But all that glitters

Has it really been over 8 years since I last translated an RD-Sounds song?

★ Title: But all that glitters
☆ Album: 眩 -Kurami-
★ Album Artist: 凋叶棕
☆ Vocals: Meramipop (めらみぽっぷ)
★ Lyrics and arrangment: RD-Sounds
☆ Original Titles: Magician’s Melancholy (魔法使いの憂鬱)
★ Website: http://www.rd-sounds.com/


書き連ねた紙片の山が
いつか視界を覆いつくすまで

kaki tsuraneta shihen no yama ga
itsu ka shikai o ooi tsukusu made

Going so far as to eventually fully shroud my view
with a mountain of paper scraps covered in lists

……これでは上手くいかない
このやり方では辿り着けない
仮定に過程を重ね
そして全てを擲つ堂々巡り

……kore de wa umaku ikanai
kono yarikata de wa tadori tsukenai
katei ni katei o kasane
soshite subete o nageutsu doudou meguri

……This way won’t do the trick
I won’t be able to make it with this method
Hypotheticals overlap with processes
and I go in circles throwing everything away

必死に積み上げたもの
全て崩し去るときの徒労感
短くため息をひとつ
そしてまた始めるんだ

hisshi ni tsumi ageta mono
subete kuzushi saru toki no toroukan
mijikaku tameiki o hitotsu
soshite mata hajimeru n da

It’s that feeling of wasted effort when everything
I desperately built up all comes crashing back down
I let out a single brief sigh
and get started once again

どれほど無駄遣いしただろう
有限の人生を
振り返るその時間でさえも惜しむ程

dore hodo mudadzukai shita darou
yuugen no jinsei o
furi kaeru sono jikan de sae mo oshimu hodo

Just how much of my finite life
have I squandered away?
To the point where I can hardly even afford to spend time looking back

初めて火を灯したあの日のことをーーー
滲む視界の片隅にいつも幻視続けている

hajimete hi o tomoshita ano hi no koto oーーー
nijimu shikai no katasumi ni itsu mo mi tsudzuketeiru

The day when I first lit a fire—
In the corner of my blurry vision, I always keep looking at what’s not there

意味が分かるとかわからないとか
そういう次元の問題ではない
何が書かれているのか
それさえも判然としない迷宮

imi ga wakaru to ka wakaranai to ka
sou iu jigen no monda de wa nai
nani ga kakareteiru no ka
sore sae mo hanzen to shinai rabirinsu

It’s not a problem on the level of
whether you do or don’t understand the meaning
It’s a labyrinth
where it’s unclear what’s even written

書き手の誰一人として
伝える努力を払っていない
見て取る驕りと怠慢の
全てに感じる異種族嫌悪

kakite no dare hitori toshite
tsutaeru doryoku o haratteinai
mite toru ogori to taiman no
subete ni kanjiru ishuzoku keno

Not a single writer is putting enough effort
into getting their points across
From all the arrogance and negligence I take in,
I sense a hatred for those unlike themselves

殊更拒みもしないが
誰も手を引いてもくれはしない
理解できなけりゃそこまで
ああなんて冷たく公平だろう?

kotosara kobami mo shinai ga
dare mo te o hiite mo kure wa shinai
rikai dekinakerya soko made
aa nante tsumetaku kouhei darou?

They won’t go out of their way to reject you,
but nobody will help show you the way
If you can’t understand, that’s the end of that
Ah, could there be a colder equity?

私は間違っているのか?
いっそ間違っているとさえ言われたい
けれどそれはそれできっと
反抗してしまうだろうな

watashi wa machigatteiru no ka?
isso machigatteiru to sae iwaretai
keredo sore wa sore de kitto
hankou shite shimau darou na

Am I the one in the wrong?
At this point, I’d even prefer to be told I am
But even if that were to the case,
I’m sure I’d likely end up rebelling all the same

血を滲ませることの美徳
莫迦らしいことだろう?
だが忘れないいつしか舐めた泥の味

chi o nijimaseru koto no bitoku
baka rashii koto darou?
da ga wasurenai itsu shika nameta doro no aji

The virtue of bleeding
Isn’t it absurd?
And yet I will not forget the taste of mud in my mouth before I knew it

星へと願いを込めたあの日のことをーーー
揺れる心の奥底にいつも滾らせている

hoshi e to negai o kometa ano hi no koto oーーー
yureru kokoro no okusoko ni itsu mo tagiraseteiru

The day I wished upon the stars—
It always makes the blood deep in my wavering heart boil

世界に法則をひとつだけ書き足せるとしたら
全てが必ず報われると記したい

sekai ni ruuru o hitotsu dake kaki taseru to shitara
subete ga kanarazu mukuwareru to shirushitai

If I could add just one rule to this world
I’d like to inscribe that everything shall pay off without fail

この痛みも何もかも得て来たものだから
誰一人にだってくれてやるものか

kono itami mo nani mo kamo ete kita mono dakara
dare hitori ni datte kurete yaru mono ka

My pain and everything else is what I’ve earned,
so like hell I’ll give it away to anyone, no matter who

初めて火を灯した
星へと願いを込めた

hajimete hi o tomoshita
hoshi e to negai o kometa

When I first lit a fire
When I wished upon the stars

あの日のことを!

ano hi no koto o!

It was that day!

優しくないこんな世界に憧れたあの日から
積み上げ続けてきた全てを握りしめ

yasashikunai konna sekai ni akogarete ano hi kara
tsumi age tsudzukete kita subete o nigiri shime

Tightly holding onto everything I’ve continued to build up,
since the day that I began to adore an unkind world like this

この苦しみも何もかも私のものだから
誰一人にだってくれてやるものか

kono kurushimi mo nani mo kamo watashi no mono dakara
dare hitori ni datte kurete yaru mono ka

My suffering and everything else belongs to me,
so like hell I’ll give it away to anyone, no matter who

……誰一人にだって見せてやるものか。

……dare hitori ni datte misete yaru mono ka.

……like hell I’ll show it to anyone, no matter who

Nuclear Sign “Energy of the Future” | 核符「ミライノエネルギー」

RD songs are good. I don’t post RD songs or listen to them as often as others, but they’re good. Of course, as a physics guy, one of my dreams is to see nuclear fusion reactors become a reality. Next semester, I’m taking subatomic physics, in fact, so that should be fun. Even better than nuclear fusion reactors would be the harvesting of energy by destroying matter completely (maybe using anti-matter), but that’s a bit too far off to think about. It would be a lot more dangerous too, but I’d like to think that by the time it becomes a possibility, human civilization will have advanced far enough to not misuse it or have accidents as well. Probably not though. Hopefully, at least, we’ll be on multiple planets so one destroyed won’t be a problem. Back to the song though, you can really see how megalomaniacal Utsuho becomes. Also, special thanks to Petalite Yuu for the transcription, though I made a few romaji changes. Now for the wall of notes. I usually don’t write so many but there’s quite a bit I want to expound on.

Notes: 熱かい is the former spelling of 扱い. Now, there’s two possibilities. One is taking the 熱 literally as “scorching,” and the other just keeping it as 扱い. I just stole the touhou wiki translation of it. They usually know what they’re doing. Usually.
Speaking of usually, おとす is usually spelled 落とす, but in this case, it’s 堕とす. This is different in the fact that 堕 has a connotation of “degenerate” or “fall from grace.”
篝炎 is usually spelled 篝火, but using 炎 instead of 火 really emphasizes the scale of the fire.
Googling 熱悩 only only gave me 無熱悩池 which is another name for 阿耨達池 which is an imaginary lake north of the Himalayas. The kobun dictionary wouldn’t give me anything either, so I figured either of those couldn’t be what RD meant, so I took it literally as “scorching, troublesome”similar to the line 熱かい悩む神の火.
In the final few lines, you see のだ. のだ is a bit strange in that it’s often used for sort of making light commands. As far as I understand, from lightest to heaviest forms it’s 待つのだ→待って→待ってよ→待て→待った. You won’t be seeing that last one very often though, if ever.

★ Title: 核符「ミライノエネルギー」
☆ Album: 掲 -Kakage-
★ Album Artist: 凋叶棕
☆ Vocals: Meramipop (めらみぽっぷ)
★ Lyrics and arrangment: RD-Sounds
☆ Original Titles: Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion (霊知の太陽信仰 ~ Nuclear Fusion)
★ Website: http://www.rd-sounds.com/


さあ今 地の底から
輝かん この力で
地にあって 天を焦がせ 高く

saa ima chi no soko kara
kagayakan kono chikara de
chi ni atte ten o kogase takaku

Come now, from the depths of the earth
with this shining power
belonging to earth, scorch the heavens, so high

この身に溢れ迸るのは 熱かい悩む神の火
人の手に余る その力 天を頂く陽炎

kono mi ni afure hotobashiru no wa atsukai nayamu kami no hi
hito no te ni amaru sono chikara ten o itadaku kagiroi

Brimming and surging in my body is the scorching, troublesome divine flame
Such a power beyond the reach of man, a heat haze under the heavens

地にあってはるけく立ち上る 星をも堕とす神の火
一片の闇も消し飛ばす 天より抱く篝炎

chi ni atte harukeku tachi noboru hoshi o mo otosu kami no hi
ippen no yami mo keshi tobasu ten yori idaku kagaribi

Belonging to earth and rising high, the divine flame that even degenerates stars
Obliterating even the slightest bit of dark, a bonfire embraced by the heavens

熱悩の吹き荒ぶ
麗しき その風景は
未だ見ぬ
そうであっても『今一度』熱く、熱く! 照らせよ、照らせよ!!

netsunou no fuki susabu
uruwashiki sono fuukei wa
ima da minu
sou de attemo 『ima ichido』 atsuku, atsuku! teraseyo, teraseyo! !

A troublesome, fiercely blowing,
scorching, beautiful landscape
has yet to be seen
but even so, ‘once more’ burn, burn! Make it shine, make it shine!!

高まれ! 力の限りに
そして 何物も耐えられぬほどに
美しき、原初の世界めがけて
いま、溶かしつくすのは、ミライノエネルギー!

takamare! chikara no kagiri ni
soshite nani mono mo taerarenu hodo ni
utsukushiki, hajimari no koukei megakete
ima, tokashi tsukusu no wa, mirai no enerugii!

Rise high! To the limit of your power
And to the point where nothing can withstand it
Aiming for the sight of the beginning, the world’s origin,
what now melts everything down is the energy of the future!

崇め 奉れ 黒き陽のもとに
この火もて 全て照らさん
集い 奉れ 黒き陽のもとに
この火もて 全て燃やしつくさん

agame tatematsure kuroki hi no moto ni
kono hikari mote subete terasan
tsudoi tatematsure kuroki hi no moto ni
kono hikari mote subete moyashi tsukusan

Worship and revere me, under the dark sun
This will be the flame to light up everything
Gather and revere me, under the dark sun
This will be the flame to burn down everything

この三足で司るのは 熱かい悩む神の火
地より湧き出づる この力 天さえ目指す紅き炎

kono sanzoku de tsukasadoru no wa atsukai nayamu kami no hi
chi yori waki idzuru kono chikara ten sae mezasu akaki hi

What my third leg governs is the scorching, troublesome divine flame
This power welling up from the earth, crimson flames aiming as far as the heavens

棄てられて尚燻る
地の底の その光は
夢を見る
そうであるなら『今一度』熱く、熱く! 照らせよ、照らせよ!!

suterarete nao kusuburu
chi no soko no sono hikari wa
yume o miru
sou de aru nara 『ima ichido』 atsuku, atsuku! teraseyo, teraseyo! !

I have a dream involving light
from the depths of the earth smoking furthermore
after being abandoned
That can only mean one thing – ‘once more’ burn, burn! Make it shine, make it shine!!

広がれ! 力の限りに
そして 何物も避けられぬほどに
美しき、遥かな恒星のように輝く
ただ、溶かしつくすのが、アシタノエネルギー!

hirogare! chikara no kagiri ni
soshite nani mono mo sakerarenu hodo ni
utsukushiki, haruka na hoshi no you ni kagayaku
tada, tokashi tsukusu no ga, ashita no enerugii!

Spread far and wide! To the limit of your power
And to the point where nothing can avoid it
Shining like the beautiful and far stars,
what just melts everything down is the energy of tomorrow!

分離分解 再融合 そして産まれ出づる永遠の煌き
その手を離れた 遥けき未来 こうして我が身がそれを宿して
地の底に もう一つの星 我こそが「地獄の太陽」
さあ 祈り 崇め 奉れよ! 我が掲げるこの名の下に

bunri bunkai saiyuugou soshite umare idzuru eien no kirameki
sono te o hanareta harukeki mirai kou shite waga mi ga sore o yadoshite
chi no soko ni mou hitotsu no hoshi ware koso ga 「sabuteranian san」
saa inori agame tatematsure yo! ware ga kakageru kono na no moto ni

Separation, fission, fusion again, and an eternal shine is born forth
The distant future that left your hands, like this, now resides in my body
There’s another star in the depths of the earth, and it is I, hell’s “subterranean sun”
Come, pray, worship, revere me! Under the name I carry

輝け! 力の限りに
そして 何物も跪くほどに
美しき、終末の世界めがけて
さあ、溶かしつくすのだ、ムゲンノエネルギー!

kagayake! chikara no kagiri ni
soshite nani mono mo hizamazuku hodo ni
utsukushiki, owari no koukei megakete
saa, tokashi tsukusu no da, mugen no enerugii!

Shine! To the limit of your power
And to the point where all must kneel
Aiming for the sight of the end, the world’s finale,
come, melt everything down, infinite energy!

そう、溶かしつくすのだ、サイゴノエネルギー!

sou, tokashi tsukusu no da, saigo no enerugii!

Yes, melt everything down, final energy!

ブルームーン | Blue Moon

Probably my favourite song of this album. NSY arrangements are my favourite. It’s easy to recognize NSY songs whenever you hear the thing going on at 1:20, which I love. Another indicator is heavy use of what I think are violins. Stylistically, it’s often hard to tell the difference between Wani and NSY, but NSY does have a signature “epic” style that he goes for usually once every Sally album, that usually have Shuriken lyrics. This is more Sally commentary than monochrome-coat though.

Notes: I’m not entirely satisfied with that first stanza.

★ Title: ブルームーン
☆ Album: Object2 (オヴジェ2)
★ Album Artist: monochrome-coat
☆ Vocals and lyrics: Meramipop (めらみぽっぷ)
★ Arrangement: NSY
☆ Original Title: Greenwich in the Sky (天空のグリニッジ)
★ Website: http://mono-coat.com/


淡く切ない 今宵は儚く 蒼い記憶が霞んで
光交わる 絆を結んで 深い闇へと導く

awaku setsunai koyoi wa hakanaku aoi kioku ga kasunde
hikari majiwaru kizuna o musunde fukai yami e to michibiku

This evening, faintly painful, fleeting blue memories blur
Light crosses itself, binding ties, and leads towards a deep darkness

星のダイヤが乱れる前に時を刻んで宙を舞うのよ
もう止まらない止められないの 幻想の園へ

hoshi no daiya ga midareru mae ni toki o kizande chuu o mau no yo
mou tomaranai tomerarenai no gensou no sono e

Before diamonds of stars go wild, time ticks on, and they dance through space
I won’t stop, I can’t stop, towards the garden of fantasy

流星のため息 気まぐれなブルームーン

ryuusei no tameiki kimagure na buruu muun

The sigh of a shooting star – a whimsical blue moon

Shining Star 惹かれあって
Shining Hearts 揺らいだ
Shining Star 掻き乱して
Shining Hearts 真実を求め

Shining Star hikare atte
Shining Hearts yuraida
Shining Star kaki midashite
Shining Hearts shinjitsu o motome

Shining Star – Drawn together
Shining Hearts – Shaken
Shining Star – Interfering
Shining Hearts – Seeking the truth

淡く切ない 今宵は儚く 蒼い記憶が霞んで
光交わる 絆を結んで 深い闇へと導く

awaku setsunai koyoi wa hakanaku aoi kioku ga kasunde
hikari majiwaru kizuna o musunde fukai yami e to michibiku

This evening, faintly painful, fleeting blue memories blur
Light crosses itself, binding ties, and leads towards a deep darkness

銀河の果てまであなたとふたりで
手と手を繋いで夢の続きを
セカイを創って セカイの終わりへ
星屑となった聖なる夜に

ginga no hate made anata to futari de
te to te o tsunaide yume no tsudzuki o
sekai o tsukutte sekai no owari e
hoshikuzu to natta seinaru yoru ni

Together with you to the end of the galaxy,
hand in hand, waiting for the next dream
Creating worlds, to the end of the world
on this holy night amounting to stardust

月を巡って未知の世界へ 歪んだ時空 荒んだ虚空
もう止まらない 止められないのロマンスな夜
星のダイヤが乱れる前に時を刻んで宙を舞うのよ
もう止まらない止められないの 幻想の園へ

tsuki o megutte michi no sekai e yuganda jikuu aranda kokuu
mou tomaranai tomerarenai no romansu na yoru
hoshi no daiya ga midareru mae ni toki o kizande chuu o mau no yo
mou tomaranai tomerarenai no gensou no sono e

Going around the moon, towards an unknown world – a warped spacetime – a barren vaccuum
I won’t stop, I can’t stop, on this night of romance
Before diamonds of stars go wild, time ticks on, and they dance through space
I won’t stop, I can’t stop, towards the garden of fantasy

流星のため息 気まぐれなブルームーン

ryuusei no tameiki kimagure na buruu muun

The sigh of a shooting star – a whimsical blue moon

夜が落ちていくわ あなたを誘って
甘い蜜と嘘と 曖昧な日々が過ぎて

yoru ga ochite yuku wa anata o sasotte
amai mitsu to uso to aimai na hibi ga sugite

Night descends, inviting you
Sweet nectar, lies and vague days passing by

Shining Star 見つめあって
Shining Hearts ひらいた
Shining Star 掻き回して
Shining Hearts 委ねた

Shining Star mitsume atte
Shining Hearts hiraita
Shining Star kaki mawashite
Shining Hearts yudaneta

Shining Star – Eye to eye
Shining Hearts – Opened up
Shining Star – Rummaging around
Shining Hearts – Entrusted

Shining Star 惹かれあって
Shining Hearts 揺らいだ
Shining Star 掻き乱して
Shining Hearts 真実を求め

Shining Star – Drawn together
Shining Hearts – Shaken
Shining Star – Interfering
Shining Hearts – Seeking the truth

青の都 | Blue Capital

So I guess you could say I’ve been getting back into AdamKadmon recently.
I’m pretty much the only Touhou translator who semi-regularly does their songs, so I’m going to take advantage of that and do more.

★ Title: 青の都
☆ Album: Sink
★ Album Artist: AdamKadmon
☆ Vocals: Meramipop (めらみぽっぷ)
★ Arrangement and lyrics: Kamiyashiro (上矢 シロ)
★ Original Title: Old Yuanxian (古きユアンシェン)
☆ Website: http://ak-territory.com/index.html


憧れていた夢を叶えるため
今私ひとり あなた追いかけるの
雲を超え 空の中
辿り着きたい まだ 都は遥か…

akogareteita yume o kanaeru tame
ima watashi hitori anata oi kakeru no
kumo o koe sora no naka
tadori tsukitai mada miyako wa haruka…

In order to make the dream I’ve yearned for come true,
all alone now, I chase after you
Passing through the clouds in the sky,
I want to reach the capital, but it’s still far…

風が吹き抜けても
嵐が来ても走ってく
傷む心も 歪む身体も
あなたに会うまでは…

kaze ga fuki nuketemo
arashi ga kitemo hashitte ku
itamu kokoro mo yugamu kokoro mo
anata ni au made wa…

Whether the wind blows,
whether a storm comes, I’ll run on,
even if my heart hurts, even if my body’s strained,
until I see you…

涙 零れても
嵐が来ても離さない
永久に誓える 胸の繋ぎを
心に焼きつけて…

namida koboretemo
arashi ga kitemo hanasanai
towa ni chikaeru mune no tsunagi o
kokoro ni yaki tsukete…

Even if the tears leak out,
even if a storm comes, it won’t keep me away
I can swear upon eternity, that I’ll remember this connection
that keeps our hearts together…

流れる星を 二人よく見ていた
今夜も そんな星が綺麗な夜
雲を超え 時を超え
辿り着きたい まだ あなたは遥か…

nagareru hoshi o futari yoku miteita
konya mo sonna hoshi ga kirei na yoru
kumo o koe toki o koe
tadori tsukitai mada anata wa haruka…

We often used to look at shooting stars together
The stars are pretty tonight, like they were then
Passing through the clouds, passing through time,
I want to reach you, but you’re still far…

風が吹き抜けても
嵐が来ても止まらない
傷む心も 歪む身体も
あなたに会うまでは…

kaze ga fuki nuketemo
arashi ga kitemo tomaranai
itamu kokoro mo yugamu karada mo
anata ni au made wa…

Whether the wind blows,
whether a storm comes, I won’t stop,
even if my heart hurts, even if my body’s strained,
until I see you…

いつか この空で
あなたに会えるその日まで
永久に誓える 胸の繋ぎを
心に焼きつけて…

itsu ka kono sora de
anata ni aeru sono hi made
ni chikaeru mune no tsunagi o
kokoro ni yaki tsukete…

Until the day when I can
eventually meet you in this sky,
I can swear upon eternity, that I’ll remember this connection
that keeps our hearts together…