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.

Kagee no karasu / Kiryu

Kanji & Romaji: hiphopvomit
Translation: myself

Lyrics & music: Sakai Mitsuki





影絵ノ鴉 [Kagee no karasu]
Crow from the shadow picture



You've seen through me, so I flew away...

What song shall I compose, in this sunset dyed red
The one who blends into the hoarsed autumn is me, "Crow from the shadow picture"
In the twilight, see you tomorrow
The one who firmly observed myself while shaking hands is me, "Crow from the shadow picture"

Hate, hate, hate hate, one after another
Hate, hate, hate hate, generation after generation

"What if it soothed my pain?" (1)

The crow composes its song

Arises and buds when the snow melts     The flower of icily painful lie
Winter silently slurps tears

THESE hands stopped dying pitch-black easily
I pushed my back and flew away
While plugging your ears, close your eyes, until your voice will be muffled (2)
Embrace...the true meaning of baby's first cry

Hate, hate, hate hate, one after another
Hate, hate, hate hate, generations after generations

"Has the pain been soothed?"

The crow laughs

When the cherry blossom gently sways     The lie from THAT moment scatters around
Spring that looks downward in this pink radiance

The lie still blooms, scatters and withers away     Swaying spirit-shaped buds of words (3)
Branches are what pierces summer into you


Footnotes:

1. The phrase 楽になる [raku ni naru] - to soothe one's pain, to be relieved etc. can be literally translated as to become a melody as well
2. A reference to Japanese sanzaru (pic) - Three Wise Monkeys being a pictorial maxim saying see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil as each monkey is covering eyes, ears and mouth respectively; here sanzaru is a metaphor of a newborn who is not tainted with any kind of evil
3. 言の葉 [kotonoha] means words, but if we consider each compound of this word, we can literally translate it as leaves of words

Discussion:

It's June already! Therefore the full-blown summer is about to come as the very last of spring storms' thunders are going away.

Speaking of four seasons... The ever-changing nature is one of two main motifs of Kagee no karasu. It's also a metaphor of human life and the endless cycle of death and rebirth. From the very beginning, spring is where the nature awakens from its slumber. All about infancy and youth - as the moment where a human is born and follow their path towards adulthood (did you know that youth in Japanese means inter alia 青春 [seishuun] - lit. blue spring?). Adulthood is like summer. The most glamorous moments of youthfulness disappear like the nature itself is rapidly maturing. The next stage is fall - the senility. The nature changes significantly as it gets old, being aware of the further death - upcoming winter (speaking of which, winter and white color in general are a common symbol of death in Japan). As we know, four seasons repeat themselves endlessly, hence the reference to the reincarnation itself.

The second motif is our title crow. In Japan, this bird is said to be the messenger of gods, known in mythology as Yatagarasu - the three-legged, large crow. I mentioned in my Hinamatsuri [R] translation before, that Japanese emperors/empresses are descendants of the Shinto goddess of sun - Amaterasu. Well, Yatagarasu is also associated with guidance and victory, since (according to legends) he was sent to the Earth by Amaterasu to guide her descendant Jimmu (ruling 660 - 585 BC) in his journey to become the first emperor. As that was an obvious thing to me, I found that this mythical, tripedal bird of corvus genus is also said to be a mark of rebirth and rejuvenation. I could not find any evidence to prove that statement, however I think it has something to do with the buddhist figure - Kannon, who  is sometimes presented together with Yatagarasu. Basically, Kannon is often considered a bodhisattva of mercy, pity and compassion. She is also believed to offer her helping hands to souls in their way of transmigration. Moreover, do you know who is often referred to as Kannon as well? Our well known, Shinto goddess Amaterasu herself! This is why I would consider Yatagarasu a mark of rebirth as well.
(note: Kannon comes in both male and female versions, but in Japan the latter is more common)

To sum up, let's merge the crow and four seasons together. Two motifs of reincarnation including the title crow that is the sign of it all.

Ah, I almost forgot to clarify the lie of Kagee no karasu. Well, people prefer to believe that life is supposed to end when they die. But who said it indeed does end? Definitely not our crow.


Afterword:

Woohoo, an off-topic section!

What I wanted to convey as an afterword is that I plan to retranslate Zangetsu, Juusanya and Nochi no koyoi in near future. These three songs form some really messed-up story altogether, which is confirmed (thanks Mahiro, at least you were helpful this time)! I've already deciphered that story while translating it into my native, yet I'd like to present it to you all as well.

All I need is simply more time which isn't certainly in my June schedule. You know, my finals are coming... They are really near...

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.