Requested by: 指足り

This seems to be a heartbreaking song about a person who loses their friend while they’re still young…

I have to give credit to this site. The author provided a useful interpretation of the song that I referred to while translating it.

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跫音のとまる背に 面影ばかり
重さに下り 窓明かり 欠ける

ashioto no tomaru se ni omokage bakari
omosa ni kudari madoakari kakeru

Behind people who’ve stopped moving are nothing but vestiges.
Sinking heavily, the windowlight was waning.

はじめより穏やかで 手合わせ 友ささめく
最後まで残るほうが 影厭う

hajime yori odoyaka de teawase tomo sasameku
saigo made nokoru hou ga kage itou

Calmer than at the start, I held my friend’s hand and whispered.
I’d rather stay until the end. I balk at shadows.

目つむれば やにわに 残る

me tsumureba yaniwa ni nokoru

When I close my eyes, they remain there for an instant.

斜になる
沢山の部屋が在るが 遠く佇む

hasu ni naru
takusan no heya ga aru ga tooku tatazumu

Many rooms
become distorted, but I loiter far away.

結びの目 駆け足で 解けていく
思い思い

musubi no me kakeashi de tokete iku
omoi omoi

The eye of the knot comes untied in a rush
as it pleases…

頽れた瑞恵の跡
小止みなく増える

kuzuoreta mizue no ato
koyami naku fueru

The traces of collapsed, young wisdom
increase without lull.

跫音のとまる瀬で
友が手を振る
笑顔で

ashioto no tomaru se de
tomo ga te o furu
egao de

In the shallows where footsteps stop,
My friend waves a hand
with a smile.

Requested by: Vaati

I ended up sorely underestimating the difficulty of this track. It’s written in an older form of Japanese, which makes some parts tricky to interpret. I’d like to read another translation of this song someday!

As a whole, there are a lot of Buddhist terms thrown about. The main character appears to be 小坊主 (kobouzu – the young priest). We seem to follow him on a twisted journey into the depths of Hell…

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―あるものは―

-aru mono wa-

-A certain person-

日と月と並び 峨々たる嶺
嫁いでいく 身は華燭に焼ける

hi to tsuki to narabi gaga taru mine
totsuide iku mi wa kashoku ni yakeru

The rugged peaks stand in line with the sun and moon.
I will marry. My body is scorched by a bright light.

やがて四方の景 触れた頭垂れて
飲んだ　蚯蚓踊る酒を

yagate yohou no kei fureta kaburi tarete
nonda mimizu odoru sake o

I see the surrounding vista at last. I lowered my head, which was touched.
I drank the saké in which earthworms danced.

―あるものは―

-aru mono wa-

-A certain person-

腸を舐め転ばす
「産声！」
坊主は相好崩し貪る
火柱もろとも腐って
「化仏よ！」
佳人は六道

harawata o name kobasu
“ubugoe!”
bouzu wasougou kizushi musaboru
hibashira morotomo kusatte
“kebutsu yo!”
kajin wa rokudou

Licking guts and knocking them down,
“A baby’s first cry!”
The Buddhist priest grins widely and indulges.
The pillars of fire rot together.
“Oh, transformed Buddha!”
Beauty is found in the six realms.

小坊主「あろうことか！あろうことか！」

kobouzu “arou koto ka! arou koto ka!”

The young priest: “The strangest thing happened! The strangest thing!”

百も千も過ぎし頃
瑞光の遍し大運河に
背骨忘れて くるわ魚が
びっちゃら！ びっちゃら！
暁光吐き 白道まで泳ぐ！

hyaku mo sen mo sugishi koro
zuikou no maneshi daiunga ni
sebone wasurete kuruwa zakana ga
bicchara! bicchara!
gyoukou haki byakudou made oyogu!

Once passing 100, passing 1000,
A false light of good omen rests on the grand canal.
The fish will forget their spines and come!
Thrashing wildly, wildly!
Spitting out the light of dawn, they will swim to the moon’s path!

腫れ上がる我のここり裂きて
抉り出した 坊主を呪い 這う

hare agaru ware no kokori sakite
eguri dashita bouzu o noroi hau

I curse the priest who cut open my swelling heart
and gouged it from me. I crawl.

馬「まあ！これいかにも！ただならぬ！あすこに！行きたまえ！」

uma “maa! kore ika ni mo! tada naranu! asuko ni! ikitamae!”

The horse: “Well! Indeed! How alarming! Go! Go over there!”

唇すぼみてほざいた馬
髪掴まれ 木の葉になり舞う
魚挙り喰い！

kuchibiru subomite hozaita uma
kami tsukamare ko no ha ni nari mau
sakana gozari kui!

The horse narrowed its lips and brayed.
It hair was seized, and it became like leaves and danced.
I gather the fish together and eat them!

咳き上ぐ美女 ただつくづく
乳飲みしている白衣(童のように)は呻き
煩悩の犬となりて 切っ先を向ける

seki agu bijo tada tsuku dzuku
chichi nomi shite iru byakue (warabe no you ni) wa umeki
bonnou no inu to narite kissaki o mukeru

The woman is choked with tears. She just stands still.
The one in the white robe drinks milk (like a child). They moan.
Becoming a dog of evil passions, they point their sword.

這う娘は 二つの河より覗いている
白目の歯黒(子に乳飲みさす)に足掴まれ
引きずり込まれた

hau musume wa futatsu no kawa yori nozoite iru
shirome no haguro (ko ni chichi nomisasu) ni ashi tsukamare
hikizuri komareta

The creeping maiden stares from two streams.
The one with blackened teeth and cold eyes (feeding her child milk) grabs at my feet.
I was dragged in.

歯黒「ごゆるりと」

haguro “go-yururi to”

The one with blackened teeth: “Take your time…”

揺ららと鳴る仙花紙の雲は極彩色よ
在す神の祝

yurara to naru senkashi no kumo wa gokusaishiki yo
mashimasu kami no hafuri

The rumbling clouds, made from reclaimed paper, are richly coloured.
This is the god’s priest.

霊香湿る
「わたくし　禍言を」
野辺の送りに
「謳うわ」

reika shimeru
“watakushi magagoto o”
nobe no okuri ni
“utau wa”

Wet with a mysterious fragrance,
“I shall sing ominous words.”
At the funeral in the field…
“I will sing.”

恨み 恨み 恨まれ

urami urami uramare

Resent, resent, and be resented.

神国に飛び込みたる逆罰
浅浅と舞う

shinkoku ni tobikomi taru sakabachi
asa asa to mau

Punishment for unreasonable wishes had plunged into the land of the gods.
It dances, like the babbling of a stream.

彼「いかがなものか！」

kare “ikaga na mono ka!”

Him: “What is this!”

雷で噛み千切る！

ikazuchi de kami chigiru!

Bite it off with lightning!

百八の笛を ぴるる ぴいるるる～
六根 六塵 三世
響き出でたる 鐘

hyakuhachi no fue o piruru pirururu
rokkon rokujinsanze
hibiki ide taru kane

108 flutes play their high pitched, trilling tune.
Six organs. Six senses. Three existences.
The bell rings.

わたくしの唇 震る振りて神体
ふりふり ふりふり ふりふり

watakushi no kuchibiru fururu furite shintai
furi furi furi furi furi furi

My lips tremble. I wave the Shintai
Fluttering, fluttering, fluttering…

あ～～～れ～～～～～

aaaareeee!

Aaahhh!

一度落ちた魚は苦輪
輪廻して止まぬ恨みの目
その背の鰭に突き刺し運河上る
禍言を叫び　喰い転めきて

hitotabi ochita sakana wa kurin
rinne shite yamanu urami no me
sono se no hire ni tsuki sashi unga agaru
magagoto o sakebi kui kurumekite

A fish once fallen experiences a cycle of suffering.
It cycles through death and rebirth. The eyes of malice do not stop.
Stabbing with its fin, it ascends the canal.
Screaming ominous words, I will eat it noisily.

咳き上ぐ者 ただつくづく 神拝している

seki agu mono tada tsuku dzuku shinpai shite iru

The person choked with tears just stands still. They pray to their god.

彼「やや！そこに在り！」

kare “yaya! soko ni ari!”

Him: “Oh my! They are over there!”

背中を炙る 紅蓮の炎にも気付かずに

senaka o aburu guren no honou ni mo kidzukazu ni

They are still unaware of the crimson flames that scorch their back…

呪いの唄 口ずさみて
女は びっちゃら びっちゃら と泳ぐ
白き道　縷々と

noroi no uta kuchizusamite
onna wa bicchara bicchara to oyogu
shiroki michi ruru to

Humming a cursed song,
The girl swims violently.
She continues down a white path.

綴る 地の獄 是より

tsudzuru chi no goku kore yori

I write about an earthly prison. Before this…

天道 彩裂き 照らす
光に導かれ辿り着いた地ですら苦輪の海
迷い子は紅蓮に焼かれるも 泳ぐ
偽りの瑞光を信じながら

tendou aya saki terasu
hikari ni michibikare tadoritsuita chi de sura kurin no umi
mayoigo wa guren ni yakareru mo oyogu
itsuwari no zuikou o shinji nagara

The sun cleaves through the colours and shines down.
Even the land I arrived at, led by the light, is a sea of the cycle of suffering.
Though the child is scorched crimson, they swim,
All the while believing in a false light of good omen.

小坊主「我は思う！
世に一切の衆生が無くなるまで人は！
憎しみの海　泳いでいくのであろう！」

kobouzu “ware wa omou!
yo ni issai no shujou ga naku naru made hito wa!
nikushimi no umi oyoide iku no de arou!”

The young priest: “This is what I think!
Until all living things in the world perish!
Humans swim in a sea of hatred!