It's been a loooooong time coming, but I finally wrote up a FAQ to keep linked up on the Taiji Project profile. Keep in mind that this is subject to change.

( Massively long, so click here to read )

Got a question that wasn't answered here? Ask away in a comment, and I'll either answer you directly or add it to the FAQ (or both)!

And secondly, the title track - Donor of lie. This one was a bit more inundated with Goshi's typical bizarre, ambiguous lyrical genius than Tsumetai Kage... though still less so than many of their older songs. Ahem.

I still wonder what role these two songs have within their concept... never came across any blogs or reviews or anything that went into detail on that... maybe they're just as straightforward as they seem? Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough? ._. Ok, shutting up...

Suicide Ali - Donor of lie

( Romaji )

The moment you turned around
I stopped the time
There's nothing there yet
Can I believe in you?
In front of the keyhole in the door

People surely don't care
About things like truth
There's nothing there anymore
They're just embracing realistic impostors
Only things they can hear

Donor of lie.
The god's speech.
Believer of lie.
The god's speech.

They are a good.
I read it and blank.

There wasn't any.

I'm standing just on your other side
Stop the time for me
There's nothing there anymore
Can you believe in me,
In only things you can't see?

Even more so, I don't care
About you at all
There's nothing there anymore
The realistic impostor is me
I've surely gone mad

Donor of lie.
The god's speech.
Believer of lie.
The god's speech.

They are a good.
I read it and blank.

I'll tear your body apart
And let it stain my hair
Ah.. I've gone mad
Listen to my voice
Don't say anything

Donor of lie.
The god's speech.
Believer of lie.
The god's speech.

Donor of lie.
The god's speech.

I'll tear your body apart
And let it stain my hair
Ah.. I've gone mad
Listen to my voice
Don't say anything

They are a good.
I read it and blank.

There wasn't any.


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Suicide Ali and Starwave Records, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm not really worried about them suing me since I'm their official translator anyway, but the disclaimer still needed to be said. :D

I think I'm breaking records with every new Suicide Ali release that comes out now... Donor of lie was released this past, what, June? July? And now it's October? At least I beat the release of their next single by about a month... *shrivels*

...I haven't managed to finish all the songs from the lix EP released in spring, either. I even promised Chihiro I'd send him the translations, but certain lines in certain songs just break my brain =_= darn you vampire boy

ANYWAY. I have Suicide Ali, at last. Yay! First of two new tracks on their still-"newest"-for-another-month-or-so maxi is Tsumetai Kage. This one was actually pretty straightforward for the most part... for Goshi, at least... *stared-at to death* (<-If you've ever seen that man's eyes, you'll get it. Hooo.)

Suicide Ali - Tsumetai Kage (Cold shadow)

( Romaji )

What is is that my eyes
Are gazing upon now,
As though they're trying to escape
This fragile consciousness?

In the spray of blood from my wrists
I'm certain my wings have been broken
The rest of my body will burn away
But still I must look forward

Embraced by futility
When I look up to the heavens
I see an orange cloud fading away

Attached to the shackles on my feet
Is my own, heavy coffin
As though I'm looking for a place
To rot away and die

I laid my festering body to rest
In an endless stream of light
If I could have loved and been loved
Just once would have been enough

Embraced by futility
When I look up to the heavens
I see an orange cloud fading away

How far will we run?
Even if you move further away
The more strongly I think of you
My future is buried by the noises in my head
My still, unbeating chest
Was ripped away

In front of the steel door
I see you shouting, crying
Since I don't have anything
One day you'll vanish from my sight too

So please erase the "unseen me"
So please erase the "cold me"

Embraced by futility
When I look up to the heavens
I see an orange cloud fading away

How far will we run?
Even if you move further away
The more strongly I think of you
My future is buried by the noises in my head
My still, unbeating chest
Was ripped away

I can't take you with me anymore

Erase the unseen me
Erase the cold me
Stake it on the visiting moon
Cast its cold shadow


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Suicide Ali and Starwave Records, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm not really worried about them suing me since I'm their official translator anyway, but the disclaimer still needed to be said. :D

And my fourth and final song represented today is also the most recently released, the 2010 single Dear Snow. I received the request not long after it came out, which tells you how far behind I got... *hangs self* I'm sure there are a hundred other translations out for this by now (along with all the other songs in this spam, really), but I did it anyway. Hope someone finds it worth the wait. ♥

Arashi - Dear Snow

( Romaji )

Beloved vestiges of your face are engraved vividly in my memory
Since the day I met you, I learned how weak I truly am

If I try to suppress this pain too great to bear, my unexpressed feelings only grow stronger

The snow, just like you,
Only falls silently on my shoulder, smiling softly
If I try to touch it, it will surely disappear, so I'll stay like this
Close my eyes, alone, and feel your presence

Placing a gentle kiss on your sleeping face
I hide my trembling chest, unable to say what I want to say

If I can just believe in your smile and hold you close, a miracle would echo in the sky

The snow, just like you,
Only falls silently on my shoulder, smiling softly
If I try to touch it, it will surely disappear, so I'll stay like this
Close my eyes, alone, and feel your presence

My love, burning white hot, is lost on the breeze
Perhaps it will rise higher and find its way to you, so far away

If you wish it, my body is yours - and all the sadness falling down around it
As when spring comes, if we could melt away in each other's arms, I wouldn't need anything else

The snow, just like you,
Only falls silently on my shoulder, smiling softly
If I try to touch it, it will surely disappear, so I'll stay like this
Close my eyes, alone, and feel your presence

Though my wish may never come true, still you are the one I love


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Arashi Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

Third in line is another concert special, a solo by Ohno Satoshi from... I believe the How's it Going tour? And in contrast to the previous two rap-based pieces of insanity, this one's short and sweet in every sense of the term - All My Love, foooor yooouuuu~ *shot*

Arashi (Ohno Satoshi) - All My Love

( Romaji )

As the glow of dawn slowly crept into the room
And I watched you sleep, I swore within my heart
That I would protect you

Even now I can still hear my heartbeat echoing
As it was on the day we first kissed...　miss you

I want to laugh more with you
Forget the time and play around with you
Right now your smile shines brighter than anyone else in the world
No matter how hard it rains, I'll be your umbrella
Believe in me
All my love for you

I want to feel more with you
Believe in each other on lonely days
And embrace this love that has no equal in the world
I want to gaze straight into your eyes
While we touch each other just as our hearts desire
I love you
All my love for you


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Ohno Satoshi Arashi Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

WHEW. Ok, this one was... educational. That's not why it took me almost a year to finally finish it, but just sayin'. *killed*

So the song we have here is Get Yourself Arrested, which was requested as a duet by Sakurai Sho and Matsumoto Jun performed during Arashi's 2001 concert tour... but some searches for the lyrics revealed that it was originally a duet by the rap group Shakkazombie and rock band Northern Bright (S.Z and N.B. as referenced in the lyrics; H.B. is Hide-Bowie, one of Shakkazombie's rappers). Which also explains the thing about the "illest machine" carrying 6 people (they're both 3-member units) and the use of several references to previous songs by both groups - for example, Northern Bright's My Rising Sun, Sugar & Spice, Adventure, and Wildflower (possibly) - and Shakkazombie's Journey of Foresight (again, possibly) and Shiroi Yami no Naka. Which, by the way, is a CRAZY fun song. I was so proud the first time I managed to sing along with it back when I was still a hapless college kid in my third year of Japanese. :B I'm still hapless, of course, I'm just 8 years older now orz

Also, as with most rap lyrics, I probably took a lot of artistic license trying to get all these random scraps of English strung together into something resembling sense. :,D So here you go - enjoy the full, original Get Yourself Arrested!

Shakkazombie & Northern Bright - Get Yourself Arrested

( Romaji )

It's on! That's right, I'm always
Unleashing rhymes like swinging a sword, come on, make it hot
A knack for foresight, a flight in the darkness
My illest machine carries 6, and this funky beat is built-in
Led along with a 1, 2, and 3
My rising sun illuminates the future
What do you think lies beyond those clouds?
This team is gonna look for the answer

An intense surging beat and the melody echoing from the strings
A pen racing to its heart's content all over the paper
The foam on the beer is the key that lights the fire
N.B. and S.Z. on the mic H.B.
Each showing their own strengths on their own stages
Now sharing, exchanging handshakes with infinity
What we've gained from it is sugar & spice
What price would you put on life?

After running through the white darkness
We took that big blue sky in our hands
Yeah! Let's go beyond the rainbow together
And everyone'll be watching us when we grasp the miracle

There's only one destination, right? Accelerating toward the sun
Toward the tomorrow that moves further away from us, overflowing toward you yourself
Get yourself arrested
Wake up
Get yourself arrested
Like the shining light

Eeh ahh uh ah ahh
Yeah, our wild "soul" flowers
Are blooming all over the dance floor
Along with this freaky freaky flow
Ahh! Rock the mic now, aim for the blind spot
Live & loud, carry tomorrow on your shoulders
As long as we walk on its surface, the world keeps turning
We're starting to have fun now! It's my world

I stuffed my hopes into a giant backpack
And reached for the sky in search of an answer
Feeling the warmth of the sunlight
I walked with light steps, the morning sun on my back
I have no destination, it's an adventure
Just starting to move is the first big change
That's my theme
The setting sun beckons me
As my pen draws out the horizon

There's only one destination, accelerating toward the next age
Toward the tomorrow that moves further away from us, overflowing toward us
Could it be there's no meaning in the answer my finger points to?
Our own answers will come to each of us, overflowing toward us
Get yourself arrested
Get myself arrested
Get yourself arrested
Right now...


Disclaimer: This song belongs to... umm, ok, I'll take a guess here. Shakkazombie, Northern Bright, DefSTAR Records, and cutting edge? How's that? x_x But the important part is: not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

Why is it that every time I finally get around to logging in to LJ and trying to accomplish something, there's some server error or site downtime going on? I swear that's happened every time I've tried to do any kind of maintenance-ish stuff here for the past, like, 4 months...

So today I shall take a leap of faith and attempt to post a lyricspam. Four songs. Four Arashi songs, half of them being concert-only specials and the other half being regular ol' studio-recorded releases.

...Also. When I said in my last lyricspam that I only had maybe two spams left before I'd be all caught up with lyrics requests? Well, after that I spent a couple days cleaning up my inboxes (yeah, it took that long lol) and found a few emails containing requests that had somehow been left off of my list. Some went overlooked for almost a year, including, I think, some of today's four. T_T But I shall perservere, and even if the requesters aren't looking for these anymore, I WILL get caught up! I'm still close - these are the LAST FOUR Arashi songs I had on my list. *_*

Anyway, I've rambled enough! Here's the first one, Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi. Which, as everyone probably knows by now, is a twist on the saying "kansha kangeki ame arare" (replacing arare, meaning hail, with arashi meaning... well you know), which is just an expression of extreme gratitude. *dons mortarboard*

Arashi - Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi

( Romaji )

Smile Again I'm Smiling Again
Smile Again I'm Smiling Again

So So, there's nothing good going on
Living a passionate life with no sense of direction
Every day a fool, digging my own grave and falling in
But still I want to keep longing for something
Through these days where nothing impresses me
My one uncertain hope is to believe in love
The faith that I once trampled beneath my soles
Set my blood on fire when I met you

Whenever I'm feeling shattered, I would never hesitate
To turn my anger upon my own weak self　wow wow

While I was lamenting that I was all alone
A flower blooming in the rubble was watching me, swaying

Everyone lives supporting someone else
This simple truth heals all my wounds

Smile Again　Thank you
Smile Again　We were all
Born into this world crying
But now I believe we're all strong in a pinch
Smile Again　I'm happy
Smile Again　Just because you're there
I won't say it, but this first deep love I've felt
Is a storm

I strongly believe that when life is too painful
It's okay to rely on another's kindness
The love of someone precious
Will be a bandage for the heart　wow wow

I can't live life skillfully
And I take pride in that
You who helped me
Have the same look in your eyes

Did you lose your composure
And end up hurting someone without realizing it?
When people forgive and are forgiven
They can be true to themselves

Smile Again　Thank you
Smile Again　I feel like
I can get up again as many times as it takes
My courage is a revitalizing spring
Smile Again　People can't
Smile Again　Live alone
This love so earnest it perplexes me,
The kind of love I prayed for, is a storm

So So, there's nothing good going on
Living a passionate life with no sense of direction
Every day a fool, digging my own grave and falling in
But still I want to keep longing for something
Through these days where nothing impresses me
My one uncertain hope is to believe in love
The faith that I once trampled beneath my soles
Set my blood on fire when I met you

Smile Again　Thank you
Smile Again　We were all
Born into this world crying
But now I believe we're all strong in a pinch
Smile Again　I'm happy
Smile Again　Just because you're there
I won't say it, but this first deep love I've felt
Is a storm


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Arashi Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

And my third offering for today is one that appears to be a graduation-themed song(?), Kotoshi no Sakura by flumpool. Very pretty adaptation of an otherwise common theme. ^^

There you go - and as I said a couple posts ago, only about two more lyricspams and I'll be all caught up with requests (in case I stumble across any that I missed adding to the list)! And that deserves NO congratulations at all since some of these requests took me almost a year to fulfill. DX But anyway, look forward to the last few!

flumpool - Kotoshi no Sakura (This year's cherry blossoms)

( Romaji )

With a single deep breath, I boarded the train bound for tomorrow
In this town where I've even gotten used to the faded stars
Even when I'm lost, with each layer of my own individuality that I pile on
I'll wipe away the tears again

The radiantly lit bridge, the black pouring rain
I'll embrace everything I've encountered up to now

Cherry blossoms proudly blooming like flushed cheeks
Are calling to me now as they flutter down
In this place I longed for and finally reached after a long winter
I'll carve out my dreams and let the song overflowing from my heart reverberate

I'll make these days I've lived into a ruler to measure my heart
And use them as sustenance to nurture my seeds of brilliance
I'll find the strength to not blame the flowers for drying out
And make them bud again with no fear of scattering

The path I walk leads to the future, behind me is a frozen valley
I'll walk on, bearing on my shoulders every experience I've tasted

Far beyond the sky I looked up to see, the cherry blossoms of my hometown
Press against my back again this year, telling me to fly high
In this town I longed for and finally reached after a long winter
I'll carve out my here and now, on my way to a future known as "hope"

"I called out your name more times than I can count
You're out there somewhere, smiling" - I can say that with confidence now

Far beyond the sky I looked up to see, the cherry blossoms of my hometown
Press against my back again this year, telling me to fly high
In this town I longed for and finally reached after a long winter
I'll carve out my here and now, on my way to a future known as "hope"
And let my song reverberate


Disclaimer: This song belongs to flumpool and Amuse Inc., not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

Second one I've got for today is my first Takahashi Yu translation, Honto no Kimochi. This song just has such a neat story... structure... whatever you'd call it. Interesting. ♥

By the way, I translated the person mentioned in that first verse as a male, but the original lyrics didn't specify a gender. So if you want to imagine it as a female instead, go ahead. ^^; I had to pick one in order to avoid "what happened to that person?" and "what has that person seen?" Especially the latter. Using "person" too much in translations bugs me. >_> *kicked*

Takahashi Yu - Honto no Kimochi

( Romaji )

What happened to that guy sitting slouched in the corner by the staircase?
Just what has he seen?
what happened between that man and woman glaring at each other in the crowd?
Just what circumstances are lurking there?

What was the real motive of the teacher who called me out to yell at me that one time?
Just what was it that I had done?
Who is this person standing in front of me, smiling from ear to ear and shaking my hand?
Where am I and what am I doing right now?

It seems like I know the truth about everything, but I really don't know anything
Still, I have to go on living somehow
I can't pretend I know, but there isn't much I want to know either
The one thing I know for sure is how I feel
"I love you"

What was that stuff on the pasta I ate that one time?
Just what was it that I ate?
What is waiting at the end of this battle that's been going on since who knows when?
And what is there that I can do?

It seems like I understand the truth about everything, but I really don't understand anything
Still, I have to go on walking somehow

I can't just keep doubting, but there isn't much I can believe in either
The one thing I know for sure is this moment now
"Who do you love?"

The thing you want to find so badly that you'd wear out your voice,
And even risk your life, is still out there somewhere
No matter what it is, today is our day to hurt and heal each other through our trial and error

What happened between those people yelling at each other on the TV?
Just what circumstances are lurking there?
If I call up a friend that things had gotten a little awkward with, what would he say?
And what would I say?

What's so funny to these people laughing weirdly on the TV after I changed the channel?
What are we afraid of?

What feelings were hidden in that kiss you gave me back then?
Where are you and what are you doing now?

It seems like I understand the truth about everything, but I really don't understand anything
Still, I have to go on living somehow or other
I can't just keep doubting, but there isn't much I can believe in either
The one thing I know for sure is how I feel
Let me hear your voice, there's something in it that I can believe in
The one thing I know for sure is this moment now
"I love you"


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Takahashi Yu and Warner Music Japan, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

Holy... where have I been all summer? ._. I said I'd be using this season to catch up on all my lyrics requests, not exist under a rock... though actually, I had fewer remaining requests than I realized. A couple more little lyricspams after today's three, and they'll be DONE. :o

...I think. Still need to dig through my inboxes and make sure I didn't miss any...

Anyway, yeah, I'm still alive! I'll probably make a post at the sub community soon with various other life updates and nonsense in more detail, but in the meantime I translated three more songs :B First up is Caravan by BUMP OF CHICKEN!

BUMP OF CHICKEN - Caravan

( Romaji )

The caravan under the light has moved on far ahead of us

Ears plugged against the echoes in the tunnel, I like the me that hates myself
I'm learning to feign ignorance so people won't realize I know the things I know

It's completely normal to feel satisfied
By choosing not to believe their pretty words

You don't have to shout, just say it; you're so annoying when you act annoyed
You seem to know things, but you don't; you have the knowledge but no wisdom

It's not that I want to rain on your parade, just that fat has built up on my emotions
All the meals I've eaten have been prepared by someone else

That's all we are, you and I
Creatures that may try to jump high, but we just don't matter that much

Apathetically I wish you good luck; when you wipe your sweat, do it in the shade
It doesn't matter whether you hear me or not, I hate the you that hates yourself

You can deceive people even if you're empty inside
Because the ones you're deceiving are basically just like you

That's all we are, you and I
We ridicule each other, but we're just spectators in a game with no winner

The caravan under the light has moved on far ahead of us

We could still catch up if we run after it now
But can we remember how to fill in the distance that's opened there?

That's all we are, you and I
Creatures that hate, but don't want to be hated

Feet unmoving, ears alert

Echoes in the tunnel


Disclaimer: This song belongs to BUMP OF CHICKEN and Toy's Factory, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

I've actually had this done for a little while, but I kept getting sidetracked from posting it. And then forgetting. :s Darn it. But this makes my second completed DuelJewel request, yay~ ♥ If I ever get caught up on all my pending requests (I actually only have maybe 10 or so left... SO WHY ARE THEY NOT DONE ALREADY?! *kicks self*), this might be one of those bands I start pounding out lyric translations for just because I adore them...

So yeah, this time I have Sakura Mau Michi :D Enjoy!

(By the way, a random note on the title: the kanji used is read "hodou," which means sidewalk, but in the song Hayato sings "michi," which just means street/road/path in general. Envision that as you will ^^)

DuelJewel - Sakura Mau Michi

( Romaji )

The colors of spring return, leaving me behind alone
Searching for something I've lost, something I can't see
A couple just like we used to be walks by

I wish that you are always on my side
I am waiting for you when the cherry blossoms come

Alone on the street where cherry blossoms fall, where you were once beside me
"We'll come here again next year...", you whispered
The words of your promise disappeared into the night sky

As the flowers collect in my hair like an hourglass from another time
Standing still, I close my eyes and think of you

Alone on the street where cherry blossoms fall
I murmured to you who gave me unchanging love, "I'll see you again..."
I wonder if my words will reach you?

I'll never forget how happy I was to have met you
As I watched you blooming at the intersection
From the tears streaming down my cheeks, I learned the meaning of loneliness
And thought of the days I can never go back to

But still I'll keep on walking
Leaving our footsteps on the fallen cherry blossom petals


Disclaimer: This song belongs to DuelJewel and Sword Records (I think? they've jumped labels a few times), not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

The last and newest Arashi song I bring tonight is from Boku no Miteiru Fuukei, released in summer 2010 (which is probably about how long some of these requests have been sitting here on my list orz) - the opening track, Movin' On!

And that will conclude my biggest lyricspam in... a long time! My pending requests list looks shorter than it has in years XD;; I'll continue to knock more off the list throughout the summer / as my subbing break continues, so keep an eye out for yours if you've submitted one! And thank you all for sticking around ♥

Arashi - Movin' On

( Romaji )

'Cause I'm movin' on movin' on baby...
movin' on movin' on baby...
just now, movin' on

So that the scattering of countless lights (eyes) can keep twinkling forever
They stand strongly connected from one to the next, making each step more certain
This wave won't be broken

Yes, no matter how far
If you're gonna fly, fly high; if you believe, keep moving, because there's still time

Just Now We Go!!　Hold tight to our hearts and run up this age
Just Now We Go!!　Raise our voices and get the whole world involved

I want to paint out the unleashed scattering of lights (pride) straight and true
And see everything there is to see

We can become one
Tomorrow will be just as we felt it, no matter what color we paint it; my heart is pounding

Just Now We Go!!　Hold tight to our hearts and tread upon this earth
Just Now We Go!!　Look up to the sky and embrace this season
Now the wind softly dances to the beat that's been born within me
I'll shout until my voice goes dry　My Life

Embrace this radiance, savor it; I'm right here
Run toward it, get closer, pass it by; you can still keep going

Do you remember?
Squint your eyes now
And hear the song ringing together with a voice that sounds like a shout

I was frozen in place
Just searching

Now, it's you and me
Yes! This is us (yeah)

The seven seas tell us nothing now
A layered rainbow of five colors shines in the sky

I'll fight the allure of the time I've left behind
Life is only a brief flicker, but it will always rise again

Go!! Go!! Go!!
Just Now We Go!!　Hold tight to our hearts and run up this age
Just Now We Go!!　Raise our voices and get the whole world involved
Now the wind softly dances to the beat that will change the world
I'll shout until my voice goes dry　My Life


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Arashi Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

The last two Arashi tracks in today's spam come from some of their newer releases (to me, "newer Arashi" is anything from around Maou onward |D *is old*). This one comes from the Beautiful Days single of 2008 - enjoy Wasurerarenai ^^

Arashi - Wasurerarenai (I can't forget)

( Romaji )

Somewhere beyond the end of a long dream
One by one, we go our separate ways
Leaving behind the feelings I couldn't quite express in words
Only tears were left to fall on my heart

When I look up, already the beams of the winter sun dance in the white sky
It's unbelievable how... I can't forget you

Walking shoulder to shoulder down the street that winter, I felt closer to you than anyone
I've forgotten the times when you were always beside me
The warmth of your kiss will gently fade away
And I'll freeze through and through, right to my heart

When I grasped my own fingers with my hand numbed by the cold
I realized that the missing warmth was something you had given me

I hate to admit it, but that last smile you showed me was so precious
It pierces my heart... I can't forget it

In some corner of these changing days I've always carried with me
I was searching for you, the you from back then
Far beyond this age, with the return of every long winter
I'll just gather it all up again, even the tears

I can't forget you
Walking shoulder to shoulder down the street that winter, I felt closer to you than anyone
I've forgotten the times when you were always beside me
The warmth of your kiss will gently fade away
And I'll freeze through and through, right to my heart


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Arashi Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

The third of today's five Arashi requests is a track from their 2007 album Time, one of their more interesting albums in my own limited experience... and there's something I find really interesting about the presentation of the story/message in the song itself too. Also, that "Hi no sasu hou e~~~" bit just echoes in my brain forever. *_*

*/rambly*

Arashi - LIFE

( Romaji )

From the TV I had turned on in place of the alarm clock
Someone from some town I don't know was laughing
And somehow I found myself laughing too
On that sunny morning when I woke up late

The present me that I dreamed about 10 years ago
The present me who said "Me in 10 years? I dunno..."
Somehow I had the same feeling
That early afternoon when I talked with you

And so, within the flow of time
These precious things quietly become our reasons to smile
We're still searching today

Riding on the winds of the passing seasons, my dream started to shine
It will continue from here to a growing new future, and I'll walk down that path
Even if my unspeakable sadness and gloomy days continue
I felt that if I picked up the scattered fragments of light, I could go on

On his blog that I stumbled upon
Someone from some town I don't know was laughing
And somehow I found tears spilling over
On that night when I couldn't get to sleep

There's not just one answer to tell us how we should live
Our happiness takes the shape of the things we treasure
That's what everyone is searching for

Riding on the winds of the passing seasons, your dream started to shine
Someday I know it'll reach you; I'll run all around this widening sky
Even when I feel discouraged as things don't go the way I planned
I know we'll take each other's hands, so it'll be okay; I'll believe and move forward
I won't wait for a miracle, I'll just follow the light

A single ray of light in that darkness
Shines brilliantly as if to guide me
I'll carry my pain into the future too
The orange sky will darken again

Should we live just for the sake of living?
Someday I'll look back on that golden opportunity
Right now I won't wait for a miracle, I'll just follow the light... follow the light

Riding on the winds of the passing seasons, my dream started to shine
It will continue from here to a growing new future, and I'll walk down that path
Even if my unspeakable sadness and gloomy days continue
I felt that if I picked up the scattered fragments of light, I could go on
I won't wait for a miracle, I'll just follow the light


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Arashi Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

Next in line is another single from the (relatively) earlier days, and the theme song to the movie of the same name - Pikanchi Double (pardon my laziness with the title's formatting :P). Easily one of my top 3 all-time favorite Arashi songs. So glad I was asked to translate it, as I had kinda always wanted to anyway but I prioritize requests. ♥

Enjoy!

Arashi - Pikanchi Double

( Romaji )

To think that I'll be leaving on a journey from the town I'm used to, the friends I've always known
Searching for ourselves, afraid to be alone, those boring days we spent together were the best

I'm trembling so much, I can't look them straight in the eyes
I'll cross over the waves of light that shine on each of our paths

The dreams we thought had ended still press at our backs
The memories engraved in us begin to stir
I'll hold tight in both hands the limited time and love I have
Today, at least, please don't disappear

I'm walking on, fretting about what's around me and how I look, not sure what's really true
I've forgotten what I was so worried about; won't someone please end my sadness?

I carefully stashed away my cracked pride
And talked big to fill the holes in my heart

Time stopped at the sunset illuminating our future
In the night we can never return to again
We'll keep on telling this song of eternity and hope forever
Even though we know it's just for right now

I'm not there yet, this is no time for me to stop
Was I still holding on to those trivial, immature thoughts?
Has it already been over 10 years since I learned the a-ka-sa-ta-na? [1]
I was too young, thinking things would stay the same forever

You'll always be here in this train that's started to move
So maybe I'll see you again in that time, that place
I'll always be there in those eyes that never stopped believing
So I can be strong like the flower growing on the seashore
Light, keep shining on our future just like this
Fly high

The dreams we thought had ended still press at our backs
The memories engraved in us begin to stir
I'll hold tight in both hands the limited time and love I have
Today, at least, please don't disappear

Time stopped at the sunset illuminating our future
In the night we can never return to again
We'll keep on telling this song of eternity and hope forever
Even though we know it's just for right now

The long and short hands that never stopped ticking
Looking back, they marked such a short time
From the time we learned the a-ka-sa-ta-na to now
We were too young, we were just too young


[1] I thought of translating this as "...since I learned the alphabet" instead, since it's sort of a similar concept, but I guess I'm just an elitist that way. *shot* The "a-ka-sa-ta-na" refers to the Japanese syllabary, known as the "gojuuon" (50 sounds). I guess calling it the "a-ka-sa-ta-na" is sort of analogous to calling the Roman alphabet "the ABCs."


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Arashi Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

Back again, with a long-awaited (if anyone's actually still waiting for them orz) Arashi lyricspam! And I do mean spam - five of them this time :D This doesn't cover ALL the Arashi requests on my pending list, but it does take care of all the ones that aren't solos, concert-only specials, etc. Just five regular ol' Arashi songs from Arashi CDs, old and new.

And since they cover a fairly wide range of time, I guess I'll start with the oldest - also known as the theme from Sakurai Sho's drama Yoiko no Mikata, Tomadoinagara ^^

Arashi - Tomadoinagara (Losing our way)

( Romaji )

Losing our way as we search for an uncertain path
We tend to hesitate as we run forth hoping to gain
An unpredictable future

Before we knew it we were living in a memory
Now we hold these feelings in our hearts to hide them

Even my new clothes start to feel a little constricting
I've started to draw the continuation of the dream I once saw

It's something so vague I can't put it into words
But I want to show you the smile I wore back then

Losing our way as we live through each unchanging day
We're gathering up the teardrops hoping to gain
The dream we had almost forgotten

Today feels a little more boring than yesterday
I just couldn't contain this irritation I was feeling

If I were to put it into words now, it would be so mundane
But I want you to hear out my wish and not laugh

I'm no one special, but with the freedom I hold in my hands
I'll fly higher than anyone, so I can reach that place
That nobody has seen yet

Losing our way as we search for an uncertain path
We tend to hesitate as we run forth hoping to gain
An unpredictable future

Losing our way as we live through each unchanging day
We're gathering up the teardrops hoping to gain
The dream we had almost forgotten


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Arashi Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

And here's the second S.R.S offering for today, Sometimes -B.C.-!

For my next lyricspam... anyone else thinking its's been too long since this journal has seen any Arashi? *checks pending requests list* ...Oh yes, sufficient spam can be made out of this... :3 ♥

S.R.S - Sometimes -B.C.-

( Romaji )

Even if I pretend I don't notice, my heart still trembles
It wasn't the stars I was looking at in the darkness
I want to see you gazing at me

A lone shadow illuminated by the street lights
Follows me anxiously
The messengers in my heart are all nothing but black, nasty creeps

I want to change into someone better, right now
The kind of guy who can wrap you up with love
These feelings that I can't put into words
Are making the usual night sky look a little more beautiful than usual

Truth isn't only the things you can see with your eyes
If you can show what's in your heart

I want to change into someone better, right now
The kind of guy who can wrap you up with love
These feelings that I can't put into words
Are making the usual night sky look a little more beautiful than usual
Now it looks a little too beautiful


Disclaimer: This song belongs to S.R.S and Toy's Factory, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

A couple more nearly-year-old requests finally ready to see the light of day~ Today I bring a pair of songs by another first-time band for me, S.R.S, starting with Taisetsu Dakara Sutemashou. Enjoy!

...Ah, I need to stop going weeks at a time without doing this. Being on an indefinite break from subbing has me feeling out of practice already. :s

S.R.S - Taisetsu Dakara Sutemashou

( Romaji )

I can't hide my confusion, so I'll throw it away
These feelings are precious, so I'll throw them away

Throw them away, throw them away
So I can obtain something new
Throw them away, throw them away
So I can realize just how precious these precious things are

Forget it all, forget it all
Because only the things you don't forget stay behind

You won't even know that I'm trying to forget it anyway
And that's why it hurts
These feelings are precious, that's why I have to throw them away

I'll shout out, I'll shout out
To hide who I really am
I'll shout out, I'll shout out
I felt more at ease after shouting it all out
I'll laugh, I'll laugh
So I can enjoy even the painful things
And keep as calm as I can

I couldn't change how I felt about you
I couldn't do anything about these feelings
It would just be an excuse to say I didn't want to bother you
But I can't just hide them
So I'll throw them away, throw them away
I'll just pick them up again later anyway

For now, I'll just throw them away


Disclaimer: This song belongs to S.R.S and Toy's Factory, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

And the third Hey! Say! JUMP song in the request turned out to be a Takaki Yuya solo, and I think one of those concert-only ones, which means I had to rely on fan blogs for the lyrics... and all the streaming previews I could find to confirm were shortened versions, so I can only hope the second half is right. ^^;

Enjoy Kumo no Ito... and hopefully I'll be back fairly soon to continue catching up on 40+ weeks' worth of your requests! Sorry to all of you who have been waiting, or even gave up waiting m(_ _)m

Hey! Say! JUMP (Takaki Yuya) - Kumo no Ito

( Romaji )

You're still dragging along
That wounded heart
Always stopping to stand
In front of that same wall

I know the only one
Who can close that deep wound
Can't be anyone else but me
Because I love you for real

Come closer and show me
Your real tears
Caught on those slender fingers
If you'd just come closer
I could be cured of this feeling
Because I've laid a spider's thread

What kind of painful past
Is eating away at you now?
I'll lock up that phrase inside
And just keep quiet
Until your broken wings
Are able to fly again
I won't let anyone touch you
Because I love you for real

Come closer and show me
Your real smile
I want to embrace those slender shoulders
If you'd just come closer
You'd understand my feelings
Notice this spider's thread

Come closer and show me
Your real smile
I want to embrace those slender shoulders
If you'd just come closer
You'd understand my feelings
Notice this spider's thread
My girl


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Takaki Yuya Hey! Say! JUMP Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

Interesting how two of today's three Hey! Say! JUMP requests seem to have these sad lost love themes... not that that means much coming from me since I've heard a total of maybe 5 songs by this group, but eh. :D;; Here's the second one for today, Shinku - enjoy!

Hey! Say! JUMP - Shinku (Crimson)

( Romaji )

That scenery where you were always beside me laughing
I believed this story would continue on forever and ever

My memories alone haven't lost their shine
Even though you're not here anymore...

Love me Show me Tell me
My heart won't forget your warmth
Love me? Show me? Tell me?
I just wanted to protect your smile

One of the leaves from the clover you and I found that day fell off
And I knew that was the love that had kept us together

It's not a memory, my heart won't stop racing
Even though you're not beside me anymore...

Love me Show me Tell me
I want to see you, feel your warmth
Love me? Show me? Tell me?
I just wanted to build a future with you

These days I can't keep up with the waves of people passing by
Never turning around, your back grows smaller as you walk away

Love me Show me Tell me
My heart won't forget your warmth
Love me? Show me? Tell me?
I just wanted to protect your smile

Love me Show me Tell me
I want to see you, feel your warmth
Love me? Show me? Tell me?
I just wanted to build a future with you


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Hey! Say! JUMP Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

So according to the mountain of notifications in my LJ inbox, the request I'm fulfilling today has been waiting for... what was it, 40-some weeks? Almost a year again. Sad - at the beginning of this year I felt like I was finally getting caught up. =_= *fail* I WILL do better over the summer, though. Still... it amazes me how I actually sorta feel out of practice, even though I just did the charity fundraiser not long ago and plenty of band/label translations, lyrical and otherwise, since then...

Anyway, enough of my ranting. ^^;; The request I've completed for today is one that asked for three Hey! Say! JUMP songs, so... here they are! First up is Time...

Hey! Say! JUMP - Time

( Romaji )

We were feeling an endless eternity, you & I
Saying goodbye is okay too, isn't it? Isn't it? We'll just shake it off
The words "I love you" are left only in my memories
The two of us who stopped the hands of the clock can never go back again

Lured by a hot breeze that stirs up my heart, the two of us had our own party that day
We talked until the sun rose, at the midsummer beach where our hearts danced

Why is it that even though our feelings are apart, it still bugs me a little
We can't go back to that day; a different tomorrow will just come to each of us

We were feeling an endless eternity, you & I
Saying goodbye is okay too, isn't it? Isn't it? We'll just shake it off
The words "I love you" are left only in my memories
The two of us who stopped time can never go back again

Your scent still lingers now, but every day when I look back, my hopes are let down
You'll forget as time goes by, but does your heart still ache a little?

I thought I decided it was all in the past, but I can't erase the memory
You were just acting tough; I'll take you with me and there's no way we'll ever stop

We believed in a boundless eternity, you & I
Goodbyes happen sometimes too, right? Right? So I turn my back
The words "I love you" are left only in my memories
The two of us who stopped the hands of the clock can never go back again

You still look beautiful in my dreams
But I'm leaving now
I won't reach out to an empty future

If we should meet by chance one day
Under this vast sky, that's okay, isn't it? Isn't it? No need to hesitate
Even if there's no love, there will be a smile
And the hands of the clock will silently start to move again


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Hey! Say! JUMP Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

*prepares for the throwing of rotten vegetables*

...FINALLY!!!

*pummeled*

Har. So what's my "finally" moment this time? My first DuelJewel translation! YAY :D I've been following these guys (kind of casually, but still) since I saw them perform at Fanime in 2005, and they've gotten SO amazing over the years. I could spend days on end listening to them and I have. ♥ So when there was a request for them at jrock_translate that nobody had taken care of yet, I jumped on it. :B And the result is Lost! Enjoy~

DuelJewel - Lost

( Romaji )

The lament of the night sky embraces the moon
A lonely sigh dances on the breeze

Even now, when I close my eyes I can hear your voice
Echoing with the smiling face that calls my name
The heat still lingers in the tears that now... ah

With these hands I'll touch your skin and hold you tight
Let me dream beside you
Stop the time at our cruel parting
At the edge of the darkness, I want to see you one more time

I'll let my body sink into the shadowed moon
Scorched by the flame of life that drifts in the air
I'm coming to you now... ah

With these hands I'll touch your skin and hold you tight
Let me dream beside you
Stop the time at our cruel parting
At the edge of the darkness, one more time...

Even if this dream will never come true
Keep me within you just like this
You hid your loneliness so deep within futility
I didn't notice it, and now... ah

Every time I think of you, my body trembles "I want to be beside you..."
Smiling in your sleep, please don't disappear from my hands yet


Disclaimer: This song belongs to DuelJewel and Sword Records, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

FINALLY! (...How many posts in a row have I used that word now? *shot*) After its release was postponed for over a month due to the influence of the quake, the kanji lyrics to the highly sought-after duet by Amuro Namie & Yamashita Tomohisa found their way to great big intarwebz a few days ago, allowing me to complete the final pending fundraiser request at last!

So I shall keep you waiting no longer - here is Unusual, by the aforementioned duo :D Enjoy!

This song was requested and translated as part of Taiji Project's fundraiser for disaster relief in Japan. It's over now, but you can check out this post to see what we did and how it went!

Amuro Namie feat. Yamashita Tomohisa - Unusual

( Romaji )

My head, my body
Unexpectedly awaken
Without hesitation, my eyes
Take in everything, down to your shadow
One second before I can make
An unbiased judgment
My skin is tinged with fever

(Come closer)
I'm looking for a fair relationship
(I'm curious to know you)
Don't tease me, just stay beside me and say my name
(You are so hot)
Everything about you is so perfect it drives me crazy
I am different from all other girls/boys yeah

If you just wanna play a game
That looks like love, do it somewhere else
The supplementary scope is 360 degrees
A lite version without a single scratch
That only looks pretty
But has no charm
Show me some extra love

Hey Girl can you keep a promise? (Yes!)
You value our partnership? (Yes!)
Can you step n take down like this? (Yes!)
This is so unusual
Hey Boy do you have a big plan? (Yes!)
Respect me as a woman? (Yes!)
Can you be my superman? (Yes!)
This is so unusual

That model posture
Is totally classic
With a foul play, make me say
Oh My, there's no way
Flowing, overlapping
A rare stimulus
The trap won't come free
Until I've made you want me

(Come closer)
Just cut off the negative circuits
(I'm curious to know you)
Don't lie to me, just feel it, we are the same
(You are so hot)
I can't stand these roundabout methods
I am different from all other girls/boys yeah

If you just wanna play a game
That looks like love, do it somewhere else
The supplementary scope is 360 degrees
A lite version without a single scratch
That only looks pretty
But has no charm
Show me some extra love

Hey Girl can you keep a promise? (Yes!)
You value our partnership? (Yes!)
Can you step n take down like this? (Yes!)
This is so unusual
Hey Boy do you have a big plan? (Yes!)
Respect me as a woman? (Yes!)
Can you be my superman? (Yes!)
This is so unusual

Even the highest technology that lets us reach the moon
Nothing can separate us
Watchin' me?
Watchin' you
Catch me up?
Catch you up
Our two circles

(Come closer)
I'm looking for a fair relationship
(I'm curious to know you)
Don't tease me, just stay beside me and say my name
(You are so hot)
Everything about you is so perfect it drives me crazy
I am different from all other girls/boys yeah

If you just wanna play a game
That looks like love, do it somewhere else
The supplementary scope is 360 degrees
A lite version without a single scratch
That only looks pretty
But has no charm
Show me some extra love

Hey Girl can you keep a promise? (Yes!)
You value our partnership? (Yes!)
Can you step n take down like this? (Yes!)
This is so unusual
Hey Boy do you have a big plan? (Yes!)
Respect me as a woman? (Yes!)
Can you be my superman? (Yes!)
This is so unusual

Grindin', Grindin', Grindin'
We're keep on grindin' to the beat, beat, never going dry
Grindin', Grindin', Grindin'
We're keep on grindin' to the beat, beat
You know this is UNUSUAL


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Amuro Namie and Avex Trax, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

As we all know, Suicide Ali's single Perpetual check is based on the concept of chess. And there is an accompanying story to this concept, which I found on a Japanese fan's blog after it had been presented at one of their concerts. It goes a little something like this (this is not a direct translation, just a summary of a summary)...

Seems a big chess tournament was held in the royal court of Revandesh, a city or kingdom or something in Faifilseea, the world Suicide Ali's concept takes place in. Those who made it past the preliminary round proceeded to take on the champion, and each challenger did so using their own original chess piece. Now, somewhere in the city/kingdom there was a beautiful, well-loved young woman who happened to be an artist/sculptor. Her masterpiece, Sailla, was on display in the town of Lorent, where it brought hope to the town's citizens. She was a sociable, cheerful woman, but had a little trouble keeping her priorities straight between art and love. She ran away with her first love, but dumped the guy the next day because she decided her art was all she needed.

Then one day, this woman received a package from the chess champion himself. It contained some papers and a red box that seemed to stare right back at her when she looked at it. The box contained a king chess piece that glowed with a brilliant light, and the papers included a letter and photos of knight, bishop, and rook chess pieces. The letter said "You must join the chess tournament and collect the other three chess pieces. When you join the tournament and win each progressive round, you'll understand." She didn't know much about chess, but she was so excited she immediately took off to join the tournament.

The rest of the story is left to your imagination... but those who have been following Suicide Ali's blogs, images, and merchandise releases should know what (or whom) each of the four chess pieces represent. The red box containing the chess piece is also a hint - it represents Fumura no Hako, the vessel that carried the fallen god child, Bit el bedi, from Heaven to Faifilseea.

Now that you know the story, enjoy trying to make it all weave in with the lyrics of the songs on this single :D And here at last is the title track, Perpetual check!

Suicide Ali - Perpetual Check

( Romaji )

From the gaps in the past that I carry
Your smiles that I hate so much rain down
If I'll never know happiness anyway
I might as well bid farewell to this world alone

I'll keep doubting
Even if my heart breaks apart
So I won't lose sight of it

I tightly grasped the selfish voices
That I could hear clearly enough to touch
If I'll never know truth anyway
I might as well live on leaving every night's dreams behind

I'll keep doubting
Even if my heart breaks apart
So I won't lose sight of it

The air from the world I loved spills over
From my kneeling form trickles a faint whisper

With the tools I've been given
I'll create an unknown world
With the tools I've been given
Pretending not to notice

When did it start?
This memory lapse that I can't fully grasp within my dizziness
A time span that only I am unaware of
As so many ugly theses wash over me

The atmosphere looks as false
As it did when I was loved
Even your kneeling form
Grows hazy with a faint whisper
Faintly whisper
Neverending whisper

I'll keep doubting
The faint whisper


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Suicide Ali and Starwave Records, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm not really worried about them suing me since I'm their official translator anyway, but the disclaimer still needed to be said. :D

FINALLY, right? It's Suicide Ali's most recently released single, from JANUARY! Hey, at least I still got it done two months before their next single comes out... *kicked across the country*

Yeah, this took forever. :\ Partially because both songs have fairly difficult lyrics (both technically and in terms of the very story-specific nuances they carry) and partially because I lost about a month of my life to the six days I spent in Pittsburgh staffing for lix at Tekkoshocon. Six days well spent, of course. Just not so much the surrounding weeks of preparation and aftermath and backlog... orz

But anyway! Perpetual check is, needless to say, a REALLY interesting single. The new songs on it - as well as the accompanying graphics and costumes, of course - were all designed based on the theme of chess. I believe the story was something like... well... actually, this is long enough already. I'll describe the story on the Perpetual check post immediately after this one. :3;; So first of all, here is the first track of the single, Double check!

Suicide Ali - Double check

( Romaji )

I run from people, I run from you
Avoiding the light, I keep on running

Shot through by crime and punishment
I've accepted the end game

I want to stay beautiful

Within my collapsing ego
The revelation of defeat stirs
In the face of the trap set before me
I run around clumsily, trying to escape

By throwing away promises and betraying
I avoid the answer and keep on running

I grow accustomed to crime and punishment
The fatal end game

I want to stay beautiful

Within my collapsing ego
The revelation of defeat stirs
I can never again erase the past that's been given to me
Clumsily

When I peered into the ugly night
The ugly me laughed
With my tongue hanging out
With my tongue hanging out

Within my collapsing ego
The revelation of defeat stirs
In the face of the trap set before me
I run around clumsily, trying to escape

Within my collapsing ego
The revelation of defeat stirs
I can never again erase the past that's been given to me
Clumsily

When I peered into the ugly night
The ugly me laughed
I shouted until my throat went dry
I want to turn my back on everything and break through


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Suicide Ali and Starwave Records, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm not really worried about them suing me since I'm their official translator anyway, but the disclaimer still needed to be said. :D

And here it is - until I can get those Amuro Namie lyrics - the FINAL fundraiser request fulfilled. And as promised, the screenshot of the receipt sent after I submitted the donation - and the sense of completion that goes with getting both at once, I hope. ♥ Click to enlarge...



Yes, the donation amount says $500, and the total donated to the fundraiser was $504.54. This is because I forgot that there's a $500 daily cap on the card I used to make the payment. *headdesk* But you guys know I'm good for that last $4.54, right? lol... Yes, I will indeed make a second donation with the rest, plus a little extra to constitute my own donation, as soon as that cap is reset and my card lets me pay again. I'll post that screencap here somewhere too if anyone asks me to.

So here it is, a rather fitting song to close out the fundraiser - also known as the ending theme of the drama Yasashii Jikan, Hirahara Ayaka's Ashita. Enjoy, and a million THANK YOUs once again to everyone who took part in this project, with or without a request. I had a lot of fun, learned a lot of new Japanese (:P), and gained a LOT of satisfaction and general warm fuzzies through fulfilling all these requests and knowing it was for a good cause. I hope you guys found a little bit of that in the process as well. ^^

This song was requested and translated as part of Taiji Project's fundraiser for disaster relief in Japan. It's over now, but you can check out this post to see what we did and how it went!

Hirahara Ayaka - Ashita (Tomorrow)

( Romaji )

All those time you told me you'd always be near
Yet now I'm looking at the night sky alone... it was an empty promise

If you're in this town, I'm sure we'll pass each other by somewhere
I only hope I'll be able to greet you with a smile then

I won't cry anymore, I won't lose anymore
Because there is a tomorrow that can surpass my memories

If there is a continuation to the book I've quietly closed
It's only empty pages with nothing written on them

I won't cry anymore, I won't run away anymore
Even if a dream makes me nostalgic, that doesn't mean it's over

That stardust, that glow
I'll reach out my hand now and store them in my heart
Tomorrow a new me will begin


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Hirahara Ayaka and Dreamusic Inc., not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

Well, it took a couple days longer than it might have since I spent Thursday and Friday rushing to get that week's CnA sub finished... but here we are at last, with the FINAL two songs requested in the fundraiser! (I don't mean to exclude the Amuro Namie one, as it WILL be done too - it just has to wait until I can get kanji lyrics, which will probably be after the album release on April 27 ._. Even Japanese people can't seem to get past the first line, so I don't dare try to transcribe it myself...)

So the first of these last two songs is another of the member solos from Arashi's most recent album - Sho's this time. And uh, well... at least he's an adult now if they must give him songs like this to sing. Unlike certain examples from his past. >_>... Oh, and another interesting note: according the counts on the tags, this is my 300th translation posted to this journal! I feel awesome. :D *shot*

I'll shut up now. Here's T.A.B.O.O~

This song was requested and translated as part of Taiji Project's fundraiser for disaster relief in Japan. It's over now, but you can check out this post to see what we did and how it went!

Arashi (Sakurai Sho) - T.A.B.O.O

( Romaji )

Can you feel like this? wanna feel the same
Can you feel this beats? It's like dat y'all
Can you feel like this? wanna feel the same
Can you feel this beats? It's like dat y'all
Get down!

Close to me
I can sense your fragrance close by
What I'm laying down with you is ruleless

Please don't turn me off
This trap loosens the chains and sets me free
With you I commit the perfect crime

It's too late, go back
This aphrodisiac that melts on the lips is heavenly
Maybe to the limit

Call my nameless name now
Share with me this sin, and tell me
What you wanna do, wanna do now
But then it's Taboo (What you say girl)

Get it get it get it get it get now
Carry out these few seconds
What you wanna do, wanna do now
So that's the Taboo (What you say girl)

ah... come on sweetie

If it bothers you, then just come over here
This one moment's love and this feeling will make you forget the now
Ya like my dancer
Uh uh ha ha sh sh ha...

Night falls upon us again (yeah)
Your scent remains on my fingers (uh)
With an innocent face you dirty them again (it's)
T.A.B.O.O

Two winks
Our foreheads link
I look to the left
"Aren't you gonna kiss me?"
Shut out the light
A map to an uncharted land
The honey buried deep in the hive

"Baby come"

Close to me
I lose in a game whose winner was known from the start
You commit the perfect crime

It's too late, go back
The destination we're reaching is heavenly
Let it be, to the limit

Call my nameless name now
That scenario is fine, just tell me
What you wanna do, wanna do now
But then it's Taboo (What you say girl)

Get it get it get it get it get now
Carry out these few seconds
What you wanna do, wanna do now
So that's Taboo too (What you say girl)

Let's go... Get down...

Call my nameless name now
Share with me this sin, and tell me
What you wanna do, wanna do now
But then it's Taboo (What you say girl)

Get it get it get it get it get now
Carry out these few seconds
What you wanna do, wanna do now
So that's the Taboo (What you say girl)


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Sakurai Sho Arashi Johnny & Associates Johnny Kitagawa, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

And here it is - the last track of the requested Ketsumeishi album, Tsutaetai Koto! Definitely had some interesting times translating this album... got a lot of studying and learning in, too XD Best of all, it brought in 15 songs' worth of donations to help the relief effort in Japan - totally worth it ♥

This song was requested and translated as part of Taiji Project's fundraiser for disaster relief in Japan. It's over now, but you can check out this post to see what we did and how it went!

Ketsumeishi - Tsutaetai Koto (The thing I want to tell you)

( Romaji )

You ask, "Why is the grass green?"
You ask, "Why do flowers have so many colors?"
Those are the colors God chose
To make each of them stand out in their own way
As long as we don't ruin that
We can live here too

Grass is given the color that suits it best
Flowers are given the colors that suit them best
And your color is what suits you best
All are destined to keep shining on and on

More new sprouts will appear again today
Awakening in turn as the sunlight bathes them
Eventually sunset will paint the blue sky
Slowly time passes and the day ends
The lush forest and the green of the grass and trees
Begin changing their colors to match the season
The trees growing toward the sunlight
Surely don't think about what it all means
They don't know the meaning themselves, but
As long as they live, they do have a meaning
All living things besides humans have no goals
They just devote themselves to living, and one day disappear
We gaze in awe at their brilliant colors
If you think about it, we're a part of it too
There are methods and rules we must not break
Nature reflects our behavior

Grass is given the color that suits it best
Flowers are given the colors that suit them best
And your color is what suits you best
All are destined to keep shining on and on

Unchanging even in the quiet, peaceful days
The colors of the grass, trees, and flowers tell nothing
The flowers wait for spring, greenery blazes in summer
Autumn is colored red, buds endure the winter
The colors God gave them
And the days that end unnoticed
We must not forget their meaning
We must not lose these days
The turning seasons will color you again
Sweetly, faintly melting into your heart
Even as they surpass time, memories come dancing back
Allowing us to live again, as life itself dances
What do flowers that scatter in the morning leave behind?
What do flowers that bloom in the morning think?
I'll give words to your colors and the colors of the flowers
And convey them through this song

The rustle of swaying grass
The fragrance of peacefully blooming flowers
Are joined by the laughter of children and become one
All born in the same world
All passing the same time
Through past and present, nothing has changed

Grass is given the color that suits it best
Flowers are given the colors that suit them best
And your color is what suits you best
All are destined to keep shining on and on


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Ketsumeishi and Toy's Factory, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

So both of the last two songs from the Ketsumeishi tracklist are the type that express a message intended to make people think. That usually either means environmental themes or social/tolerance themes. I'll let you figure out which category each of these last two songs respectively falls into. :3 yeah, sleepiness does things to your coherence level, yo

Enjoy S.O.S~

This song was requested and translated as part of Taiji Project's fundraiser for disaster relief in Japan. It's over now, but you can check out this post to see what we did and how it went!

Ketsumeishi - S.O.S

( Romaji )

The planet where I live is clear blue, with forests, deserts, seas, and flowing rivers
It's a beautiful planet, but a sad one where people kill each other

What about the planet where you live?
Can anyone hear me?
S.O.S　S.O.S　S.O.S　Please respond

If I can make contact with you, I'll send you this message
I'd like you to compare the things happening on my planet
To what happens on your planet
Just what is so different about them?
I can see it with my own eyes, and yet
My message won't reach that faraway planet
If you're close by
I want to hear your answer

The green forests and the oceans under a blue sky
Our planet looks so peaceful at a glance
Yet people standing on the same planet kill each other
Cunning acts and wars are so common
There's never a day when the tears dry
Hate makes the sadness multiply
Can you see it from your planet?
Sometimes I want to run away from this foolish planet
When I wonder if I'm walking down the wrong path
I hope you'll laugh and say "It's still a young planet"
If your planet and mine are so different
I want you to ask questions
We know, yet nothing changes
Our ideals haven't come true
Is my S.O.S reaching you?
Where is our planet?

The planet where I live has love, and it has both men and women
It's a beautiful planet, but a sad one where people kill each other

What about the planet where you live?
Can anyone hear me?
S.O.S　S.O.S　S.O.S　Please respond

What's wrong and what's right?
Unable to see the truth, we suffer from a major illness
Every day, somewhere, there are people killing each other
Where is true peace?
We can't seem to live as one
The wars never cease, we can't forgive each other
Is it sad that this is the state of Earth right now?
We're free to feel and think as we please
If I could ask one thing
If I could see the differences or a vision of the future
S.O.S　I want to talk about it with you
What is it that we're lacking now?
Already I can't keep up with our ideas
I don't know what to do other than pray
I send another S.O.S and hope it reaches you
Far beyond the sky to your planet

I want to ask, so I'm sending you my voice now
I want to know, so I'm sending you my voice now
Please let it reach... let it reach you

The planet where I live is clear blue, with forests, deserts, seas, and flowing rivers
It's a beautiful planet, but a sad one where people kill each other

The planet where I live has love, and it has both men and women
It's a beautiful planet, but a sad one where people kill each other

What about the planet where you live?
Can anyone hear me?
S.O.S　S.O.S　S.O.S　Please respond

What about the planet where you live?
Can anyone hear me?
S.O.S　S.O.S　S.O.S　Please respond


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Ketsumeishi and Toy's Factory, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T

The second of tonight's four Ketsumeishi songs is the typical-ish love song of the bunch (the closest to "typical" that any of these four songs get, at least)... and I'm not really sure what to say about it other than that, so here is Ballad ^^;

This song was requested and translated as part of Taiji Project's fundraiser for disaster relief in Japan. It's over now, but you can check out this post to see what we did and how it went!

Ketsumeishi - Ballad

( Romaji )

If our tears can never dry
I'll hold you ever tighter
Until we both melt into the night wind
I want to show you my love without words

Let's go back to that dream from the night we parted
Let's dance to our hearts' content
It's too lonely being here alone
I love you so much I can't help myself
Your fragrance still lingers in the room
Making me feel even more lonely since you left
So I'll keep these words hidden away in my heart
"Next time, let's go to your place"

Counting the nights I spend unable to see you
I pour out my love into a glass of sadness
You're the only one I've ever loved this much

If I said "I miss you"
If it's really okay for me to say that
But I'm afraid I'll break down
So like the coward I am, I avert my eyes
The farther apart we are
My feelings spill over more, until they stream out
How many nights must I spend without seeing you
Before these feelings will reach you?

I can see the sleepless town through the glass
On nights like this I miss you most
I draw nearer to the silence again
As I chase after the lingering sweetness of your kiss
That voice echoes, surpassing my memories
Growing smaller and more distant until it dissolves into the night sky
I can't dance to a ballad mixed with sighs
I want to tell you my feelings right now

The two of us close together is better than being all alone
On days when I'm all alone, I'll call you
You look so precious as you watch me leave
With an innocent face, even though I know you're lonely

Counting the nights I spend unable to see you
I pour out my love into a glass of sadness
You're the only one I've ever loved this much

Since I met you
I learned what true sadness is
I miss you so much, it makes me tremble
As I clutch my own shoulders
If I could have embraced your shadow...
Alone and reeling
Next to a phone that won't ring

Counting the nights I spend unable to see you
I pour out my love into a glass of sadness
You're the only one I've ever loved this much
Within my heart even now

Rain falls in the stillness as I hang up
Your "Until next time" echoes over and over, to the ends of the night
I hide my loneliness, saying nothing
Beneath my innocent voice, my heart is aching
I want to see you, but I can't
This feeling will never clear away
Ah, God living beyond the night sky
If this is real love, please turn back time


Disclaimer: This song belongs to Ketsumeishi and Toy's Factory, not me. I only take credit for the romaji and translation. I'm just a fangirl trying to make J-music a little more accessible to English speakers. No copyright infringement is intended. Please don't sue me - I'm already broke. T__T