why We Don't Have to Say, "Poor Yuta"

Japanese lyricist Kawada Tomomu discussed a way to calculate the lyrics of Buck-Tick's Atsushi Sakurai briefly on his blog after the singer's death in 2023.

Utilizing a "tag cloud" formulated from the number and frequency of particular words in Sakurai's lyrics, an analyzing program produced the number 67,257.

Kawada further discusses the lyrics with the programmer, which highlight Sakurai's use of language, avoidance of certain topics, and grace in others, even compared to other lyricists.

(I'm sorry I'm in a terrible hurry at the moment and can't properly translate the blog, but please do check out the original.)

BUCK-TICK 櫻井敦司さんが司っていたものについて (original blog)

The Direction of Buck-Tick's Atsushi Sakurai (translated via Google Translate; read with caution)

[an-insignificant-flower]

Quick Links to Song Translations (w/commentary)

mine:

スブロサ SUBROSA 　６. 神経質な階段 　７. 雷神 風神 レゾナンス １７. 黄昏のハウリング

異空 -IZORA- １３. 名も無きわたし

　　　〜 ✨💕💖💕✨ 〜

This is NOT Greatest Site Song Translation Backups

Copied directly from the Web Archive. The Archive itself may be incomplete (or even tenuous), so I encourage anyone to fetch a copy for themselves. Please remember to credit translators when sharing. In the case of This is NOT Greatest Site translations, all credit goes to the late, great Cayce.

MOONLIGHT ESCAPE Django!!! －幻惑のジャンゴー 無題

　　　〜 ✨💕💖💕✨ 〜

Translation Differences

There are many ways to approach translation, and in the case of distant languages like Japanese, it's not uncommon to have as many translations as translators. Likewise, there are different goals in translations, depending on how closely you want to follow the original language and what it reveals linguistically and culturally, or the target language in order to ensure clarity of meaning and speed of communication. The "correct" balance of those depends on a number of factors, and when it comes to amateur (unofficial, unpaid, etc.) works, anything goes.

Although I'm happy to share posts of Cayce's fine work among my own attempts, I must note that we take very different approaches and goals in sharing translations. As she says in her own Translator's Note (which I highly recommend reading to understand her attitude and skill), she aims for localization, and her later translations are often expressly written to be singable. By contrast, I want to interpret the Japanese as a classical vocalist would any aria: understand and internalize the language itself.

Variety is the spice of life!

(This post to be edited as more translations are added. NO promises on any kind of order.)

[an-insignificant-flower]

Tasogare no Hauringu 黄昏のハオリング

Music and lyrics by Imai Hisashi

I think there has been some sentiment among some (certainly not all) fans that Imai's headstrong optimism and push forward can sometimes seem cold. I have long suspected that's more of a cultural clash, as in the west, a man who doesn't shed tears is doing it to keep a "stiff upper lip" because of the underlying belief that emotion is weakness (except for anger, of course). However, while forms of toxic masculinity do exist in the east as well, you're just as, if not more, likely to run into a motive to keep everyone together, and to not shed your own tears so as not to spread sadness further. I always felt such was Imai's motivation, especially after his tender speech at the 2023 Genshou performance.

I had been thinking that I wish Imai would show his sorrow a bit more. I think it's a vulnerability fans need to touch as much as for his own message of "Be Happy" as for the validation of their own tears. After all, if the man who can find contentment in this hell can also mourn, than can't we who mourn also be able to find contentment?

If there was any remaining concern that Imai might not be capable of tears, publicly or privately, this song blasts them out of the waters.

The Twilight Howling

Tasogare, as a modern term, refers to the time between sunset and night. An older version of the same word, tasokare, refers to the time of night when it has just become too dark to clearly see others' faces. In the Chinese zodiac counting of the day, it falls during the "hour of the dog" (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) when he takes his place to guard the gate.

While Japanese has many words for dusk or twilight, tasogare specifically also has a colloquial use as an expression of melancholy or nostalgia. As with twilight in English, it can refer to one's "twilight years."

Though I wouldn't say it necessarily applies to this song, but it does to the rest of the album, tasogare can also be used metaphorically to mean that, while the brightest time is past, there is still enough light worth pushing a little further.

And there in just the title alone we have a coming darkness, the inability to see the face of even a friend, the loyal guardian, melancholy, nostalgia, physical decline in aging, and the drive to continue regardless. Now on to the lyrics themselves...

オーロラの地へ　魂のパレード Oh Flyaway ōrora no chi he　tamashī no parēdo　oh fly away

to the land of the aurora, parade of souls, oh fly away

Okay, so, I'm already a hot, sobbing, facial tissue-consuming mess; how is everyone else???

Right off the bat, we know the album has been leading up to this song from the very cover. The aurora as not simply a visual metaphor, but here a lyrical one, specifically the parade that Acchan has ascended to, and the one we all will eventually join.

3000年後の　荒野に立て Oh Memory sanzen nen go no　kōya ni tate　oh memory

standing in the wilderness 3000 years from now, oh memory

Narratively, the lyrics here are less clear, but I'm inclined to see it as the end of humanity, that we as a species as much as we as individuals will leave nothing but a memory, with nature returning to take her place where our cities once stood.

エンジェルの群れ　虹色　風 Oh Flyaway enjeru no mure　niji iro kaze　oh fly away

a flock of angels, rainbow wind, oh fly away

More metaphoric descriptions of the aurora as the place where Acchan and all other beloved souls must be.

薔薇の下　獣たち　Oh Oh bara no moto　kemono-tachi　o-oh

we beasts under the rose, oh

In 2018, Sakurai Atsushi completed a performance in very obvious pain. After apologizing to the audience for not performing his best, he was rushed to hospital, where he was found to be bleeding internally from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage. While in recovery, he penned Kemonotachi no Yoru, ("Our Night" with "our" meaning "we beasts"). A few lyrics near the end of that song imply his promise, for the sake of his fans, to never leave the stage: "Dance for me, Pierrot / Tonight you stay on that stage till the end" (trans. by Cayce). If such was Acchan's intention, then it was in this song that he predicted his own death.

Kemonotachi ("we beasts") here means as much the remaining members of the band as the entire fandom, and "under the rose," the literal translation of "subrosa," the Latin meaning "done in secret," is the unique connection we share, having loved so dearly the one we all lost together.

黄昏のハウリング　歌うように　歌うように　Oh Oh tasogare no hauringu　utau yō ni　utau yō ni　o-oh

the twilight howling, like singing, (like a song), oh

Using the base noun "song" twice would probably be the more natural choice, if only to avoid the repeating continuous -ing form, which is not as it appears in the Japanese.

There's also an implication that what we the audience hear as music, and have heard throughout this album, has actually been the sorrowful cries of a lonely pack this whole time.

黄昏のハウリング　哭いている　咆えている tasogare no hauringu　naiteiru　hoeteiru

This line has two translations. If you're just listening to the lyrics, you might assume naiteiru and hoeteiru are 泣いている and 吠えている, which are the common characters used for those words, leading a listener(-only) to hear:

the twilight howling, crying, howling

with the second howling being the typical Japanese word for the howl of animals. However, with the very specific and uncommon characters used, the meaning is closer to:

the twilight howling, wailing, yowling

While the common "crying" with 泣 very simply means "crying" with no particular nuance, the "crying" with 哭 is a noisy cry, a wail, a sob. It implies uncontrolled emotions and a demand to be heard.

Likewise 咆 can mean "howling" like its common counterpart, 吠, but this roar, this howl, has a distinct undertone of violence, anger, or rage. There is no good direct translation for this one in English. Any word animalistic enough isn't dangerous enough. Any word dangerous enough isn't animalistic enough.

Harkening back to the previous line of "sounding like a song but (is actually) howling" we have a line that sounds like simple "crying, howling" but is actually far more gut-wrenching and unleashed.

From here on out, we repeat the previous lyrics:

オーロラの地へ　魂のパレード　Oh Flyaway

3000年後の　荒野に立て　Oh Memory

エンジェルの群れ　虹色　風　Oh Flyaway

薔薇の下　獣たち Oh Oh

黄昏のハウリング　歌うように　歌うように Oh Oh 黄昏のハウリング　哭いている　咆えている

Oh Oh　歌うように　歌うように Oh Oh　哭いている　咆えている

🌌

This song is only ever so slightly slower than Mudai and follows a similar chord progression. Sakurai has never clearly revealed what he intended for Mudai's message to be, but personally, I'm inclined to see it as the horror and confusion of being brought into existence—a trauma many of us never really recover from—and the inclination to pursue the darkness that once felt safe. From darkness we come and to darkness we go.

Even without interpretation, the theme of birth in the song is obvious. How poetic then, to end the album mourning Sakurai's passing with such an homage to it, reminding us that death and birth are part of a (painful) cycle.

After lyrics such as these, the sound of Imai's guitar ends on the same tones as ended Mudai, more discordant, more painful. A furious and heartrending howl you would almost mistake for a song.

[an-insignificant-flower]

無題

[from This is NOT Greatest Site, translated by Cayce]

Album: Arui wa Anarchy 2014.06.04 Lingua Sounda/Tokuma Japan

Untitled

Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi Music: Imai Hisashi

"in the womb, love melody refrain, I float body and spirit, I am about to go mad, in my dream      and out onto the bright stage"

mama, give me a kiss I'm lonely, I don't know why mama, give me your breast [1] mama, please...

"in the brain, mind's eye refrain, I sink [2] omnipotent, I am torn apart through the cosmos, in my dream

     and out onto the last stage"

papa, release me [3] it hurts, I don't know why papa, please don't cry anymore papa, please...

I'm a fool to the bottom of the dark the fool goes [4] I'm a fool still touched in the head the fool goes I'm a fool still covered in blood the fool goes I'm a fool to the ends of the dark the fool goes Note on the title: In CD Data, Sakurai said, "I didn't want to explain the lyrics, so I decided to deliberately call the song 'Untitled.' " Many Surrealist paintings were also left untitled, which fits right in to the theme of the album.

Though there's some strong Freudian/Oedipus images here, I think writing this song off as "Acchan makes dramatic confession of his cliche Oedipus complex" is selling it way, way short. By refusing to explain what he meant, Sakurai deliberately wanted to leave these lyrics open to interpretation, but they strike me more as an exploration of the human psyche than some kind of reductive personal confession story. My own guess would be that Sakurai is doing in this song the same thing that Imai was doing in "Baudelaire" – applying the techniques of the Surrealist artists toward creating his own work.

[1] Clearly a reference to nursing. The psychosexual connotations are secondary.

[2] What I translated here as "mind's eye" could also be translated as "mental landscape." That is to say, the landscape of a person's inner world. This also seems to me to be closely related to the Surrealist theme of the album, in that the Surrealists strove to capture the pure thoughtform of the unconscious in their work.

[3] Normally the word "yurushite" means "forgive me," but here, Sakurai uses an unusual kanji meaning "remission" or "amnesty," so I translated it as "release me" instead.

[4] The word Sakurai uses here is "gusha," which literally means "fool," but isn't often used in modern, everyday language, except in the context of Tarot readings, where Card 0 of the Major Arcana ("The Fool") is called "Gusha" in Japanese. It also brings to mind the idea of a jester or court fool in the European Middle Ages, as well as the idea of a fool on the hill-type idiot savant.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

NOTE: The Spanish translation is a re-translation of the English translation by Cayce.  Cayce has only a marginal familiarity with Spanish, so the quality of this translation is unvetted, but Spanish-speaking fans, enjoy.

Sin Título

Letra: Sakurai Atsushi Música: Imai Hisashi Traducción: Natalia H.

“en el útero, un refrán melodioso de amor, floto. cuerpo y espíritu, estoy a punto de volverme loco, en mi sueño

y hacia fuera al brillante escenario”

Mamá, dame un beso Estoy solo, no sé por qué Mamá, dame tu pecho (1) Mamá, por favor…

“en el cerebro, un refrán del ojo de la mente, me hundo (2) omnipotente, estoy destrozado por todo el cosmos, en mi sueño

y hacia fuera al último escenario”

Papá, libérame (3) Duele, no sé por qué Papá, por favor no llores más Papá, por favor…

Soy un tonto Hasta el fondo de la oscuridad El tonto va (4) Soy un tonto Sigo estando un poco loco El tonto va Soy un tonto Aún cubierto en sangre El tonto va Soy un tonto Hasta los confines de la oscuridad El tonto va Nota sobre el título: en CD Data, Sakurai dijo “no quería explicar la letra, así que decidí llamar la canción “Sin Título”. Hay muchas pinturas surrealistas que también han sido dejadas sin título, lo cual hace que encaje perfectamente con el tema del álbum.

Aunque hay fuertes imágenes Freudianas/Edipo, creo que el poder llamar esta canción como “Acchan hace una dramática confesión de su cliché con el complejo de Edipo” quedaría muy muy pequeño. Y negándose a explicar lo que quiso decir, Sakurai deliberadamente quiso dejar esta letra abierta a interpretaciones, pero me llegan más como una exploración de la psique humana que alguna otra historia/confesión personal. Mi propia conjetura sería que Sakurai, en esta canción, esta haciendo lo mismo que Imai hizo en “Baudelaire” – aplicando las técnicas de los artistas Surrealistas al crear sus propios trabajos.

(1) Es claramente una referencia a la lactancia. Las connotaciones psicosexuales son secundarias.

(2) Lo que traduje aquí como “el ojo de la mente” también pudo haber sido traducido como “paisaje mental”. Lo que quiere decir, el paisaje del mundo interno de una persona. También lo relaciono cercanamente con el tema Surrealista del álbum, ya que los Surrealistas se esforzaron en capturar el pensamiento puro del inconsciente en su trabajo.

(3) Normalmente, la palabra “yurushite” significa “perdóname”, pero aquí, Sakurai usa un kanji inusual que significa “remisión” o “amnistía”, así que lo traduje como “libérame”

(4) La palabra que Sakurai usa aquí es “gusha” que literalmente significa “tonto” pero no es muy usada en estos tiempos, en el lenguaje diario, excepto en el contexto de la lectura del Tarot, donde la Carta 0 de la Arcana Mayou (“El Tonto”) es llamada “Gusha” en Japonés. También se viene a la mente la idea de un bufón de corte en la Edad Media Europea.

無題

作詞：櫻井敦司 作曲：今井寿

「胎内の愛のメロディ　refrain　ワタシ　浮かぶ 全身全霊で��　狂いそうです　ワタシ　夢を…

　　まばゆいSTAGEへ」

ねえママ　くちづけ下さい　なぜだが　寂しい ねえママ　乳房をさらし　ねえママ　お願い… 「脳内の心象風景　refrain　ワタシ　沈む 全能です　全宇宙で千切れ　ワタシ　夢を…

　　最後のSTAGEへ」

ねえパパ　赦して下さい　なぜなの　苦しい ねえパパ　もう泣かないで　ねえパパ　お願い…

I'm a fool 暗闇の底　愚者がゆく I'm a fool 気の触れたまま　愚者はゆく I'm a fool 血塗れのまま　愚者がゆく I'm a fool暗闇の果てへ　愚者はゆく

Mudai

Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi Music: Imai Hisashi

"Tainai no ai no merodii     refrain     watashi     ukabu Zenshin zenrei desu     kuruisou desu     watashi     yume wo...

          mabayui STAGE e" Nee mama     kuchizuke kudasai     naze da ga     sabishii Nee mama     chibusa wo sarashi     nee mama     onegai...

"Nounai no shinshou fuukei     refrain     watashi     shizumu Zennou desu     zen uchuu de chigire     watashi     yume wo...

          saigo no STAGE e"

Nee papa     yurushite kudasai     naze na no     kurushii Nee papa     mou nakanaide     nee papa     onegai...

I'm a fool Kurayami no soko     gusha ga yuku I'm a fool Ki no fureta mama     gusha wa yuku I'm a fool Chimamire no mama     gusha ga yuku I'm a fool Kurayami no hate e     gusha wa yuku

[an-insignificant-flower]

神経質な階段・Scalaria Nervosa

Changing my translation of "Shinkeishitsu na Kaidan" from "Nervous Stairway" to "Scalaria Nervosa".

Shinkeishitsu (神経質) does mean nervous, but, unlike kinchou (緊張), which is what most people would use for simple nervousness, shinkeishitsu has a very particular nuance of being overly sensitive to small things, to the point of pathological behavior. It is, specifically, a medical term, and so I think pulling from a similar medical term English speakers are already familiar with (nervosa) is appropriate.

And as the medical term comes from Latin, I'm also keeping in Latin for stairs to complete the title.

I had mentioned in my "first impressions" post that I could imagine climbing the stairs on Izora's cover to cross the moon's reflection, but upon second and third listenings, I wonder how much of my ear was leading those thoughts over the title alone.

That is, does anyone else hear elements of Mugen Loop in this song? I swear I do, but I wonder how much of it could be my imagining. Maybe I'm hearing ghosts, or maybe I'm too eager to find something that's not there...

[an-insignificant-flower]

Subrosa, first listening impressions

song by song, below the cut

Hyakuman Nayuta no Chiri Scum. Not what I was expecting by the title. I was wondering if I should change my translation ("A Fuckton of Dust"), but with what lyrics I can catch, I think it's still good. It's an interesting contrast of imagery against the softer tone of the guitars. I started crying by the second line... 　

Subrosa. That... is NOT what I was expecting from the title track. AT ALL. However, it is nice to hear Imai in his element again, doing, as Acchan called it, "Imai rap." 　

Muyuubyou Sleepwalk. I missed the last kanji's reading in my first translation, as I suspected. It sounds like Yuta's having a little fun on the bass. The instrumental break/bridge gives vibes like a mix of No. 0, Sexy Stream Liner and Mona Lisa Overdrive. 　

From Now On. Definitely more a driving, instrumental piece, in spite of the presence of lyrics. Even as a native English speaker, I feel this, and I imagine for the Japanese fans listening to English lyrics, this is even more so. 　

Rezisto. Imai's whisper is haunting. The juxtaposition of atmospheric beats with distortion feels like focused madness. The lyrics look especially interesting and thematically poignant. I'm looking forward to delving into them properly later. My favorite song so far. 　

Shinkeishitsu na Kaidan. (trans.: "Nervous Stairway")... correct. 　 ... I was going to leave my comments at that as a partial joke, but as the song continues on, I find myself imagining the slow ascent up the stairs of the cover of Izora, and what might be found passing the veil of water with the moon reflected in it. 　

Raijin Fujin Resonance #rising. Starts off the same, but has a nice chord progression change at the start. The mix drowns the boys' voices a bit more than I'd like; Toll is also on the quiet side. (It's hard not to compare it to the single, of course.) I feel like it's not different enough to warrant being a song separate from the single, sadly. 　

Meiouboshi de Shine. Tribal. I'll be looking forward to seeing Toll tackle this one live. I have my thoughts on the vibe, but it's another I want to sit with the lyrics a bit before I comment. 　

Yuusei Tsuushin. The swing reminds me of a cross between Noraneko Blue and Boogie Woogie. The message seems well inline with Raijin Fujin Resonance. 　

paradeno mori. This whole album is full of "not what I was expecting based on the title alone." I can almost hear a bit of Six/Nine Acchan in the vocals, with a bit of bounce in the beat like Sid Vicious on the Beach. 　

Strelitzia. ...Gonna have to simmer on this one a while. 　

Zetsubou Toiu Na no Kimi e. I flatly do not like the synth tenor sax. (Please change my mind. I really like the rest of this song a lot.) Impressed with the vocals on this one. We get a lot more of Hide's chops than we did in RFR. 　

TIKI TIKI BOOM. さすが今井さん。やっ、実は本当にフローがレベルアップしてるな。ん、好きよね。 　

Pushukē. Another with a mix of atmospheric drive and distortion. Hide's voice carries well. Despite the dance beat, it feels mournful and longing, like the kind of ruminating grief that haunts sleep. 　

Gaburieru no Rappa. ffffffffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuckkkkkkkk 　

Kurage. Is this the theme of jellyfish or the feeling of being stung by one? A good portion of them are deceptively deadly... At a certain point, some of the synthesized sounds are like broken or warped church bells, and it feels like a twisted version of Quantum II. 　

Tasogare no Hauringu. The sound is nostalgic for me, like something from a heartfelt movie in the '90s, but the return of the clearly heard guitars makes a nice bookend with Hyakuman Nayuta no Chiri Scum. Trying not to cry at every instance of "parade of souls" in the lyrics... I think this will become one of my favorites, just for the heart of it. It will be nice to listen without tears... The instrumental end is reminiscent of Imai's live performances, particularly of Mudai, though it ends explicitly on dissonance...

We're getting a glimpse of their sound, especially with Imai setting himself fully loose and Hide picking up the mic. But with this very obviously being an album of mourning and rebuilding (and mourning), we're still a ways from seeing what they're capable of in the future.

I know there are people racing to get translations out already. (I've seen one Google translation that made me shudder.) I would like to really sit down and analyze these, but I can't make any promises with speed, especially considering how hard some of these hit.

Everyone please take care of yourselves, inside and out.

Love💖 & Peace✌️

[an-insignificant-flower]

I had (in my mad hurry) translated 夢遊猫 as "Sleepwalking Cat," which is factually correct. However, it's been pointed out that one reading for 猫 (the 'cat' part of the title) can be びょう, which would be the standard reading in the common word, 夢遊病, "sleepwalking (sickness/syndrome)", making it a nice homophone.

I've been poking around synonyms and medical terms looking for anything that might similarly play with the words in English, but the closest I've found is putting a deliberate typo in "Noctambolism/Nocatmbolism".

From interviews, it sounds like sleepwalking will have more than the obvious metaphor of being haunted by a late loved one. So, who knows? I may end up changing my mind to something else entirely once I get a hold of the lyrics sheet.

[an-insignificant-flower]

雷神 風神 レゾナンス

"Raijin Fūjin RESONANCE"

Raijin and Fūjin are two Shinto gods, often depicted as a pair. Raijin is the god of storms and thunder, while Fūjin is the god of wind. Both are some of the oldest gods in the Japanese pantheon, sons of the first goddess of all creation.

Notably, Raijin and Fūjin are escapees from the Land of the Dead...

Imai's signature on this song is about as obvious as it gets even in the title. Fūjin and Raijin have been references for him for a while, and even just a couple of years ago, he had released a long sleeve T-shirt showcasing the pair in a collaboration with LHP for Buck-Tick's 35th anniversary.

Verse 1 (Imai)

上昇気流　雷神　風神　レゾナンス joushoukiryuu　Raijin　Fuujin　RESONANCE FLY HIGH！！　昇天 　　　　　　　 shouten Rising！！　Higher than the sun

(On) the updraft, Raijin, Fūjin, (and) resonance Fly high!! Ascension (to Heaven) Rising!! Higher than the sun

Right off the bat it feels like we're talking about Acchan, with "higher than the sun" posing a challenge to the "aim for the sun and burn" story of Ikaros.

Likewise those of us who have referred to Acchan as a personal Jesus (as he has used the iconography several times) are vindicated with the same term used for the Ascension of Christ.

The term "resonance" in this katakana form means everything you might expect of the same word in English, although one dictionary adds another definition that I find resonates well (yeah, yeah, see what I did there) with the chorus when we get there:

awakening, or arousal (of emotions, etc.)

Also worth a note that the Japanese pronunciation of "rising," at least as it can be heard in the song, is a homophone to "Raijin."

Pre-chorus 1

この地上で生き抜くことだ kono chijou de ikinu koto da

it's how to get by on this earth

Verse 2 (Hoshino)

共振共鳴　雷神　風神　レゾナンス kyoushin kyoumei　Raijin　Fuujin　RESONANCE FLY HIGH！！　昇天 (shouten) Rising！！　Higher than the sun

vibration-oscilation, Raijin, Fūjin, (and) resonance

I'm bending a bit here to make it make sense as lyrics, were they English. The first words here, kyoushin and kyoumei, are both direct synonyms for "resonance" and translate as "resonance" in most dictionaries. However, the former refers to physical vibrations, while the latter refers to sonority (sound).

Pre-chorus 2

雨に撃たれ生き抜くことだ ame ni utare ikinuku koto da

it's how we get by while pelted by rain

Chorus (Imai & Hoshino)

Boys don't cry　ハートに火をつけろ Girls fall in love　ハートに火をつけろ Boys don't cry　ハートに火をつけろ Girls fall in love　ハートに火をつけろ 　　　　　　　 hāto no hi wo tsukero

boys don't cry, set your heart on fire girls fall in love, set your heart on fire

At last we come to the chorus, a call directly to the audience, and the feature of the 15-second spot preview of the last few weeks. I'll talk more about this in my summary below.

Verse 3

FLY HIGH！！　昇天 (shouten) Rising！！　Higher than the sun

Pre-chorus 3

この世界で生き抜くことだ kono sekai de ikinuhu koto da

it's how we get by in this world

Chorus

Boys don't cry　ハートに火をつけろ Girls fall in love　ハートに火をつけろ Boys don't cry　ハートに火をつけろ Girls fall in love　ハートに火をつけろ 　　　　　　　 hāto no hi wo tsukero

　 Summary (and a bit of projection, if you'll indulge me)

As Raijin is the god of thunder, it's he who makes the sounds that people most often hear (and fear) in a storm. Yet the song invokes both gods as a pair and attributes the "resonance" to both. You may not "hear" Fūjin, but as far as Raijin is concerned, the resonance does not exist for only one of them.

As the boys have said now in several interviews, they strongly feel that Sakurai is still very much with them.

I'll stick to lyrics here and leave music theory to someone else, but I will share a thought on the costuming. The dress for the single's cover and for the current banner page of the official website has them in black rags, and, as others have remarked, they literally look as if they've gone to Hell and back.

However, in the music video itself, they sparkle, particularly with silver and sequins. I feel as though the clothes themselves show that they're worn, they mourn, but still they shine.

This song is not here to rival past Buck-Tick songs, so any comment that the sound isn't the same is a non sequitur. And, while I'm sure the management would prefer chart-toppers, the audience is not the masses, but the fans.

This song's message is for you.

Acchan lives. Gods live. And you. You live.

So live, and live well.

Vibrate. Oscillate. Reverberate. Resonate. Let your heart beat. Let your voice cry out. Put one foot in front of the other until your footsteps become clear, until you fall into a march, until you find your parade again.

Don't suffer. Be open to the possibility of feeling joy again. That possibility is in you, because you're human, and it's how humans get by...

...from this world to the next...

...it's how we learn to live again.

We set our hearts on fire ❤️‍🔥

[an-insignificant-flower]

That should have always been “ikinuku” for 生き抜く. I can blame being exhausted at the end of a day, which I am, but mostly typing in romaji breaks my brain. What little part of my brain I’ve been able to dedicate to Japanese language is run by a tiny Japanese ojiichan who refuses to use any input but kana and drives too slow.

[an-insignificant-flower]

雷神 風神 レゾナンス

"Raijin Fūjin RESONANCE"

Raijin and Fūjin are two Shinto gods, often depicted as a pair. Raijin is the god of storms and thunder, while Fūjin is the god of wind. Both are some of the oldest gods in the Japanese pantheon, sons of the first goddess of all creation.

Notably, Raijin and Fūjin are escapees from the Land of the Dead...

Imai's signature on this song is about as obvious as it gets even in the title. Fūjin and Raijin have been references for him for a while, and even just a couple of years ago, he had released a long sleeve T-shirt showcasing the pair in a collaboration with LHP for Buck-Tick's 35th anniversary.

Verse 1 (Imai)

上昇気流　雷神　風神　レゾナンス joushoukiryuu　Raijin　Fuujin　RESONANCE FLY HIGH！！　昇天 　　　　　　　 shouten Rising！！　Higher than the sun

(On) the updraft, Raijin, Fūjin, (and) resonance Fly high!! Ascension (to Heaven) Rising!! Higher than the sun

Right off the bat it feels like we're talking about Acchan, with "higher than the sun" posing a challenge to the "aim for the sun and burn" story of Ikaros.

Likewise those of us who have referred to Acchan as a personal Jesus (as he has used the iconography several times) are vindicated with the same term used for the Ascension of Christ.

The term "resonance" in this katakana form means everything you might expect of the same word in English, although one dictionary adds another definition that I find resonates well (yeah, yeah, see what I did there) with the chorus when we get there:

awakening, or arousal (of emotions, etc.)

Also worth a note that the Japanese pronunciation of "rising," at least as it can be heard in the song, is a homophone to "Raijin."

Pre-chorus 1

この地上で生き抜くことだ kono chijou de ikinu koto da

it's how to get by on this earth

Verse 2 (Hoshino)

共振共鳴　雷神　風神　レゾナンス kyoushin kyoumei　Raijin　Fuujin　RESONANCE FLY HIGH！！　昇天 (shouten) Rising！！　Higher than the sun

vibration-oscilation, Raijin, Fūjin, (and) resonance

I'm bending a bit here to make it make sense as lyrics, were they English. The first words here, kyoushin and kyoumei, are both direct synonyms for "resonance" and translate as "resonance" in most dictionaries. However, the former refers to physical vibrations, while the latter refers to sonority (sound).

Pre-chorus 2

雨に撃たれ生き抜くことだ ame ni utare ikinuku koto da

it's how we get by while pelted by rain

Chorus (Imai & Hoshino)

Boys don't cry　ハートに火をつけろ Girls fall in love　ハートに火をつけろ Boys don't cry　ハートに火をつけろ Girls fall in love　ハートに火をつけろ 　　　　　　　 hāto no hi wo tsukero

boys don't cry, set your heart on fire girls fall in love, set your heart on fire

At last we come to the chorus, a call directly to the audience, and the feature of the 15-second spot preview of the last few weeks. I'll talk more about this in my summary below.

Verse 3

FLY HIGH！！　昇天 (shouten) Rising！！　Higher than the sun

Pre-chorus 3

この世界で生き抜くことだ kono sekai de ikinuhu koto da

it's how we get by in this world

Chorus

Boys don't cry　ハートに火をつけろ Girls fall in love　ハートに火をつけろ Boys don't cry　ハートに火をつけろ Girls fall in love　ハートに火をつけろ 　　　　　　　 hāto no hi wo tsukero

　 Summary (and a bit of projection, if you'll indulge me)

As Raijin is the god of thunder, it's he who makes the sounds that people most often hear (and fear) in a storm. Yet the song invokes both gods as a pair and attributes the "resonance" to both. You may not "hear" Fūjin, but as far as Raijin is concerned, the resonance does not exist for only one of them.

As the boys have said now in several interviews, they strongly feel that Sakurai is still very much with them.

I'll stick to lyrics here and leave music theory to someone else, but I will share a thought on the costuming. The dress for the single's cover and for the current banner page of the official website has them in black rags, and, as others have remarked, they literally look as if they've gone to Hell and back.

However, in the music video itself, they sparkle, particularly with silver and sequins. I feel as though the clothes themselves show that they're worn, they mourn, but still they shine.

This song is not here to rival past Buck-Tick songs, so any comment that the sound isn't the same is a non sequitur. And, while I'm sure the management would prefer chart-toppers, the audience is not the masses, but the fans.

This song's message is for you.

Acchan lives. Gods live. And you. You live.

So live, and live well.

Vibrate. Oscillate. Reverberate. Resonate. Let your heart beat. Let your voice cry out. Put one foot in front of the other until your footsteps become clear, until you fall into a march, until you find your parade again.

Don't suffer. Be open to the possibility of feeling joy again. That possibility is in you, because you're human, and it's how humans get by...

...from this world to the next...

...it's how we learn to live again.

We set our hearts on fire ❤️‍🔥

[an-insignificant-flower]

set your heart on fire

Boys don’t cry / Set your heart on fire

Girls fall in love /Set your heart on fire

[an-insignificant-flower]

Official Playlist:

百万那由多ノ塵SCUM[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

スブロサ SUBROSA[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

夢遊猫 SLEEP WALK[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

From Now On[作詞: 星野英彦 / 作曲: 星野英彦]

Rezisto[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

神経質な階段[作曲: 今井寿]

雷神 風神 - レゾナンス #rising[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

冥王星で死ね[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

遊星通信[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

paradeno mori[作詞: 星野英彦 / 作曲: 星野英彦]

ストレリチア[作曲: 今井寿]

絶望という名の君へ[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 星野英彦]

TIKI TIKI BOOM[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

プシュケー - PSYCHE -[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 星野英彦]

ガブリエルのラッパ[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

海月[作曲: 今井寿]

黄昏のハウリング[作詞: 今井寿 / 作曲: 今井寿]

My translation (limited; see notes below):

Hyakuman Nayuta no Chiri Scum A Fuckton o' Dust: Scum lyrics & music: Imai

Subrosa lyrics & music: Imai

Muyuu Neko Sleepwalk Sleepwalking Cat lyrics & music: Imai

From Now On lyrics & music: Hoshino

Rezisto lyrics & music: Imai

Shinkeishitsu na Kaidan Nervous Stairway instrumental: Imai

Raijin Fujin Resonance #rising lyrics & music: Imai

Meiouboshi de Shine Die on Pluto lyrics & music: Imai

Yuusei Tsuushin Planetary Transmission lyrics & music: Imai

paradeno mori to die in the parade lyrics & music: Hoshino

Strelitzia instrumental: Imai

Zetsubou Toiu Na no Kimi e To You Who are Called 'Despair' lyrics: Imai, music: Hoshino

TIKI TIKI BOOM lyrics & music: Imai

Pushukē Psyche lyrics: Imai, music: Hoshino

Gaburieru no Rappa Gabriel's Trumpet lyrics & music: Imai

Kurage Jellyfish instrumental: Imai

Tasogare no Hauringu Howling at Dusk lyircs & music: Imai

Without seeing the lyrics or hearing the music, I'm guessing with what little context we have on some of these

(5) Rezisto is Esperanto for "Resistance," a callback to the individual CD labels of their Catalogue The Best 35th anniv. collection.

(9) Like "wakusei," "yuusei" means "planet," but the latter is rarely used nowadays, except to evoke a literary sense. "Wakusei" may also have been avoided for having too close a connection to Sakurai's solo work, "Ai no Wakusei," but that's just my conjecture until I see confirmation. Additionally, the "yuu" of "yuusei" is the same character used in (3) "Muyuu Neko" for sleepwalking. Both (遊) are only one radical different from the very specific "oyogu" (游ぐ, to swim) that Imai uses in his masterpiece, "Aikawarazu no Are...", and both kanji are associated with "play." Again, I'm not sure how intentional this is until we get the whole sound and lyric sheets, but it is interesting to notice.

(10) Latin. I have no doubt it's a callback to Memento Mori ("remember that you die," or as Imai puts it, "remember to die").

(11) Strelitzia is the scientific name of the Bird of Paradise flower which, in flower language, represents joy, freedom, paradise or immortality.

(13) さすが今井さん

(17) Colloquially, tasogare is a synonym for melancholy.

Subrosa, album art

[an-insignificant-flower]

Django!!! －幻惑のジャンゴ－

[from This is NOT Greatest Site, translated by Cayce]

Album: Razzle Dazzle 2010.10.13 Ariola Japan

Django!!! –Django the Dazzler– Lyrics: Imai Hisashi Music: Imai Hisashi

Love is a blind old standard Like a glass slipper masquerade Ah, for you he’s playing a rhapsody

Thrills in in your temples, it’s illegal Golden melancholy luxury Ah, night razzle-dazzling romancer

Welcome into the dream world, a mysterious fantasy With his brilliance, he’ll mesmerize you, magician Django

Miracle skills, he’s excellent The gods don’t notice him, he’s overlooked Ah, the bastard’s a trickster

Moulin Rouge aventure, moonlit night, my lost little kitten1 And now he's stealing into your heart while you can’t even see him

You’re my lovely angel French can-can peek-a-boo2 Baby, baby, snap your fingers BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

You’re my lonely Venus Close your eyes now 1.2.3 Count to three, just count to three now BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

And he’s there-and-gone, changeable, never the same in the daylight He’s a daredevil, hurricane, lightning speed, you’ll never catch him

Welcome into the dream world, a mysterious fantasy With his brilliance, he’ll mesmerize you, magician Django

It’s a tempting pitfall When you fall in, peek-a-boo! Baby, baby, snap your fingers BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

It’s a tempting pitfall When you fall in, 1.2.3 Count to three, just count to three now BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

You’re my lovely angel French can-can peek-a-boo Baby, baby, snap your fingers BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

You’re my lonely Venus Close your eyes now 1.2.3 Count to three, just count to three now BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

You’re my lovely angel French can-can peek-a-boo Baby, baby, snap your fingers BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

You’re my lonely Venus Close your eyes now 1.2.3 Count to three, just count to three now BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Django! …… Django!

Note: This song is a tribute to the legendary Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhart. Django, born in 1910 in Belgium, was of Roma (Gypsy) ethnicity and grew up in Romani camps near Paris. A catastrophic fire left his leg and the fourth and fifth fingers of his left hand partially paralyzed, but undaunted, he learned to play guitar without having to use the damaged fingers. He became deeply inspired by Louis Armstrong and jazz in general, and formed a jazz quintet with violinist Stephane Grappelli called "Quintette du Hot Club de France," that became a legendary jazz band. Many of Django's songs became jazz standards and he is now regarded as one of the most influential jazz guitarists of all time. He was also famous for being extremely unpredictable and doing things like showing up to concerts without equipment, or skipping the concerts altogether to sleep late or take walks on the beach.

1) The Moulin Rouge is a world famous Parisian cabaret. It was built in the late 1800's in Paris and is still in operation today. In the early 1900's it was one of the centers of the Parisian underground, where it fostered such artists as chanteuse Edith Piaf and painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It was also the birthplace of the striptease.

2) The French can-can was the signature dance of the Moulin Rouge. It started out as an erotic dance that courtesans used to solicit customers; during the high kicks they would reveal their stockings, legs, and sometimes naughty bits as well. Over time as the reputation of the Moulin Rouge improved, the French can-can developed into a more mature dance form. Toulouse-Lautrec created many posters advertising the Moulin Rouge and many of them featured images of women doing the can-can.

You can sing this translation with the original melody, too! And if I do say so myself, the lyrics to this one fit really well :) Also before anyone tries to accuse me of taking too much artistic license: yes, "mekurumeku" really, really literally means "razzle dazzle."

NOTE: The Spanish translation is a re-translation of the English translation by Cayce. Cayce has only a marginal familiarity with Spanish, so the quality of this translation is unvetted, but Spanish-speaking fans, enjoy.

Django!!! – Django el Encandilador- Letra: Imai Hisashi Música: Imai Hisashi Traducción: Natalia H.

El amor es un ciego viejo estándar Como una máscara liberadora de vidrio Ah, el toca una rapsodia para ti.

La emoción está en tu temple, esto es ilegal Un lujo de dorada melancolía Ah, un romántico nocturno emborrachado y encandilado

Bienvenido al mundo de ensueño, una fantasía misteriosa Con su brillantez, él te hipnotizará, el mago Django

Habilidades milagrosas, es excelente Los dioses no lo notan, lo miran en menos Ah, el bastardo es un tramposo

Aventura de Moulin Rouge, noche iluminada por la luna, mi pequeño gato perdido Y ahora se está robando tu corazón mientras ni siquiera lo puedes ver

Eres mi amado ángel Can-can Francés, las escondidas (2) Baby, baby, has sonar tus dedos BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Eres mi amada Venus Cierra tus ojos ahora 1.2.3 Cuenta hasta tres, sólo cuenta hasta tres ahora BOBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Y él aparece y desaparece, cambia, nunca es el mismo a la luz del día Es un temerario, huracán, a la velocidad de la luz, nunca lo atraparás

Bienvenido al mundo de ensueño, una misteriosa fantasía Con su brillantez, él te hipnotizará, el mago Django

Es una trampa tentadora Cuando tu caes, las escondidas! Baby, baby, has sonar tus dedos BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Es una trampa tentadora Cuando caes, 1.2.3 Cuenta hasta tres, sólo cuenta hasta tres ahora BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

NOTA: Esta canción es un tributo al legendario guitarrista de jazz gitano Django Reinhart. Django, nacido en 1910 en Bélgica, era de Roma (gitano) y creció en campos Romani cerca de París. Un incendia catastrófico dejó su pierna y cuarto y quinto dedo de su mano izquierda parcialmente paralizados, pero impertérrito, aprendió a tocar guitarra sin tener que usar sus dedos dañados. Se inspiró profundamente por Louis Armstrong y el jazz en general, y formó un quinteto de jazz con el violinista Stephane Grappelli llamado “Quintette du Hot Club de France”, que se convirtió en una banda de jazz legendaria. Muchas de las canciones de Django se volvieron estándar para el jazz y ahora es referido como uno de los guitarristas de jazz más influyente de todos los tiempos. También fue famoso por ser extremadamente impredecible y hacer cosas como llegar a los conciertos sin equipo, o saltarse conciertos para dormir hasta tarde o caminar en la playa.

(1) El Moulin Rouge es un famoso cabaret Parisino. Fue construido a finales del 1800s en Paris y sigue en operación hasta el día de hoy. A principios del 1900 fue uno de los centros del bajo mundo Parisino, donde fomentó a artistas tales como la cantante Edith Piaf y el pintor Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Fue también el lugar en donde nació el striptease.

(2) El can-can Francés fue el baile simbólico del Moulin Rouge. Empezó como un baile erótico que las cortesanas usaban para obtener clientes; durante las patadas altas solían revelar sus medias, piernas, y algunas veces otras partes igual. Con el paso del tiempo la reputación del Moulin Rouge mejoró, el can-can Francés se desarrolló en una forma de baile más madura. Toulouce-Lautrec creó muchos posters promocionando el Moulin Rouge y muchos de ellos tenían imágenes de mujeres bailando can-can.

También puedes cantar esta traducción (en inglés) con la melodía original!

Django!!! －幻惑のジャンゴ－ 作詞：今井寿 作曲：今井寿

恋は盲目　スタンダード　グラスの靴で　マスカレード Ah　君のためのラプソディー

スリル　コメカミ　非合法　金の憂鬱　LUXURY Ah目眩ク夜　ROMANCER

WELCOME　夢の世界へ　謎めく　FANTASY 鮮やかさ　クギヅケさ　幻惑師–magician-　Django

奇跡のスキル　EXCELLENT　髪が見落とす　ノーマーク Ah　ヤツは　トリックスター

ムーランルージュ　アヴェヌチュール　月夜　迷い猫 貴女のハートに　スルリ　忍び込む

魅惑のANGEL　フレンチカンカン　PEEK-A-BOO Baby　指を鳴らせ　BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

孤独のVenus　目を閉じて　1.2.3 Just a 3つ数えろ　BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

変幻自在　神出鬼没　白昼常々 大胆不敵　疾風迅雷　電光石火

WELCOME　夢の世界へ　謎めく　FANTASY 鮮やかさ　クギヅケさ　幻惑師–magician-　Django

誘惑の罠　仕掛けたら　PEEK-A-BOO Baby　指を鳴らせ　BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

誘惑の罠　仕掛けたら　1.2.3 Just a 3つ数えろ　BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

魅惑のANGEL　フレンチカンカン　PEEK-A-BOO Baby　指を鳴らせ　BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

孤独のVenus　目を閉じて　1.2.3 Just a 3つ数えろ　BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

魅惑のANGEL　フレンチカンカン　PEEK-A-BOO Baby　指を鳴らせ　BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

孤独のVenus　目を閉じて　1.2.3 Just a 3つ数えろ　BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Django！．．．．．．Django！

Django!!! –Genwaku no Django- Lyrics: Imai Hisashi Music: Imai Hisashi

Koi wa moumoku sutandaado gurasu no kutsu de masukareedo Ah kimi no tame no rapusodii

Suriru komekami higouhou kin no yuu’utsu LUXURY Ah mekurumeku yoru ROMANCER

WELCOME yume no sekai e nazomeku FANTASY Azayaka sa kugizuke sa magician Django

Kiseki no sukiru EXCELLENT kami ga miotosu noomaaku Ah yatsu wa torikkusutaa

Muuran ruuju avenchuuru tsukiyo mayoineko Anata no haato ni sururi shinobikomu

Miwaku no ANGEL furenchi kan kan PEEK-A-BOO Baby yubi wo narase BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Kodoku no Venus me wo tojite 1.2.3 Just a mittsu kazoero BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Hengen jizai shinshutsu kibotsu hakuchuu doudou Daitan futeki shippuu jinrai denkou sekka

WELCOME yume no sekai e nazomeku FANTASY Azayaka sa kugizuke sa magician Django

Yuuwaku no wana shikaketara PEEK-A-BOO Baby yubi wo narase BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Yuuwaku no wana shikaketara 1.2.3 Just a mittsu kazoero BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Miwaku no ANGEL furenchi kan kan PEEK-A-BOO Baby yubi wo narase BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO Django!

Kodoku no Venus me wo tojite 1.2.3 Just a mittsu kazoero BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Miwaku no ANGEL furenchi kan kan PEEK-A-BOO Baby yubi wo narase BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Kodoku no Venus me wo tojite 1.2.3 Just a mittsu kazoero BIBBIDI-BOBBIDI-BOO

Django!

Django！．．．．．．Django！

[an-insignificant-flower]

Moonlight Escape

[from This is NOT Greatest Site, translated by Cayce]

Single: Moonlight Escape 2020.08.26 Lingua Sounda/Victor Album: Abracadabra 2020.09.21 Lingua Sounda/Victor

Moonlight Escape Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi Music: Imai Hisashi

Now I'm dancing to the last number Fragments of glass la la reflecting escape Moonlight escape God, I'm praying, I'm praying to you Please forgive me, have mercy upon me escape Moonlight escape

Wrapping me up in my cloak Good night To a dream of a dream...

And I fly now

So much love it's overflowing As I hold it in my arms, escape World with no more suffering and sorrow Now eternally, escape And I fly now

I'm all alone, time to depart now On my journey, off before the dawn breaks, escape Moonlight escape Papa, Mama, good night and sleep tight Please I hope you won't forget about me, escape Moonlight escape

A wave and a swish of my cloak Good bye Higher... up... up... away

And I fly now So much love it's overflowing As I hold it in my arms, escape World with no more suffering and sorrow Now eternally, escape And I fly now

And I fly now So much love it's overflowing As I hold it in my arms, escape And I fly now Suffering and sorrow now are no more Now eternally, escape And I fly now So much love it's overflowing As I hold it in my arms, escape

Note: Read about Sakurai's inspiration for these lyrics here.

Moonlight Escape 作詞：櫻井敦司 作曲：今井寿

踊りだすんだ　LAST NUMBER ガラス欠片　ララ反射ESCAPE MOONLIGHT ESCAPE 神様お願いだ　僕の事をゆるしてねESCAPE MOONLIGHT ESCAPE

マントに包まって　GOOD NIGHT　夢の夢へ

僕は舞う 溢れる程　愛を抱きしめてESCAPE 悲しみの無い世界　永遠にESCAPE 僕は舞う

たった一人だ　旅立ちだ　夜が明けるその前にESCAPE MOONLIGHT ESCAPE パパ　ママ　おやすみ　ねえ僕の事を忘れないでESCAPE MOONLIGHT ESCAPE

マントを翻し　GOOD BYE　タカ．．ク　　タ．．カ．．　ク

僕は舞う 溢れる程　愛を抱きしめてESCAPE 悲しみの無い世界　永遠にESCAPE 僕は舞う

僕は舞う 溢れる程　愛を抱きしめてESCAPE 僕は舞う悲しみ　もう何も無い　永遠にESCAPE 僕は舞う 溢れる程　愛を抱きしめてESCAPE

Moonlight Escape Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi Music: Imai Hisashi

Odoridasun da LAST NUMBER     garasu kakera     lala hansha ESCAPE MOONLIGHT ESCAPE Kamisama onegai da     boku no koto wo yurushite ne ESCAPE MOONLIGHT ESCAPE

Manto ni kurumatte     GOOD NIGHT     yume no yume e

Boku wa mau Afureru hodo     ai wo dakishimete ESCAPE Kanashimi no nai sekai     eien ni ESCAPEBoku wa mau

Tatta hitori da     tabidachi da     yo ga akeru sono mae ni ESCAPEMOONLIGHT ESCAPE Papa Mama oyasumi     nee boku no koto wo wasurenaide ESCAPEMOONLIGHT ESCAPE

Manto wo hirugaeshi     GOOD BYE     taka...ku     ta... ka... ku

Boku wa mau Afureru hodo     ai wo dakishimete ESCAPE Kanashimi no nai sekai     eien ni ESCAPE Boku wa mau

Boku wa mau Afureru hodo     ai wo dakishimete ESCAPE Boku wa mau Kanashimi     mou nani mo nai     eien ni ESCAPE Boku wa mau Afureru hodo     ai wo dakishimete ESCAPE

[an-insignificant-flower]

翻訳家からのメッセージ Translator's Note 

[From the Archive; by Cayce]

I am a professional translator with years of experience in both business and literary fields. The business side may pay the bills, but the song lyrics side is certainly more fun! It’s also a lot more complicated than you might think. 

What a lot of people don't know about translation is that it requires much more than just knowledge of two languages. People may assume that the most “correct” method is to translate each word literally. The problem with this approach is that language isn't really made up of words, language is made up of thoughts. If you translate each word separately, you'll end up using words that are wrong for the context, and you'll miss the overarching meaning that the original author was trying to express.  Your translation will not only sound unnatural, it will lack emotional power, and in my opinion, emotional power is the most important element in song lyrics or poetry of any kind. 

My goal is to have the readers of my translations respond to the translations the same way readers of the original text respond to the original text. When I translate song lyrics, I try to render them in English that sounds to native English speakers the way the Japanese sounds to native Japanese speakers. I try to speak with the voice of the author. In order to do this, I might alter word order, add extra line breaks or reverse the order of lines. I might even add or delete words if I feel that it better expresses the tone and intention of the original writing. However, I never change meanings just because I feel like it. I aim for my translations to have vim and verve, but I try to respect the choices of the original author as much as possible, if I feel that they are conscious choices rather than obligatory conventions of the Japanese language. 

A thorough knowledge of Japanese allows me the freedom to play with the language this way rather than just focusing on grammar. I know how words are functionally used in addition to what they mean. Too often, the word meaning written in the dictionary isn’t quite the right meaning for the context of the song…something all aspiring translators and people who are thinking of arguing with me about the accuracy of my work should keep in mind! Sometimes there is a right and a wrong answer.

Of course, there are also many places where the original writing is ambiguous, and in those places, I have done my best to preserve the ambiguity, or written my own interpretation of what the lyrics mean if the former is impossible. Japanese is a language second to none when it comes to ambiguous phrasing, and some poems could have five or ten different translations, each of them equally accurate. Japanese fans have lengthy discussions about lyrics meanings all the time!  After a certain point, it's a matter of taste.