ワンダーソング ー S.R.S.

This is a really cool upbeat song. They opened with it when I went to see them, I think, and it got people relatively pumped up.

The hardest thing about translating, I think, is wondering how much wiggle room you can take before you have changed the meaning. (Japanese)

Wondersong - S.R.S.

One way or another I want to convey to you

things that can't be said with words alone

I don't have quite enough of that foolish bravery, though

so I'm eternally worrying

I don't want to have regrets

Ah, I just want to be honest

Anyhow, I'm going to turn this bag packed with feelings for you into words

and try it out

I'm not lonely or anything

if you're nearby

I can do even the impossible!

But I can't say it—when I see you off, (1)

I still turn and look over my shoulder!

I turn and look, but you're not there. (2)

I want to change the sad feelings in my heart

into sounds and let you hear them (3)

I'm looking for the melody that seems to be

resounding in your heart (4)

I don't want to compromise

Ah, I want to get ahold of myself

I will put my infinitely piled up feelings for you

into this song and shout it out!

I'll stay benched for ten thousand years (5)

if you're nearby

I feel like I can become a world leader!

But I can't say it—when we wave good-bye

I still turn and look over my shoulder!

I turn and look, but there's no point.

Everybody surely has worries and anxieties

You allow me to forget even that kind of stuff! (6)

I'm singing to deliver you this message from my heart

I like you!

(1) There is no literal "when" here, but I don't think we would say, "I see you off and" or something, in English. I also translated また as "still" on the next line. It's not what you usually consider また to be, but I read you can use it in that way...

(2) Between the も and the のに this line [and its parallel lines in other parts of the song (which goes for the previous comment too)] is pretty tricky. I ended up just putting what I felt the meaning was into as natural an English phrase as possible, which...I guess that is the point?

(3) I was thinking about how to say something like "i want to convey these sounds to you" and came up with "I want to let you heart these sounds," basically. With "I" as the subject, I'm not sure what else you could say. You could use "transmit" but I would only be tempted to use that if the noun was "sound waves" or something like that.

(4) Took a little while to decide whether her heart was resounding or her heart was searching... Not entirely sure if I guessed right.

(5) Almost certain this is uninformed and bad. I searched around a bit for references to 万年補欠 and it seemed to refer to the literal meaning in terms of like...being the spare player on a sports team usually. There must be something else, right? I didn't really understand. For now I tried to go with the sports metaphor? Bleh.

(6) This took some unraveling, but I think I got it right finally? Not sure : /

Across the Mindset - S.R.S

This is the title track on S.R.S's album. Did you know their name stands for Sleeping Rag Sheep? :O I found that out when I went to their concert. They didn't play 大切だから、捨てましょう but they did play this one.

Across the Mindset - S.R.S.

We had a dream of someday
Washed in these leaves and bathing in the sun (1)
We were like birds
rushing into a sky too wide…

Since when are we not discussing the rest of the dream? (2)
I wonder why the door to this dream is left closed
and we can't see it anymore. (3)

Suddenly I felt kidnapped (4)
by a shooting star I saw through the skylight.
Like my heart was not here now
that's the kind of feeling I had.

Since when have I been unable to reach out into the sky
and catch the stars?
I really wonder who decided that
someday a boy has to grow up. (5)

Across the mindset...
Across the mindset...

(1) Kind of awkward, but I don't have any better ideas. I was wondering if maybe 葉に洗う is an idiomatic phrase for the way sun looks after it passes through leaves, like that dapple texture, but it says they are in the sky, not on the ground, and the phrasing makes it sound like it refers to them and not the sun...#shrug
(2) I wasn't sure how to translate the 〜くなったpart. I understand it, sure, but "since when is it the case" and "since when was it decided" both sound weird, especially when you add it to the second chorus line that mirrors it. So I just left it out. Let me know if you have suggestions!
(3) This whole sentence was kind of hard. It's another case where I know what 〜たままで means, but it's hard to translate for this case; it's not like, "I fell asleep with the lights on." I don't think you could say, "I wonder why we became unable to meet with the door to the dream closed." Sounds awful. That said, "and" seems like a cop-out. Also, I wonder if I was right that they can't "meet" the dream. I changed that from "each other" at the last minute...
(4) I started with "transported" but I'm really glad I changed it haha. That was stretching in all the wrong directions. As it is, I dunno if "kidnapped" is the right word. If he were talking directly about his heart I would say "stolen" but I don't think he is yet.
(5) Nobody translates 大人になる literally, right? (I don't know, but I'm not going to here.)

Less wonky: Azabujuban Summer Festival post in English

My friend Aki and I translated this page. I think we made a good team :)

大切だから捨てましょう ー S.R.S.

I really really love this song and hope they play it at the concert on Wednesday! It's so good, even though it's not at all how I conduct myself in a relationship :P I appreciate the music more than the lyrics ;) Here they are in Japanese. It's fun to sing :D

It's precious, so let's throw it away - S.R.S.

I can't manage to hide my confusion, so let's just break up
This feeling is precious, so let's throw it all away

Let's break up, let's throw it away (1)
So we can get something new (2)
Let's break up, let's throw it away
So we can realize the importance of these precious things

Let's forget, let's forget
Because only the things we can't forget will remain

Anyways, if only I forget
You won't know and it'll be really hard
We have to throw this feeling away because it's precious

Let's yell, let's yell
So we conceal our true selves
Let's yell, let's yell
Because our minds will then be at ease
Let's laugh, let's laugh
So we can enjoy even the tough things
So I can keep the clearest presence of mind (3)

I couldn't change my feelings for you
but I also couldn't figure out what to do with them
Saying I don't want to bother you is an excuse, but
I can't manage to hide it so
Let's just break up, let's throw it all away
We'll just get back together anyway so

For now let's break up

(1) I feel like I'm probably breaking a cardinal rule of translating (where those are listed, I don't know...) in this song a couple different times. I'm translating 捨てる as "to throw [something] away" in the literal sense and the metaphorical sense of throwing a relationship away "to break up [with someone]." I'm doing it, even though it's the exact same word in the same context (i.e. the repeated part of the chorus). I believe pretty strongly in the way I did it, though, because the feeling is right.
(2) You can argue all day about whether もの here is "thing" or "person" but I'm going with thing.
(3) I couldn't decide whether the にとって was to indicate that he specifically would be able to keep his presence of mind clear, or if she should get straightened out with regards to him.

*UPDATE: I realized I forgot to convey the しまおう part of some of the lines. Not about to translate it as "unfortunately, let's do [x]" so I added other emphasis that could be taken as sad...ish.

**UPDATE: Changed "don't forget" to "can't" forget. I notice it more when I'm just singing it in Japanese than when I'm trying to translate haha.

***UPDATE: Tweaked the last sentence. It's much better now!

おやすみ君のこと ー OKAMOTO'S

This is one of my favorite Okamoto's songs that I hadn't heard until I picked up their first full-length album, 10s. It has a simple melody, so it's easy to sing in Japanese.

When You're Asleep - OKAMOTO'S (.5)

The faintly tinted morning light, reddish, streams in
As always, morning is here
Let's just let it be over (1)

Before you open your eyes
I'm leaving
It'll end sometime, everyday before it ends (2)

I'm gonna leave quietly so as not to wake you up.
I hope I won't wake you up when you're sleeping

It's not that I'm running away, but
if it stays like this, I'll rot
I want to bounce back into the sky tomorrow (3)
That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it (4)

I'm gonna leave quietly so as not to wake you up.
I hope I won't wake you up when you're sleeping

Bells are ringing off in the distance
I'm hurrying home, such a rascal (5)
As always, morning is here
Let's just let it be over

Let's just let it be over
Let's just let it be over
Let's just let it be over
Let's just let it be over

(.5) Ahhhh this title is not easy to do. The meaning is clear, but the actual words to use in English are not.
(1) I really hope I got the grammar right on this ._.
(2) This part I thought about for a long time. I wonder if maybe it's an idiomatic form or something... It's almost poetic the way it is, but I'm not sure if it's correct. Sounds awkward...etc.
(3) "tomorrow's sky" sounds too weird. This sentence is still weird, because no one would say this in English. I guess I could just say, "I want to be free tomorrow" or "I want to fly back into the sky tomorrow."
(4) 踏みしめる　is "to stand firmly" or "harden by treading" so I decided that meant that he's taking this excuse seriously and translated thusly. I dunno if it's right or not.
(5) I almost went with "jerk" :P but then didn't.

TORA TORA TORA - MAX

UPDATE Sept 4, 2010: I learned something new. See note 4.

A friend on Twitter joked this should be my theme song. Here is a rough translation of the lyrics.

TORA TORA TORA Love Love Mode is WAR! Settle it!

READY READY READY Love Love I'll definitely BOMB you with my feelings

My heart is hot, I'm looking in the mirror pumping up my fighting spirit. (1)

My only weapon is my smile!

You'll be able to say it for sure. It'll come true for sure. (2)

With this strategy

TORA TORA TORA my love is earnest TORA TORA TORA I'm serious!

In the whole world the only thing I want is you

TORA TORA TORA Sniping! TORA TORA TORA It's a fight! (3)

I'm gonna use all my courage and see what you think! (4 -- UPDATED!)

TORA TORA TORA Love Love Chance GO No one is watching

DANGER DANGER DANGER Love Love Timidness is BOMB Vanquish it! (5)

Although I've sent you the signs, you don't notice

I'm only getting my heart broken

A coincidence, huh, good luck, huh

No, it's not!

TORA TORA TORA my love is earnest TORA TORA TORA anytime

I won't surrender this passion. All I want is your heart.

TORA TORA TORA Today's smile TORA TORA TORA I'll wager on it!

I'm only looking towards tomorrow; hold me (6)

TORA TORA TORA my love is earnest TORA TORA TORA I'm serious!

In the whole world the only thing I want is you

TORA TORA TORA Sniping! TORA TORA TORA It's a fight!

Use all your courage and get me!

(1) In Japanese you "put in" fighting spirit, but "pump up" sounds more natural to me in English.

(2) I chose to have the guy be the one who will be able to say it, but it's hard to tell really if she wants to be chased or chase.

(3) Sniping? Or is it "my aim is you?" うちthrew me off.

(4) UPDATE: So I found out you can use ぶつける as like bouncing an idea off someone. In that case I feel like the subject is probably 今の私 because she is talking about trying to get his attn. PREVIOUSLY: I translated ぶつける as just "get" but "get" in the sense of "earn my affections" or whatever. Like, the idea is a "fight" maybe. Or it could be "bump into" but neither of those really capture what I feel like the meaning is...

(5) I actually wanted to translate this as: "Quit being a pussy!" but decided not to.

(6) Awkward, but "Hold the me of now who is only gazing at tomorrow" is worse. What to do...

Sometimes B.C. - S.R.S.

I heard the A.D. (and English) version of this song at the end of the movie 重力ピエロ and didn't even realize there was a whole other Japanese song until searching for the band online. S.R.S. has since become one of my favorite Japanese groups of the moment. I'm going to see them on the 25th, so I'm trying to spend some time learning lyrics before then :)

Japanese lyrics are here.

Even though you don't notice I'm pretending, my heart trembles (1)
In a darkness where the future couldn't be seen, wasn't that a star or something I saw?
You were gazing at me; I want to see you (2)

A person's shadow cast by the streetlight
follows after you, seemingly anxious. (3)
The messengers of my heart are all black horrible guys...

I want to to change now, into a better man
I want to be able to wrap you up in love
I can't skillfully put this idea into words
The night sky is looking a little prettier than usual.

Truth is not only what the eyes can see.
If I could show you what's inside my heart...

I want to to change now, into a better man
I want to be able to wrap you up in love
I can't skillfully put this idea into words
The night sky is looking a little prettier than usual.
It's too beautiful. (4)

(1) Somebody doesn't notice something, but it's very contextual as to who/what. Given that it's the first line of the song, I'm not entirely sure how you're supposed to know : /
(2) Literally: "I want to see you who gazes at me" -- but who in English would say that?
(3) Honestly it's really hard to have a point translating this song's verses, because I really can't tell the subjects. Just vagueness. I sort of feel like he was talking about her shadow, but in a way that made it a metaphor for the black messengers of his heart? But I wasn't really sure how to convey that, or if that's even what they meant : /
(4) Small liberty: "It's too prettier out than usual," is not English.