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[okasiya]

22/7 – 僕らの環境

Lyrics: Yasushi Akimoto / Music: Chiaki Nagasawa, Saori Nagano / Tr: okasiya

Our Circumstances

Quietly placing an unremarkable green marble on the classroom floor You said you were going to prove that the world was askew

Slowly, as though pulled along It began to roll Not stopping until the wall I assumed that the school itself was tilted So subtly that I hadn't even noticed So what happened next surprised me This time it rolled in the opposite direction

There’s nothing level anywhere But is it so bad For everything to be out of balance? The more things tilt to either side The more they're on the level "It just means everything is unfair" Where would you find something straightforward? Accept your unbalanced reality They're tumbling Tumbling Tumbling Tumbling Tumbling about Who cares where they land

Our circumstances

Holding the marble up to the light from the window No flaws mar my field of vision Even though you seem to be innocent I sigh: "Something's off"

Even if things seem to be equal between here and there The elevation differs slightly From moment to moment, the majority changes Opposite from what it just was What's right keeps flipping

There's nothing level anywhere But we can stand on even ground here It doesn’t matter which way the world tilts "Try closing your eyes" There's no correct angle We can make our own rules Unwavering Unwavering Unwavering Unwavering That's your will

Unchanging circumstances

Of course I'd realized This world wasn't fair But what's important is that we plant our feet firmly And stand our ground

There's nothing level anywhere But is it so bad For everything to be out of balance? The more things tilt to either side The more they're on the level "I've learned how to compromise" Where would you find something straightforward? Accept your unbalanced reality They're tumbling Tumbling Tumbling Tumbling Tumbling about Who cares where they land

Our circumstances

[okasiya]

椎名林檎 – ギャンブル

Lyrics: Ringo Sheena / Music: Ringo Sheena / Tr: okasiya

Gamble

Because you smile at me softly I'll have long stopped crying By the time morning comes In these little furrows "you are breathing"

I learn of summer's arrival from the cries of the cicadas For some reason I grow envious each time it returns If I perish on the frontline "it's an act of submission"

Where exactly should I call home? I'm all shaken up I'm exhausted Where might I find the one I'm meant to love? I guess I know the convenient answer

As I stood on the platform at Nakameguro station Someone suddenly pushed me from behind—this is true If I lose this match "I won't even have a right to go on living"

With the eyes of a domesticated cat Shall I cry for it? Shall I give it a try? Where might I find the one I'm meant to love? If we agreed on terms ahead of time it could be so simple

If I speak up, will someone appear to me? There's no truth to this I can't walk any further When I'm reduced to ashes they'll all rejoice I really did love you How careless of me

Where exactly should I call home? I'm all shaken up I'm exhausted Where might I find the one I'm meant to love? I guess I know the convenient answer

I guess I know

[okasiya]

JUDY AND MARY – イロトリドリ ノ セカイ

Lyrics: TAKUYA / Music: TAKUYA / Tr: okasiya

A Colorful World

I stumbled across love and held on The town I look back upon is covered in dust Without a sound, the refreshing morning clouds bring me to an ocean of recollection If my hurried feet suddenly dry and I look down and fall to my knees I'll walk into the sky of daisies

Light gently streaming through the leaves of the trees told me I should be on my way The waterfowl were dreaming their last

The beauty of tears like stained glass The colors of the rainbow ride on the early autumn wind One day my black and white memories will be filled with fallen leaves In order for god to look upon me with favor

I remembered the color of the nameless flower dying on the road that day While trembling in the whirlpool of people passing by, I held tight to a map of wishes Like the scent of summer grass, like being together in the humid afternoon I'm going to lose my words to the silence of happiness

Fragments of stars were silently waiting for it to begin The bell crickets were dreaming their last

The beauty of tears like stained glass Good byes stream in the early autumn wind One day my black and white memories will be filled with fallen leaves In order for god to look upon me with favor

I'll sing While I'm being washed away I'll sing

[okasiya]

椎名林檎 – 同じ夜

Lyrics: Ringo Sheena / Music: Ringo Sheena / Tr: okasiya

The Same Night

I attempt self-actualization through the passing criticism of strangers Then, confused, I forget to question the basis of it Outside the window where these days find me A guileless summer is painted

Even if I shed tears in the raging wind Even if I simply wish for your happiness The same sky will bring tomorrow Even if you’re not here

I wander Tenjin in my dreams, hoping for mild warmth Quickly drawing the attention of most passers-by My desire has been sated, but is my everlasting dream reflected in my eyes?

Even if I stand still in the wailing sea Even if I simply think of you, whom I can’t touch The same sky will bring tomorrow Even if I hold my breath

Even if I shed tears in the raging wind Even if I simply wish for your happiness Even if I stand still in the wailing sea Even if I simply think of you, whom I can’t touch The same sky will bring tomorrow Even if I hold my breath

—

Tenjin is a station in Fukuoka where Sheena busked.

"Even if~" Not only is the outcome of these actions the same, but the actions themselves are equivalent.

[okasiya]

チェリッシュ – ひまわりの小径

Lyrics: Haruo Hayashi / Music: Kyohei Tsutsumi / Tr: okasiya

Path of Sunflowers

It must have been unexpected for you Meeting me on the path where sunflowers grow My dream must have come to an end Once more I want to know where we stand Love is like a balloon, so don't let go Blown by the wind, it flies away There are no words exchanged between us, at a standstill Love always disappears

Some day you'll forget, I'm sure How we met on the path where sunflowers grow I must be me who's at fault here But even so, for you to turn your face, hiding your tears... Love is like a balloon, so don't break it Although it's a treasure for me alone There are no glances exchanged between us, our eyes cast down Love always disappears

Love is like a balloon, so don't let go Blown by the wind, it flies away There are no words to exchange between us, at a standstill Love always disappears

[okasiya]

東京事変 – 化粧直し

Lyrics: Ringo Sheena / Music: Ringo Sheena / Tr: okasiya

Powder Up My Mind

The room grows muddy with white after you've left As the past is like a distant fog A strength I'll never be able show again is growing hazy Rain would suit our farewell this morning

Having met you, I knew loneliness But having lost you, now is the the first time I've truly been alone

Fragrant loquats Our garden has long been rotting We've said goodbye far too many times

Please come back to me just once more I promise this time I won't waste your affection

Having met you, I knew loneliness And so having lost you, even at this late hour, I came to know you again When my words fluttered and withered into the air I finally realized I'm truly alone

[okasiya]

REBECCA – 蒼ざめた時間

Lyrics: NOKKO / Music: Takehiko Kogure / Tr: okasiya

The Nightmare

The pale light of the lamp shines Spilling from the gap in the door In a corner of a room where no one should be A broken radio begins to ring out Ah The thought that something might be hiding in the shadow of the door Ah Is so scary I can't speak

Such a lonely night A prayer with each tap of my heels as I wait impatiently Such a lonely night You're not coming tonight

The old photograph dropped suddenly Sliding down the pale wall Even in the moonlight, usually so gentle, Things give off a suspicious shadow and shiver Ah The town, already asleep Ah Isn't going to answer me Oh baby Give me your love On nights of cold ice, a call from you Give me your love Is my final salvation Please

Ah The wind is so strong Remember me right away The windows shake in my empty room

Such a lonely night A prayer with each tap of my heels as I wait impatiently Such a lonely night You're not coming tonight

[okasiya]

BUGY CRAXONE – FAST

Lyrics: Yukiko Suzuki / Music: Tsukasa Oikawa / Tr: okasiya

I look down and spit I look up and talk shit Do your damn best You can't make me So I'm back here again, am I

don't stop, Please. I'm sad. I am sad. don't stop, Please. I'm sad.

I'm dancing in the snow Dancing, laughing like an idiot I'm drunk Stop complaining all the time With your twisted tongue

don't stop, Please. I'm sad. I am sad. don't stop, Please. I'm sad.

FA FA RA FA FA FA FA FA

FA FA RA FA FA FA FA FA

I look down and spit I look up and talk shit It's hard to live like this My heart is covered in blood I guess I'm back here again

FAST!

[okasiya]

椎名林檎 – 丸の内サディスティック

Lyrics: Ringo Sheena / Music: Ringo Shiina / Tr: okasiya

Marunouchi Sadistic

My wages have have been on a track to nowhere since I got hired I love Tokyo but there’s nothing here for me

Won’t you get me a Ric 620? I don’t have ¥190,000 for it Ochanomizu

A bump of Marshall sends me flying, it’s a problem That’s how I reach climax every night I’ve got a single RAT as the tool of my trade Then Benji fills my lungs and I trip

Recently I’ve been playing cops and robbers in Ginza Even if you push boundaries, prosperity leads to decline Won’t you write me a receipt? I don’t have an accountant Korakuen

I want you to become a monk and marry me someday We’ll just play in the sheets every night I’d like to become the Pizza Guy’s Girlfriend Then Benji hits me with his Gretsch

Won’t you come for me under the stars? If I’m going home on the last train it’s from Ikebukuro

A bump of Marshall sends me flying, it’s a problem That’s how I reach climax every night I’ve got a single RAT as the tool of my trade Then Benji fills my lungs and I trip

I want you to become a monk and marry me someday We’ll just play in the sheets every night I’d like to become the Pizza Guy’s Girlfriend Then Benji hits me with his Gretsch

———

I wish Tumblr made it easier to write footnotes!!!

This song is about the harsh reality of a struggling musician in Tokyo who finds escape in her love of music, framed by stops on the Marunouchi subway line. Kenichi Asai (called Benji by fans), the legendary frontman of Blankey Jet City, plays the part of a drug and an imaginary lover.

"The pizza guy's girlfriend" comes from a line in a BJC song, so SR is saying she wants to live in their music, not date a guy who makes pizza or work in a pizza parlor. This line is obscure even in Japanese but it haunts me how much it's been misunderstood by English-speaking fans.

I managed to pull a couple double meanings through but one line is absolutely impossible:

青 噛んで熟って頂戴

Phonetically, she's having public sex and asking her partner to orgasm. From the way she wrote it, it essentially says, "take a bite of the green fruit and let it ripen," speaking of her impatience to join the ranks of her musical inspirations, with a wink to her stage name.

[okasiya]

Plastic Tree – 理科室

Lyrics: Ryutaro Arimura / Music: Tadashi Hasegawa / Tr: okasiya

Science Room

I gazed out the window of the science room. There’s no one out on the grounds. I’m just pretending to light a fire. Quietly turn it all to ash——

Wavering, wavering, your smile is distorted. So much so that I can barely make it out. Why, why do my tears fall? I can’t understand it but, I don’t really need an answer, so I turn my eyes to the sky.

False words and emotions, mixed in a flask. Easily worn away into nothing, I may as well be white chalk.

Blurred, blurred, it sparkles to my eyes. Anxious, so anxious, I hate to even think about it. And so, and so, my mind is idly drawn to that most distant place. It must be, I’m almost certain, your heart——

I once heard that love is mutual understanding. If that’s true then we’re all alone. Forever and always.

Wavering, wavering, your smile is distorted. So much so that I can barely make it out. Why, why do my tears fall? I don’t need the answer!

Blurred, blurred, it sparkles to my eyes. Anxious, so anxious, I hate to even think about it. And so, and so, my mind is idly drawn to that most distant place. It must be, I’m almost certain, your heart——

Please give me a light so I can burn.

[okasiya]

アーバンギャルド – スナッフフィルム

Lyrics: Temma Matsunaga / Music: Kei Yachimura / Tr: okasiya

Snuff Film

In my Leica snapshots, you can see darkness In my Leica snapshots, you can see rainbows In my Leica snapshots, you can see the city, but In my Leica snapshots, you’re no longer there

It's no use (Hell is other people, Hell is other people) I can't see (Love is a cemetery, Love is a cemetery) Just a bit closer (Dreams are illusions, Dreams are illusions) To that dark place

An eye for an eye, a kiss for a kiss A tooth for a tooth, one camera reflected in the other A hand for a hand, deception in words I just want to try starring in a snuff film

I hide the darkness in my light paintings I hide the rainbows in my light paintings, but

Look (It's the Hell of Mirrors, It's the Hell of Mirrors) I want to gaze (It's an elephants' graveyard, It's an elephants graveyard) Just a little more (Love is an illusion, Love is an Illusion) Through the view finder

I lie slain, expressionless You lie slain, smiling And so we remain You whisper into my ear As if off a prompter Depicted in a snapshot Infected by a snuff film Depicted in a snapshot Infected by a snuff film Something depicted in a snapshot...

An eye for an eye, a kiss for a kiss A tooth for a tooth, one camera reflected in the other A tongue for a tongue, a knife to your lips Just blur the night With ectoplasm

I'm expressionless, never to return You're smiling, never to return And so we remain You hand me A single rose Like a scar

[okasiya]

YUKI – ふるえて眠れ

Lyrics/Music: YUKI / Tr: okasiya

Shivering, go to sleep

Shivering, go to sleep

I'll carry half of what you hold in your hands for you I'll make the inside of your head tidy for you It's fine to come in third You don't have to be afraid Even if everyone in the world hates you Even on nights where you cry over the people you've lost I'll always be by your side Tell me about your body and everything else

I could never be like someone else I'm so superficial I could never be the real thing I can't change, so someone Give me an answer

I'm not sad, because I'm in love If you're sick of things that don't matter We can endure the day Nestling close

I could never be like someone else I'm so superficial I could never be the real thing I can't change, so someone Give me an answer

If I could just touch your cheeks, the color of the sunset Because your singing voice echos in my heart You shouldn't be afraid Tell me about your body and everything else

Shivering, go to sleep

[okasiya]

noodles – fool song

Lyrics/Music: YOKO / Tr: okasiya

Remind me how it goes That song I seem to have forgotten Teach it to me That melody we sang to ourselves

Natural days Like the wind that gently brushed by me It's a record turning eternally Tomorrow becomes today

I sing in my corner of outer space Taking white breaths, wearing away my voice Searching for what to say, depicted in a puzzle Missing just one piece

Can't you open the door To the future, Spilling over and piling up Beautiful like a fountain?

Natural days Even if I'm torn to pieces, I won't be afraid It's a ballerina turning effortlessly Without stopping her rhythm

It seems like I'm about to lose our fleeting memories So I return them to you The only key to my heart has locked it So I throw it to the sky

So long

At the end of the world If you happen to be lonely Remember this song

You're truly gone Where do you belong? I want to be eternal I want to be your dream

I had such a good time Almost all of the time Whether it was a dream or a nightmare It meant so much to me So long

[okasiya]

宇多田���カル – Letters

Lyrics/Music: Hikaru Utada / Tr: okasiya

I walk out onto warm sand To a beach where sad news can’t reach Even without you, when the sun rises It’s the beginning of a new day

I don’t know where the Amidakuji line I picked today will lead It’s the reason someone as lazy as me is able to work every day

Ah, the sky in my hands, a storm in my heart Ah, a parting from you Ah, what’s always on this beach Is a letter you left behind Ah, even in a dream, even over the phone Ah, I want to hear your voice Ah, so bad at conversations You’re always a letter left behind

Sometimes when I’m busy I forget to get in touch But that happens to everyone occasionally

Today I spoke to someone older who told me “It’s fine to be alone” Having my doubts, I’m still thinking it over

Ah, a name for a flower, a wish on a star Ah, you for me Ah, what’s always decorated my windowsill Was a letter you left behind Ah, even just a little, even over your shirt Ah, I want to touch you Ah, that last line I fear, “I promise I’ll come home to you”

Ah, somewhere I can feel secure, the continuation of a dream Ah, a “welcome home” to you Ah, from somewhere in the world I’ll keep sending them too Ah, even in a dream, even over the phone Ah, I want to hear your voice Ah, if you’re so bad at conversations The next time you disappear suddenly Don’t bother leaving anything behind

Tell me that you’ll never ever leave me Then you go ahead and leave me What the hell is going on Tell me that you really really love me Then you go ahead and leave me How the hell do I go on

[okasiya]

椎名林檎 – 意識

Lyrics/Music: Ringo Sheena / Tr: okasiya

Consciously

If you’re smart enough you can easily get it all squared away If they consider you a child you can get by without getting any dirt on you A bit of photosynthesis for me / For you, the genes that suit People must love hopeless situations. “Don’t lie to me”

It seems as though I could get these white hands on anything if I just cried for it The answer is pure: we’re attracted to each other This is how I love you… probably

When will I be old enough for my loneliness and fear to disappear? If I have children will my suffering finally end? The adolescence you’re so fond of / Along with the rebellious phase I wield How we love our wordplay. “Don’t lie to me”

I could overrule any law according to my wishes if I just cried for it The answer is brutal: we’re deceiving each other This is how I love you… probably

“Don’t lie to me”

If I learn any more it will mean sleepless nights and attempted double suicide Mouthwash oxidized in my memories / Camouflage We’re children crying for what we can’t have Mother, are you ashamed of me, mixed up as I am?

I did love you.

[okasiya]

AJICO – すてきなあたしの夢

Lyrics: UA / Music: Kenichi Asai / Tr: okasiya

My Wonderful Dream

Take a moment to listen To my wonderful dream A flawless ocean and blue sky I place my lips at your knees

If the hand of God were to obscure The light connecting the world Then I would, yes, sever these eyes Painting a crimson river Let’s find the color inside you

So many more flowers have bloomed This year than last, like music When my dream becomes reality I wonder if anything will actually change

A small morning in a wide world Days wrapped in things that were certain Words dance in spilling sunlight We could hold each other like the blowing of the wind Having a place to belong like that is a distant memory Here I am, trying out smiles On a dry paved road without you

My wonderful dream came to me When I noticed the lies of a certain day

Tomorrow afternoon I’ll make My wonderful dream come true My heart overflowed with water Reflecting the sky like a mirror

If the gods were to obscure The light connecting the world Then I would, yes, tear through these eyes And search for a crimson river A small morning in a wide world Days wrapped in certainty Words sing in spilling sunlight We managed to hold each other Where does the memory of love end?

A flawless ocean and blue sky I place my lips at your knees