言霊拾い
kotodama hiroi
Gathering Kotodama
Vocals: ランコ (Ranko)
Lyrics: コンプ (Comp)
Arranged by: コンプ (Comp)
Album: UROBOROS 5 [Official site]
Circle: 豚乙女 (BUTAOTOME)
Event: C89
Original theme: Youkai Girl at the Gate [門前の妖怪小娘]
Requested by: Quwanti
Kotodama have made a few appearances in the songs I’ve translated so far. Basically, kotodama means ‘the spirit of language.’ The term deals with the idea that words have power, and saying or writing them in a particular way can affect the world around us.
The lyrics this time are quite ambiguous, but I think they link to Kyouko’s role as an echo spirit. It seems like she comes across someone who has committed suicide because of harsh words used against them. She couldn’t save them, but she dedicates herself to ‘returning’ these sorts of kotodama so it won’t happen again. It’s possible that it links to the superstitious belief that bad words will come back to haunt you. Or something like that.
歌詞
遠くで叫ぶ声が聞こえる 誰もいない闇に向かって
拾われずにすぐに消えてゆく言霊
声の持ち主を探して闇の中を走り回って
見つけたのは涙の後 抱き寄せても既に亡骸
壊れそうだよ 返すことも出来た
言霊を打ち返してゆく
笑われたって構わない
二度とない様に
やがてそれは伝説となり やがてそれは迷信となり
やがてそれは科学となって広まる
そんなことなどどうだっていい そんなことなど意味なんてない
たった一つの命の為 始まりの日 アノ日の懺悔
狂いそうだよ 何故に聞き流した
言霊を受け止めて返す
必要なのは『今』だから
次はないから
言霊を受け止めて返す
必要なのは『今』だから
次はない
言霊を打ち返してゆく
笑われたって構わない
二度とない様に
Romanisation
tooku de sakebu koe ga kikoeru dare mo inai yami ni mukatte
hirowarezu ni sugu ni kiete yuku kotodama
koe no mochinushi wo sagashite yami no naka wo hashirimawatte
mitsuketa no wa namida no ato dakiyosete mo sude ni nakigara
kowaresou da yo kaesu koto mo dekita
kotodama wo uchikaeshite yuku
warawareta tte kamawanai
nido to nai you ni
yagate sore wa densetsu to nari yagate sore wa meishin to nari
yagate sore wa kagaku to natte hiromaru
sonna koto nado dou datte ii sonna koto nado imi nante nai
tatta hitotsu no inochi no tame hajimari no hi ano hi no zange
kuruisou da yo naze ni kikinagashita
kotodama wo uketomete kaesu
hitsuyou na no wa “ima” dakara
tsugi wa nai kara
kotodama wo uketomete kaesu
hitsuyou na no wa “ima” dakara
tsugi wa nai
kotodama wo uchikaeshite yuku
warawareta tte kamawanai
nidoto nai you ni
Translation
I could hear someone screaming in the distance. I faced the empty darkness.
The kotodama disappeared immediately. I did not gather them.
I searched for the owner of those words, and I ran around in the darkness.
I discovered them after they had finished crying. Though I embraced them, I was too late – they were a corpse.
You looked broken. You were able to return them, too…
I’ll turn back the kotodama.
I don’t care if they laugh at me.
I’ll do this so it won’t happen again.
Eventually, it became a legend. Eventually, it became a superstition.
Eventually, it became science and spread.
Such things do not matter. Such things have no meaning.
This is my repentance for the sake of one life. For the day it all began. That day.
You seemed like you were about to go mad. Why did I ignore you?
I stop the kotodama and return them
Because all that matters is “now.”
Nothing will come afterwards, so…
I stop the kotodama and return them
Because all that matters is “now.”
Nothing will come afterwards.
I’ll turn back the kotodama.
I don’t care if they laugh at me.
I’ll do this so it won’t happen again.
Releska 
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