明鏡鬼童
meikyou oni warabe
The Demon Child in the Clear Mirror

Vocals: Hatsune Miku (初音ミク), GUMI
Lyrics: Masa (まさ)
Composed by: Masa (まさ)
Circle: -MASA Works DESIGN-
Release Date: March 29, 2012

Requested by: Masa Fan
Watch the official video here!

You’re probably here because you know all about Masa, but just in case, be careful! This song includes dark subject matter like gore and animal abuse.

This is very typical of Masa, though. You’ve got Japanese mythology mixed in with some sort of overarching narrative. This song also makes reference to the Hannya 般若, a common mask in Noh theatre and a type of oni. The Hannya is a woman who has transformed into a demon after being consumed by jealousy.

As always, Masa’s lyrics are an intriguing tangled web. One part, つぐわの下僕, proved absolutely inscrutable. Is Tsuguwa (つぐわ) a person’s name? Is it grammatical (i.e. 注ぐ我)? Perhaps we will never know the answer…

Also, one interpretation of kagome (かごめ) from Kagome Kagome is ‘pregnant woman’ (籠女).

おいで　おいで　鬼童
重し責め　石抱きを　抱いて

oide oide oni warabe
omoshi seme ishidaki o daite

Come, come, demon child—
Embrace your heavy persecution, your trial by stone. (1)

めんこい笑顔で　皆、欺いた
般若の小娘　鬼の背面は
豚の腹を裂き　猫の首を刈り
楽しく踊れば　明日も笑える

menkoi egao de minna azamuita
hannya no komusume oni no haimen wa
buta no hara o saki neko no kubi o kari
tanoshiku odoreba asu mo waraeru

She deceived everyone with a charming smile
but a demon lay within the young hannya.
She tears through the pig’s stomach, cuts the cat’s throat,
And when she dances joyfully, she can smile again tomorrow.

小太鼓片手に　畜を呼び寄せて
般若の小娘　隠れた娯楽は
鼠磨り潰し　雀を砕いて
楽しく食べれば　明日も笑える

kodaiko katate ni chiiku o yobiyosete
hannya no komusume kakureta goraku wa
nezumi suri tsubushi suzume o kudaite
tanoshiku tabereba asu mo waraeru

With a small drum in hand, she calls the livestock over.
The young hannya hid her pleasures—
She pulverises rats, smashes up tree sparrows,
And when she joyfully consumes them, she can smile again tomorrow.

血に染めた　その手に　啼いた 嘘の私
肉の山　食べ尽くし　次は 明日

chi ni someta sono te ni naita uso no watashi
niku no yama tabe tsukushi tsugi wa ashita

My false self made animal noises in her bloodstained hands.
She consumes a mountain of meat—the next time is tomorrow.

た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
鬼　鬼　鬼姫　後生の頼みだ
た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
哀れな家畜に極楽浄土を
た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
首　首　首無し　舞姫迎えて
た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
終わりは始まり　無常の世界へ

ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
oni oni oni hime goshou no tanomi da
ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
aware na kachiku ni gokuraku joudo o
ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
kubi kubi kubinashi maihime mukaete
ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
owari wa hajimari mujou no sekai e

Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
The demon princess follows the afterlife’s request.
Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
She grants the pitiful livestock paradise. (2)
Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
Headless dancing girls are the ones she welcomes.
Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
The end begins. Now, to a transient world—

絞柱に括り　血を　流す
歓楽母親　死ぬ　赤子

kouchuu ni kukuri chi o nagasu
kanraku hahaoya shinu akago

Hung at the gallows, blood flows.
The happy mother’s children die.

丑三つの前さ　女は語る
般若の母親　最後の話しは
子供が出来たと　お腹を擦ると
安酒を浴びた　つぐわの下僕

ushimitsu no mae sa onna wa kataru
hannya no haha ya saigo no hanashi wa
kodomo ga dekita to onaka o sasuru to
yasuzake o abita tsuguwa no geboku

A woman speaks in the dead of night— (3)
It is the hannya’s mother, telling the last tale.
Upon becoming pregnant, she scrubbed at her stomach
and was flooded with sake poured by her servant.

腐りきった　その面　見ると 抑えきれず
三日月の　形した　刃物 握る

kusari kitta sono tsura miru to osae kirezu
mikatsuki no katachi shita hamono nigiru

When you gaze upon her rotten face, she is uncontrollable.
She grasps her tool, shaped like a crescent moon.

かごめかごめ　籠の中の鳥は
いついつ出やる　後ろの正面だあれ？

kagome kagome kago no naka no tori wa
itsu itsu deyaru ushiro no shoumen daare?

Kagome kagome! O bird, locked in your cage—
When will you come out? Who’s behind you now?

あ

a

Ah.

た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
墓前の黒猫　母親を喰らう
た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
哀れな下僕に　極楽浄土を
た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
鬼　鬼　鬼姫　後生の頼みだ
た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
暗闇の中で　意識を閉じる

ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
bozen no kuroneko hahaoya o kurau
ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
aware geboku ni gokuraku joudo o
ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
oni oni oni hime goshou no tanomi da
ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
kurayami no naka de ishiki o tojiru

Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
The black cat in front of the grave eats its mother.
Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
It grants the pitiful servants paradise.
Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
The demon princess follows the afterlife’s request.
Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
In the darkness, she loses consciousness.

かごめかごめ　籠の中の鳥は
いついつ出やる　後ろの正面

kagome kagome kago no naka no tori wa
itsu itsu deyaru ushiro no shoumen

Kagome kagome! O bird, locked in your cage—
When will you come out? Who’s behind you now?

た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
鬼　鬼　鬼姫　後生の頼みだ
た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
哀れな家畜に　極楽浄土を
た　た　たたた　た　た　たたた
両手を合わせた　着物の少女は
たたたたたたたたたた
狐の祭壇　化け猫の祈り

ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
oni oni oni hime goshou no tanomi da
ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
aware na kachiku ni gokuraku joudo o
ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
ryoute o awaseta kimono no shoujo wa
ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta
kitsune no saidan bakeneko no inori

Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
The demon princess follows the afterlife’s request.
Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
She grants the pitiful livestock paradise.
Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
The girl in her kimono placed her hands together.
Rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat, rat-a-rat-a-tat.
At the altar of the kitsune, she prayed to the bakeneko.

(1) 石抱き (ishidaki) is a form of torture where you kneel on triangular slabs and heavy stones are placed in your lap.
(2) 極楽浄土 (gokuraku joudo) is a ‘Pure Land’ in Buddhist mythology.
(3) 丑三つ (ushi mitsu) is a time between 2 and 2:30 am, and is poetically referred to as the ‘dead of night.’