幻想萬歳楽 || Illusory Manzairaku

幻想萬歳楽
gensou manzairaku
Illusory Manzairaku

Vocals: Meramipop (めらみぽっぷ)
Lyrics: RD-Sounds
Arranged by: RD-Sounds
Album: Tsutae (伝) 【Official Site】
Circle: Diao ye zong (凋叶棕)
Event: C91
Original Theme: The Lost Emotion [亡失のエモーション]

Requested by: Petalite Yuu

英訳だけです。申し訳ありません。

This track heavily borrows from ‘Okina’ [翁], a traditional work of Noh theatre. The main mask involved is the titular ‘old man’ mask, which Kokoro appears to be wearing on the album’s front cover.

Because it’s based on a Noh play, the language used is more traditional, which made it a challenge to translate. Overall, though, it deals with life. The speaker wishes good health and a long life for all.

Also, I’ve… actually brought some resources along this time! The first resource is Frank Alanson Lombard‘s An Outline History of Japanese Drama, published in 1928. It’s available to read for free (?) on Google Books. Though the book is almost 90 years old, it contains a translation of ‘Okina,’ from page 92, which informed my own translation of this track. This is another English-language resource talking about the details of the play, though it does not offer a translation. Finally, this Japanese site also discusses the play.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

To to tarata tararira
Tarari agari rararido
Chiriya tarari tararira
Tarari agari rarararido (1)

Together with the endless lives of the tortoise and the crane,
We rejoice, with hearts overflowing happily.

May life be granted, even for a thousand years.
May everyone’s lives continue for a thousand autumns!

Bloom for a thousand years
And last forever!
I shall dance, celebrating the joy
Of a thousand, ten thousand years!
Though people sit close by,
This dance
Is our prayer today.

Tararirira
Tarararira
Rarido

May life be granted forever.

As said above,
This is how things are.
And thus…

I pass it down, together with
This Manzairaku.

Be born, and live
As the peaceful, tranquil ‘old man.’ (2)

Even in the place I dwell in,
Auspicious things are present. May they continue!

I feel fear
Once more,
And thus, I cast away
The life dwelling in my body.

Happiness is,
As said above,
A single dance.
It is the art of those with life in their bodies.

Tararirira
Tarararira
Rarido

This peace is yet unending…

As said above,
This is how things are.
And thus…

I sing about it, together with
This Manzairaku.

Because I have not yet arrived at my destination,
I waver to and fro, and live.

Bearing emotions that I still do not comprehend,
I look upon this body of mine favourably.

Tararirira
Tarararira
Rarido

May life be granted forever.

As said above,
This is how things are.
And thus…

I pass it down, together with
This Manzairaku.

_ _ _ _ _

(1) These sections refer to either the sound of flowing water or an ancient liturgy (Lombard 1928, 92).
(2) The ‘old man’ refers to the mask used in this play: ‘Okina’ [翁]