Hey Rurutia, why so airy?
Feb. 4th, 2009 10:14 am![[personal profile]](http://s.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nijibugThe premise is great, so why not pack a punch with your lyrics? ;_;
I’ve always felt that with my knowledge of kanji and the help of Google, I’d have no problem translating your average J-Pop lyrics. It wasn’t until I saw a godawful (and I won’t mention where) translation of Rurutia’s "SHINE" that I felt compelled to try my hand at it and see if I couldn’t do a heck of a lot better.
Well, I was right. It wasn’t hard at all, although MABAYAKU gave me a headache because 1) it was written in katakana or is it hiragana…whatever you call the squiggly phonetic stuff AND 2) Google didn’t know it. I don’t know Japanese at all, as demonstrated via my sad failure to differentiate between katakana and hiragana. So I was forced to extrapolate using Google search results, reading the context in the surrounding kanji. Sorry if it actually doesn’t mean bright or radiant. ._.
Mm, this exercise was somewhat a disappointment in one way. I always liked this song. Felt it had a fabulous melody and arrangement. Given, I never was crazy about the vocals (the Himalayan Harmony instrumental has always been my cup of tea instead)…but I didn’t expect the lyrics themselves to fall this far short of the vision of grandeur conveyed by the sweeping music.
All in all, though, "SHINE" is a fantastic example of tonal painting; the way Rurutia executed "Hora, anata o terasu" (line 17) never fails to send shivers of pleasure running through me. ♥
| ねえ 聞かせて あなたの胸の中で 瞬く夢を 果ての無い 自由な空を待ってる いつでも ためらいの心を解き放つ その瞬間を 冷たく揺れ飛べない翼は もう いっそ手放して その腕で風を掻き分けて きっとあなたは今よりも 高く飛べる 高く飛べるから 思いでは 二人の胸の中で 輝き続ける 痛くても はだしで掴む大地は やさしい 失うこと恐れずに 笑顔でその手を振って あなたが 遥か遥か夢見た事 ずっと信じて この空を越えて行けばいい きっとあなたは今よりも 高く飛べる 高く飛べるから 波立つ雲の隙間から まばゆく差し伸べられた光 ほら あなたを照らす 冷たく揺れ飛べない翼は もう いっそ手放して その腕で風を掻き分けて きっとあなたは今よりも 高く飛べる 高く飛べるから | Hey, tell me of the dreams twinkling in your heart Always waiting for a sky that is free and boundless The moment when the hesitation in your heart subsides Wings waving in the cold, unable to fly Should you let go, arms tearing the wind Surely you will fly higher than ever before Fly higher than ever before In our hearts, memories continue to shine Even in pain, the earth gripped with bare feet feels tender Without fear of loss, a smiling wave of the hand You dream of things so far, far away Should you always believe in transcending the sky Surely you will fly higher than ever before Fly higher than ever before Tumbling from cracks in the clouds A bright light reaches out Look how it shines on you Wings waving in the cold, unable to fly Should you let go, arms tearing the wind Surely you will fly higher than ever before Fly higher than ever before |
I’ve always felt that with my knowledge of kanji and the help of Google, I’d have no problem translating your average J-Pop lyrics. It wasn’t until I saw a godawful (and I won’t mention where) translation of Rurutia’s "SHINE" that I felt compelled to try my hand at it and see if I couldn’t do a heck of a lot better.
Well, I was right. It wasn’t hard at all, although MABAYAKU gave me a headache because 1) it was written in katakana or is it hiragana…whatever you call the squiggly phonetic stuff AND 2) Google didn’t know it. I don’t know Japanese at all, as demonstrated via my sad failure to differentiate between katakana and hiragana. So I was forced to extrapolate using Google search results, reading the context in the surrounding kanji. Sorry if it actually doesn’t mean bright or radiant. ._.
Mm, this exercise was somewhat a disappointment in one way. I always liked this song. Felt it had a fabulous melody and arrangement. Given, I never was crazy about the vocals (the Himalayan Harmony instrumental has always been my cup of tea instead)…but I didn’t expect the lyrics themselves to fall this far short of the vision of grandeur conveyed by the sweeping music.
All in all, though, "SHINE" is a fantastic example of tonal painting; the way Rurutia executed "Hora, anata o terasu" (line 17) never fails to send shivers of pleasure running through me. ♥
