Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Mixed Signal?

So I was sick of working one day, and still in need of a challenge to the brain, so I decided to take the world greatest fantastical puzzle of all - translating a song in a language that I hardly know. The song that I've chosen to maul this time is one that I rather know - Signal by Hirai Ken - and with a bit of help in romanji by cori, armed with Japanese text input courtesy of Windows XP, and plugging a lot of babelfish into my ear, I attempted to guesswork through the song.

Incidentally, before I start, I wanted to thank AltaVista for coming up with that lovely hike off the Hitchhiker's Guide. It's saved my butt a couple of times in translating a price quote in Korean (I know zilch Korean), expressed Laura Pausini's Italian lyrics in a way I couldn't have ever fathomed, and from a lot of embarassment on IM when I came across a French word I wasn't too familiar with.

So here goes... (my best guess at what dear Ken was trying to sing) Yuta, Yuteki, Katsu, Miyu, Akiko... anyone, if you are reading this, please don't laugh at my translation. Rather, send me your interpretation (with understanding!) instead!! Oh, and if I am pretty close (at least if I didn't get anything laughably wrong, please let me know too!)


Signal - Hirai Ken

ぎこちない指先で
君わ煙草お口にして
くすぶった気持ちを
無理に吸い込んでわ
溜め息まじりに吐き出す

With clumsy fingertips
Remembering your tobacco,
I suck in the feeling that smoulders unreasonably
And breathe it out with a sigh

言葉にすればすべてが
二度と戻らないきがして
黙り込んだ僕に
君わ呪文の様に
ごめん絵と繰り返すだけ

If only I could express everything,
And go back to doing what I know we cannot return to (?)
I would clam up, like your spell
It would just be the scene that plays itself back.

One More Time 抱きしめて
One More Chance そばにいて
One More Smile 微笑みで僕を満たして  
One More Time 火を点けて
One More Chance もう一度
One More Kiss くちびるを重ねて

One More Time, holding you close
One More Chance, being inside
One More Smile, fill me up with your smile
One More Time, with your spark
One More Chance, once more
One More Kiss, pressing against your lips

求めれば求めるほど
愛わ遠のいてくもの
綺麗な横顔が
思い出ひきがねに
涙で歪むその前に

If I seek, I can measure
The extent to how far I go to find Love
It is a clean slate, don't you think?
Until memory pulls it and it is blurred with my tears.

One More Time 僕を見て
One More Chance ここにいて
One More Smile あの頃の二人を返しいて  
One More Time 火を点けて
One More Chance もう一度
One More Kiss くちびるを濡らして

One More Time, look at me
One More Chance, being here
One More Smile, returning to the couple that we were
One More Time, with your spark
One More Chance, once more
One More Kiss, soaking up your lips

さよならのにおいだけを
残して立ち会った背中が
見えなくなる前に早く
今追いかけて
この手を伸ばして...

Goodbye, your scent is left
Before your back which is now here disappears fast
I'm now chasing you, to extend my hand...

(This is actually really in English)
One More Time
Baby I don't wanna let you go
One More Chance
It's only you, will always be with me
I could never say goodbye to the days we spent
Oh baby stay with me
One more time, time, time we spent
One more chance, chance, chance with me
One more kiss, kiss, kiss I want
Oh let me look at you...

No comments: