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Post by Jembru on Oct 7, 2014 23:50:18 GMT
A friend of mine showed me this song in a group chat (I think it might be from an anime?) and she said it made her think of me and my cat. I thought it was sweet and noticed one or two interesting language points, so wondered if anyone wished to join me in a line-by-line Japanese to English translation?
I know there are already translations out there so please no spoilers. I want to do it properly. We can compare when we're done though!
Lyrics;
わたしは野良猫、ただの野良猫、
めくるめく愛を欲す
手を差し伸べたのはあなたでした
それはきっときっと素敵
目を光らせてキラリ せまい場所を好むのです
二東三文とKISS 抜き足、差し足、忍び足
身に降る火の粉ヒラリ 身軽なのが取り柄です
御機嫌を取りながら月明かりと添い寝していよう
今日も、昨日も、明日も、明後日も
綿毛のよう軽やかなステップのイメージで
Chorus
都会の空はニヤリ 星屑のダンスホール
胸いっぱいシャバダバ♪ 夜明けまであなたと踊ろう
今日も、昨日も、明日も、明後日も
日だまりで寝そべったリズムのイメージで
Chorus
水嫌いでもいい？猫舌でもいい？
めくるめく愛を欲す
手を差し伸べたのはあなたでした
それはきっときっと素敵 それはきっときっと素敵
_______________________________
Of course, I'll lead the way (it has nothing to do with me having a question to ask or anything ^^)
First line: 私は野良猫、ただの野良猫、めくるめく愛を欲す
I'm an ally cat, just a regular ally cat, but I want a love that glitters.
I felt that the めくるめく was to contrast with being a scroungy old stray which is why I added the 'but' and made it all one line.
So anyway.. anyone know why 欲す? Is this some conjugation jiggery-pokery I'm yet to study?
Next line: 手を差し伸べたのはあなたでした
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Post by chocopie on Oct 13, 2014 12:18:19 GMT
Sorry, I remember seeing this post but forgot to reply!
欲す is just a verb form of 欲しい.
手を差し伸べたのはあなたでした
It was you who reached out their hand
Or
It was you who reached out to me
Next line: それはきっときっと素敵
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Post by Jembru on Oct 22, 2014 16:33:15 GMT
Sorry, I remember seeing this post but forgot to reply! 欲す is just a verb form of 欲しい. Oh, me too! I saw your post ages ago and assumed I'd already replied. Maybe I started on my phone and it crashed. That happens quite often and I don't always remember I had to retry. I was able to find 欲す on jisho.org but it gave it's reading as 'ほりす' rather than 'ほっす' as it is being sung here.. yet when I try to type it, only ほっす is recognised. I wonder if jisho.org has a typo. Anyway: それはきっときっと素敵 That was truly wonderful Next line; 目を光らせてキラリ せまい場所を好むのです |
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Post by chocopie on Oct 23, 2014 9:06:20 GMT
I'm afraid jisho.org has let you down! On a Japanese monoligual dictionary (I used goo辞書), under the entry for 欲する it has ［動サ変］［文］ほっ・す［サ変］《「ほりす」の音変化》 動サ変 → short for 動詞サ行変格活用 irregular conjugation using サ行 [文] → short for 文語形 目を光らせてキラリ せまい場所を好むのです Sparkling eyes on the look out, I like small places Next line: 二東三文とKISS 抜き足、差し足、忍び足 |
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Post by Jembru on Oct 24, 2014 20:08:38 GMT
I figured it must have been a contraction of 欲する. I've seen other examples of suru being chopped down in various ways in everyday speech. コクる, すべき、erm.. okay my mind's gone blank but I'm sure I know of other examples too. It's the kind of thing that pops up when watching things in Japanese and makes you go 'aha!' Jisho.org is't always fond of contracted forms. It has them, but it's quite hit and miss whether or not they'll be there.
二東三文とKISS 抜き足、差し足、忍び足
Hmm.. how the hell do I word this? ^^
二東三文 is like 'two a penny' in English right? So erm.. It might only be modifying 'kiss' but then why would と be there?
Worthlessly creeping, sneaking, void of kisses...
Nah, that's horrible.. I want to include something about his little paws here too but..
参った！できない。>.<
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Post by Jembru on Oct 24, 2014 22:05:21 GMT
So.. thought about it all the way to work and I guess there's no reason why it has to be modifying the whole line. So it could just be that 二束三文 is just describing the kisses.. because I guess people might kiss a stray cat (by people, I mean me), but it won't be the same as kisses from an owner who loves you.. so rather than the nuance of 'cheap', I'm going for 'meaningless'. So then I checked to see if 抜き足 is a word.. and it is (I was reading it as KISS抜き足 'footsteps without kisses').
EDIT: I know now that 抜き足差し足 is a set phrase meaning 'to tip toe', so my THIRD guess is...
Kisses two-a-penny. Tiptoeing softly..
(Saying as a 'penny' is British currency, I'm not sure if the expression 'two a penny' is meaningful to everyone. If not, it describes something both common and cheap, yet doesn't necessarily have a negative connotation).
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Post by Bokusenou on Oct 29, 2014 2:13:17 GMT
Ooh, I'll join in!
身に降る火の粉ヒラリ 身軽なのが取り柄です
The light from the sparks falling on my body, being nimble has its merits.
Something sounded off about "I'm good at being nimble".
Next Line:
御機嫌を取りながら月明かりと添い寝していよう
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Post by Jembru on Nov 7, 2014 15:02:05 GMT
I wouldn't worry too much about wording Rin. The song seems really vague in places. It's way beyond my level but when I heard it, it sounded so cute (the parts I could understand at least), that I couldn't help wanting to push myself out of my comfort zone with this one. That said, as always we can offer alternative translations. Like this next line could be taken so many ways, but knowing cats as I do, my gut thinks this is probably the intended meaning... ^^ 御機嫌を取りながら月明かりと添い寝していよう I'll snuggle up to you in the moonlight while gaining your affection. Maybe we could come back at the end and try to reword it more elegantly? We could even compare ours to the other (undoubtedly inferior, lol) translations in existence? Also, I know in this case it was an idiom with a different meaning, but has anyone else noticed cats often say 'ご機嫌' in songs? Or more than once in Chi's case? Or am I the only person with nothing better to do than watch cat videos on youtube? Next Line: 今日も、昨日も、明日も、明後日も |
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Post by Jembru on Nov 7, 2014 15:12:27 GMT
Oh oh oh.. I had forgotten to mention. You know I was thrown by the last line I did? Well with the wonder that is rikaikun, I discovered once I was home that 抜き足差し足 is a set phrase meaning 'walking on tiptoes'. And quite a feat to say. ^^
I'll edit my last translation then.
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Post by Bokusenou on Dec 13, 2014 7:14:23 GMT
Yeah, that's true.^^
今日も、昨日も、明日も、明後日も
Today, yesterday, tomorrow, and the day after that
Next Line:
綿毛のよう軽やかなステップのイメージで
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Post by chocopie on Dec 14, 2014 13:51:22 GMT
綿毛のよう軽やかなステップのイメージで
With steps light like downy fur
There's no way to get イメージ in there without sounding odd.
Next line:
都会の空はニヤリ 星屑のダンスホール
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Post by Bokusenou on Dec 22, 2014 2:07:01 GMT
都会の空はニヤリ 星屑のダンスホール
The city's sky is grinning, a stardust dancehall
Next line:
胸いっぱいシャバダバ♪ 夜明けまであなたと踊ろう
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Post by chocopie on Dec 23, 2014 16:43:16 GMT
胸いっぱいシャバダバ♪ 夜明けまであなたと踊ろう
My heart is full (maybe bursting?) Shabadaba♪ Let's dance together until dawn
Next lines:
今日も、昨日も、明日も、明後日も
日だまりで寝そべったリズムのイメージで
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Post by Bokusenou on Dec 28, 2014 5:18:39 GMT
今日も、昨日も、明日も、明後日も
Today, yesterday, tomorrow, and the day after that
日だまりで寝そべったリズムのイメージで
Imagining the rhythm of laying sprawled out in a sunny spot
That translation looks strange no matter how I look at it....
Next:
水嫌いでもいい？猫舌でもいい？
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Post by chocopie on Dec 30, 2014 10:50:24 GMT
水嫌いでもいい？猫舌でもいい？
Is alright if I hate water?
Is it alright if I can't eat hot things?
There's no good sounding way to translate 猫舌...
Last lines are repeated from earlier:
めくるめく愛を欲す
I want a love that glitters
手を差し伸べたのはあなたでした
It was you who reached out to me
それはきっときっと素敵 それはきっときっと素敵
That was truly wonderful That was truly wonderful
FINISHED!
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