Album art.

さる || Monkey

Album art.

さる
saru
Monkey

Vocals: 初音ミク (Hatsune Miku)
Lyrics: 虻瀬犬 (ABU-SE-KEN)
Composed by: 虻瀬犬 (ABU-SE-KEN)
Album: OMOIBANA [Official site]
Release date: 20 September 2021

Requested by: 45415x + Mah

Update (19 December 2021): Correction to final stanza. Thanks Tackmyn!

According to the official site, each producer featured on this album was asked to write a song with a specific flower as its theme. This song’s flower is a lotus.

This track has a lot of Journey to the West references. The Japanese translation is on my reading list for 2022, so I may come back and update this if I spot any references!


歌詞

あぁ、それだ、その功夫映画を観た。子供騙しなんかに耽入った。
酒はノまぬ癖、将進酒を呑み、酔ったは気のみの酔猴拳。
真黒釈迦には報復を、と、蓮茶を奪ったら半殺された。
コソドロヘドロに塗られ織られ、そんなよーな襤褸切れだけは御免だった。

「ジーちゃん」とか「トーちゃん」とか「カーさん」とか「ニーさん」とか
そんなよーなモンばっかに憧れた。
恋だとか愛だったか女とか男とか、誰も何も序破急も教えてくりゃせん。

愛とは一体なんなんだ、子供だって馬鹿にすんな。
でも、なんだかこー安心すんのは、『子供であれ!』という事なんか?

旅は道連れ世の情け、渡る世間は鬼ばかり。

若気の至りとおれを産んだ、童を藁にし縋って笑う。
怨めど血気の盛りは絶えず、自分もおんなじ轍と知った。
さるだ。最悪だ。

知らんのよ、知らんのよ、なんだってんだよ、糞ッ垂れ、
悟るまで意地でも死にたかない。
恋したいさ、愛したい。だが故国を厭うような俺を、おれは許したかないなあ。

俺は一体なんなんだ。ぐーちゃぐちゃ、嗚、喚いていらあ。
あー寂しいな、なんでぇかな、寂しンだ、

愛、とは一体なんなんだ、おれが戴くモンなんか?
ぴんぴんころりと死んだ時は、君は泣いてくれりゃーしないか?

おれたちゃ生きてる、俺たちゃ生きてる!将進酒を呑めこの若造が。
恋だとか愛だとか、糞ッ垂れたモンなーだ、食って溶いて混ってさるが産まれンだ。

旅は道連れ世は情け、渡る世間に鬼はない。

「猿でも良い」と言ったが最後だ、子を成し、育み、蛇を屠る。
何番煎じかわからぬ異国の茶を食らう。

Romanisation

aa, sore da, sono kanfu eiga o mita. kodomo damashi nanka ni tan haitta.
sake wa nomanu kuse, shoushinshu o nomi, yotta wa ki no mi no suisaru-ken.
makkuro shaka ni wa houfuku o, to, rencha o ubattara han korosareta.
kondoro hedoro ni nurare orare, sonna yoo na borokire dake wa gomen datta.

“jii-chan” toka “too-chan” toka “kaa-san” toka “nii-san” toka
sonna yoo na mon bakka ni akogareta.
koi da toka ai datta ka onna toka otoko toka, dare mo nani mo johakyuu mo oshiete kuryasen.

ai to wa ittai nan nanda, kodomo datte baka ni sunna.
demo, nandaka koo anshin sun no wa, “kodomo de are!” to iu koto nanka?

tabi wa michidzure yo no nasake, wataru seken wa oni bakari.

wakage no itari to ore o unda, warabe o wara ni shi sugatte warau.
uramedo kekki no sakari wa taezu, jibun mo onnaji wadachi to shitta.
saru da. saiaku da.

shiran no yo, shiran no yo, nan datte ndayo, kusottare,
satoru made iji demo shinitakanai.
koishitai sa, aishitai. daga kokoku o itou you na ore o, ore wa yurushitakanai naa.

ore wa ittai nan nanda. guucha gucha, aa, omeite iraa.
aa sabishii na, nandee kana, sabishi nda.

ai, to wa ittai nan nanda, ore ga itadaku mon nanka?
pin pin korori to shinda toki wa, kimi wa naite kureryaa shinai ka?

ore-tacha ikiteru, ore-tacha ikiteru! shoushinshu o nome kono wakazou ga.
koi da toka ai da toka, kusottare mon naa da, kutte toite mazatte saru ga umare nda.

tabi wa michidzure yo wa nasake, wataru seken ni oni wa nai.

“saru demo ii” to itta ga saigo da, ko o nashi, hagekumi, hebi o hofuru.
nanban senji ka wakaranu ikoku no cha o kurau.

Translation

Oh yeah, I watched that kung fu movie. I was absorbed in its cheap tricks.
He doesn’t drink, but has some Shoushinshu then goes drunken monkey fighting. (1)
He cried “revenge upon pitch-black Shaka!” but was half-killed when he stole the lotus tea.
He’d only refuse that old rag, smeared by and woven into the thieving sludge.

Gramps, dad, mum, and my big bro
were the only people I idolised.
Love or romance, male or female, nobody taught me the script. (2)

What the hell is love? I’m a kid but don’t make fun of me.
Still, isn’t this peace of mind what they mean when they say “act your age!”

In travelling, companionship; in life, sorrow. The world is full of demons. (3)

He was born from the passions of youth, a baby clinging to straw and laughing.
He was bitter yet kept going. I was in the same rut.
I’m a monkey. It sucks.

I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care about anything, you bastard,
I don’t wanna die until I know it all.
I want to love, I want to feel romance. But I don’t wanna forgive the version of me who rejects my homeland.

Who the hell am I? I’m a sopping mess, crying my heart out.
I’m so lonely, why am I so lonely?

What the hell is love? Is it something I can have?
Won’t you cry for me when I die a natural death?

We’re alive, we’re all alive! Drink the Shoushinshu, youngster!
Whether it’s love or romance, those bastards eat, melt and mix together, and then monkeys are born.

In travelling, companionship; in life, kindness. There is no real devil in the world.

“I’m fine being a monkey.” Once I said that, I had a child, raised them, and slaughtered the snake.
I gulp down foreign tea that’s been boiled again and again.


Translator’s notes

(1) 将進酒 (shoushinshu) appears to be a reference to a poem of the same name by the Chinese poet Li Bai (李白). The phrase seems to be an invitation to start drinking, though it’s used in this song as if it’s the name of a specific drink. For more info and a Japanese translation of the original poem, see this resource.

(2) 序破急 (johakyuu) refers to the three-structure form of traditional Japanese performances: opening, middle, and climax (end). It has been broadly translated as ‘script’ here.

(3) These two phrases are corrupted versions of the proverbs that appear later in the song.


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Comments

4 responses to “さる || Monkey”

  1. 45415x Avatar
    45415x

    Thank you so much! ^_^

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Releska Avatar

      You’re welcome!! (^_^)

      Like

  2. Tackmyn Y. Avatar

    Marvellous translation as always.
    By the way, I think 「猿でも良い」と言ったが最後だ~ is this https://japanesetest4you.com/flashcard/learn-jlpt-n1-grammar-%E3%81%8C%E3%81%95%E3%81%84%E3%81%94-ga-saigo/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Releska Avatar

      Thanks! Greatly appreciated as always. I’ve updated the translation to reflect that usage of 最後.

      Liked by 1 person


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