川澄綾子 ― sakura／Kawasumi Ayako - sakura
It must have been weeks since I began working on this song. It also holds the all-time record for the number of pieces of paper I used to translate it (four, including the printout).
How should I put it? This is one of the two songs (the other being ‘patch of blue sky’ which has no lyrics) that caused me to fall in love all over again with Ayako-sama. (Believe me the feeling is exceedingly overwhelming, and somewhat strange - with a sense of deja vu but also with the freshness of a new discovery.) I thought it would be fitting to translate it somehow, and for this song I adopted an approach that I do not normally use, which is to try very hard to stick to the form and flow of the song, and to make the translation actually match the music (not much point in that, but it somehow makes the translation look nice to me at least. ^^;)
Please support her by buying her album 「primary」! It’s the best fifty dollars I’ve ever spent. Or was it sixty? But who cares? I’d pay a hundred without a second thought for an unopened first press. And yes I’ll be buying that soon, or latest when I head back to paradise for a stint in November-December. How about you? ^^
sakura
川澄綾子の1st アルバム「Primary」より
歌：川澄綾子
作詞：川澄綾子
作曲：川澄綾子・岩崎 琢
編曲：岩崎 琢
ひらり ひらり 舞い散る花が
永遠に 永遠に 漂う時間の中で
そっと そっと 口ずさむ
幼い日の歌を
君と見た奇跡
耳に残っている声
何故だか思う 暖かいと 今でも
ひとつの夢が ひとつ終わり
次の季節へゆく
その後に残る桜は
明日を夢見ている
ぽつり ぽつり 花と君とが
夜明け前に はにかみながら話す
ずっと ずっと覚えてる
想いつなぐ日を
いつか見た景色
胸に残っている時間
桜吹雪のあの場所で待ってる
新しい朝 過ぎ去る夜
移り変わってゆく
その先に見える陽ざしは
昨日を思い出してる
ひとつの夢が ひとつ終わり
次の季節へゆく
その後に残る桜は
明日を夢見ている
新しい月 過ぎ去る花
移り変わってゆく
その先に見える陽ざしは
昨日を思い出してる
sakura (translation)
From Kawasumi Ayako’s 1st Album “Primary”
Vocal: Kawasumi Ayako
Lyrics: Kawasumi Ayako
Composition: Kawasumi Ayako, Iwasaki Taku
Arrangement: Iwasaki Taku
Lightly, gently, the flower blossoms fall,
Forever, forever floating and drifting around.
Softly, softly, in that eternity
I hum a song from my childhood.
The miracle I saw with you,
The voice that remains in my head –
I wonder why they still feel so warm, even now.
Every single dream ends in its own singular way,
And moves on to the next season.
The cherry blossoms still remaining after that
Are dreaming of tomorrow.
Bit by bit, on and off, with you and the flowers
I spoke shyly before the night ended and dawn broke.
Always, for always, I will remember
The day our hearts connected.
The sights I’ve seen sometime,
The memories left in my heart –
They’re waiting at where the cherry blossoms fall like a blizzard.
New mornings, nights that go flying by –
Each gives way to the other.
The sunbeams I can see ahead of me
Bring back memories of yesterday.
Every single dream ends in its own singular way,
And moves on to the next season.
The cherry blossoms still remaining after that
Are dreaming of tomorrow.
New months, blossoms that expire and pass on –
Each gives way to the other.
The sunbeams I can see ahead of me
Bring back memories of yesterday.
Romaji (Romanization)
Hirari hirari maichiru hana ga
Towa ni towa ni tadayou toki no naka de
Sotto sotto kuchizusamu
Osanai hi no uta wo
Kimi to mita kiseki
Mimi ni nokotteiru koe
Naze da ka omou atatakai to ima demo
Hitotsu no yume ga hitotsu owari
Tsugi no kisetsu e yuku
Sono ato ni nokoru sakura wa
Ashita wo yume miteiru
Potsuri potsuri hana to kimi to ga
Yoake mae ni hanikami nagara hanasu
Zutto zutto oboeteru
Omoi tsunagu hi wo
Itsuka mita keshiki
Mune ni nokotteiru toki
Sakura fubuki no ano basho de matteru
Atarashii asa sugisaru yoru
Utsuri kawatte yuku
Sono saki ni mieru hizashi wa
Kinou wo omoidashiteru
Hitotsu no yume ga hitotsu owari
Tsugi no kisetsu e yuku
Sono ato ni nokoru sakura wa
Ashita wo yume miteiru
Atarashii tsuki sugisaru hana
Utsuri kawatte yuku
Sono saki ni mieru hizashi wa
Kinou wo omoidashiteru