凡宵思案
hanshou shian
Thoughts from an Ordinary Night

Vocals: 根音ネネ (Nene Nene), 滲音かこい (Nizimine Kakoi)
Lyrics: ある調味料 (Aru Choumiryou)
Composed by: ある調味料 (Aru Choumiryou)
Release Date: September 24, 2015

Requested by: Saryu
Watch the official video here!

I’ve never encountered a track that posed as many conundrums as this one. I don’t mean that in a bad way – the lyrics are utterly fascinating. However, they act as a vehicle for a bunch of references to science.

The lyricist offers a phrase-by-phrase interpretation on their blog, which is what got me over the line this time. This translation still does not come close to conveying the artistry of the references. This song actually does need one or two translation notes per line (^_^); I can’t convey all of the explanatory notes, and to be honest the few that are here were chosen almost randomly.

Please let me know if there’s a particular line you’d like to hear more about and I’m happy to go back and translate the explanatory passage – I just can’t do it all in one go, unfortunately… Other references include Schrodinger’s Cat, Cartesian theatre, Laplace’s Demon, Paul Weiss’ Thought Experiment, and many many many more.

The lyricist sets the scene as follows: this song relates to a weird dream born from night tales. You get into bed and decide you’re going to fall asleep, and in that buoyant state, you ramble incoherently before you fall asleep…

(Since there’s two people singing, I assume that the above comment relates to two people having a sleepover, or something like that).

The title is translated as “A Brief Thought” on a Youtube video, but nothing in the title indicates that the thought is brief (unless this is an official translation). 凡宵 (hanshou) seems to be a combination of 凡 (ordinary/mediocre) and 宵 (evening). 思案 is a proper word that means ‘thought’.

それから　明日の話　幕は下ろし
夜具の中夢を見ては
ただ　まだ　ああだ　こうだ
黙(もだ)々　思うだけ？
いまさら　僕の話？　書き屋降ろし
ラグも過多がたも来てさ
程々に　解く
夢は余程に揺らいだか？

sore kara asu no hanashi maku wa oroshi
yagu no naka yume o mite wa
tada mada aa da kou da
moda moda omou dake?
ima sara boku no hanashi? kakiya oroshi
ragu mo kata gata mo kite sa
hodo hodo ni hodoku
yume wa yohodo ni yuraida ka?

What happens next is a story for tomorrow. The curtains fell.
In my pyjamas, I was dreaming.
But, still, it’s like that, it’s like this.
Do you just anguish over it?
You’d like to talk about me, after so long? There’s a new writer.
Lag is in abundance. Seems like things will fall apart.
Undone in moderation,
Did my dream waver a lot?

ねえ　君もお越し　枕は無し
迂愚(うぐ)はまだ過去を見てる
諾々と　集(すだ)く
濁々　噛み砕き
それなら　背伸びをおし　急くのは無し
漁具はまた空を釣らばこそ

nee kimi mo o-koshi makura wa nashi
ugu wa mada kako o miteru
takudaku to sudaku
dakudaku kami kudaki
sore nara senobi o oshi seku no wa nashi
gyogu wa mata sora o tsuraba koso

Hey, you’re coming, too. We have no pillows.
The ignorant ones are still watching the past.
They gather obediently,
Munching noisily.
In that case, stretch yourself. There’s no rush.
It’s only because you’re casting your line into the void again.

めいめい共倒れ！
ああ　さがなき稚(いとけな)い凝(こご)

mei mei tomodaore!
aa saga naki itokenai kogo

Everyone, fall together!
Ah… What a malicious, childish mental block.

ああ　クオリア・ウォーリアー！
逆さまの様々(ようよう)
モノクロマリーのラボの周りで
繋ぐ手と　眩む目の向こう側
ラプラスは笑んで言葉を編んだの、

aa kuoria uooriaa!
sakasama no youyou
monokuro marii no rabo no mawari de
tsunagu te to kuramu me no mukougawa
rapurasu wa hohoende kotoba o anda no,

Ah, qualia warrior!
Various qualities are all reversed,
Surrounding monochrome Mary’s laboratory. (1)
Linked hands and the back of dazzled eyes…
Laplace smiled and compiled words.

賢し子と　君のことを愛した
僕らと彼らの臍の緒を
さあ　「フーディエの夢は
もう見飽きた？」と
うろうろヒェロナの出口を見つけて

kashikoshi ko to kimi no koto o aishita
bokura to karera no heso no o o
saa “fuudie no yume wa
mou miakita?” to
uro uro hierona no deguchi o mitsukete

I loved the wise children and you,
And I cut the umbilical cord between us and them.
Now, “Have you seen enough
of the hudie’s dream?”
I discovered an exit used by the loitering cheló̱na. (2)

――僕を忘れて。

…boku o wasurete.

…Forget about me.

そしたら　別の話　櫛の歯越し
檻の中天(あめ)を見ては
じめじめと　綴じ目
締め　占め　綴るだけ？
これから　泣くのは止し　その日の由　
マグの波(は)に身を投じて
努々に　夢む
答は然程に遠いのか？

soshitara betsu no hanashi kushi no hagoshi
ori no naka ame o mite wa
jime jime to tojime
akirame urame tsudzuru dake?
kore kara naku no wa yoshi sono hi no yoshi
magu no ha ni mi o toujite
yume yume ni yumemu
kotae wa sahodo ni tooi no ka?

And then, that’s a different story, one beyond the comb’s teeth.
Within a cage, I looked at Heaven.
The swampman and the seams—
Do you just fasten them, hold them, then stitch them up?
From now on, I’ll stop crying because of that day.
I throw myself into magnesium waves.
I will certainly dream.
Is the answer not very far away?

ねえ　寄る辺も無し　夜も遅し
祝(ほ)ぐものは既に失せて
止処　歯止めなく
百々(どど)に繰り返して
いつから　接(つ)ぐ枝(え)は無し？　学者殺し
歯車は空に吊らばこそ

nee yorube mo nashi yoru mo ososi
hogu mono wa sude ni nakusete
tomedo hadome naku
dodo ni kurikaeshite
itsu kara tsugue wa nashi? gakusha koroshi
haguruma wa sora ni tsuraba koso

Hey, I have nowhere to go, and it’s late at night.
The ones who pray have already vanished.
With no end or restraint,
It continues, drawing close and growing distant.
For how long has there been no connecting branch? Kill the scholar.
If the gears hang from the sky…

せいぜい枝(し)を手折れ！
ああ　故なき居丈の竃馬(いとど)

seizei shi o teore!
aa yue naki itake no itodo

Break that thin branch with your bare hands, as much as you can!
Ah… That reasonless cave cricket, so tall when it’s seated.

うたた寝を　夢見鳥に変じた
僕もまた君に変わりなく

utatane o yumemichou ni enjita
boku mo mata kimi ni kawari naku

My dozing transformed into a butterfly.
Once again, I remain as you, without change.

ああ　ライアー・モンティー！
気紛れの様相
タイプライターに罪は無いのさ
一枚の　板きれを掴んだ
僕はまた君を手にかけたのか

aa raiaa montii!
kimagure no yousou
taipuraitaa ni tsumi wa nai no sa
ichimai no itakire o tsukanda
boku wa mata kimi o te ni kaketa no ka

Ah… Liar Monty!
You are capricious
yet the typewriter is innocent!
I clung to a scrap of wood.
Did I kill you again?

ねえ　「バベルの本は
まだ居ないの？」と
昨日街で見た少女は問うてさ
知らぬこと　知れぬことを解した
僕の枝(し)はいつか君に満ち

nee “baberu no hon wa
mada inai no?” to
kinou machi de mita shoujo wa tou te sa
shiranu koto shirenu koto o hodoshita
boku no shi wa itsuka kimi ni michi

Listen—“Babel’s book
still isn’t here, is it?”
That’s what the girl I saw in the street asked yesterday.
I understood something I didn’t know—something unknown to all.
My branch will eventually grow full inside you. (3)

さあ　テーター・エルヴィン！
生真面目な動揺
開かない箱には鳴かない猫を
いつの間に　僕のことを貫いた
彼の死は僕をすこしだけ壊した。

saa teetaa eruvin!
kimajime na douyou
akanai hako ni wa nakanai neko o
itsu no ma ni boku no koto o tsuranuita
kare no shi wa boku o sukoshi dake kowashita.

Now, täter Erwin! (4)
Feel honest agitation.
Place a cat that won’t meow inside a box that won’t open.
Before I knew it, it pierced through me.
His death broke me, just a little.

そう　「三十日の僕は
僕であるか？」と
舵を壊したテセウスを通じて

sou “misoka no boku wa
boku de aru ka?” to
kaji o kowashita teseusu o tsuujite

Yes—“Am I, on the last day of the month,
Really me?”
That question was posed through Theseus’ broken rudder.

――君を求めて。

…kimi o motomete.

…I want you.

(1) This is a reference to マリーの部屋 (marii no heya – Mary’s Room), a thought experiment related to mental states and perceptions of reality.
(2) The two foreign words used here (hudie and cheló̱na) mean butterfly and turtle in Chinese and Greek, respectively.
(3) This line is a reference to the teletransportation paradox, which is a thought experiment on the philosophy of identity. It was made popular by Derek Parfit.
(4) テーター (teetaa, täter) is German for culprit. Erwin is Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger.