Nie no mushiro / Kiryu

Kanji: rocklyric
Translation: myself; also, big kudos to my friend for letting me know my thoughts on the song aren't totally far-fetched

Lyrics: Sakai Mitsuki
Music: Kujou Takemasa

贄ノ筵 [Nie no mushiro]

Sacrifice's seat

Behold     Here's the sacrifice's seat

Disgrace    Take a seat

Rattling, rattling... Shaking

Gasping and moaning in agony, makes the tongue writhe in pain

Dripping, dripping.... It drips...

"Up"

"Down"

"In front of"

"Behind"

Appreciate     Here's the sacrifice's seat

Forbidden colors (1)     Strip them off

Dripping, dripping... Overflowing

Drinking it up, vomiting and drowning, makes one crawl while throwing curses

Dripping, dripping... One's sensual intoxication

Swirling "mania and depression"

Passionately loyal mangy cur

Taken to extremes "joy and depression"

Passionately loyal mangy cur

Remember being flattered with upturned eyes... Look

Dark iris and the white sclera would flip when noticed

Remember being flattered with an excited face... Look

When noticed, dangling tongue dripping wet

Witching hours (2)    Here's the sacrifice's seat

Bind tightly     Immobile

Creaking, creaking... Twisting

Sinking to the bottom of the white sea, broken down into tiny pieces

Dripping, dripping... Smeared in impure scum

The opposite of mania     Aching depression

Reality     Blindfolded mangy cur

The opposite of joy     Aching depression

Dream, blindfolded mangy cur

Remember being flattered with running tongue all over one's face... look

When noticed, strangling shackles

Remember being flattered with lowered head... look

When noticed, an unknown disguise would show up


Footnotes:

1. Restrictions on the use of colors by ranks of Heian period courtiers​
2. Around 2 o'clock in the morning

Discussion:

Disclaimer: I generally suck at describing historical events. Especially when they're taken out of context.

Oh boy, politics.

Japan we know today is a constitutional monarchy, where the emperor is more like the representative of the country rather than an actual authority. Actually, nothing has changed since... uhm, Kofun period which was very, very long ago (III-VI century). Technically, there was always someone who wanted to rule the country behind the emperor's back or they used that fading emperor's "authority" for their own wicked good. In fact, emperors rarely felt like ruling or were mentally and/or physically impaired.

It was the most prominent during the Heian period (794 - 1185/1192) when the powerful Fujiwara clan was going for their absolute regime over Japan. Well, they indeed got what they wanted. thanks to their elaborate political maneuvers and basically making the emperors their puppets. Since familial status essentially determined your fate back then, they had been deliberately intermarrying ladies de domo Fujiwara with the emperors and as descendants of the imperial family, they were able to govern Japan from the most honored seats.

The Fujiwara didn't know the word "enemy" either. Instead, the term "rival" was relatively closer to their hearts. They craved for supremacy, so having rivals outside of their mighty clan was a big no-no. They crushed one after another with mastermind-like intricacy.

The story of Sugawara Michizane, posthumously known as Tenjin - Shintoist god of fine arts and calligraphy is a good example of the rivalry game, the Fujiwara played. Michizane, a top notch scholar, was the emperor's favorite counselor and one of the highest rank ministers despite his not so noble ancestry. Of course, the Fujiwara didn't like it, so they spread a lie of Michizane plotting a treason against the imperial family, even though he was loyal and devoted to the country. As a result, the counselor, degraded to an ex-minister, was sentenced to exile and died later on, probably starved to death. After his death, he was said to haunt the Capital as one of the most vengeful ghosts known to Japanese history, born from deeply held resentment and loneliness. To soothe Michizane's posthumous grudges, the Court brought back his titles and ranks and made a god out of him.

I think, the song might be somewhat inspired by the story of Sugawara Michizane or at least based on the situation in the Heian era government. Mitsuki used many ambiguous words, so the interpretation might've as well taken a totally different direction. I hope this interpretation is at least remotely close to the truth.

Chou / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself; thanks to one of my readers (Tatyana K) for giving me a possible interpretation of the lyrics

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki




蝶 [Chou] (no vid available)
Butterfly



I want to become a "butterfly" that blooms bewitchingly     To caress the sky as I flutter around
To go up and down, hang in the air and revolve      At early night hours

I want to become a "butterfly" that cuts brilliantly     To slice the darkness into tiny pieces as I flap [my wings]
To play a scream-like sound of wings     At early night hours

Before I decay away and my silhouette gets to be dyed white...

Fluttering, flapping, going in circles
Fluttering, flapping, going in circles
Fluttering, flapping, going in circles

"Dance of spirals"

Fluttering, flapping, going in circles
Fluttering, flapping, going in circles
Fluttering, flapping, going in circles

"Garden of emptiness"

I let hands entwine together and spread my wings      The feet have troubles at the bottom of the sea
I spread my wings inside the chilly blue     The voice of light goes into the mist
Let's dream     Dissolve this life
Let's dream     Fall in love with the feeling

My wish is to become a "butterfly" of the new moon      To glare at the moon as I go in circles
I'm no different than my previous self, as if I didn't exist at all


Discussion:

Since our subject is being... bugged by their life (depression?), they want to become a butterfly. Why a butterfly, one might ask. The answer is simple: this charming bug is a symbol of the endless cycle of death and rebirth and starting something brand new. It also refers to feminine energy and young maidens, soon to become fine ladies (I guess the subject is a female because of that).

I think, the song is pretty easy to understand now. If the subject doesn't like their current life, they can always undergo the transmigration and hope they will get something better.

There's also a possibility for the song to be somewhat inspired by Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream  - a story written from a perspective of a man who once dreamed about being a butterfly. When he woke up and realized he's still a human, he started to wonder whether he's a man dreaming about transforming into a butterfly, or now a butterfly dreaming about transforming into a man. He notices the distinction between him and the butterfly and concludes it must've been an instance of transformation. Zhuangzi or Chuang Chou himself was a Chinese philosopher.

Tsukubai / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki




蹲 [Tsukubai]
Tsukubai / The Washbasin


Petals...

Fetched from surging waterfalls of thoughts     What meaning do they form
At the end of going around in circles, finally reaching that place
On that day, when the dice had been cast, I started my journey

I don't know the way of life
So I just... Simply exist here
What can I leave behind     What can I chase after
Just a little more... Only a tiny bit longer, a mere roundabout
And again, I am here
A stray kid who wills to die

Though I have no idea how to perish...

The thing that has been exposed, is it "me"     The thing that keeps deluding, is it "me"
Something to request...
Something to throw away...
But still, having a hunger for something...
I'd stop "myself" for the sake of "myself", but I struggle moving forward without desperately clinging to that day
If I felt like this...
Because I don't want to feel like this...

"I" was supposed to be killed...

I don't know the way of life
So I just... Simply exist here
What can I leave behind     What can I chase after
The meaning of the past     The meaning of the future     The meaning of reality, I seek [for them]
Perplexed dot pattern

Getting indulged in the darkness as I hold my knees


Discussion:

Have you ever seen a Chinese old coin with a square hole? If yes, then you now know how a tsukubai looks like. If no, well, uncle Google will help you. Nonetheless, a tsukubai is basically a washbasin placed near the entrances of holy places. Why? Because the places are holy, you ought to purify your hands before entering them. It's a Buddhist way of ritual cleansing.

The most famous tsukubai is placed near the Ryouan-ji temple and it's known for its engraved kanji around the square hole which represents 口 [kuchi] character, so it looks, more or less, like

    五
失口隹
   止   this.

Now, read the kanji around the kuchi clockwise and combined with the kuchi character. You will get 吾 [ware], 唯 [tada], 足 [taru] and 知 [shiru] which roughly translates to I only know plenty. It's a Zen Buddhism saying and it stands for being content with what you know and what you have in life.

Our subject, well, wants to be content and in order to achieve their desired satisfaction, they want to... disappear from this world completely. However, they're supposedly a Buddhist and Buddhism entails that one's soul will revolve around the endless cycle of death and rebirth (see: Misemono kitan for more information), so they cannot really perish for once and for all.

Misemono kitan / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics: Kurosaki Mahiro
Music: Kujou Takemasa

見世物鬼譚 [Misemono kitan]

Bizarre ghost show

Somewhere over yonder, both here and there, candied apples are sweet talk made to deceive

The gatekeeper:

"Come, come on, alas, please, stand up everyone! The one presented to your eyes is..."

The fool:
"Applause?!"

Your imprinted fate is to be detested by an inexperienced, innocent young lady covered in tears

Chorus:

"Parent's karma is to repay the child!"

Audience:

"Hey, hey ho!"

Going in is easy, but returning is hard

Take your disguise off (you may pass) (1)

Chorus:

"Clap your hands and whatnot, please, take a look!"

Boiling dullards:

"Love and peace!" (2)

-Repertoire-

Kannon's opening (3)

Three generations    Of     Good     Intoxicated     Night  (yoiyassa)

Ocharaka ochara ocharaka hoi! (4) (saisai)

Even if one bends over     Besiege    And show no mercy (once again)

High praise     Great joy     Agonizing cries (5) (hey, hey)

Nonsense     Complaints     Grumbling

Crotch blooming inside the peeping hole of pleasure has been caught when dripping wet

The judge:

"Right into the phallus! Thousand needles!"

A person reborn into the animal realm:
"Stab it! Stab it! Stab it!"

To chop the ears off     And scoop the eyeballs out      Walls have eyes, doors have ears

Myriads of peasants: (6)
"Throat is already night, ended up being caught"

Curious onlookers:
"Hey, hey ho!"

Going in is easy, but returning is hard
Take your skin off (you may pass)

Chorus:
"Clean your bloodshot eyes and please, look carefully!"

Silhouette of many wriggling evil spirits: (7)
"Love and peace!"

-Repertoire-

Kaitai Shinsho (8)

Three realms    Of     Good     Intoxicated     Night  (yoiyassa)

Ocharaka ochara ocharaka hoi! (saisai)

Madmen    Idiots    Brutes (once again)

Wrecks     Remains     Shameless cruelty (hey, hey)

Lunatic dance performance of the six paths of transmigration

-Repertoire-

Western Paradise (9)

Three pierces    Of     Good     Intoxicated     Night  (yoiyassa)

Ocharaka ochara ocharaka hoi! (saisai)

Conceit    Drinking    Spinning top (once again)

Feast     Ecstasy     Pandemonium (10) (hey, hey)

A storm of applause


Footnotes:

1. A reference to Japanese children tune (warabe uta) - Tooryanse
2. Wasshoi is a shout during Japanese festivals; it means something like bring the peace
3. 観音開き [kannonbiraki] actually stands for double doors opening from the center, however the 観音 [kannon] part of it is a reference to the bodhisattva of mercy - Kannon; she comes in a plethora of forms and six of them are believed to rescue the beings of each path of transmigration
4. A reference to Japanese children game - Ocharaka; this part is a line from warabe uta associated with this game which is actually made up words
5. 阿鼻叫喚 [abikyoukan] - agonizing cries; this word consists of two out of eight hot buddhist jigoku (see: discussion): 阿鼻 [abi] - the most severe jigoku of endless torments, one cannot be reincarnated from it and the dweller is entrapped there for eternity; 叫喚 [kyoukan] - jigoku of screams, for murderers, thieves, swindlers and lechers
6. Actually, 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 of peasants; that's a lot of peasants
7. 鬼 kanji can mean either demon or spirit
8. It was the very first book of human anatomy and medicine in Japan; translated from Dutch to Japanese in the Edo period
9. A place in buddhist Heaven; pure land Sukhavati
10. 百鬼夜行 [hyakki yakou] - Night parade of one hundred demons (more: Hyakki yakou), veritable pandemonium or just many monsters and spirits

Discussion:

Since you cannot spell funeral without fun, today I'm going to talk about things that happen after you die, of course according to Buddhist doctrines. So grab your popcorn and enjoy the show!

As I probably told many times, the very basics of Buddhism is believing in reincarnation and because the human's nature varies between individuals, you may end up at one of the six paths (of transmigration) available, depending on how good or bad you were during your previous lives (karma). If you were good enough you may achieve Enlightenment, as shown in my Hadoma yori translation. However, Enlightenment is not the main topic of this song, so let's focus on the transmigration alone for the time being.

Well, the aforementioned paths are:

1. Divine beings/Deva (tennou):
   You've been reborn here? Well, congratulations. That means you were good enough to get your well deserved rest from pain, distress and all those unhappy things. Mind the fact it's only temporary and it's still not Enlightenment and you may be too lazy to work towards it. Good luck next time!
2. Humans (ningen):
   I'm a human. What now? Humans possess the highest awareness as said before and it is actually the shortest path to achieve Enlightenment, yet very tricky and that's why you will probably be reborn as something more sketchy or as another human (if you were lucky enough) rather than become enlightened.
3. Fighting ghosts/demons (ashura):
   If you're in this realm, this is your punishment for being angry and hateful. Ashura are technically demigods, semi-blessed beings, since they have a slightly more pleasurable existence than humans. However, this realm is by no means a piece of cake. Here, you will continuously combat and struggle as a violent warrior, endlessly die in your battle and reborn again to continue the fight. You will be forever jealous and envious towards the Deva whatsoever. Medieval Japanese believed that those warriors who died at the battlefield would be reborn as Ashura haunting the human realm at night to continue the skirmish with their enemies.
4. Hungry ghosts (gaki):
   But what if you were too lustful and possessive in your previous life or lives? Welcome to the Gaki realm! Now you are unable to soothe even your hunger or thirst, you will die in pain in order to be reborn again and suffer more.
5. Animals (chikushou):
   This is your reward for being a retard intellectually disabled, I mean, utterly stupid. And because non-human animals don't possess enough awareness, it is really difficult for one to be reborn as something different than another animal.
6. Hell dwellers (naraka):
   This realm is something that will most likely make Christian hell seem like a spa&wellness center. Essentially, Naraka considers every kind of sins, hence it consists of eight hot and eight cold "hells" (jigoku). Each jigoku has its own lesser hells, for each of you, sinners! Naraka is also structured. The jigoku are placed one after another and the deeper, the more severe and merciless they become. Be kind, otherwise, one of more than 270 places of tortures will be your new home. 

Now with this brief explanation, I can tell you what's actually happening in this song. It is written in a form of a script, because it is meant to be a spectacle of sorts. But not just any spectacle. A misemono, that is. During the Edo period (1603 - 1868), misemono were a form of cheap entertainment, urban mainstream of sorts. It could've been anything from your freak-shows, through circus kind of things, to regular (but weird!) performances. The more bizarre, the better. They were often set during local festivals (matsuri) or near temples and shrines in order to raise funds whatsoever.

Summing up, Mahiro's version of misemono revolves around (ha ha, pun intended) the six path of transmigration, where the beings of each path are the main subjects of the show.

Watashi ha kairai, sarugutsuwa no ningyou / Kiryu

Kanji: rocklyric, hiphopvomit
Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Music & lyrics: Sakai Mitsuki





私ハ傀儡、猿轡ノ人形 [Watashi ha kairai, sarugutsuwa no ningyou]
I am a puppet, a gagged doll



Scratching the scabs off     Thoroughly     Unworn
Tracing with a finger
To make sure of the "I"
Virtuous blade forcibly stuffed into oneself chops one's veins up
Coming off     Crumbling down
A vague distortion has been left
Will I be able to see through the other side, from that point through this side
Leftover scum in between of meat and fringernails
It was once a beautiful joke I deeply yearned for
Now as well...
It's washing away     Breaking down
Certain, unknown substance has been left
Drinking up even the vomit     Biting the hand crawling out of my troat
"I am a puppet, a gagged doll"
Rusty voice drowned in saliva violates and eats me up
Overflowing when asking     Yet another "hole" appears
Having no reflection     One silent puppet bound to black handcuffs
If I tried to touch... Slithering... Slithering...


Discussion:

What is this song all about? Hmm, I wonder. Though! I have a theory.

Suicide, that is.

When one commits a suicide, they generally believe to get to a better place after death. But there's a catch when you are a Japanese.

I once talked about dying and funerals in Japan under my Rengoku translation. I mentioned there that Buddhist Japan performs cremation rite in order to purify the soul of a deceased. so it can transmigrate and start a new life. Essentially, if you kill yourself at an unknown place, your soul cannot go through the cycle of death and rebirth, because the cadaver couldn't be cremated. Therefore, the subject of the song was ultimately unable to reach their deeply yearned better place and they ended up left to decay at their place of death.

The translation, as shown, can seem a bit messy. I did my best with those lyrics written in such a weird manner though. And my interpretation might be a bit far-fetched, although the MV for the song gave me a glimpse of its meaning.

Amaterasu / Kiryu (DOUBLE DELUXE..of sorts)

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit (天照 | アマテラス)
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki




天照 [Amaterasu]
Amaterasu / Goddess of the Sun



Spit lie fell down     Making a faint noise
If told, it would easily collapse     An obsolete, tender song

Clapping and cheering when dancing to a comedic tragedy

If I tried to look up without tears running through my cheeks

Even now, the heavens (1) are like that of THAT day     Unchanging    "Dull colored pattern"(2)
Nevertheless, the love speaks of dreams     Laughing while facing the heavens up
Even though I hold my mind to stop crying    Cheeks are getting wet by     "Dull colored pattern"
At vapors of the dream    The heavens are evilly laughing

At the end of loitering in the darkness, what will come out, a demon or a snake (3)
Lie     Truth    In the middle [of them]  appearing and disappearing "Amaterasu"

I'm unable to reach THIS hand, even though I'm following it    I can't get rid of the handcuffs because of a lie
Deceiving and ridiculing, singing and dancing (4)     The truth disappears into the darkness

Clapping and cheering when dancing to a comedic tragedy

Pretending not to see the mind that laments "It hurts"

Even now, the heavens are like that of THAT day     Unchanging    "Dull colored pattern"
Nevertheless, the love speaks of dreams     Laughing while facing the heavens up
Even though I hold my mind to stop crying    Cheeks are getting wet by     "Dull colored pattern"
At vapors of the dream    The heavens are evilly laughing

Is it yet...
Not yet... (5)

Echoing power of language (6)

Burst and flew away on the wind towards the other side     Love, dream, everything

Even now, the heavens are like that of THAT day     Unchanging    "Dull colored pattern"
Nevertheless, the love speaks of dreams     Laughing while facing the heavens up
Love is illusion    Dream is evanescence     Will it vanish or scatter    "Dull colored pattern"
When killed, dazzingly glittering flower blooms

______________________________________________________________ 

アマテラス [Amaterasu]
Amaterasu / Goddess of the Sun



One lie stuck to lips    Is a faint noise
Brittle when told     Crumbling from the old age     Therefore, it's a tender melody
I'm unable to reach THIS hand, even though I'm following it    Handcuffs I can't get rid of are a lie

Deception is the reason     Ridiculing, singing and dancing     The truth disappears into the darkness

Cheering when dancing to a comedic tragedy

Even now, the heavens are like that of THAT day     Unchanging dull colored pattern

Nevertheless, the love speaks of dreams     The dream is laughing while facing the heavens up

Even though I clench my teeth to stop crying    Cheeks are getting wet by the dull colored pattern

The dream is still in vapors   The heavens are laughing while facing me up

Is floating on the fate of loitering the path of a snake

Resounding lamentation

In the middle of the lie and the truth, appearing and disappearing

"Amaterasu"

Will the love disappear in the illusion or    Will the dream scatter into the evanescence if I touch it

When killed, dazzingly glittering flower blooms     The heavens are laughing while facing me up

Footnotes:

1. Sung as 空 [sora] which means (astronomical) sky
2. Wordplay (??): 鈍色模様 [nibuiro moyou] actually stands for dark grey pattern, but if we dissect it into 鈍 [nibu] - dull and 色模様 [iromoyou] - colored pattern, we can translate it to dull colored pattern; 色模様 can also mean love scene
3. It's an actual proverb in Japan (鬼が出るか蛇が出るか [oni ga deru ka, ja ga deru ka]); means an outcome which is difficult to predict
4. A play on 歌舞伎 [kabuki] - traditional Japanese form of performance
5. A reference to Japanese version of hide and seek (kakurenbo): the one who "seeks" counts and asks is it yet? (mou ii kai?) while people who "hide" themselves reply with not yet (maada da yo) when not ready or It is yet (mou ii yo) when ready
6. In accordance to Japanese beliefs, the words have their own spirit and magical powers, therefore we ought to be careful what we say, because it may have a huge impact on ourselves or surrounding us people; this power of words is called kotodama

Discussion:

The one who illuminates the sky, I mean, Amaterasu. This most important god of Japanese Shintou is the one who had been sent to the heavens to be the Sun of the world. I often stated that she's the progenitor of Japanese imperial family and the emperors themselves. However, she's also a symbol. Of things. I mean, Amaterasu represents life and fertility as the sacred embodiment of the Sun. 

I think that she can also represent hope and mercy, since her buddhist counterpart is Kannon which would make sense here.

The rest of the song is relatively easy to understand. Our well known motif of lost love which was meant to last forever. Appearing and disappearing Amaterasu, like the sun illuminates the sky stand for a bright day and happiness/well-being for the subject.

Again, I decided to put two songs that correspond with each other. Lyrics are basically the same, just paraphrased.

Kasane / Kiryu [R]

Kanji: rocklyric
Romaji: my ears did well
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki

Tenge / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics: Kurosaki Mahiro, Tokai Junji
Music: Kujou Takemasa




天華 [Tenge]
Beautiful flower blooming in the heavens



Beloved ____,

It is already Fall in full swing, the treetops have turned crimson as well.
-omission-
This chest, it seems to [still] experience the pain of love.
The warmth     Even now     Still can be felt.
I miss you.

Brilliantly illuminating sunbeam streaming through leaves painfully pierces through heart

Where are you, dear (1)... I am always waiting for you
Damaged sky (2)     Changes color to red
Since he passed away (3)    He withered alive      Turning into the wind
In the light of demise     I hold up both hands over my head

Dear ____,

It is continuously raining (4), the cloudy (5) sky is crying.
-omission-
I'll certainly come back with a smile on my face
A bashful photography as a memento.
Please     That is all...

Gently swaying bonfire is rapidly and heavily sparkling

Where are you, dear... I am always calling you
Damaged sky     Changes color to red
Since I passed away (3')     I have broken down (6) and perished     Turning into the wind
In the light of demise     I held up both hands over my head

"My love, turned out unfortunate"

Where are you, dear... I am always blooming
Believing to grasp [your hand]    I held up both of my hands over my head
He passed away (3) and      Because I passed away (3')      Even though still falling apart...
Withering away as it is    The flower does not rot away

Being reborn as a single beautiful flower blooming in the heavens (7)


Footnotes:

Note: sentences written in italics aren't sung in the song

1. The word used here is 君 [kimi] - nowadays used as a very informal you, mostly by men as a part of male speech, however as an obsolete part of the language, it used to be a humble reference to the imperials, feudal lords and other important people involved in ruling or a very affectionate way of saying you (used by lovers); though, in red light districts, they called prostitutes that way as well
2. Wordplay of sorts: used 蒼 [ao] - blue, young but sung as 空 [sora] - the sky
3. For regular (3) - 行く [iku / yuku] - to go (physically); for (3') - 征く [iku / yuku] - to go (mentally, spiritually)
4. Cold rain, that is
5. Lit. the sky in its dominant colors
6. As in soul detaching from one's body, I reckon
7. 天華 [tenge] may actually refer to either that aforementioned flower or to paper lotus flowers scattered before the Buddha's image; here it is a simile to the human soul; fun fact: 天華 [tenka] - snow

Discussion:

Letters. The way of communication, still alive even though we live in the era of computers, even in Japan. But how do Japanese people write letters?

Let's go back to the Kamakura period (1192 - 1333 AD), when the actual epistolary style, known as 候文 [souroubun] had started to shine. The name is derived from an auxilary, archaic verb 候ふ [sourou] used as simply to be or as a form of polite language. This verb was also a requirement when expressing oneself in souroubun.

The structure itself involved the usage of kobun (bungo). This form of language derives from Heian period (794 - 1185/1192 AD) and was preserved later on (being the standard until around 1930) as a literary language. As Japanese writing system consists of kana (katakana + hiragana) and kanji, what is characteristic for kobun is a phenomenon called rekishiteki kanazukai - historical kana usage (in a general use until the end of World War II though). It means additional, obsolete pieces of kana (ゐ & ヰ [wi], ゑ & ヱ [we]; sometimes still used in names in some regions) as well as major spelling differences in both words and grammar structures. However in souroubun, those grammar structures of kobun were replaced by their China speak equivalents making it look like Chinese, but it was actually Japanese regardless of the differences in word orders between both languages.
(Chinese is subject-predicate-object whereas Japanese is subject-object-predicate in case you were curious)

Until the Edo period (1603 - 1868 AD), souroubun had been perceived as a casual, literary form of writing letters in spite of its polite style. Later on, it turned into an official epistolary style of the government whatsoever, giving it a very formal overtone. In 1920, it fell out of fashion.

Nowadays, souroubun is no longer used and the style isn't particularly specified, yet the modern way of writing letters is still structured and certain expressions are essential. The style may be casual, polite (neutral) or even humble, depending on who is your recipient. Also, the structure and the nature of the letter change when you write horizontally or vertically (horizontal are considered formal), yet the core itself is the same regardless. I'd like to focus on the core though, because it's universal and it actually matters in the lyrics.

Basically, you are supposed to follow a certain template:

1. Note your current weather, make a reference to the following season, wish for good health
2. Write your main text, mind appropriate expressions
3. Close the letter with your request, again wish for good health

Now, why did I produce this much text on the letters? Simple: the construction Tenge harbors letters. Love letters, that is. Those letters are written in a polite language with elements of rekishiteki kanazukai and make the stanza of the song. I believe, it is meant to mimic souroubun in a way (but without the sourou thing and involvement of Chinese), to preserve the very literary and poetic style of the lyrics. The chorus however, is written in kobun with a female first person narrative.

In this intricate setting, a certain tragic story takes place. I think, it's about an unfortunate couple. A girl, whose lover dies prematurely, decides to look for him in the afterlife, meaning, she also passes away. I reckon, the boy died in a war or something because the first letter is probably from the girl and the second letter comes from the boy and they do say that the couple was however separated, but my suspicions might be far-fetched.

I'm not an expert when it comes to letters and resources on souroubun are relatively limited and not consistent in terms of facts, but I hope I somewhat managed to present the topic in a fairly palatable way.

Koigokoro / Kiryu (original vs. rearranged)

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit (original | rearranged)
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki





恋心 [Koigokoro]
Enlivening love
Original version from Shuugetsuheika EP (2008)



Because my wishes (1) weren't fulfilled
I drew you within my imagination
Night after night, I'm alone
With you as my secret

Yet, I'm not satisfied
So I drew you within my imagination
What if someday everything about you was snatched away...

These relapsing conflicts
What should I do to overcome them?
Nobody can see the real intentions (2)
Or speak... Still, I...
Become the sacrifice for the sake of "enlivening love"

My feelings have been betrayed...
My tears trampled on...
I just wanted to protect you, yet
I'm too powerless in current state...
Your tears dried up already...
Your smile vanished as well...
To get rid of unrest of begging you,
I just want to protect happiness...

                                                                                                                              

恋心 -再構築- [Koigokoro -saikouchiku-] (no vid available)
Enlivening love -rearranged-
Rearranged version from Hyakki yakou full album (2016)



Unfulfilled thought is tempting me     What's the meaning of one's happiness, and...
Unfulfilled thought pulled my hand     What's lost for one's happiness

I come and go around in circles      Dizzy decomposition (3)
I approach and return to rot in stagnation     Brilliantly crumbling down

Entrusting the body alone to the thought     I got lost in a twisted distortion
Calamity given to you     Tender feelings unable to turn into "love"
Lies and fiction     Dripping honey     Tingling sweetness     Getting indulged [in that]
While lamenting alone... I wish from the bottom of my heart

"I want you to be happy"

Tears and even smile withered away, yet you're my aesthetics


Footnotes:

1. Or thought, feeling
2. 本音 [honne] - what one really thinks; the opposite is 建て前 [tatemae] - what one says to people (usually fabricated)
3. I came up with a clever response to what Mitsuki commited there: ROTation; I humbly apologize for my unfunny dad jokes

Discussion:

No hidden meanings, no intricate motifs... And I hope that the translations are clear enough to understand what's going on. However, if something is not really comprehensible, tell me in the comment section, I shall elaborate.

The reason why I decided to put these two versions in one post is my pure curiosity itself. Also, I thought that it would be easier for you to compare them.

Musically, original Koigokoro was relatively crazy enough as a song. In the rearranged version, Mitsuki added some more spice which is also noticeable in lyrics. To the point I almost accused him of composing another eroguo-esque song. This 8 year time skip made me realize that I really should start translating Kiryu's older songs. I believe, it is a good way to see how the band has changed throughout years. I remember Mitsuki saying that he has become more wild and brave in what he composes now.

It's a decade this year after all.

Bakeneko / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki




化猫 [Bakeneko]
Bakeneko / Monster cat



The karma of a person who wields the powers of life and death     Countless heartburn episodes
Blearing disguise (1) reflects in the eyes of a decapitated head

The thirst for your privation suffering... Soundly rings inside the throat (2)

Shaking from fear is but pathetic
The panic is kind of laughable
Screaming from grief is but pathetic
Shall be severely punished by the sharpened claws

If I was able to love...
If I were loved...
A silent cadaver would suffice...
Put into a cage     The experienced warmth is painful
Stolen words...
Broken heart...
Fall into the hell...

"Complete (3) darkness"

Regret of grudges is left behind... As I greedily devour

A request that leaked out of the mouth, spreaded the odor of rot around
The end of being dragged around     Revolving crimson lantern

The thirst for your privation suffering... Soundly rings inside the throat

Footnotes:

1. As in 化けの皮を剥ぐ [bake no kawa wo hagu] - to unmask one's true nature / intentions; lit. to rip off one's disguise / face's skin
2. Fun thing to notice: it is written 咽喉 [inkou] - throat, but sung as 喉 [nodo] - throat; 咽 in and of itself may stand for simply throat or choked
3. 丸い [marui] actually means round, spherical, but for me round darkness sounds, well, anile so I went a bit deeper; 丸 alone can mean inter alia round or perfection

Discussion:

Almost everyone I know loves kitties (including myself). Fluffy and warm, cute balls of fur. But if you are Japanese and your lovely feline companion manages to live over whopping 10-13 (some legends say it's 40) years, is a bit too fluffy and/or has an extraordinarily long tail (there's a reason why bobtail cats are a thing in Japan; safety first), it may transform into a mythical creature, known as bakeneko (lit. monster cat). Essentially, bakeneko are shapeshifters, much like their fox counterparts kitsune (I have already talked a bit about kitsune in Kyuubi [R]), they also possess a unique ability of making puppets out of fresh dead bodies - necromancy. They jump a couple times over a corpse in order to revive and control it.

With this brief explanation in mind, one might figure the reason behind the title Bakeneko out. I reckon, it is about a demon cat disguised as a human that wanted to be loved, but it turned out that their beloved one broke her (yup, I think it is feminine narration) heart in some way, hence our bakeneko kills her lover and since she still harbors some feelings for them, she performs necromancy on him.

Wow, Mitsuki and your love stories.

Nochi no koyoi / Kiryu [R]

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics: Kurosaki Mahiro
Music: Kujou Takemasa

Note: Okay, this one might be truly disturbing for some individuals. Not recommended if you're a sensitive person. Like, really.

Aien kien / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself (with a wee bit of help of my friend's translation, thank you fam)

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki

愛怨忌焔 [Aien kien]

Love's curse burned by the flame of grief

Peeling off face's skin and then sewing on the disguise (1)

One     Two     Three     Four     Five     Six     Seven     Eight     Nine

Reciting to oneself over and over again

Hateful, yet beloved.... A puppet with a broken heart

One     Two     Three     Four     Five     Six     Seven     Eight     Nine

Deluded over and over again

"Love's curse burned by the flame of grief"

Black rain of wants lets the hazy moon fall into the darkness      The sea of vomit and excreta enjoys that abyss

Cut apart... Cut apart... Black rain of wants fades away     Eyes open in ecstasy

Distress, therefore I am here, tied to the empty reality

Detached last new moon is a dream coming through the emptiness

Last words that accidetally leaked out from a slit ellipse were

"………………." (2)

Cold hands are loosely hanging down     Behind     Sound of bugs

Footnotes:

1. A play on an idiomatic phrase: 化けの皮を剥ぐ [bake no kawa wo hagu] - to unmask one's true nature / intentions; lit. to rip off one's disguise / face's skin
2. Not really a footnote; I just wanted to note that when this song is sung, Mahiro makes khrhhrhrkhhr sounds here (choking!)

Discussion:

四字熟語 [yojijukugo] - Japanese version of unholy four-character idiomatic compounds (East Asians are apparently strongly keen on such things). My blog's title is an example of yojijukugo and so is aien kien (Kiryu likes to name mostly albums after yojijukugo or after something that resembles them). However, aien kien should be written as 合縁奇縁 not 愛怨忌焔. Therefore, we have a wordplay here. 合縁奇縁 most common meaning is uncanny relationship formed by a quirk of fate.
Let's look more closely though:
合 [ai] - to join, to meet, to unite etc
縁 [en] - relationship
奇 [ki] - strange
縁 [en] - fate (yes, this kanji has more than one meaning)
Also:
合縁 [aien] - buddhism derived term meaning connection of two people (mostly romantic)
奇縁 [kien] - quirk of fate, strange coincidence
Whereas:
愛 [ai] - love
怨 [en] - grudge, curse
忌 [ki] - mourning, grief
焔 [en] - flame
The funniest part is that characters above form by no means any particular words as they do in 合縁奇縁. After hours of thinking how to somewhat deal with that wordplay, I ultimately came up with love's curse burned by the flame of grief, but I honelstly have no idea whether it can be a legitimate translation or not.

I reckon, Mitsuki wanted to create a total opposite of the original idiomatic compound, considering the song's context. Well, context... I would like to tell you something about the moon in these lyrics. I believe it is a metaphor of a person. Beloved one, that is. New moon - meeting, whereas hazy (moon) stands for something that cannot be reached. What we have here is an unrequited love. But how does the subject deal with it? Simple: "if I can't have it then nobody will". Does that fit into a yandere archetype, this is a serious question. I mean, the subject loses their wits and kills their desired one. To sum up, love's curse means the hardship of an unrequited love and flame of grief is a simile to the commited murder.

As a summary:
Love's curse ≠ uncanny relationship
To burn ≠ to form
Flame of grief is just a cause, much like quirk of fate.

Whoa, that was quite a challenge. At the very end, a fun fact: I am quite happy with this translation regardless.

Zetsu wo nozomu / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki





絶ヲ望ム [Zetsu wo nozomu]
Desire to perish



Floating on a twinkling flash     Gaze of immorality that one cannot hide
Forgetting one's reasoning      Instantly setting one's instincts free

As if I were robbed of everything     Certain people laugh in a rainy day
I always recall     Tears running in black and white

When living is painfully harsh     I look away from an injured heart
Living through, spinning life round (1)     Living is painfully harsh

Going round, the answer I've found is endless "despair"

I even tried to live peacefully     Ran away from that distress
Living through, spinning life round     Clinging to baseless "despair"

Going round, the answer I've found isn't really an answer
Live... Live... Live... The future I struggle to reach is a
"Return to its starting point"

Footnotes:

1. As in "to make a yarn"

Rant Discussion:

Mitsuki, what are you... Itoshiki Nozomu?
Well.
Do you know what will happen when you get rid of all kana in 絶ヲ望ム ? You'll get 絶望 [zetsubou] - despair. Despair is also what I went through while trying to translate the title, because 絶 [zetsu] is used in such a weird way and it is by no means used as a word in and of itself:
絶える [taeru] - to cease, to die out, to vanish
BUT
Aforementioned 絶望 → 望 hope
絶対 [zettai] - absolutely, totally → 対 opposite
絶滅 [zetsumetsu] - extinction (in biology) → 滅 destruction
絶好 [zekkou] - best → 好 like, pleasing
See? No good.

So I attempted find any good one-word translation for this kanji regardless. Actually the song is about someone suffering from a crippling depression. A person caught in an endless spiral of despair, who tries to live through, yet wants to put an end to his own life. Having this thought in mind, extinct might be a fitting word, albeit it does not sound good in a title. End is somehow not satisfying as well as vanish and die is too blunt. Frankly, perish is the best possible translation I could come up with.

ZETSUBOU SHITAAA, SONO KANJI NI ZETSUBOU SHITAAA!!

Afterword:

Recently I've got a couple requests for translations. Zetsu wo nozomu, Aien kien and Akai mi hajiketa, that is. I thought, it would've not hurt if I'd translated Zetsu wo nozomu, so here it is, however the remaining two... A friend of mine already translated Aien kien some time ago. I'd need to read that translation once again and analyze it. I know, it doesn't seem to be a difficult task, but by analyze, I mean to translate it on my own using my friend's translation as a base, because otherwise I won't be able to interpret the lyrics. Also, I wouldn't want my friend's hard work to be wasted. It may take me a while since the lyrics are really intricate.

Akai mi hajiketa though is a whole different story. I've already made a template for that song with a 2016/6/30 date on it and I temporarily aborted the translation mission due to its lyrics' abstract and bizarre form (seriously Mitsuki, reconsider your diet please). But I'll eventually (emphasis on eventually) translate that monster as well.

Please be patient. I focus mostly on Kiryu anyway, therefore, sooner or later, I'll do something about those songs.

Also! I'd like to thank you for every nice and warm comment I get here. Everytime I get them, I feel like I'm doing something right and my translations actually make any consistent sense. Thank you again!

Gekka bijin / Kiryu

Kanji: rocklyric
Romaji: WHO THE HELL NEEDS ROMAJI, I mean, I went with my keen ear
Translation: myself, *prof. Ryuichi Abe

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki





月下美人 [Gekka bijin]
A Queen of the Night / Dutchman's pipe cactus



There’s Paradise      Close your eyes and crouch down
“I can’t see”
“I can’t speak”
“I can’t hear”
“I can’t touch”
“I can’t feel”

...Is it a dream?

I lowered my head and now the me waiting a moment is an already withered corpse
When death agony cuts off flower buds stitched together

Shriek of flowers in dazzling colors      Screaming as if one’s life were spinned round (1)
A silhouette from the past invites       Me entwined in the emptiness
When shaking off, pain from vertigo     Even though I scream stretching my hand towards the future (2)
Experiencing evanescence when touching the dream     Experiencing certainty when touching the reality

Although its scent still lingers on    The form of a flower (3) has scattered away     For whom will the glory
Of this world remain unchanged      Arriving today at the yonder side     Of the deep mountains of evanescent existence      We shall never allow ourselves to drift away     Intoxicated, in the world of shallow dreams *

I cover eyes with both hands and lament It’s dark, it’s dark
While pitifully rotting like that     Dreaming itself is just laughable

I lowered my head and now the me waiting a moment is an already withered corpse
Reality becomes a pecking pain that drags one around

Screaming white dyed      “Transparency”, but somehow that’s “richly colored”
I’m just myself     Still, entwined in emptiness
When looking back, colorless sweet nectar     If I got intoxicated in it, a fake heart would be content
Experiencing evanescence when touching the dream     Experiencing certainty when touching the reality

Life, if blooms, will wither, disappear, rot and come to an end
In the moonlit night when flowers open to mark the passage of that time

To turn into a living corpse     Or to scream for life until I die
Swaying on the wind and caressing the dream     Or swaying on the wind and caressing the reality

Shriek of flowers in dazzling colors      Screaming as if one’s life were spinned round
A silhouette from the past invites       Me entwined in the emptiness
When shaking off, pain from vertigo     Even though I scream stretching my hand towards the future
Experiencing evanescence when touching the dream     Experiencing certainty when touching the reality

Although its scent still lingers on    The form of a flower has scattered away     For whom will the glory
Of this world remain unchanged      Arriving today at the yonder side     Of the deep mountains of evanescent existence      We shall never allow ourselves to drift away     Intoxicated, in the world of shallow dreams


Footnotes:

1. As in “to make a yarn”
2. Or “brightness”
3. Or "color"

Discussion:

"Blooms for only one night under the moon, a flower as pretty as a beautiful woman."

月下美人 [gekka bijin] lit. a beauty under the moon is a species of cacti that literally blooms at night and for only one night. Witnessing it blooming is often associated with good luck and it's a good omen in general, but this flower's meaning in hanakotoba is rather sad. Fragility, ephemeral romance, ephemeral beauty etc. due to its significantly short lifespan. 

Transcience itself is also a subject of Japanese buddhist philosophy of mono no aware (lit. the pathos of things) which is the awareness and acceptance of impermanence. The realization that every creature grows up, appears at its finest while being a full-fledged adult, then gets old and eventually passes away. The same goes for nature, beauty, dreams and so on and so forth. This motif is, in fact, deeply rooted in classical Japanese literature and culture. One of the best known examples is Iroha poem dating back to Heian period (AD 794–1179). Well, Iroha's entire text has been slapped into Gekka bijin lyrics that are marked in italics. What is more, Gekka bijin's lyrics are full of Iroha references. Just compare Iroha with the rest of lyrics.

What we have here is another song about a woman (Mitsuki tends to use 私 [watashi] - a gender-neutral, first person pronoun when the speaker is meant to be feminine) who is already dead. The woman dies prematurely, still full of hopes and dreams, nonetheless she appears as a ghost - something that exists only for one night, fragile and ephemeral. One can appear as a 幽霊 [yuurei] - a ghost from Japanese folklore, when one's soul still has something to be settled in the world of living, longs for something, misses something or just appears out of one's malignant intentions (held grudges, revenge etc.). Yuurei is, however, a bit different concept of spectres than Buddhism-derived ones (check my Rengoku translation for more information). I reckon, the ghost woman is a yuurei after all, due to her nature - she pops from the afterlife to seek for her lost dreams even though she ultimately realizes that there is basically no point in doing so - shallow dreams of aforementioned Iroha poem.

Nice song, isn't it?

Juusanya / Kiryu [R]

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics: Kurosaki Mahiro
Music: Kujou Takemasa

Zangetsu / Kiryu [R]

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics: Kurosaki Mahiro
Music: Kujou Takemasa

Mekura / Kiryu [R]

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics: Kurosaki Mahiro
Music: Kujou Takemasa

Tsuyuhitosuji / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki




露一筋 [Tsuyuhitosuji]
A single teardrop



Reverberation     Repercussion     Echoing sound is smoldering off
Floating... and sinking... Resembling the end of death by drowning

If I looked up at a distorted reality     A dream would walk in closing my eyelids
In the transparent darkness     On the reached water's surface

Solitary sky howling at the moon     Being silently engulfed by thousands of raindrops
Getting closer to that presence (1) is... A thin "single teardrop"

It does not resound    It does not come back     Echoing sound disappears into nothingness
Decaying... Rotting... Resembling the end of death by drowning

A palm of heart full of pain covers the field of vision
A slumber with dreaming sensation    Is being disrupted by rain

Solitary sky howling at the moon     Being silently engulfed by thousands of raindrops
Getting closer to that presence is... A thin "single teardrop"

If I tried getting mixed in among the sound of rain...     There's [only] loneliness     Frail silence
If that time came, would my yell reach [you]...

Solitary sky howling at the moon     Being silently engulfed by thousands of raindrops
Getting closer to that presence is... Heart's weakness hidden in tears...

A thin "single teardrop"

Even quickly flowing thoughts     Are not becoming an echo
Weakened words... Resembling the end of death by drowning


Footnotes:

1. Actually his side, his presence; an archaism

Discussion:

Again, Mitsuki... AN UNCLEAR MOTIF. At least not as clear as tears you wrote lyrics about.

I suspect this song is either about a girl who lost her beloved one or from a perspective of a girl who is the deceased one. Or maybe, an unrequited love?

I think only Mitsuki himself knows.

Or by chance, it's just about an unhappy love and loneliness, and it's me and me alone who demands unnecessary details on this song.

Hadoma yori / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Kujou Takemasa




鉢特摩ヨリ [Hadoma yori] (no vid available)
From the Hell of Crimson Lotus



Haunting the endless cycle of rebirth     One's inborn nature
Laughing evilly
Painting the cavity     And running after personal grudges
Another disoriented person     ah-.

Rumors are drifting towards joy
Laughing foolishly
A face with two dancing tongues      [Shows] feigned ignorance

The one appealing more to the divine will is
Floating across the three currents (1)

A swarm revolving in nonsense     Coronation (2) has ended     Let's put the crimson lotus on
That is, the heaven sent ends     Beckoning flame
The one who has an evil influence on a pure person [dwelling] in the frog's well (3)     Weal and woe is... what I ask
Too late     Yet, as a human being     It's different

Flicker and bewilderment     Being intoxicated in nectar
Laughing in no wickedness
Moaning voice is approaching "Look, I caught you"

The one appealing more to the divine will is
Floating across the three currents

A swarm sent back to death (4)    Escapes without making sacrifices     Going beyond the blue lotus (5)
Flower petals fluttering on one's limbs     The lotus flower is crimson
Knowing one's death while being insistenly ignorant fool     One's own weakness

Ah     Intensely     Lamenting

For thousands of years     Without having or even knowing one's whereabouts     I draw a spiral
Slowly, one's face being ripped off    The lotus on one's limbs
Hateful fate
Crimson firmament     Illuminated in setting sun     Dazzling beauty
Beyond it     The lotus blooms

More appealing than myriads of years, regrettable [worldly] existence.
It doesn't stop raining from the cloudy sky and it accelerates the north wind (6).
Foolishness landing in seven [pieces] (7) reaches its peak, the lotus won't wither today.
I think... "Get lost"


Footnotes:

1. A reference to Sanzu river (三途の川 [Sanzu no kawa] - River of Three Crossings) - Japanese buddhist equivalent of Styx from Greek mythology; the three crossings are: a bridge, a ford, and a spot where there's only deep serpent-infested water; your route across Sanzu is chosen depending on the weight of your sins commited while being alive
2. I think it's a reference to the 鉢 kanji of 鉢特摩, which means inter alia crown
3. 井蛙 [seia] - frog in a well refers to a person with a narrow perspective; the proverbial frog who jugdes the entire world knowing only its own narrow well
4. 寂滅 [jakumetsu] can mean nirvana as well
5. A reference to 摩訶鉢特摩地獄 [Makahadoma jigoku] known as Hell of Blue Lotus; even colder than Hadoma, but sinners undergo similar torments (see: discussion)
6. North is associated with one of buddhist Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennou) - Tamonten (Bishamonten); Bishamonten also belongs to one of Japanese Seven Lucky Gods (Shichi Fukujin), praised by samurai as the god of fortune in war; he protects those who follow the rules; Tamonten is also mentioned in Lotus sutra
7. See: discussion

Discussion:

<ramble> They say, curiosity killed a cat.
"I wonder what Negi's lyrics would look like"
"They shouldn't be so extensively difficult"
I was sorely mistaken. </ramble>


According to Lotus sutra, every single person is eligible for aquiring Enlightenment and entering the Buddhahood. But what if we compare the greed for Enlightenment to something that is the total opposite of it?

Well... Hell.

Buddhist concept of hell is much more complex than that of Christian one. You might be accustomed to the existence of sole hell, with blazing inferno and whatnot. Buddhist one, referred to as Naraka differentiates into eight hot and layering them eight cold hells called Jigoku. Each Jigoku has its something I call "sub-hells" (lesser hells) which yields approximately 270 hells in total. Essentially, Jigoku are placed one over another, meaning - the deeper one, the more severe it becomes.

While you can find numerous information on monstrous, fiery Jigoku, it's much more difficult to collect any relevant data on those horrendously cold ones. Essentially the Hadoma from this song's title is the seventh cold Jigoku, also known as 紅蓮地獄 [guren jigoku] - literally Hell of Crimson Lotus. Briefly speaking, people who fall into this Jigoku, undergo an extreme freeze making their skin crack in pattern resembling a lotus flower and revealing bloody flesh, hence its name. But what kind of sinner does end up in Hadoma? I would like to know the exact answer myself. English and Japanese resources seem to be utterly clueless. Chinese resources, on the other hand, reveal something about buddhist monks. Monks are somewhat connected with Enlightenment, right.

Since Hadoma is the seventh Jigoku, I think, the number 7 might be also essential to the overall understanding. 7 in buddhism is associated with the death and rebirth. Also, it refers to the Seven Factors of Enlightenment:

1. Mindfulness - holistic awareness of the present moment; to abstain from desires, daydreams, judgements and conceptualizations
2. Investigation - the truth of the nature of existence should be found by the individual themself
3. Energy - the required strength and courage on one's path to Enlightenment
4. Happiness - to do what makes one content
5. Tranquility - the necessity of rest after finished work to calm one's mind
6. Concentration - (do I need to elaborate)
7. Enquanmity - to not get into extremes of likes and dislikes

Basically, what one should do to achieve eventual Enlightenment.

I think it is a good moment for summing all this mess up. Lotus hell - Lotus sutra. Meaning, constant pursuit of Enlightenment. The subject of Hadoma yori is somehow unable to achieve it themself due to their mental dissonance which is unfavorable in buddhist concept of Enlightenment. It gradually leads to the crippling feel of envy, because they see everybody being in better situation than them, being more eligible for the divine will than them which makes them all the more distant from their dream if we consider teachings of Seven Factors of Enlightenment. But it is said, everyone can be enlightened, right? So is the subject still desperately trying to change their miserable fate.

Literal hell of a song, that is. Yet, extremely interesting. Also, really difficult to explain its hidden meaning due to its complexity. This makes me think it is a contest - who will come up with more intricate lyrics. Negi, you can compete with Mahiro. That is already something in and of itself, maan.

Hyakki yakou / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki





百鬼夜行 [Hyakki yakou]
Night Parade of One Hundred Demons



Knitting, patching and fixing the disguise (1)     Fabricated smile     Dress right dress (2)
Writhing in pain while having the head chopped off     Tongue speaking the truth (3) is a lizard's tail

Manacles     Life's bondage     Light swaying here and there
Deadly sea of darkness is floating in the evening     Losing a companion leads to tedium

Successively (4)     Slowly (5)

Insects are crawling inside the head

Successively     Slowly

Devouring torn off nails, squirming bewilderment

What to chase, what to demand, what to cling to
Remaining unseen     While remaining unknown, Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (6) progresses
Boisterously noisy festival accompaniament is screaming from the viscera of mind (7)
Lying larynx (8) is being bitten and torn into pieces, that is the result of the real voice

Trembling with fear in the lie caressing the darkness     Therefore the light    seems to be slippery as an eel
To die in the life-burning lie

Soon     Slowly

Insects are dancing inside the head

Lied eggs of insects are thickly dripping

Dark senses smeared in familiar dirty mud are getting dim
When one's hand is pulled by a cruel hand, Night Parade of One Hundred Demons progresses
Transient world is prepared to flee (9) in boisterously noisy festival accompaniament
Not turning back, having one's ears plugged      Going as well as returning is so scary (10)

Lie that was experienced and sent around is like a nectar     Telling lies around while being unconsciously intoxicated

Nearby... One disguise (11) fell down     On another side, thousands deceptions

To indulge in the darkness, wriggle and [eventually] die      Or to tear the darkness off, paw at the ground and [eventually] die
Swaying paper lantern     Is carried off by the night wind     Disordered     One's footsteps of life


Footnotes:

1. As in 化けの皮を剥ぐ [bake no kawa wo hagu] - to unmask one's true nature / intentions; lit. to rip off one's disguise / face's skin
2. A military command in order to find dress and alignment in a formation
3. 本音 [honne] - what one really thinks; the opposite is 建て前 [tatemae] - what one says to people (usually fabricated)
4. Onomatopoeic word: ぞろぞろ [zorozoro] - in groups / in succession
5. Onomatopoeic multitool word: だらだら [daradara] - (inter alia) dripping / slowly / leisurely / endlessly
6. See: discussion
7. Wordplay: 心臓 [shinzou] - heart (anat.) written as 心の臓 [shin no zou] - viscera (guts) of mind
8. 喉笛 [nodobue] used here actually means windpipe; since it literally means throat pipe / flute (kanji wise), I decided to translate it into larynx, because I've found it fitting
9. Or to become restless / to become agitated
10. A reference to Japanese children song Tooryanse
11. See: footnote (1)

Discussion:

On the day of the dog of fourth lunar month, don't you dare to leave your house at night. You may encounter - Hyakki yakou - Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, which means death. Death of you and your beloved ones.

However, what do demons do in this song? They are a simile to lies. Imagine a person speaking fabricated words all the time, for instance an individual suffering from compulsive / pathological lying disorder. Reasons of one to lie may vary. From impress to avoid certain situations (though pathological liars may lie just for the sake of fraud itself). The fear of being unmasked is also present - it may lead one to make up more lies just to cover up them being caught on lying. Pathological liars also seem to be nervous when they have to speak the truth.

Releasing those one hundered demons, or more precisely - being utterly unmasked as an impostor, much like opening the Pandora's box may cause multiple disasters for the liar as well as for surrounding them people. In other words, I consider Hyakki yakou (as a motif) a metaphor of a pathological liar's darkness of mind. A night where demons dwell and parade.

Well done, Mitsuki.