Wednesday 23 October 2024

Museum de Dou Shitai? [Game Ver.]

Originally Sung by Printemps
From Love Live! school idol festival


Is there something in your heart that
wants to get lost forevermore?
There's a message that I've sent you,
one I hope you will adore

Close your eyes and what you'll find are
dreams of a world that we forgot
The gondola we're riding soon will take off to be
amongst the brightly shining stars

What do you want to do?
That's all I'm asking you
What do you want to do?
Keep on telling me too~

Now wipe that frown off your face
and change it to a smile for the two of us...

It's starting now!
The love that both of us share is like a museum
Filled with bliss and sweetness that I have never known before,
like paintings on the wall

Would you like to stay close to me?
Do you want to hold hands with me?
Oh oh! These feelings really embarrass me so~

Tuesday 22 October 2024

Cinderella and a Poisoned Apple

Originally Sung by Megurine Luka
Produced by Yuzuhiko (music, lyrics)



The red apples handed to me
Hides their odour, oh so sweet
Bright and ripe, they're freshly-plucked
Let me have a taste of one

An adult's world is what I seek
How I want to take a peek
If I have little bite,
all the treasures would be mine

But then I'd change to something strange
The pleasure I feel can't be replaced
The boring, well, it won't belong
I'll do whatever I want

The passerby in the neon lights
Are dressed in finery
The foolish act they're putting on
is all a part of our good fun

The magic bell will cast a spell
and cease its midnight toll
Cinderella is trapped forevermore

***

Blazing bright with dignity
I attract whomever I meet
Charming and enticing too
The only one I want is you

I desire everything
Hurry, give it all to me
Handing love out as I go
Upon the people, I'll bestow

I'm staring hard, they're staring in
I'm loving lots, are they loving me?
The path ahead is filled with dread
Then again, what do I know?

And then suddenly, without warning
the ending credits roll
Even though the pumpkin carriage
and slippers hadn't heard the toll

Did you know that ancient fairytale
was always just a farce?
Cause all too soon, the true end's at a close

[La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la]
(repeat)

***

Since I've got no prince to wake me up,
I guess I'm out of luck
The land of dreams is out of reach
Cinderella can't go back again

The magic bell did cast a spell
and cease its midnight toll
And now I'm trapped in hell forevermore!

Last Kiss [Game Ver.]

 Originally Sung by Sayaka Harada as Miyu Mifune
1st Solo for Idolm@ster: Cinderella Girls, Starlight Stage


Softly filling this space,
silence is the only noise
Breathing it in, hearing your voice
wrapped in the warmth of your embrace

Trying to trace every line,
fingertips brushing up my spine
Pulses aligned, this is a sign
My heart's in overdrive

If only I could rewind the time,
I would choose to stay by your side...

Even so, oh I know that it's only a dream
of the past, fueled by anxiety
If we stop for a while, then we'd know in our hearts
that this love of ours was doomed from the start

Steal the words from my lips
in a final kiss
Although~ we were through, you still said "I love you"
my heart's been split in two...

***

No more words left to say, only silence remains
And the second-hand is ticking down
With the time running short, this might be our last chance
I reach out and squeeze your extended hand

Even so, yes I know that it's only a dream
of our future shattered at the seams
Fate is cruel and unkind, I wish you could be mine
But it's over 'cause we ran out of time

Place a smile on my lips,
with a final kiss
Before my heart gives in,
before my tears can fall
farewell forevermore.

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...