Requested by: ささき

As with the other Asaki tracks I’ve translated, I ended up underestimating the difficulty of this track and just how long it would take! Asaki always manages to write complex, profound lyrics with strong symbolic and mythological undertones.

Some parts of the lyrics aren’t sung, or are sung differently. The translation prioritises what’s sung.

(I’d love to read an interpretation of this song someday by someone with a much deeper grasp of old-style Japanese!)

---

──太陽の下で──

—taiyou no shita de—

—Beneath the Sun—

さあさ　皆様！
あすこをご覧あれ！

saa sa minasam!
asuko o goran are!

Come now, one and all!
Please, look over there!

暗澹たる中天へと延びたる光の梯子に
群がる星屑たちが口々に叫んでいる

antan taru chuuten e to nobitaru hikari no hashigo ni
muragaru hoshikuzu-tachi ga kuchiguchi ni sakende iru

Stardust is gathering near the stairs of light
extending into the darkness. It sings.

心を殺せ

kokoro o korose

Kill your heart.

──春のひと──

—haru no hito—

—The Spring Person—

ふらりふらり
素知らぬ顔して紫雲より垂れる

furari furari
soshiranu kao shite murakumo yori tareru

Swaying slowly,
feigning ignorance and hanging from the purple clouds—

ひと

hito

A person.

口唇をしづめて跳ねまわり
あうらや追い越せと果てる

koushin o shidzumete hane mawari
auraya oikose to hateru

They fell silent and jumped about.
When they outstrip their foot divination they will perish.

ひと

hito

A person.

四本足の動物たち
｢満目の枯れ明かり！｣

yonhonashi no doubutsu-tachi
“manmoku no kare akari!”

Four-legged animals—
“Illuminate the endless wasteland!”

あなた　召しませ　とこしなえ

anata meshimase tokoshinae

You should partake forever.

──夏のひと──

—natsu no hito—

—The Summer Person—

女性の形を模した仏様
｢さあさあ　ごゆるりとご覧あれ｣と鬻ぐ
梅が枝を突き刺して笑みなさり

josei no katachi o moshita hotoke-sama
“saa saa go-yururi to goran are” to hisagu
ume ga eda o tsukisashite emi nasari

Buddha imitated the female form.
“Now, please take your time and look!” they sell their wares.
The plum thrusts its branch in and smiles.

男性の形を模した仏様
｢ほらほら　ここで生り｣

dansei no katachi o moshita hotoke-sama
“hora hora koko de nari”

Buddha imitated the male form.
“Come now, bear fruit here.”

様々な動物の顔を模した帽子をかぶる　かわいらしい人々
｢ふむふむ　ここか｣

samazama na doubutsi no kao o moshita boushi o kaburu kawairashii hitobito
“fumu fumu koko ka”

Wearing hats imitating the faces of animals, the humans are so sweet.
“Hmmm… How about here?”

ここに在り！

koko ni ari!

Here!

神仏が分つ五臓と六腑を
舐めつ　くくみつつ　眼下に広がる
濁流の岸を洗ひて安着

shinbutsu ga wakatsu gozou to roppu o
nametsu kukumi tsutsu ganka ni hirogaru
dakuryuu no kishi o araite anchaku

Gods and Buddha distribute five viscera and six organs.
Lick them, hold them in your mouths, and spread out before your eyes.
Rinse them in a muddy stream and arrive safely.

幸せかい

shiawase kai

Are you happy?

そうだろう

sou darou

I suppose.

何も知らない

nani mo shiranai

I know nothing.

という幸せがそこにはある

to iu shiawase ga soko ni wa aru

Such happiness lies there.

──太陽の下で──

—taiyou no shita de—

—Beneath the Sun—

あかときは終に行く
もう帰してはくれぬ
爆ぜて

akatoki wa tsui ni iku
mou kaeshite wa kurenu
hazete

Dawn has come and gone at last
and will no longer send me home.
Burst open.

あ！

a!

Ah!

あっ！

a!

Ah!

天ぐらり！

ten gurari

The sky trembles!

絶景だ

zekkei da

What a superb view!

あをみ　延びて　推し量る
行き会う星の間の深さ
追いかけていたはずの光華に追われ
迷子になる

aomi nobite oshi hakaru
ikiau hoshi no ma no fukasa
oikakete ita hazu no hikari ni oware
maigo ni naru

It turns blue and stretches out. I estimate
the depth of space between the meeting stars.
Pursued by flowers of light that I should have caught up to,
I go astray.

寂滅を待つ　凍みた灯火を抱き
過ぐ明日を雲に託し流る
日輪にあくがれ
歪にうねる影絵
互いの肝を抉り合い悦に浸る

jakumetsu o matsu shimita touka o daki
sugu ashita o kumo ni takushi nagaru
nichirin ni akugare
ibitsu ni uneru kage’e
tagai no kimo o eguri ai etsu ni hitaru

Awaiting nirvana, I embrace a frozen light.
I entrust tomorrow to the clouds. It washes away.
We wander ‘round the sun
as twisted silhouettes.
We gouge out each other’s courage and gloat.

──秋のひと──

—aki no hito—

—The Autumn Person—

光の梯子に群がり
矯声をあげる星屑たちの間を
黒い点滅がすり抜けていく
やがて無数の大きな線状の糸遊になったそれは
羅を羽織りながら羽化をとげ
あはあはと大虚を縛り付ける
天日の錘に絡みつきながら
その速度を上げ
灼熱の顔を覆い尽したのち
さらばえた影を引きずりながら
夜空と同化し　消えた

hikari no hashigo ni muragari
kyousei o ageru hoshikuzu-tachi no aida o
kuroi tenmetsu ga surinukete iku
yagate musuu no ookina senjou no itoyuu ni natta sore wa
usumono o haori nagara uka o toge
aha aha to taikyo o shibari tsukeru
tenjitsu no omori ni karamitsuki nagara
sono sokudo o age
shakunetsu no kao o ooi tsukushia nochi
sarabaeta kage o hikizuri nagara
yozora to douka shi kieta

A black flickering light slips through
the gaps between the stardust, calling seductively,
that gather on the staircase of light.
They eventually became countless large shimmerings of hot air.
While putting on beautiful clothes, grow wings and fly away.
With the weight of sunlight coiled ‘round you,
sunlight that faintly binds the universe,
increase your speed.
After smothering your scorching visage,
join with the night sky
while dragging along an aged figure, and disappear.

｢啜り泣くひと｣

“susurinaku hito”

“The person sobs.”

ひゅ　ひゅ　ひゅるる～

hyu hyu hyururuu

Whistling away…

──冬のひと──

—fuyu no hito—

—The Winter Person—

朔風は見え得ぬものを鳴らし
呼吸合わせをり

sakufuu wa mieenu mono o narashi
kokyuu awaseori

The north wind sends something invisible ringing.
Their breaths align.

──｢神は懈怠ないのです！｣とほざくひと──

—“kami wa kaitai nai no desu!” to hodoku hito—

—The Person Prattling “God is Not Lazy”—

鉛色の霧をまといながら
濁液を垂らして連なるきららは
顎に念珠をこすりつけ

namari-iro no kiri o matoi nagara
dakueki o tarashite tsura naru kirara wa
ago ni nenju o kosuritsuke

While clad in leaden mist,
The shining figures in a row, dripping dirty liquid,
rub their rosaries against their chins.

今か！今か！

ima ka! ima ka!

Soon! Soon!

とまつさらの闇に
祓へと打ち込む！

tomatsu sara no yami ni
harai e to uchikomu!

In smearing darkness
drive it in towards purification!

かなしいな　かなしいね
かなしいな　かなしいね
かなしいな　かなしいね

kanashii na kanashii ne
kanashii na kanashii ne
kanashii na kanashii ne

How sad, how sad.
How sad, how sad.
How sad, how sad.

肩に降る銀のささやき

kata ni furu gin no sasayaki

Silver whispering falls on my shoulder.

──子供たちへ──

—kodomo-tachi e—

—To the Children—

猿ども
｢あらあら　こんなところに面映い源が！｣

saru-domo
“ara ara konna tokoro ni omohayui minamoto ga!”

Apes—
“My my, to think the source of your shame is here!”

仏様
｢おとこのこ　おんなのこの秘め事さ｣

hotoke-sama
“otoko no ko onna no ko no himegoto sa”

Buddha—
“These are the secrets of men and women.”

世界中の動物たち
｢あいやー　あいやいやー｣

sekaijuu no doubutsu-tachi
“aiyaa aiyaiyaa”

The world’s animals—
“Aiyaa! Aiyaiya!”

満面で笑う
不揃いの虹は
多岐茫洋

manmen de warau
fuzoroi niji no yohaku wa
taki bouyou

Laugh with your whole face.
As for the gaps in this irregular rainbow,
in too much dispute truth is lost.

──月の下で──

—tsuki no shita de—

—Beneath the Moon—

見ているか

mite iru ka

Are you watching?

ひととして
在りたくて
月見船に乗って
湖心へ向かうひとよ
見えるか　見えているか
天心の月はあまりにも遠すぎる

hito toshite
aritakute
tsukimi fune ni notte
koshin e mukau hito yo
mieru ka miete iru ka
tenshin no tsuki wa amari ni mo toosugiru

O human, wanting to remain so
and heading
for the lake’s centre
riding the moon-viewing ship—
Can you see? Are you looking?
The zenith moon is too far away.

焼かれた瞼で見る漁火

yakareta mabuta de miru gyoka

I look at the fish-luring flame with burnt eyeballs.

──太陽の下で──

—taiyou no shita de—

—Beneath the Sun—

ひらひらと舞い落ちた
空の欠片が掌で燃えて
汚れた灰になり
風にのって
又　空へと昇る

hira hira to mai ochita
sora no kakera ga tenohira de moete
yogoreta hai ni nari
kaze ni notte
mata sora e to noboru

Fragments of the sky
flutter down and burn in my palms.
They become polluted ash,
ride the wind
and ascend to the sky again.

光　あくがれの光
歪を物憂く見つめ合う
その火柱　よじれよじれて
夕陽の色欲りぬ

hikari akugare no hikari
ibitsu o monouku mitsume au
sono hibashira yojire yojirete
yuuhi no iro horinu

Light, the wandering light
locks eyes languidly with the distortion.
That blazing pillar is twisted, so twisted,
longing not for the setting sun’s colours.

為すべきを為し
肝抉り身反らし
迷子の蛻掲げて笑う

nasu beki o nashi
kimo eguri mi sorashi
maigo no nukegara kakagete warau

Becoming the form you must become,
you gouge out your innards and warp yourself.
You raise the lost child’s husk and smile.

どす黒く広がり
吹き溜まる縁に
何を聞き　何を伝えて　我行けり

dosu kuroku hirogari
fuki tamaru yukari ni
nani o kiki nani o tsutaete ware ikeri

At the drifting brink
spreading out darkly,
what is asked? What is conveyed? I go.

貴様ら見えるか
あの天道の先で在り
妬心の業火に焼かれた手を
希望のたばしり落としては拾って
脇目もふらず　内臓舐め合う様を

kisamara mieru ka
ano tentou no saki de ari
toshin no gouka ni yakareta te o
kibou no tabashiri otoshite wa hirotte
wakime mo furazu naizou nameau you o

You bastards, can you see?
Your hands were burned by the jealousy’s hellfire
existing beyond the sun.
With them, you drop and pick up bundles of light.
You lick each other’s organs without shaking off sideward glances.

ほら　閃きよ
垣間見て其の上の
時代見届けぬ
消え残る星ひとつ置き

hora hirameki yo
kaimamite sono ue no
hi mitodokenu
kie nokoru hoshi hitotsu oki

Look—a glint.
I am unable to ascertain
the days I glimpse above.
I leave a single surviving star.

誰か教えておくれ
幸せは何処にある
光背くづるるごとく
空が割れている

dareka oshiete okure
shiawase wa doko ni aru
kouhai kudzururu gotoku
sora ga warete iru

Somebody, tell me,
where is happiness?
As if running counter to the light,
the sky splits open.

ひと思ふ故　曰くを踏む
星　泳ぎ　行く　その先に

hitoomou yue iwaku o fumu
hoshi oyogi iku sono saki ni

From a brief thought, I tread on the past.
I swim through the stars and beyond there—

幸あれ

shiawase are

Be happy.

暗澹たる中天へと延びたる光の梯子に
群がる星屑たちが口々に叫ぶ

antan taru chuuten e to nobitaru hikari no hashigo ni
muragaru hoshikuzu-tachi ga kuchiguchi ni sakebu

Stardust is gathering near the stairs of light
extending into the darkness. It sings.

神火はいつでも貴様らの背中を焼いている

shinka wa itsu demo kisamara no senaka o yaite iru

The sacred flame will always burn your worthless backs.

──ひとへ──

—hito e—

—To the people—

ねえみて　春がやってきて
草も木も花も歌っている
ねえみて　春がやってきて
みんな　ここにいる

nee mite haru ga yatte kite
kusa mo ki mo hana mo utatte iru
nee mite haru ga yatte kite
minna koko ni iru

Oh, look—spring is coming.
The grass, the trees and the flowers are singing.
Oh, look—spring is coming.
Everyone is here.

みんな赤い背中をしている

minna akai senaka o shite iru

Everyone’s backs are red.