Friday 11 October 2024

Die Forelle (The Trout)

Lieder by Franz Schubert (Op. 32, D 550)

Original Libretto from a poem by Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart


Within a little river, a tiny fish did swim
Around and ‘round in circles, catering to its whim
I stood there by the water, and watched as it swam free
Around within the river, the fish did pass by me
Around within the river, the fish did pass by me

And soon I saw a fisher, who’s armed with hook and rod
He stared upon the river; the sight did cool his blood
But since the river’s water was bright and clear as day
“That fisherman can’t prosper,” I thought, “There was no way!”
“That fisherman can’t prosper,” I thought, “There was no way!”

The fisher grew impatient; he hatched a plot
He had been standing by the riverbank for far too long
He stirred about the water, and caught the fish as it was in a shock!
And I with blood a-boiling saw how the fish was caught!
And I with blood a-boiling saw how the fish was caught!

Habanera from Carmen (L'amour est un oiseau rebelle)

From Act 1, Scene 5 of George Bizet's Carmen


Love is like a rebellious bird
that everyone has failed to tame.
So you're calling to him in vain
once he knows that you hold his cage.

Nothing works, neither threat nor prayer.
One man flirts, but his friend is silent
It's the silent one I prefer,
he rarely speaks, but he needs no words.

Oh, love~
Oh, love~
Oh, love~
This is love!

Our love is like an infant child
you know that they have never known the law
If you don't love me, I'll love you
But if I love you, then be on your guard!

[Be on your guard!]
If you don't love me,
then I hope you know
I'll still love you!
[She'll still love you!]
But if I love you, if I love you...
Be on your guard!

[Her love is like an infant child
you know that she has never known the law
If you don't love her, she'll love you
But if she loves you, then be on your guard!]

[Be on your guard!]
If you don't love me,
then I hope you know
I'll still love you!
[She'll still love you!]
But if I love you, if I love you...
Be on your guard!

...

The songbird that you thought you'd caught
fluttered its feathers and flew away
Love, you'll find out, is much the same
it frustrates you with its wily pace

All around you, it's swift, so swift,
it comes, it goes, and then returns
When you clutch it at last, it flees!
When you feel free, it holds you fast.

Oh, love~
Oh, love~
Oh, love~
This is love!

Our love is like an infant child
you know that they have never known the law
If you don't love me, I'll love you
But if I love you, then be on your guard!

[Be on your guard!]
If you don't love me,
then I hope you know
I'll still love you!
[She'll still love you!]
But if I love you, if I love you...
Be on your guard!

[Her love is like an infant child
you know that she has never known the law
If you don't love her, she'll love you
But if she loves you, then be on your guard!]

[Be on your guard!]
If you don't love me,
then I hope you know
I'll still love you!
[She'll still love you!]
But if I love you, if I love you...
Be on your guard!

Thursday 12 September 2024

Listen Not (勿听)

Black Myth: Wukong
Chapter 4 Ending Cutscene

Originally sung by 赵紫骅 and 张紫宁
Original CN lyrics & official EN translation by 
冯骥 (Founder of Game Science)


M: That night, I saw you in moonlight

F: That night, the starlight was so bright
M: Longing, can't keep it inside
F: 
Each year that passes by, I yearn but I still hide

M: Turbulent rivers,
F: the sailboat wavers...
F: But if you're here
Both: with me, then everything feels like freedom

F: Clouds form --
M: -- warm air
F: cause storms --
M: then clear,
F: From
Both: spring 'til autumn calls
M: In that moment, I loved you above it all...

.....

M: Lost in regrets of my past heart
F: Cherish the warmth of nostalgia
M: Soulmates speak without talking
F: From dusk 'til break of dawn, it won't be enough


.....

M: Roaring so loudly,
F: tranquil and calming
Both: With you in stride by me, my life's feeling way more carefree

F: Night frost --
M: dawn dew --
F: -- blooms lost
M: with you
F: As
Both: night fades, morning comes

F: The winds were wrong, my hopes misplaced for too long

M: Adrift on a sailboat
F: Lonely rivers flow
Both (M / F): If you hold on // If you let go 
Both (M / F): to me, you'll // of me, I'll
Both: never escape this sorrow

F: In joy
M: or in despair,
Both: fleeting or always there
Both: Until we are reborn, I'll say this prayer

F: True love --
M: -- won't stay
F: Sweet lies --
M: -- bring pain
F: In the
M: next life, I hope
F: If you'd be there, oh
Both (M/F): don't love me once... more  // please love me once... more


----------------------------------------

Author's Note:
I tried so, so, so hard to capture the poeticism of the original CN lyrics, but I think still I fell a bit short in some places. CN has such a high syllable-to-meaning density that it's hard to properly portray the nuances and implied meanings behind everything when translating to a lower-density language like English.

Don't tell me this isn't 100%
accurate to the original -- it isn't meant to be! I cut out quite a few literal translations (references to the bridge & tower, queen of the night flower, clouds that act like greyhounds, etc.) in favour of implied meaning when it suited things better. If I only have 5 syllables from the CN lyrics, which I can *maybe* stretch to 6 in EN... well, stuff is gonna get cut! Boohoo, ya translation purists.

If you're curious about my "translation" process, I've left the remnants of my work on this Google Doc.

Edit 1: Posted this 6 hrs ago & I already made a few lyric changes LMAO 

Association Actress ~Hunter & Beast~ (Rensou Actress ~Karyuudo to Kemono~)

Originally Sung by MEIKO and KAITO
Written and Arranged by HitoshizukuP and YamaP



A/N: the pronouns can be changed as you wish, as long as the song's flow still works!
[M]: MEIKO's part, the captivating beast
[K]: KAITO's part, the inexperienced hunter
[Both]: sing this part together

[M]
Upon the stage, within the night

the curtain's ready to finally rise
A nameless stranger beckons me
to star with him in this comedy

[K]
In a forest, lonely by herself,
a dancer casts a magic spell
Enticing the hunter to go astray,
she takes his hand, so he'll stay

[M]
Swallowed by the dark abyss, 
who knows what awaits me?
[K]
It's starting now,
an alluring fantasy!

[M] His eyes are flickering,
[K] Her heart is wavering,
[Both] and now they twine,
[K] like they're two in one,
[M] their love has begun!

[Both]
Engrave me right into your very soul
'Til our hearts will merge to weave a tale untold
Your shaking voice is like a roaring pyre,
Your arrow's drawing out my deep desires

[Both]
I froze my heart so I could keep it safe,
but now it's melting in your warm embrace
With just one kiss that's unlike any other,
I'm being smothered by a sweet and beastly love...

***

[M]
Upon the stage, in twilight,
Again, the curtain will start to rise
The flames of love surround me
in once-a-night kind of story

[K]
Though he wants to tell her how he feels,
she'd brush him off, he knows she will
The hun~ter cannot catch his prey,
he watches as she runs away

[M]
Wand'ring in the dark abyss,
I'm feeling so lonely
[K]
I can't escape,
I'm trapped in a labyrinth

[M] Her carefree feelings,
[K] His serious feelings,
[Both] will now combine
[K] In the dead of night,
[M] oh, they'll burn so bright!

I'm searching through the darkness in your heart,
to find the that's always on your guard
I'll shoot my arrows with no hesitation 
'til your words are true and not a mere flirtation!

I feel as though you're somewhere I can't reach
Are my feelings pure or laced with lust beneath?
With quiet whispers that are softly fleeting
the blush of morning will erase this false love...

***

[M]
I hid my heart so I could keep it safe,
but I know the fears I had were not innate
Although the beast would run as soon as night fell,
she's standing strongly in the light of dawn, now!

[K]
My arrows never seem to hit their mark,
you dance around them in the dead of dark
But even so, my aim will never falter
I'll target you until I see you smile at dawn!

[Both]
Engrave my name into your very soul
'Til our hearts resound to weave a tale untold
Your trembling hands are like a raging fire,
these flames of passion burn with deep desire!

[Both]
I froze my heart so I could keep it safe,
but now it's melting in your warm embrace
So bit by bit, the truth can hide no longer
the break of dawn reveals the blush of pure love...

Sunday 3 March 2024

Voices

Originally Sung by Akino Arai 
Insert Song from Macross Plus


The first word that I heard floated through my dreams, 
softly it whispered to me
It evoked such a dark sort of mystery,
one that could stop hearts from beating

The next word that I heard came from the breeze
guiding me on through this journey
And right then, as though soaring on fragile wings,
I knew the shape of my destiny

As I count all the times I had cried through the night, sorrows will melt away
In the aftermath, the dawn breaks -- golden light that illuminates

Your eyes speak of a place filled with wondrous things,
somewhere so calm and entrancing
Yet you have only one life to get it right,
I'm scared you'll run out of time...

*

Hidden deep in an old magic tome;
Like the moon on a lake, 
Like the veil night creates,
Sure and certain as fate we would meet... someday

「 We can fly, we have wings
We can touch floating dreams
Calling me from high,
Through the wind and the light... 」

*

The third word that I heard was a tiny "hmm",
caught by my ears, only barely
You seem frightened the way that you're trembling;
I'll soothe your fear with a story...

Thursday 9 November 2023

Cinderella (Macross)

Originally Sung by Mari Ijima as Lynn Minmay
Insert Song for SDF Macross and Macross Flashback 2012



Far above the castle walls, I heard the tower chime
Ringing out the current time, I knew that it was midnight

Anything you said to me was lost to that sound~
pushing you away from me, I whispered a goodbye

And like that, the Cinderella of fairy tales
had lost her chance at true love...
But no, she'll never quit,
in dreams she will persist
A never-ending chase, if only you would stay awake 
A never-ending chase, that lasts until the sun awakes...

Thursday 5 October 2023

Runner [TV Duet Ver.]

Originally Sung by Makoto Fujiwara, and Mari Ijima as Lynn Minmay
Insert Song for SDF Macross


[Male Voice] I've made up my mind, starting from tomorrow

No longer will I chase your shadow

[Minmay] People run on and on, forward to the future

Though their goals are always still unknown...


[Male Voice] What's beyond today is always a mystery

[Minmay] What tomorrow brings is always a secret

[Both] To the light that's shining bright, far, far from here

Although it's blinding me, someday I'll surely get there