01 - Angel Fish

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Like something that slipped out of an American comic book,
they're not real, those lips that I imagine.
Posed looking back, wearing a colorful shirt; naughty angel fish.
It's not fake, I want to try to touch the white skin.

The sweet scent of your hair permeates my heart.
May your quivering eyes reflect only me.

Being in love with you, many, many times
I was about to give up, but
this unending feeling has already become my thing,
and I won't let it go.

With my heart pounding,
this isn't the sort of scinema where you can predict the ending.
The scenario is right now, quietly moving along.

Line by line, since I don't want to cheat,
I'm still waiting, not turning to the next page.

Embracing you,
if a dream like that were to never end, I wouldn't mind.
It's no lie, I feel as though absolutely
anything can happen.

Like something that slipped out of an American comic book,
they're not real, those that smile brightly
for my sake alone.

02 - Sunday

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Monday, one long day, I wake up
and am left by myself.

Boring Tuesday, I leave the TV on.
I wonder if I should change into a dry shirt.

You know, you gotta take a train, a ship, a bus, a rest.
You gotta take a train, a ship, a bus, a rest.
I can't wait for you.

Rainy Wednesday, I have a Gingham-checkered
umbrella. I wonder if I should go to town.

Thursday, I'm entertained by my
favorite magazine, though not for long.

Busy Friday, I go back to work with my friends.
I was watching the clock for the rendezvous at the station.

You know, you gotta take a train, a ship, a bus, a rest.
You gotta take a train, a ship, a bus, a rest.
I can't wait for you.

At last, Saturday. Shall we talk on the phone?
Just as I was about to lose myself, it started ringing.

And on Sunday, that girl is finally coming.
I'm just in my room, waiting for her to knock.
With that girl on Sunday.

03 - Daydream Wonder

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The moment that I touched it, it seemed about to fall,
that droplet dream. It's always there,
bathing in the sun's light, reflecting me.
It's an illusion, but I don't care. I hope it never fades from my eyelids.

I kept waiting, holding up my small palms over my head,
in the middle of that nameless season.
Though I opened my eyes, I felt a bit disoriented, but
I want to be closer to that radiance.

No matter where I look, on top of a hill, I'm searching for a landscape just for me.
Even the sound of the rain beating upon the window of my heart
is almost forgotten, as a new sound will
be heard very soon.

I kept waiting, sitting beneath a large tree,
wanting to see the sky after the rain.
By myself, I shiver a bit from cold, but
it's not lonely; I'm alright.

Hey, I'm in unfading, wondrous love.
Remembering this journey keeps me warm.

Don't run away, because the time
I caught hold of will surely come. Look,
right here,

I kept waiting, holding up my small palms above my head,
in the middle of that nameless season.
Though I opened my eyes, I felt a bit disoriented, but
I want to be closer to that radiance; I want to touch it; I want to be enveloped in it.

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I realize Terra already did this one, but it was a long while back, and there are some verb tenses and phrases I think are a bit off on hers.

05 - Something Like a Romance

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A numb feeling is once again
growing inside of me,
because I looked in to a dream that would have been better left unknown.

More than the transparent kindness,
I endured the diziness,
because I believed in our speed.

Watching the setting sun
until I no longer understand our mutal expression.

If we hear the promised bell,
let's walk separately
with only this clear melody in our hearts.

When time became reticent
this fitting illusion lost its meaning.

And our magic came undone.
On the day we ran into each other, I looked back
at you for a moment. I'm already gone.

Stinging pain, tears pouring down,
making me remember I could be hurt.
It's my fault, but even though it can't be helped,
it's so sad.

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ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGS, EVER.

06 - Girlfriend

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After the last train has left,
we walk home on the tracks.
When we're together, it doesn't seem far.

I purposefully whistle a popular song
that you hate, and we have a fight.
And
when it rained, we huddled together
beneath one umbrella. It was almost
as if we were warming each other; as if we were embracing.

Though I become sulky easily, you understand how
to remove the thorns that pierce my chest.

The days that you touched with kindness
are everything to me here, now.
Though sadness comes repeatedly, girlfriend,
it's okay. I'm not alone.

The two of us are a puzzle who's pattern is slightly awkward.
Even though I feel shy, I want to keep going forever.

You say the words that I want to hear
with a straight face at the right time.
Looking at a little of what lies ahead, girlfriend,
somehow I feel like crying.

The days that you touched with kindness
are everything to me here, now.
Though sadness comes repeatedly, girlfriend,,
it's okay. Don't forget...

08 - Happy Slave

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Happy slave, you want to kneel
because of your excuse for being bored.
Happy slave, almost unable to make a decision.
Wanting to rub that sort of head against the floor.
It's fitting.

Happy slave, wanting to be caught.
A cramped cell is perfectly decorated.
Happy slave, waiting
for a black leader who can recite handy ideologies.

Happy? Happy?
Happy slave!

Happy slave, wanting your legs,
unmotivated to go anywhere, to be bound.
Happy slave, it's your final chance
to go mad and strike upon the awakening melody's door.

Happy? Happy?
Happy slave!

Pretentiously holding onto
a useless, bulky book.
In your head that has known shamelessness,
laughing pleasantly, "AHAHA."

Happy? Happy?
Happy slave!

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This song seems to be political commentary on
slavery...it's saying that only people who are
stupid, lazy, and have no desire for a future
can be happy as slaves. I guess.

This one is at best a rough sketch of a translation.
It's difficult to really make sense of this song...

09 - Native World

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Forever overflowing, this unparalleled emotion
filled me up at a lenient speed.
With childish means, I went ahead and broke through.
On the far side of unconsciousness, that world is waiting.

Acting with a yearning, a misunderstanding smeared with finger prints.
It was too much, my legs couldn't go on; don't be jealous
because of my apathetic pose.
Blank faces lining up, almost like stuffed animals.
Enough already. I close my eyes.

Forever overflowing, this unparalleled emotion
filled me up at a lenient speed.
With childish means, I went ahead and broke through.
On the far side of unconsciousness, that world is waiting.

I was gazing at it. I was gazing at the white flower of truth.
Even if I'm beaten at furiously by a squall of temptation,
I look up to a sky that looks like it's about to cry.
Don't run away, there's no way it was all a lie from the beginning.
Probably not. It's about you.

10 - okujou ni nobotte

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Just like someone predicted,
with both hands outstretched, I can hear footsteps in the darkness.
This skyscraper reaching up into heaven,
seems like greed bursting open the rules like a shedding of skin.

Climbing on the roof beneath a dim sky.
Without a reason, I murmured your name,
even though I'm not lonely. I wonder why.

In a calm holiday's
yellow scenery, something paralyzes me unnoticed.
I was looking at nothing but my feet, but
I'm even just pretending that I was thinking. Tomorrow is an illusion.

Even if I were to become a king,
I can't make a world that anybody would want.
Dear God, it's probably so. I wonder why.

Climbing on the roof beneath a dim sky.
Without a reason, I murmured your name,
even though I'm not lonely. I wonder why.

I don't mind if it's by chance,
but it would would be nice if someday a happy form would overlap with me.

11 - bye bye sweet pain

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Only the blue button on the collar
burst flying off from my constricting shirt.
I don't need that sort of thing, I've already stopped looking for it.
It's just lonely, but I'm fine.

Somehow I no longer need direct mail forwarded to me.
Please mister postman,
I can no longer understand mail addressed to the true me.
I can't even understand bills.

Very soon, the airship I filled up with my sighs
will surely be flying. I'm lying in wait to shoot it down.

Farewell, my sweet pain, farewell.
Farewell, bye bye bye.

Don't worry about me, though I'm just a little worn out.
Hey, little sister,
no matter who it's from, even one word, I'll no longer be made the adresee.
If time runs out, it will become morning.

The tall tree standing on the other side of this window I've become accustomed to
became thin from the season's wind, but it hasn't died yet.

Farewell, my sweet pain, farewell.
Farewell, bye bye bye.

Farewell, my sweet pain, farewell.
Simply everything becomes dear to me. Farewell, bye bye bye.

Holy shit, I totally loved Girlfriend, and with the lyrics, my respect for it has only increased.

Wow.

On an on-topic note, it's kinda funny how Sawao wrote songs back then. Look at Sunday, for example. It looks like someone kept track of what they do on a weekly basis and recorded it into a journal of sorts and then they got that as a song. Eheh.

And Angel Fish... looks like Sawao was totally into fapping @ Victoria's secret/hentai.

i was about to start doing this as some kind of japanese practice... now i guess i have an answer key.

Mare for President of IM '08.

Mare, your bridging the gaps man. Thank you very much for making this masterpiece visible to us non-japanese speakers.

If I had heard of the pillows back when this album came out and understood japanese I would of thought that this was sawao's suicide letter or something. Man depressing.

[quote="Blank"]And Angel Fish... looks like Sawao was totally into fapping @ Victoria's secret/hentai. [/quote]



I laughed so hard when listening to this song with lyrics

Anyway, thanks a lot for translations Mare! I really hoped someone would translate it one day, and tadaaaaa - you did. :]

[quote="Marekenshin"]

Holding onto a useless, bulky
book with an important air.
[/quote]

lulz

Some interesting translations.