Lyrics Translation: konya mo hoshi ni dakarete… (今夜も星に抱かれて…) ~ ayaka (絢香)
Just a quick note, I've updated the previous translation post on Laugh away to reflect the fact that the song now has two PVs, hooray! \(^ o ^)/
Before I get into this post though, I should really note that this post features an extremely contextualised translation - so if you are hoping for a more literal interpretation, click here to jump to the user comments segment. I initially tried to strike a more balanced translation but found it exceedingly difficult to convey the beauty of the lyrics under that approach... So I took the lazy way out, LOL (^__^")
Nonetheless, I still don't feel that I have done any justice to the piece, though I can promise you I tried very hard to do so. Indeed, the song's lyrics were so powerful in Japanese that it led Sky Crawlers (スカイ・クロラ) director, Mamoru Oshii (押井守), to redo the ending credits so that he could better fit it to the song. This is a significant gesture because Oshii is known for his adamant refusal to use any musical work that was not tailor-made for his movies... but after listening to this, he seems to have decided otherwise. (^___^")
Anyhow, the summer is certainly making its presence felt these days as the heat has been torturous in Hong Kong. As I wake up each morning to face that pale and diluted blue sky, I scorn - the thought of how hot it is outside sends chills through my spine... and with the Olympics a mere few weeks away, I can't imagine what it'd be like for the horses and their jockeys as the city hosts the equestrian events.
At a time when I am trying to find any possible shade I could, it's difficult to understand why the Chinese government would ever want to ensure cloudless skies by sniping the poor balls of fluff out of the air with their darned anti-aircraft guns...
As if stepping up their control of 1.3 billion people was not enough to ensure a "peaceful and harmonious" Olympics, Beijing has gone the extra mile to reign in control of the weather as well. (-___-") If you are interested in how the whole thing works, hop on to this USA Today article.
Still, the two months leading up to the Games have been somewhat hectic as the government finds itself clearing up pollution, algae and political commentators in anticipation of welcoming the world through its doors. Anyway, I've gone on enough about this; I just wanted to share my awe at the Chinese army's ability to shoot clouds out of the air... LOL (^___^")
So, getting back on track as we long for the future that will bring us the Olympics, let us move on to this jewel of a song (^___^)
Song information:
Track 15 from ayaka's album, Sing to the Sky (Released 2008/06/25).
PV availability:
This PV marks the first ayaka video that features no sign of her whatsoever... (@__@) In her stead, viewers will be treated to scenes from The Sky Crawlers; which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on which you are a bigger fan of - clearly, I fall in the "not all too impressed" camp, LOL (^___^")
Theme song:
This song is the theme to the movie, スカイ・クロラ (also known as The Sky Crawlers).
Alternative versions:
There are no alternative versions at this moment.
Comments:
Listening to the first few lines of the song, ayaka's serenade certainly makes the ballad seem like nothing more than an ode to love, but it is not until the bridge of the song that the context of her words are truly revealed - the piece is not so much a song of love as it is a eulogy for someone she loves. In the booklet that came with the CD, her notes on this song go:
"In spending time with the people we love, a warm feeling is evoked from the touch of their skin. Though these occasions don’t seem particularly special, they are in fact irreplaceable moments. Sadly, we often get too used to a person and it is only when we lose them that we begin to realise this. In this way, the happiness that frames the moment of “now” is a happiness that we ourselves should strive to be grateful for with its every occurrence."
Of course, her notes were written in Japanese in the booklet, but I took the liberty of translating it in order to provide more context for understanding the song. The nice thing about the album is simply that ayaka takes time out to write notes on all the songs in the album and also explains why the album is titled, Sing to the Sky, LOL. I'll be translating these notes as I go through the songs in this album, so stay tuned as I work my way through it. (^___^")
Returning to the focus of this segment, despite noting that this song is more of a eulogy, it is really not about the loss but about the appreciation of the love left behind; not about sorrow and regret but about joy and gratitude; not a lamentation but a celebration. The song's message is not in the literal reading of its words but in understanding the concepts that it is implying through the lyrics, vocal expression as well as melody.
今夜も星に抱かれて・・・ is such an evocative piece that one requires no PV nor understanding of the lyrics to "see" what ayaka is singing of. Close your eyes as you listen and allow the simple yet beautiful melody to take you into a world where the night sky is filled with stars. Close your eyes and let ayaka's vocals guide you through a love that is at its warmest, most honest and most intense expression. Close your eyes and you will see what this piece is truly about.
After that, you probably won't even need to read the lyrics, but just in case you do want to reaffirm what you felt, feel free to scroll down to the next segment (you'll probably have to keep your eyes open though... (^___^")). Remember, this translation is highly contextualised - if you are looking for a more literal interpretation, click here to jump down to the user comments segment... (^___^)
Lyrics:
As always, Japanese lyrics are retrieved from www.uta-net.com.
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日本語:
今夜も星に抱かれて・・・
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歌手: 絢香
作詞: 絢香
作曲: 西尾芳彦・絢香
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この世で一番心地よい場所 それはあなたの胸の中
胸に耳あて鼓動感じるの
What l need now is you
あなたのリズムで眠りそうになる
You made me what l am
このささやかな幸せが続くように…
あなたの愛をこの身に感じ あたしも伝えるの
あなたの胸に抱かれ あなたの匂いに包まれて
What l need now is you
これ以上の幸せなどないの
You made me what l am
あたしに不安などないの あなたがそばにいるから…
５年たった今でも ゆらゆらと陽炎のように
星になった君に触れることは できないけれど
今夜も夢を見よう…
What l need now is you
Everyday Everynight l miss you
You made me what l am
Everyday Everynight Everything is you
そばにいるから
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romaji:
konya mo hoshi ni dakarete...
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kashyu: ayaka
sakushi: ayaka
sakkyoku: nishio yoshihiko・ayaka
romaji: crystalise
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kono yo de ichiban kokochiyoi basho sore wa anata no mune no naka
mune ni mimiate kodou kanjiru no
What I need now is you
anata no rizumu de nemurisou ni naru
You made me what I am
kono sasayaka na shiawase ga tsudzuku you ni...
anata no ai wo kono mi ni kanji atashi mo tsutaeru no
anata no mune ni dakare anata no nioi ni tsutsumarete
What I need now is you
kore ijou no shiawase nado nai no
You made me what I am
atashi ni fuan nado nai no anata ga soba ni iru kara...
gonen tatta ima de mo yurayura to kagerou no you ni
hoshi ni natta kimi ni fureru koto wa dekinai keredo
konya mo yume wo miyou...
What I need now is you
Everyday Everynight I miss you
You made me what I am
Everyday Everynight Everything is you
soba ni iru kara
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English:
Even Tonight, I am Nestled in the Stars...*
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Performed by: ayaka
Lyricist: ayaka
Composer: Yoshihiko Nishio & ayaka
Translated by: crystalise
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At your bosom, as I listen to the gentle throbbing of your heart
Through my earmuffs, I find my only solace in this world.
You are all that I need now
And in your comforting rhythm, I can find the safety of sleep.
It was you who made me what I am
And that is why a simple happiness flourishes in me still.
Held closely in your arms and enveloped tenderly in your perfume,
I feel your love within me as I reciprocate my feelings for you.
I need nothing more but you now,
As I know that there is no greater joy than this.
You were the one who made me what I am
And that is why nothing can trouble me, so long as you are with me.
...Five years from this day, my love for you will continue to burn...
And although I can’t snuggle up to that star you have become,
Even tonight, I could still dream...
All I need is you,
Everyday and every night... I miss you so.
I am who I am because of you,
My everyday, my every night, my everything... is you.
Because I know, unfailingly, that you are always by my side.
Notes:
*Note 1: This is the contextual version of the translation, if you are looking for the literal version - click here.
Links:
ayaka Official Website (maintained by Warner Music Japan)
Purchase Sing to the Sky online (via YesAsia Global)
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Comments
Literal translation:
==========================
Even Tonight, Enveloped in Stars...
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The most pleasant place in this world is to be at your bosom...
Against your chest, my earmuffs pulsate.
What I need now is you.
Through your rhythm, sleep comes ever closer.
You made me what I am.
This modest happiness that continues on like this...
I could feel your love in my body, I too convey the same to you...
Held to your bosom, your smell wraps me.
What I need now is you.
There is no joy above this.
You made me what I am.
I have nothing to trouble me because you are with me...
Five years later on, this will still be like the rolling air in the heat wave,
Although I can’t touch the star you have become
Tonight too, I’ll dream...
What I need is you
Everyday, every night... I miss you.
You made me what I am.
Everyday, every night... Everything... is you.
...Because you are by my side...
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Hope that helps! (^___^)
Thanks for the translation though, it is such a great song
Nonetheless, it could have been the "First Appearance" part that is misleading... I actually really would like your opinion on this since I've been thinking about it for a long time and don't really know how to handle it.
My current method of counting a first appearance is only when it is available as a song that is purchasable via CD (I made an exception for "For today" because I translated that from the digital single but in general, I've counted it that way).
But then there are songs like YUI's Laugh away, when I translated it from the CD even though I knew it was available as a digital single a few months before. In ayaka and Ai-chin's case, they also perform songs before they are actually released. Ai-chin usually doesn't give me too much of a problem since she will generally cut out a song she hasn't yet released from her live concerts...
ayaka, however, generally leaves them in. So from her only live concert DVD so far, she has two songs (TO BE WITH YOU and Let's go to party) which still cannot be purchased in any audio disc just yet... and that's where I sorta get confused because you could easily argue that it is purchasable as a DVD...
LOL, I hope you get where I am going with this, but I have thought a lot about it. Perhaps I should change the category's name instead but I don't want to go back and edit every translation post for that... I also usually go for the purchasable version of the song because then I could place it in the "Links" segment and could also attribute cover art to it as well.
Sigh... Sorry if this all seems silly but if you have an opinion, I would love to hear it. I have thought quite a bit about this but haven't really figured out a lazy way to get round it yet, LOL.
Nonetheless, thanks for your comment and for linking me to the video!! Thank you!!! \(^ o ^)/ Also, please ignore my long list of ponderings if you find it too troublesome... LOL
Sorry if I seemed a little over-excited in my reaction but I was thinking of that question for that post and since you mentioned something that was related, I pounced on the opportunity to ask... LOL, so if you have any opinions or advice on that, please share them. (^___^)
I really would like to know since I've always found myself at odds with myself (sorta like arguing with myself in my own head over these) over these rather trivial matters. It may seem small but every time I write it, I always think about whether that is misleading... LOL (^___^")
Anyhow, thank you so much for sharing the video! It was so beautifully performed - a massive thanks for putting a massive smile on my face, darkdragon!! (^___^)v
BTW, sorry for not responding to your reply in For Today's post, I completely forgot about it until just now. =)
Also, don't worry about not responding - there is no obligation here. I just hope you enjoy reading the posts and chatting as much as I do, so don't be sorry about anything! (^___^) Thanks again for your comments! See you around!
This song is really really beautiful. I can't wait until the single is out so I can actually hold it in my hands. XD