Sunday, November 20, 2011

あの娘ぼくが使ったらどんな音するんだろう ー OKAMOTO'S

Have had this song in my head all day, in a good way. It's a love song personifying drum sets written by Reiji. Here's the Japanese.

What sound would that girl make if I used her? - OKAMOTO'S [1]


To me it's still too soon, my hands just won't reach
There's nothing I can do about that, always through the glass
even just looking is great

You know, but you know, sometime I'm sure…

I'll come back here, for at least a glance [2]
If I grow up, if I get rich
I'll take you away from here

That's how it'd be if it were up to me, but my lover is...

A Galaxy or a Vistalite Original…
I can't narrow down to just one I like—you and you and you

So cute, on the smallish side
but very well put together, I'm just here longing to
work you out [3]

Actually, you're quite a bit older, such a vet [4]

Sparkles, a little bit of pink. Cuz you're so fancy.
I won't put you to sleep. I'll be tuning you up and down till morning.

A Galaxy or a Vistalite Original
I can't narrow it down to just one I like—you and you and you



Notes

[1] Title is still awk...but...seems ok?

[2] This line tripped me up a bit at the end...

[3] Maybe too loose here. Was not 100% sure on the meaning even so I kind fudged it into...well, what is there.

[4] Really could not decide who this was referring to, but I went with her cuz I think the drumsets he is singing about were designed in the 70s and these kids are only just turning 21. That said, the 実は makes it sound kind of like a personal confession; I think that is what is throwing me off. Is he confessing to the listener? ;(

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Work in Progress: つけまつける - きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ

If you were not directed here from the corrected version of this translation, please check it out here! :)

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's new single is not out yet, but was played somewhere during a livestream and YouTubed. Took down the lyrics to the best of my ability, but if you heard something different let me know. Sorry to bring the romaji infliction :P Will clean up this post as things become clearer ;D

A couple notes up front:

1. The chorus is kind of a play on the words つける (to put on an accessory) and まつげ (which means "eyelashes"). That's for good reason since the word for "fake eyelashes" is a combination of those two, つけまつげ. I just translated it pretty straight to keep things simple.

1.5 You can argue with me about "fake" vs. "false," and I'll listen, but personally I don't say "false eyelashes." Sounds...outdated?

2. The bridge (the line about the "same sky") is one part I am not quite sure if I heard accurately, and if I did hear it accurately, I'm not sure I captured the meaning quite perfectly.

3. Finally, there is one word that I really can't hear well enough to say even for WIP purposes, shown as [?]. It sounds like まんめ まうんめ or mayyyyyybe なんめ, but I don't think any of those are right. If anyone has ideas or info, let me know :)

つけまつける - きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ
Wearing Fake Eyelashes - Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

tsuke matsuge matsuge matsuge pachi pachi tsuke matsukete
tsuke matsuke matsuke matsuke kawaii na tsuke matsukeru

Fake eyelashes blink blink put them on
Fake eyelashes so cute I'll put them on


ii na ii na sore ii na patchiri patchiri sore ii na
ii na ii na sore ii na kibun mo ue wo muku

So cool so cool that's so cool Wide open eyes that's so cool
So cool so cool that's so cool My mood is looking up too


doo doo doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo-doo tsukeru TAIPU no mahou da yo
jishin wo mi no tsukete mieru sekai mo kawaru ka na

doo doo doo doo doo-doo-doo-doo-doo it's a type of magic you can wear
If you learn self confidence, it might be that the world you see changes too


onaji sora da to mieru kara kokoro mo kakugo shitai dakara

It seems like the same sky, so I want to prepare my heart too.


tsuke matsuge matsuge matsuge pachi pachi tsuke matsukete
tsuke matsuke matsuke matsuke kawaii na tsuke tsuke-matsukeru

Fake eyelashes blink blink put them on
Fake eyelashes so cute I'll put them on


doo doo doo…

doo doo doo...

samishii kao wo shita chiisa na otoko no ko
henshin BERUTO wo mi ni tsukete egao ni kawaru ka na

A small boy with a sad look on his face
If he puts on a transformation belt, I wonder if that sad look will turn into a smile


onna no ko ni mo aru tsukeru TAIPU no mahou da yo
jishin wo mi ni tsukete mieru sekai mo kawaru ka na

There's a type of magic girls can wear as well
If you learn self confidence, it might be that the world you see changes too


Onaji sora da to mieru kara kokoro mo kakugo shitai dakara

It seems like the same sky, so I want to prepare my heart too.

tsuke matsuge matsuge matsuge pachi pachi tsuke matsukete
tsuke matsuge matsuge matsuge pachi pachi tsuke matsukeru no

Fake eyelashes blink blink put them on
Fake eyelashes blink blink putting them on


patchiri pachi [?] na no ka pachi pachi tsuke matsukete
tsuke matsuge matsuge matsuge kawaii na tsuke matsukeru

Wide open blinking eyes Is it [?]? blink blink put them on
Fake eyelashes so cute I'll put them on


ii na ii na sore ii na, ii na ii na sore ii na

So cool so cool that's so cool, so cool so cool that's so cool

tsuke matsuge matsuge matsuge pachi pachi tsuke matsukete
tsuke matsuge matsuge matsuge pachi pachi tsuke matsukeru no


Fake eyelashes blink blink put them on
Fake eyelashes blink blink putting them on


patchiri pachi [?] na no ka pachi pachi tsuke matsukete
tsuke matsuge matsuge matsuge kawaii na tsuke matsukeru

Wide open blinking eyes Is it [?]? blink blink put them on
Fake eyelashes so cute I'll put them on

doo doo doo…
tsuke ma tsukeru
tsuke ma tsukeru

doo doo doo...
I'll put them on
I'll put them on

鼓動の秘密 - 東京女子流

Yeah, been listening to the YMCK remix of this song lately and noticed the lyrics were SO SAD so I had to attempt a translation and throw them up here. Japanese.

The Secret of My Pulse [0] - Tokyo Girls Style

With the speed of my pulse [1]
I get closer to you
"So sudden!" I wonder if I'll be able to keep smiling like always
Sunlight shimmering through the trees
It won't leak, right? My little secret

Even if I shout at the top of my lungs
You can't hear it, it won't reach you
Hurry up and realize
It'll be all for nothing
Find the real me

With the depth of my breath
I want to feel you
If I said something like "Well, I like you…" what would the look on your face be?
A thrilling sunset
I can't take the next step. This bit of courage [2]

I want to be with you always, but
I know it's just unrequited love
Somehow I'm expecting it
That feeling like I'm about to cry
Just for right now, look at me

Only to you,
yes, I want to tell you

Even if I shout at the top of my lungs
You can't hear it, it won't reach you
Hurry up and realize
It'll be all for nothing
Find the real me

I want to be with you always, but
I know it's just unrequited love
Somehow I'm expecting it
That feeling like I'm about to cry
Just for right now, look at me

Notes:

[0] Man, so once you decide to translate as in [1], doing the title gets really difficult. "The Secret of the Pulse" seems too abstract. WAIT, ok. I figured out that if you switch the subject from "your" to "my" it all lies flat. Sweet. I had originally had "Through the speed of your pulse, I get closer to you." So much better with "my."
[1] You could translate 鼓動 as 'beat' but given 呼吸 in the second verse, I'd go with the bodily function.
[2] I decided to not keep this parallel to "My little secret" since "My little courage" just sounded...bizarre. If this were not a song lyric I think I would string the parts of that line together to make an actual thought, but I think here you can get away the dangly phrase.

Friday, November 18, 2011

アイのテーマ - OKAMOTO'S

SUCH a fun song :D but it's even wonkier to translate than usual because it's all puns and word play. So I kept the Japanese text in the blog post to explain with the italic notes. Translation is in bold!

アイのテーマ
Love Theme - OKAMOTO'S

♯1919で「イクイク」 ♯1818で「イヤイヤ」
なんだ簡単な暗号 なんか秘密の暗号

#1919 means yes, #1818 means no
What's with this simple code, some secret code


So, he sings #1919 as いちきゅういちきゅう but you can also read it as いくいく which in its most simplest form could just be translated as yes (for these lyrics that is how I would translate it). #1818 is いちはちいちはち but also read as いやいや (no).

エービーシーディーイーエフジーエイチ
エービーシーディーイーエフジーエーイチ
A B C D E F G H
A B C D E F G H



次は
Next comes

アイーアイーアイー そっか「燥」だな
アイーアイーアイー やっぱ「愛」だな
アイーアイーアイー 「曖昧」「身」「満員」
アイーアイーアイー だって「僧」だろ?

Love love love Yeah, I think that's right
Love love love Must be 'love' right?
Love love love 'I' 'My' 'Me' 'My'
It's probably love love love after all


This is really the roughest translation imaginable and does not catch any of the fun of the original version. Basically he's using all the kanji in brackets there, plus the letter "I" as homophone code, i.e. taking only the sounds as meaning. If you wanted to translate it using the meanings of the kanji instead of the readings, you could probably get away with something like:

I I I Yeah, so dried up.
I I I Must be love, right?
I I I Vague, self, no vacancy
Probably I I I'm a monk after all

Haha, but that is awful and not what the song is about at all ;)


グズグズしてる間に 夕暮れカラスが鳴いている アホー
While I'm hesitating, an evening crow is cawing me stupid

CHECK IT OUT GUYS I MADE A PUN hahaha 'cawing' - 'calling' GET IT?
In Japanese it's a pun because あほ means 'stupid,' but apparently it is also the sound this crow makes.


「k」と「g」だとキログラムで 「m」が2つでミリメーター
どんな単位で測っても こいつは測定不能さ
'k' and 'g' make kilogram and two 'm's is a millimeter
but no matter what unit you measure in, it's impossible to gauge this one



エービーシーディーイーエフジーエイチ
アイジェーケーエルエムエヌオーピー
キューアールエスティーユーブゥイダブリュエックスワーイジー Z!

からの
アイーアイーアイー どんな「時間」でも
アイーアイーアイー やっぱ「哀」だな
アイーアイーアイー その「瞳」には
アイーアイーアイー 「何」が見えるの?

The 'I' from

A B C D E F G H
I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V W X Y Z!

love love Anytime
Love love love That must be it, huh
Love love love What can you see
Love love love in those eyes?


So this part was actually a little weird, since the からの indicates that the 'Love love love' is from the alphabet cuz it's actually 'I' [blah blah blah]. I think the way I said it is ok. In this one the kanji seem to actually have the meaning they intended as opposed to puns...at the end, ひとみ and なに...

手のひら睨み付け 考えるフリをしてるだけ アホー
Scowling at the palm of my hand, only pretending to think—stupid!

エービーシーディーイーエフジーエイチ…
A B C D E F G H...

アイーアイーアイー そっか「燥」だな
アイーアイーアイー やっぱ「愛」だな
アイーアイーアイー どんな「時間」でも
アイーアイーアイー やっぱ「哀愛」

Love love love Yeah, I think that's right
Love love love Must be "love" right?
Love love love Anytime
Love love love Must be love, love


気づいた瞬間 頭の電球光り出す ィアッホー
The moment I realize, the light bulb above my head goes on—stupid!

欲望を叫べ!!!! - OKAMOTO'S

So this I should have translated back when I bought the single, but I was busy. It's a great song! I like even more now that I have investigated the lyrics more thoroughly. You can see the video here.

And here are the lyrics in Japanese!

Shout Your Desire!!!! - OKAMOTO'S

Yeah yeah yeah listen to my heart beat! [1]

Dance Dance Dance to you
Just Just Just to you
cuz we're tied together with a red thread.

Somebody is cheating on somebody, ouch! Is that ok?
Not for me! I'm not messing with you!
The dirty pretty glittering sky, can you see it too?

Let's try to climb to the top of the Tower of the Sun [3]
It's all about, "Don't think, just feel!"
C'mon! My heart is jumpin'—I'm right on the edge [4]

Yeah yeah yeah listen to my heart beat!
Yeah yeah yeah there's nothing pointless about love!

Dive Dive Dive in you
Birth Birth Birth feelin' good
People are always telling me no for no reason. I wanna do it, I can't hold back anymore

Have you ever loved and been loved intensely?
What is gonna happen to the connection between us?
C'mon! My heart is jumping'—I'm right on the edge!

Yeah yeah yeah Listen to my heart beat!
Yeah yeah yeah! there's nothing pointless about love! that's right, isn't it?

Yeah yeah yeah Listen to my heart beat
Yeah yeah yeah There's nothing pointless about love!
Yeah yeah yeah Listen to my heart beat
Yeah yeah yeah There's nothing pointless about love!
Yeah yeah yeah!

Notes:

[1] More literally this is a sound effect, but it just doesn't sound cool in English. Not that "Listen to my heart beat" is that cool, but I think it gets the feel across better than something corny like "thumpity thump thump thump" ;P

[2] Having trouble with the second part of this line. The way I read it was...ばかにするんじゃない。Which...yeah I'm honestly just not sure. I was thinking of saying something like, "Don't give me that bullshit" but I don't know what really gets closer...'n clearly I am not quite sure who the subject is :(

[3] Yeah, the Tower of the Sun is a real place. You can read more about why it's important to the band in this interview from a last summer that I translated.

[4] This is another one where I replaced some sound/effect. I like it :3 I mean I think the end part of being right on the edge could have been done as, "I'm about to boil over," but I'm not sure if they really meant that imagery when they used バチバチ. Seems more abstract in this case?

手紙 - OKAMOTO'S

So I'm gonna try to do all the songs (that aren't in English already) off the new OKAMOTO'S album, in no particular order except probably one that I like. I'd also like to do all the liner notes, but I'll save that for after the lyrics are done...

Here's the Japanese.

Letter - OKAMOTO'S

Hey, my desire, where has it gone?
Hey, my desire, show me it clearly
For some reason the things I want have gotten blurry since some time ago
Again the day will end, unable to get satisfied

Hey, I wonder where all the treasures I gathered long ago got thrown away?
I look into the marbles, but the sparkle from back then
has gone cloudy. I can't find it [1]

I go into a convenience store and stand there reading magazines
Turn the page, turn the page, turn the page, it's nowhere, nowhere

Hey, the four of us talked all night long. Do you remember that night?
We could tell the season was changing from the smell of the wind
Unfortunately there wasn't a moon, but
we continued talking about our dreams, blushing a little

The dream I saw after waking from a dream
Where is it, where is it…in that cloud

My Cloudy Heart My Cloudy Heart
My Cloudy Heart My Cloudy Heart

Hey, If I look back sometime,
Hey, will the haze in my heart disappear?

My Cloudy Heart My Cloudy Heart
My Cloudy Heart My Cloudy Heart

Notes:

[1] The only major seeming translation 'change' I made was this "I can't find it" which is literally, "It won't be found?" No one would ever say that in English that I can think of, and certainly not in this situation.