三千世界
sanzensekai
Three Thousand Worlds

Vocals: 556t
Lyrics: Ke (毛)
Arranged by: Ke (毛)
Album: Will the living corpse have dream of tomorrow?
Circle: 回路-kairo-
Event: C80
Original Themes: –Extend Ash ~ Person of Hourai [エクステンドアッシュ ～ 蓬莱人]
–Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke [月まで届け、不死の煙]

Requested by: Marisa-Nya
Subtitled video courtesy of Marisa-Nya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKl_RepqT54

Translating this song was a challenge because of how… economical its lyrics are. In saying that, though, I always find it fascinating how lyricists can conjure up images with only a few words or syllables. I know I normally go on about the ‘vagueness’ of Japanese (mainly in relation to pronouns), but maybe it’s like that because it doesn’t really need all of those extra things to convey meaning. In other words, if there are things that don’t make sense, I’m the one to blame, not the lyricist >_<

About the title – from what I could gather, it’s a Buddhist term that roughly means ‘the universe’ or ‘the whole world.’ However, every time I’ve seen this word translated, it’s been translated literally (Three Thousand Worlds), so I went with the literal interpretation of it.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

地に手を着いて
這いつくばって
それでも良かった

chi ni te wo tsuite
haitsukubatte
sore demo yokatta

I went down on my hands and knees
And I crawled.
And yet, it was good.

一人でずっと
ひっそりとそっと
息をしてた

hitori de zutto
hissori to sotto
iki wo shiteta

Alone, always,
I quietly, softly,
Breathed.

いつからだろう
正しく覚えてはいないけれど
きっと楽しいだけのものではなかったはずだった

itsu kara darou
tadashiku oboete wa inai keredo
kitto tanoshii dake no mono de wa nakatta hazu datta

I wonder how long it’s been?
I don’t remember for sure,
But surely, it mustn’t have been something that was only fun.

それなら
この鳥篭の中も悪くない
蓋をして
閉じ篭って
見上げるだけ

sore nara
kono torikago no naka mo warukunai
futa wo shite
tojikomotte
miageru dake

If that is the case,
Then the inside of this cage isn’t so bad.
I put the lid on,
Seal myself away,
And only look upwards.

そうだ
明日は良い夢を見よう
だから今夜は
まだこの月を眺めていよう

sou da
ashita wa ii yume wo miyou
dakara kon’ya wa
mada kono tsuki wo nagameteiyou

That’s right.
Tomorrow, I shall have a good dream!
So tonight,
I shall still gaze upon this moon.

いつかはきっと忘れてゆく
でもそれで良いんだ
一つ一つ　丁寧にそっと
仕舞っておくから

itsuka wa kitto wasurete yuku
demo sore de iin da
hitotsu hitotsu teinei ni sotto
shimatte oku kara

Sooner or later, I will certainly begin to forget,
Though I’m okay with that.
Because one by one, carefully, softly,
I will put an end to them.

例えば
鈴の音
小さな魔法と
月の兎
竹森に
歴史の味

tatoeba
suzu no ne
chiisana mahou to
tsuki no usagi
takebayashi ni
rekishi no aji

For example,
The sounds of the bell,
That small sorcery,
The moon rabbits
Within the bamboo forest,
And the taste of history.

もう誰もいない、何もない世界で
残されたものは拾って
それでも

mou dare mo inai, nani mo nai sekai de
nokosareta mono wa hirotte
sore demo

In a world where nobody exists – where nothing exists anymore,
I have gathered up the things that were left behind.
And yet…

ああ明日は良い夢を見よう
笑って生きてゆけるような夢をきっと見よう

aa ashita wa ii yume wo miyou
waratte ikite yukeru you na yume wo kitto miyou

Tomorrow, I shall have a good dream!
Surely, I will have the sort of dream in which I can continue to live, smiling!