うしろめたフィクション
ushirometa fikushon
Guilty Fiction
Vocals: 初音ミク (Hatsune Miku)
Lyrics: てにをは (Teniwoha)
Composed by: てにをは (Teniwoha)
Album: 女学生探偵物語 (Schoolgirl Detective Stories)
Artist: てにをは (Teniwoha)
Release date: 26 October 2016
Requested by: Tempera
Watch the official video on YouTube!
Update (31/12/2019): Some brief alterations to the translation. An additional section has been added translating some text that appears in the video
I say this all the time, but Teniwoha’s works demand knowledge of Japanese mystery tropes and wordplay to be interpreted. There’s a tension between what’s written and what isn’t written – each line could use at least one translation note.
This particular track places its focus on the Raven. We’ve heard him mentioned before, but we don’t really know who he is. Perhaps this track will make things clearer…?
Also, the title is unusual. うしろめた is just a little bit off 後ろめたい (ushirometai), which actually means ‘Guilty’. Getting rid of
い turns it into a verb, which is fine, except うしろめる isn’t actually a verb… As noted by Saryu in the comments below, it’s possible to interpret the title as ‘ushiro metafiction’.
歌詞
ナゾトキせずとも読者は死せず
某某氷菓子
薄口醤油をかけまして 生卵ととく そのこころは？
なにも意味などございません
いざヨナ抜き ラッパ呑み呑み
鯖のビッチ 魅せろ凶器の五段活用
「ヤツを逃がすな。変装だ！」
ネヴアモア
蝶のようにマイウェイ 蜂のようにさすらい
ナンマンダブステップで涅槃 うしろめたフィクション
ネヴアモア
皆様知らざあ云って聞かせましょう
「二度とはございません。」
Honey Hot Head とんでもないね これぞ外連味
ツァラトゥストラはとく片栗粉
take it easy テキトーで言いぜ 遠い未来のトロイメライ
現実要らずの優れもの
いざニロ抜き やっぱノリノリ
鯖の煮付け 腹が減っては戦は出禁
「ヤツの真の目的は、探偵育成なのだ」
「な、な、なんだってー！？」
ネヴアモア
「チッチッチ」甘いぜ Who’s in Rise in And rumble
Kick you なんて素敵なキッチュ 抱きしめたフィクション
ネヴアモア
週末にゃあの娘とグランギニョる御予定
述べるNovel 机上の暴論？
さあさあかわいい探偵さん お代は解いてのお孵りだ
いつか素敵な大人になれますか？
「二度とない」
先生はまともな人になれますか？
「二度とない」
怪盗っていったいなんですか？
「二度とない」
鴉は罰を受けて黒くされたんですか？
「二度とない」「二度とない」「二度とない」
ネヴアモア
蝶のようにマイウェイ 蜂のようにさすらい
ナンマンダブステップで涅槃 うしろめたフィクション
ネヴアモア
皆様知らざあ云って聞かせましょう
我こそ大鴉ってなもんさ
ずっとずっとあいこでしょ。
Romanisation
nazotoki sezu to mo dokusha wa shi sezu
soregashi nanigashi koorigashi
usukuchi shouyu o kakemashite namatamago to toku sono kokoro wa?
nani mo imi nado gozaimasen
iza yona nuki rappa nomi nomi
saba no bicchi misero kyouki no godan katsuyou
“yatsu o nigasu na. hensou da!”
nevamoa
chou no you ni maiuei hachi no you ni sasurai
nanmandabusuteppu de nehan ushirometa fikushon
nevamoa
minasama shirazaa itte kikasemashou
“nido to wa gozaimasen.”
Honey Hot Head tondemonai ne kore zo keren mi
tsaratusutora wa toku katakuriko
take it easy tekitoo de ii ze tooi mirai no toroimerai
genjitsu irazu no sugure mono
iza niro nuki yappa nori nori
saba no nitsuke hara ga hette wa ikusa wa dekin
“yatsu no shin no mokuteki wa, tantei ikusei na no da”
“na, na, nanda tte!?”
nevamoa
“chicchicchi” amai ze Who’s in Rise in And rumble
Kick you nante suteki na kicchu dakishimeta fikushon
nevamoa
shuumatsu nya ano ko to guranginyoru go-yotei
noberu Novel kijou no bouron?
saa saa kawaii tantei san odai wa yoite no okaeri da
itsuka suteki na otona ni naremasuka?
“nido to nai”
sensei wa matomo na hito ni naremasuka?
“nido to nai”
kaitou tte ittai nan desuka?
“nido to nai”
karasu wa batsu o ukete kuroku sareta ndesuka?
“nido to nai” “nido to nai” “nido to nai”
nevamoa
chou no you ni maiuei hachi no you ni sasurai
nanmandabusuteppu de nehan ushirometa fikushon
nevamoa
minasama shirazaa itte kikasemashou
ware koso oogarasu tte na mon sa
zutto zutto aiko desho.
Translation
The reader does not die, though they do not solve the riddle.
Somebody, so-and-so, and sherbet…
I call it soy sauce and explain it as raw egg. As for the reason…? (1)
Well, there’s no meaning to it at all!
Now, engulf them with a pentatonic scale from the trumpet!
You mackerel b****. I’ll charm you with deadly verb conjugations. (2)
“I won’t let him get away. Time to disguise!”
Nevermore.
I go my way, like a butterfly. I roam like a bee.
I find salvation through my faith in dubstep. Guilty fiction. (3)
Nevermore.
Nobody knows? Well, let me tell you… (4)
“This won’t happen twice.”
Honey hot head. It’s outrageous! It’s just a bluff.
I’ll explain Zarathustra as starch.
Take it easy. You gotta say it casually. Dream about the distant future.
The superior ones don’t need reality.
Now, a minor pentatonic scale! That’s lively, too.
Mackerel and veggies in soy sauce. You can’t fight on an empty stomach!
“His true motive is… to train detectives.”
“Wh-wh-whaaat?!”
Nevermore.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk” How naive. Who’s in rise in and rumble?
Kicking you would be such splendid kitsch. I held fiction close to me.
Nevermore.
This weekend, I have plans for Grand Guignol with that young lady.
I note that novel. Is there an irrational academic argument?
Now, now, my adorable detective! Your fee will hatch from your solution.
Can I someday grow into a wonderful adult?
“Nevermore.”
Can you become an honest man, Professor?
“Nevermore.”
What on earth is that thief, anyway?
“Nevermore.”
Did the Raven receive their punishment and become blackened?
“Nevermore.” “Nevermore.” “Nevermore.”
Nevermore.
I go my way, like a butterfly. I roam like a bee.
I find salvation through my faith in dubstep. Guilty fiction.
Nevermore.
Nobody knows? Well, let me tell you…
“I myself am the grand raven” or, something like that.
It’ll always, always be even between us.
Translator’s notes
(1) This pattern (○○とかけて△△と解く。その心は□□) is a type of wordplay called なぞかけ (Nazokake).
(2) 鯖のビッチ (saba no bicchi) appears to be a corruption of サノバビッチ (sano ba bicchi, son of a b****).
(3) ナンマンダブステップ is a corruption of なんまんだぶ (nanmandabu), a Buddhist expression of faith.
(4) This phrase was made popular in kabuki, and now appears often in anime and manga.
Transcription and translation of selected text from the video, in roughly chronological order.
てにをははようかい
サアサア、遊ビマショオ
開宴
大鴉
Teniwoha is a youkai
Come now, let’s play!
The banquet begins
The Raven
全テハメタフィクション
何ンデモアッテ
何モナイ
Everything is metafiction
Everything’s there.
It’s nothing at all.
オサゲ探偵サン偏屈作家ノ先生
サアサア始マリ始マリ
The detective has braids. The Professor is a stubborn author.
Come on, it’s starting, it’s starting!
身体測定
Body measurements.
大腿四頭筋
大腿二頭筋
大腿骨頭
腓腹筋
前脛骨筋
脛骨
Quadriceps muscle.
Biceps femoris muscle.
Head of the femur.
Gastrocnemius muscle.
Tibialis anterior muscle.
Tibia.
構築
Construction.
[The image labelled ナ抜き音階 (Pentatonic scale) explains the pentatonic scale. It’s a regular major scale but without the 4th or 7th notes (‘fa’ and ‘ti’).]
遊んダ後ハオ片ヅケシマショ
After playing, let’s tidy up.
空隙
Blank space.
弐の段
The second level.
うしろめたフィクション
Guilty Fiction
痛かったら手を上げて下さひ。
止めませんけれどね
If it hurts, raise your hand.
I won’t stop, though.
片道書簡其の１
謎が深まる折、いかがお過ごしでせうか
One-way letter 1:
How are you spending the time as the mystery deepens?
片道書簡其の２
先生の御本、いつも楽しく読しております
One-way letter 2:
Professor, I always enjoy reading your books.
匿名希望 「せんせのいじわる」
Tokumei Kibou (Lit. ‘wishing to remain anonymous’): “Professor, you’re such a bully!”
先生 「お藥出しておさますね」
Professor: “I’ll get some medicine prepared.”
*この物語は(うしろめた)フィクションです。実在しない人物・団体とは
一切関係がないとも云い切れません。
*This tale is (guilty) fiction. I can’t say with confidence that there’s no relation to people or organisations that don’t exist.
秘匿
Hiding
片道書簡其の３
私、是でも先生の熱狂的信者を自稱（自称）しております
One-way letter 3:
Even so, well… I’m a self-styled fanatic of yours, Professor.
片道書簡其の４
まだお会いした事ありませんけれど、出来る事なら先生の子供を産みとう御座ひます。
One-way letter 4:
We haven’t met each other just yet, but if possible, I’d love to give birth to your baby, Professor.
片道書簡其の５
それはさておきまして、ここからあえて苦言を呈する非禮（非礼）を許し下さひ。
One-way letter 5:
Well, let’s put that aside for a moment. Please forgive my impoliteness for the frank advice I’m about to offer.
片道書簡其の６
と云いますのも此の度の作品のトリック、私にはいささかアンフェアが過ぎるように思われてならないのです。
One-way letter 6:
I say that, but that’s one of the tricks behind the current work. It can’t help but seem like something unfair has passed.
片道書簡其の7
だって、あれを許してしまったら日本推理小説界はお仕舞いです。破滅です。
One-way letter 7:
After all, if you allow that to happen, then the world of Japanese detective novels will meet its end. It would be utterly ruined.
バスカヴィル家の猫
The Cat of the Baskervilles
片道書簡其の８
あのような作品を書く先生なんて嫌いです。絶對（絶対）に許さない。嫌い、嫌い、嫌いよ。でもやっぱり好き。
One-way letter 8:
Professor, I hate you when you write works like that. I’ll never forgive you. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. Even so, I love you.
刺殺
毒殺
Stabbing.
Poisoning.
片道書簡其の９
ですからお腹の子供も必ず無事に産みます。良い子に育てます。
One-way letter 9:
And so, I’ll make sure to safely give birth to the child inside me. I’ll raise them well.
絞殺
暗殺
毆殺
Strangling.
Assassination.
Beating.
片道書簡其の10
名前ももう決めてあるの。男の子だったらてにヲ。女の子だったらてに子。
One-way letter 10:
I’ve already decided on a name. If they’re a boy, they’ll be Teniwo. If they’re a girl, they’ll be Teniko.
斬殺
壓殺
謀殺
惱殺
解いてみな
止
あ うん
空隙
Put to the sword.
Crushing to death.
Premeditated murder.
Enchanting.
Try and solve it!
Stop.
Ah, Un.
Blank space.
The final image of the video (at roughly 3:25) contains the following elements:
- A three-tiered hexagon. The layer closest to the middle alternates between two kanji: 陽 (you, light/yang) and 陰 (in, darkness/yin). The middle layer contains the first two lines of the Iroha poem, which contains all of the hiragana characters: いろはにほへと ちりぬるを (lit. even the blossoming flowers will eventually scatter). The outer layer has a series of seemingly unrelated numbers.
- Two fragments, あ (a) and うん (un). These represent the beginning and end of all things respectively. You often see them represented by komainu statues.
Releska 
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