なにいろ小径 || What Colour is Your Path?

なにいろ小径
nani iro shoukei
What Colour is Your Path?

Vocals: nayuta
Lyrics: RD-Sounds
Arranged by: RD-Sounds
Album: 随 (Manima) [Official site]
Circle: 凋叶棕 (Diao ye zong)
Event: Reitaisai 14 [RTS14]
Original theme: Spring Lane ~ Colorful Path [春色小径～ Colorful Path]

Requested by: Petalite Yuu

This song seems to be about someone close to Reimu who’s watching her go about her business. Could there be more than one person? Possibly. I’ll leave that to your imagination…

I decided to translate the title as a question, though the Japanese title isn’t necessarily posed as a direct question [it feels more like ‘an unknown-coloured path’]. This is because of how I translated the phrase when it appears in the text. It still feels a bit cumbersome, so I’d be interested to hear other suggestions/opinions!

非公式の英訳/Unofficial translation

Carrying a small package in your arms,
You lightly walk about.

Now, going this way and that, will you find something delicious to eat?
You cram rice cakes, apricots, and teacakes into your bag.
The space inside that cloth bag must be bursting with dreams, right?

If this road continues forever,
Then I’ll continue along with you. That’s right—it’s still not enough.

Because the sky is so high above me and so blue,
I still feel good even if I can’t fly.
Each time your dream-coloured eyes blink, the townscape changes. What can you see?

What colour is the landscape? What colour is your path?

Though the bundle in your hands grows larger,
You’re still wandering about. It’s like you don’t have a clue where you’re going.

Now, here or there? Are you still having trouble deciding, perhaps?
Your hairpin, your ribbon, your shoes, and even your clothes are in my sights.
You must just look like an ordinary girl, right?

No matter what lies at the end of this path,
I guess it’ll end up turning into some sort of fabulous encounter, for sure…

Because the sky is so vast, so weightless,
You don’t have to worry about anything. (←Carefree)
Even if you’re a shrine maiden, I guess I just really, really like you! Am I in love with you?

What colour is the landscape? What colour is your path?

The colours of spring… sky-blue… the colour of illusions, and your colours, too—
I wonder what colour I can look forward to seeing in that place where you walk today?

If days like this happen once in a while,
Then might I be able to find something better than flying
Not just today, but tomorrow as well?

Because the sky is so deep, so clear,
That path might continue without end.
Alright then—I’ll let only those words ride upon the wind. I wonder where you’ll head next?

What colour is the landscape? What colour is your path?

Posted

24 May 2017

英訳だけ, Translations

Releska

Tags:

Diao ye zong, 随, Manima, RTS14

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4 responses to “なにいろ小径 || What Colour is Your Path?”

歌詞解釈：凋叶棕 – [随 #05] なにいろ小径

24 November 2017

[…] さんが歌詞の翻訳を書いています（なにいろ小径 || What Colour is Your Path? – Releska）。私の解釈では観察者は自身に一切触れていないのに対し、Releska […]

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「なにいろ小径」 || 凋叶棕 | Petalite Yuu

29 May 2017

[…] 「なにいろ小径」 ||「Nani Iro Shoukei」 “What colour is your path?” “Màu của con đường cậu đi là gì?” Album: 随 -manima- (Complying) Circle: 凋叶棕 (Diao ye zong) Arrangement: RD-Sounds Lyrics: RD-Sounds Vocal: nayuta Original title: 春色小径　～ Colorful Path (Spring Lane ~ Colorful Path [Reimu Hakurei’s Theme]) Source: 東方花映塚　～ Phantasmagoria of Flower View (Touhou Kaeidzuka ~ Phantasmagoria of Flower View) Event: Reitaisai 14 English Translation: Releska […]

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releska

26 May 2017

Thanks for that! I must admit, reading your interpretation made me look at the song in a completely different way. I like the simplicity that comes from looking at the song entirely from the perspective of someone watching Reimu, leaving out how they feel about them. I feel like I might have been overcomplicating things a bit (^_^;)

In regards to 次はどこへと　向かっていくの, I initially thought that that section linked to そんな言葉, but I now think it makes more sense if it’s linked to Reimu instead, like you wrote above. Plus, it means that the next line can remain consistent with the others.

Putting that aside, though, thanks once again for your insight and your interpretation! I feel like my understanding of the song has been enriched by reading that (^_^)

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空見りんき

26 May 2017

Hello. Thank you for your translation.

“This song seems to be about someone close to Reimu who’s watching her go about her business.”

I agree with this, but there are some parts I interpret differently from you.
In your interpretation, some parts, such as “I’ll continue along with you” and “Am I in love with you?”, refer to the relation between Reimu and the watcher, or refer to the watcher.
By contrast, in mine there are no such parts. That is to say, the watcher never describe her/himself.
I think both will work.

Below is a translation where I changed some lines from yours, reflecting my interpretation.
I put “*” at the heads of the lines where I changed words.

In all stanzas I have stuck to the idea of the watcher describing Reimu, though I feel there can be some lines where Reimu speaks by herself.
This may be another controversial point in this song.

============================================================
Carrying a small package in your arms,
You lightly walk about.

Now, going this way and that, will you find something delicious to eat?
You cram rice cakes, apricots, and teacakes into your bag.
The space inside that cloth bag must be bursting with dreams, right?

If this road continues forever,
* Then you’ll go forever, that’s you. It’s still not enough at all for you.

Because the sky is so high above me and so blue,
* You still feel good even if you don’t fly.
Each time your dream-coloured eyes blink, the townscape changes. What can you see?

What colour is the landscape? What colour is your path?

Though the bundle in your hands grows larger,
You’re still wandering about. It’s like you don’t have a clue where you’re going.

Now, here or there? Are you still having trouble deciding, perhaps?
* You are interested in hairpins, ribbons, shoes, and also clothes.
You must just look like an ordinary girl, right?

No matter what lies at the end of this path,
I guess it’ll end up turning into some sort of fabulous encounter, for sure…

Because the sky is so vast, so weightless,
You don’t have to worry about anything. (←Carefree)
* Even if you’re a shrine maiden, I guess you have wants of your own and are dying for them?

What colour is the landscape? What colour is your path?

The colours of spring… sky-blue… the colour of illusions, and your colours, too—
* I wonder what colour awaits you in that place where you walk today?

If days like this happen once in a while,
* Then might you be able to find something better than flying
Not just today, but tomorrow as well?

Because the sky is so deep, so clear,
That path might continue without end.
* “Good-bye then” — you let only those words ride upon the wind. I wonder where you’ll head next?

* What colour is the landscape? What colour is your path?
============================================================

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