Album art.

イロハニ文明開化 || Irohani Westernisation

Album art.

イロハニ文明開化
irohani bunmei kaika
Irohani Westernisation

Vocals: 鏡音リン (Kagamine Rin)
Lyrics: カラスヤサボウ (Karasu Yasabou)
Composed by: カラスヤサボウ (Karasu Yasabou)
Album: 文学少女インセイン (Insane Literature Girl)
Original upload date: 27 April 2013

Requested by: Saryu

This track is set during the Westernisation movement that took place during the Meiji era (1868-1912), which actually wasn’t very long ago!

Irohani (イロハニ) is the first four syllables of the ‘Iroha’ poem for remembering the Japanese hiragana. There’s a choice to ‘translate’ it as ABCs, but I feel like ‘Irohani’ might have been intended so I left it as it is.


歌詞

何処から何時から話はおかしくなっていた
てにをは合わずの言葉が虚ろになっていた
塞いだ耳でも確かに聞こえた世界は
間違いだらけさだらけさどうしようかねぇー

何処から何時から話はおかしくなっていた
てにをは合わずの言葉が虚ろになっていた
歪んだ知識は誰かが恐らく現実さ
化かして見せてよ貴方の描く通り
人好しと世に人は誰も
気付かずに目を閉じたまま
人波に溺れそうな毎日に
何を感じなくなる前に
さぁ、散切りな頭を叩いて
我(割れ)線を踏み越えて
鈍器になったの違いに放て閃光弾
間違いだらけの世界が回り出すその前に
そう、文明開化の音を鳴らせ
少年少女いざ時は来た

人好しと世に人は誰も
気付かずに目を閉じたまま
人波に溺れそうな毎日に
何を感じなくなる前に

さぁ、散切りな頭を叩いて
我(割れ)線を踏み越えて
鈍器になったの違いに放て閃光弾
最後通牒を傷つけなれた世界の前で
そう、文明開化の音を鳴らせ
キンチュウサイへ躍り込んで
さぁ、散切りな頭を叩いて
我(割れ)線を踏み越えて
鈍器になったの違いに放て閃光弾
間違いだらけの世界が回り出すその前に
そう、文明開化の音を鳴らせ
少年少女いざ時は来た

Romanisation

doko kara itsu kara hanashi wa okashiku natte ita
tenioha awazu no kotoba ga utsuro ni natte ita
fusaida mimi demo tashika ni kikoeta sekai wa
machigai darake sa darake sa dou shiyou ka nee

doko kara itsu kara hanashi wa okashiku natte ita
tenioha awazu no kotoba ga utsuro ni natte ita
yuganda chishiki wa dareka ga osoraku genjitsu sa
bakashite misete yo anata no egaku toori
hitoyoshi to yo ni hito wa dare mo
kidzukazu ni me o tojita mama
hitonami ni oboresou na mainichi ni
nani o kanjinaku naru mae ni
saa, zangiri na atama o tataite
waresen o fumikoete
donki ni natta no chigai ni hanate senkou dan
machigai darake no sekai ga mawari dasu sono mae ni
sou, bunmei kaika no oto o narase
shounen shoujo iza toki wa kita

hitoyoshi to yo ni hito wa dare mo
kidzukazu ni me o tojita mama
hitonami ni oboresou na mainichi ni
nani o kanjinaku naru mae ni

saa, zangiri na atama o tataite
waresen o fumikoete
donki ni natta no chigai ni hanate senkou dan
saigo tsuuchou o kizutsuke nareta sekai no mae de
sou, bunmei kaika no oto o narase
kinchuu sai e odori konde
saa, zangiri na atama o tataite
waresen o fumikoete
donki ni natta no chigai ni hanate senkou dan
machigai darake no sekai ga mawari dasu sono mae ni
sou, bunmei kaika no oto o narase
shounen shoujo iza toki wa kita

Translation

Since where, since when has this story become so strange?
The words that don’t match their particles were becoming hollow.
The world could be heard even with blocked ears.
It’s full of mistakes. Full of mistakes! What to do, what to do…

Since where, since when has this story become so strange?
The words that don’t match their particles were becoming hollow.
Twisted knowledge is, perhaps, reality to someone.
Enchant me, as you depict it.
All people in the world are good
and everyone, without noticing, kept their eyes shut.
Before becoming unable to feel anything
in days where one could drown in crowds of people…
Come on, rap your cropped head (1)
and step across the broken line. (2)
Fire flash bullets into the mistakes that became blunt weapons.
Before the world riddled with errors begins to turn,
yes—let off the sounds of Westernisation.
Boys and girls, the time has come!

All people in the world are good
and everyone, without noticing, kept their eyes shut.
Before becoming unable to feel anything
in days where one could drown in crowds of people…

Come on, rap your cropped head
and step across the broken line.
Fire flash bullets into the mistakes that became blunt weapons.
In front of the world that’s used to being wounded by ultimatums,
yes—let off the sounds of Westernisation
and rush into festival at the Imperial Palace.
Come on, rap your cropped head
and step across the broken line.
Fire flash bullets into the mistakes that became blunt weapons.
Before the world riddled with errors begins to turn,
yes—let off the sounds of Westernisation.
Boys and girls, the time has come!


Translator’s notes

(1) This section is a play on a song/phrase that was popular in the Meiji era (散切り頭を叩いてみれば文明開化の音がする – ‘When you rap your cropped head, it will make the sound of the Meiji Westernisation’). Everyone was cutting their topknots at this time, which is why ‘cropped head’ is referenced.

(2) Two versions of ‘ware‘ are written: 我 (ware, I/oneself) and 割れ (ware, broken).

Comments

3 responses to “イロハニ文明開化 || Irohani Westernisation”

  1. Saryu Avatar
    Saryu

    I actually managed to find a picture for the lyrics booklet! Turns out that what I gave you were actually lyrics transcribed by ear, oops. It was pretty blurry but I wrote it down as best I could. Here’s the link to the image in case you want to double-check anything: https://static.mercdn.net/item/detail/orig/photos/m49554725879_2.jpg?1657801411
    I know you’re sick right now so no pressure on updating the translation, I just want to post this ASAP so I won’t forget. Get better soon!

    何処から何時から話はおかしくなっていた?
    てにをは合わずの言葉が虚ろに舞っていた
    塞いだ耳でも確かに聞こえた
    「世界は間違いだらけさ」
    –どうしようか、ねぇ?

    何処から何時から
    話はおかしくなっていた?
    てにをは合わずの
    言葉が虚ろに舞っていた
    「歪んだ景色は誰かが嘯く現実さ
    正して見せてよ貴方の描く通り」

    ヒトヨヒトヨニ人は誰も
    気付かずに目を閉じたまま
    ヒトナミに溺れそうな毎日に
    何も感じなくなる前に

    散切り頭を叩いて割れ線を踏み越えて
    紋切り型の時代に放て閃光弾
    間違いだらけの世界が回り出すその前に
    文明開化の音を鳴らせ
    –少年少女よ さぁ、時は来た

    ヒトヨヒトヨニ人は誰も
    気付かずに目を閉じたまま
    ヒトナミニ溺れそうな毎日に
    何も感じなくなる前に

    さぁ、散切り頭を叩いて割れ線を踏み越えて
    紋切り型の時代に放て閃光弾
    最後通牒つきつけられた世界の前で
    文明開化の音を鳴らせ
    喧騒さえも飲み込んで

    散切り頭を叩いて割れ線を踏み越えて
    紋切り型の時代に放て閃光弾
    間違いだらけの世界が回り出すその前に
    文明開化の音を鳴らせ
    –少年少女よ さぁ、時は来た

    Like

    1. Releska Avatar

      Thanks for the well wishes and for sending the lyrics through! I’ve saved a copy of the transcription and the booklet so I’ll update it when things settle down a bit (^_^)

      Like

      1. Saryu Avatar
        Saryu

        You’re welcome! Actually, I noticed two mistakes with my transcription: the anata in 貴方の描く通り is actually written in hiragana, and ヒトナミに is actually supposed to have a katakana ni both times. The first one isn’t too important, but the second does give some context to help you realize that ニ人 is ‘ni hito’ and not ‘futari’. Though that’s much easier to notice with the audio…
        Here’s a link to a Youtube upload, it might be useful for making out the lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xi-zWLmfAE

        Liked by 1 person


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