Translation: 映せない姿、思い描く姿 by M

The new addition to my translation archive in the making is 映せない姿、思い描く姿、by the Osaka indies band M. I know many people outside of Japan (or even in Japan) don't know who they are, but personally, I hope they'll be big.
I went to my first M show completely on a whim, not knowing anything about them, and they blew me away. Along with great vocals and high energy, they have that playful, indulgent connection with their fans that you rarely see outside of visual-kei (and frankly, a lot of popular VK bands these days have lost it). Lyrically, they've got this gawky charm, whether the song is dark or upbeat. 映せない姿 is no exception; I had to resist the urge to smooth out the phrasing or make lines that are confusing in Japanese clear in English. Every translator has some weird hangup, and mine is that I fiercely believe in translating confusing lines confusing, awkward lines awkward, etc. I do have to admit, though, one thing in this song came out way more awkward than in the original: the title (which also appears in the lyrics). Translating the Japanese equivalent of relative clauses is my special form of hell.

I also must mention that this translation was done on request for...uh...a very special person. I wanted to keep this blog rather professional, so I'm using that bland stock phrase as a tame substitute for the less respectable "for my beloved boyfriend, who is so awesome it's almost unreal." Thank you very much for playing along (And thank you, Boyfriend, for being awesome!). Now off to the lyrics with you! (The original Japanese and the romaji follow the translation.)

Song: The Figure I Can't Project; the Figure I Conjure up in My Mind  (映せない姿、思い描く姿)

Artist: M

The letters that blanket the pure white paper from corner to corner, they mostly

Come out sounding like the same kind of question.

I’m sure you’ll even start wanting to say, “He rambles on like he thinks he’s some literary genius,” but…

The things I want to ask overflowed, and my sheets of paper increased by one again.

To you, who I touch with my fingertips. Please, meet me firmly, gently.

In the flow of time, which we cannot touch, how will you grow up?

Here, now, conjuring up your figure that I can’t project…

My life from this point on…my life that ends here…

A beginning and an end that have no intersection.

There are things that won’t come true no matter how much you wish.

That’s why I wrote myself down on this frail scrap of paper.

To this awareness, full of patches. Please, wait just a little longer.

In the middle of this unchanging end, what can I leave behind?

Entrusting you with the imprint of my figure that’s out of sight…

…I conjure up your figure that I can’t project…

In the flow of time, which we cannot touch, how will you grow up?

Here, now, conjuring up your figure that I can’t project,

While thinking of you…

At the end of the paper, now pitch black, I wrote your name and raised my pen.

When you’ve finished reading this letter, call out “…”just one time.

Japanese Lyrics

 

真っ白な紙を隅から埋め尽くす文字の殆どは

同じような問いかけになってしまった

「文才も無いくせに長々と…」と言いたくもなるだろうが

聞きたい事が溢れ出てまた一枚増えた

指先で触れる君よ。どうか強く優しくあってくれ。

触れられぬ時の流れに君はどう大人になるの？

映せない君の姿を今ここで思い描いて

これからの命　ここで終わる命

交差することのない始まりと終わり

どれほど願っても叶わない事があるんだ

だから弱々しいこの紙切れに僕を書いた

継ぎ接ぎだらけの意識よ。どうかあと少しだけ待ってくれ。

変わらない終わりの中で僕は何残せるだろう？

映らない僕の姿の面影を君に預けて

…映せない姿思い描く…

触れられぬ時の流れに君はどう大人になるの？

映せない君の姿を今ここで思い描いて

君を想いながら…

真っ黒になった紙の最後に君の名を書いてペンを浮かした

この手紙読み終わったら一度だけ「・・・」って呼んでよ。

Romaji Lyrics

masshiro na kami wo sumi kara umetsukusu moji no hotondo wa

onaji you na toikake ni natte shimatta

"bunsai mo nai kuse ni naganaga to..." to iitaku mo naru darou ga

kikitai koto ga afuredete mata ichimai fueta

yubisaki de fureru kimi yo. douka tsuyoku yasashiku atte kure.

furerarenu toki no nagare ni kimi wa dou otona ni naru no?

utsusenai kimi no sugata wo ima koko de omoiegaite

kore kara no inochi   koko de owaru inochi

kousa suru koto no nai hajimari to owari

dorehodo negatte mo kanawanai koto ga aru n da

dakara yowayowashii kono kamikire ni boku wo kaita

hagitsugi darake no ishiki yo. douka ato sukoshi matte kure

kawaranai owari no naka de boku wa nani nokoseru darou?

utsuranai boku no sugata no omokage wo kimi ni adzukete

...utsusenai sugata omoiegaku...

furerarenu toki no nagare ni kimi wa dou otona ni naru no?

utsusenai kimi no sugata wo ima koko de omoiegaite

kimi wo omoinagara...

makkura ni natta kami no saigo ni kimi no na wo kaite pen wo ukashita

kono tegami yomiowattara ichido dake "..." tte yonde yo.