Utakata / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics: Tokai Junji, Isshiki Hiyori
Music: Sakai Mitsuki




泡沫 [Utakata]
Transience / Bubbles



A hollow that becomes purity peeks into one's desires     Hazy, mysterious sleeve made of white silk

Flowers of unmeetable moonlight earthly desires bloom
Butterflies (1) entwine together in dance     Playing in ephemeral sea
Playful gloom repeats itself     After having come this far
Fluttering randomly     Waning moon     Sways in beautiful youthfulness

Eternal youth     When tasted, flowers open     A banquet that invites one to the paradise
Eternal evening     When initiated, ground cherries (2) are enlivened     Charming make-up     Smile of pleasure

Love that begins at midnight
Loses itself in the dance of snakeheads (3)
When one misunderstands the fragrance of salt water
In the middle of devilishness
Floating on the lure of treasure and beauty (4)
Dropping the idea of old age (5)
Joy and pleasure separated from this transient world are

In between of dream and reality

At the end of a woven fence, the morning dew of deadly impurities [awaits]     Transient dream is a kaleidoscope
A pale (6) illusion is a blue reminiscence     The song of bellflowers (7) resounds

Ah...

Chance meeting     It is the tempting Utopia
As many days and emptiness     Ends up being fleetingly scattered
A body     While spoiling, the mixture of souls is     The karma     That frolics around
Without any reason     Amorphous haze      Devilish love      Turned into bubbles     Despite having one's faith in it, it doesn't stop collapsing

Life, has been scattering since that day

At the end of woven fence, the morning dew of deadly impurities [awaits]     Transient dream is a kaleidoscope
A pale illusion is a blue reminiscence     The song of bellflowers resounds
Beloved flower     The autumn haze has come     Dream... Reality... Are illuminating like fish scales


Footnotes:

1. Butterflies are the symbol of the endless cycle of death and rebirth. Also a symbol of young women
2. 鬼灯 [hoozuki] - ground cherry is a species of flower that is related to the Japanese all saint's day - Obon. Seeds of these flowers are offered to the deceased as a signpost for their souls
3. See: discussion
4. 蛾眉 [gabi] is a term describing the beautiful and ideal woman
5. Lit. old woman (老婆 [rouba])
6. 蒼 [ao] can mean blue or youthfulness as well
7. Bellflower in Hanakotoba (language of flowers - Japanese way of deciphering flower symbolism) means I love the sad you; it is a symbol of faith as well

Discussion:

Okay, unmeetable is my own, made up word (my English tutor would kill me for that... Again).

In my previous talks, we've had already medicine, culture, linguistics and history lessons. Now it's time for some biology itself! Hence, let's unravel the mystery that lies behind the word snakehead mentioned in lyrics. It is a predatory fish, known for its rather unique amphibious abilities (not many fish are able to do so). Snakeheads breathe air with gills, thus they are able to leave water for extended period of time and walk short distances outside the water.

The title of this song is 泡沫 [utakata] which can mean transience or bubbles. When we dive into any reservoir, it is only natural that we produce bubbles. Bubbles are ephemeral as they pop when they reach the water surface. What is ephemeral as well? Human life. This is the ropes of Utakata. Basically, we have here some sophisticated symbolism of the afterlife, namely the sea/ocean whatsoever basin. Similarly, the land is the world of living. Do you still remember our new friends snakeheads? This is a simile to something that generally belongs to the afterlife, but is able to emerge for a short period of time on the world of living - the metaphor of ghosts.

This song with mono no aware (see: my Irodori translation for some highlights about this topic) vibes is therefore about an unfortunate (nihil novi, Kiryu) couple, where a girl dies prematurely. The guy is still fine and sound, however he still believes that his beloved one will return, but as a ghost. After all, she indeed shows herself to him. He even thinks about commiting suicide to become an eternal youth living the eternal evening along with his dear girlfriend, since ghosts appear only at night.

What a complex motif, I swear.