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This series of posts covers Japanese songs, along with their lyrics, and translations so you can make sure you learn every word.
When translating Japanese, and especially for things like subtitles which are timed, there are times when the English translation sounds more natural when the line order is switched or combined, based on how the lines are broken apart in the lyrics in Japanese and the word order, since for instance what is sometimes said at the end of the sentence would be the beginning of what’s said in the English sentence. There are also times where something doesn’t match nuance, and so what’s said is actually somewhat changed. However when going the interpretation route versus direct translation route, the translation won’t always follow the flow, and also roughly match the English translation line by line. Since this is a song, and the musical emotion is timed with the Japanese lyrics, I’ve kept it as close to the Japanese flow as possible as far as what line corresponds to the English translation. Needless to say this might sound unnatural in English or a bit like Yoda in places, but butcher the song’s flow I want not!
For this one, let’s do: あたらしい日々 (“Brand New Days”) – Puffy AmiYumi
Japanese Lyrics:
簡単なこともできずに
最近は悩んでばかり
半分は恋人
半分はお仕事だから大変なのよ
太陽がくれた青い季節
願いは雲のように
愛情が散りばめられた空
くちぶえ届け届け
旅を始めようか
誰にもナイショでさ
困難の船にゆられて
こんなんじゃ ためいきばかり
半分は忘れて
半分は思い出にして宝探し
太陽が運ぶあたらしい日々
ゆっくりと夢を見せて
遠かった大空へぼくらは
自由に飛んでいける
太陽を追って走った意味を
高鳴るこの気持ちを
待ってたあの日うたった愛を
やさしい声にのせて
English Translation:
Unable to even do something simple
Recently I’m only worried
Half is because of a lover
Half is because of work — it’s difficult
The blue season that the sun gave
Wishes like the clouds
A sky inlayed with love
Delivering whistles, delivering whistles…
Want to start a journey?
It will be a secret to everyone
Swaying in a ship of difficulty
Only sighs of distress
Half is forgetting
Half is remembering the treasure hunt
New days that the sun carries
Slowly showing dreams
To the distant skies we
freely fly
The meaning of chasing after the sun
This throbbing feeling
I was waiting, the love that I sung that day
With a gentle voice
Word List:
(definitions and readings match usage in the song)
| 簡単 | かんたん | Simple |
| こと | Thing; matter; circumstances | |
| できる | To be able | |
| 最近 | さいきん | Recently |
| 悩む | なやむ | To be worried / troubled |
| ばかり | Only; nothing but | |
| 半分 | はんぶん | Half |
| 恋人 | こいびと | Lover; sweetheart |
| お仕事 | おしごと | Work |
| ～だから | So; therefor | |
| 大変 | たいへん | Difficult; hard |
| 太陽 | たいよう | The sun |
| くれる | To give; to be given; to let one have | |
| 青い | あおい | Blue |
| 季節 | きせつ | Season |
| 願い | ねがい | Wish |
| 雲 | くも | Cloud |
| ～のように | Like ～; in the same way as ～ | |
| 愛情 | あいじょう | Love; affection |
| 散りばめる | ちりばめる | To inlay; stud; mount (gem) |
| 空 | そら | Sky |
| 口笛 | くちぶえ | Whistle |
| 届ける | とどける | To deliver; to send |
| 旅 | たび | Trip; journey |
| 始める | はじめる | Begin |
| 誰にも | だれにも | Anybody; everybody |
| 内緒 | ないしょ | Secret; privacy |
| 困難 | こんなん | Difficulty; distress |
| 船 | ふね | Boat |
| 揺れる | ゆれる | To shake; to sway |
| ため息 | ためいき | Sigh |
| 忘れる | わすれる | To forget |
| 思い出 | おもいで | Memory |
| 宝探し | たからさがし | Treasure hunting |
| 運ぶ | はこぶ | To carry; transport; convey |
| 新しい | あたらしい | New |
| 日々 | ひび | Every day; daily |
| ゆっくり | ゆっくり | Slow; at ease |
| 夢 | ゆめ | Dream |
| 見せる | みせる | To show |
| 遠い | とおい | Far; distant |
| 大空 | おおぞら | Sky; the heavens |
| 僕ら | ぼくら | Us (a bit masculine) |
| 自由に | じゆうに | Freely |
| 飛ぶ | とぶ | To fly |
| 追う | おう | To chase; to pursue |
| 走る | はしる | To run |
| 意味 | いみ | Meaning |
| 高鳴る | たかなる | To throb |
| この | This | |
| 気持ち | きもち | Feeling |
| 待つ | まつ | To wait |
| あの | That | |
| 日 | ひ | Day |
| 歌う | うたう | Sing |
| 愛 | あい | Love |
| やさしい | Kind; gentle | |
| 声 | こえ | Voice |
| のせる | To place (on something); to send out (on airwaves etc) |
