大野智 - 暁

(Translation Index: Here)

大野智 - 暁 (Akatsuki)

ふと見上げ　おぼろ月浮かんだ　夜に
可憐に咲いた　花よ
時代が　流れ流れても
遠く　時を超えて　運んでゆく　あなたの元へ

Casually, I looked up at the moon  hanging dimly in the night sky
Like a flower that has bloomed, oh so sweetly
Even as time flows on and on
From far away, overcoming time itself, I'll make my way to your side

離れてく　千切れ雲
追いかけて　さざ波
触れずとも　魅せられて
儚き　影の中で

The scattered clouds have drifted away
The ripples are scattering to catch up
And without even needing to touch you, I am enchanted
Into those fleeting shadows

風　いたずらに　吹き抜けて　水面に
浮かぶ空　掻き乱してゆく
移ろう　（時を）　願う
手を伸ばしても　ただ　溢れるだけ

The wind aimlessly blows upon the water's surface
Disturbing the reflection of the sky drowning within it
I wish (that time) would move on
But even when I stretch out my hands, it simply floods past me

もう　来ぬ人を　待つような　想いで
過ぎてゆく　あてもなき夜
心　（消えぬ）　景色　汚れなき　微笑みに

Feeling as though I am waiting for someone who will never arrive
I pass these aimless nights
And in my heart is a scenery (that won't disappear), giving me a smile not marred by anything

「心にも　あらで憂き世に　長らへば．．．」
知らぬはずの　燃えるように　鮮やかに　輝いて　

"Even if I do not wish to, if I must remain within this bleak world..."
I shouldn't have know about it, but there it is shining so brightly, like it's burning

暁に　胸の中
叩く音　とまどい
夢の中　近くとも
どんなに　遠きことか

As dawn enters into my heart
I am troubled by a throbbing sound
Although you are close to me in my dreams
How far am I away from you in reality?

今　映し出す　離れない　記憶は
叶わない　約束としても
深く　（響き）　渡り
身を尽くして　ただ　羽ばたいてく

These memories appearing in my mind that I can't be rid of
Act like a promise I will not be able to fulfill
(Echoing) deeply inside me
Simply flapping their wings to the point of exhaustion

そう　舞い落ちる　花びらは　夢想の
彼方へと　呼び覚ましゆく
出逢い　（深い）　調べ　ざわついた　隙間にも

The petals that have fluttered down
Call for you, who are in my dreams, to wake up
Meeting, creating (profound) music, stirring up the spaces in my heart

「心にも　あらで憂き世に　長らへば．．．」
追えど見えぬ　掻き分けて　雲の間に　輝いて

"Even if I do not wish to, if I must remain within this bleak world..."
I chase it without seeing it. Pushing it's way through, it shines brightly between the spaces within the clouds.

「心にも　あらで憂き世に　長らへば　恋しかるべき　夜半の月かな」

"Even if I do not wish to, if I must remain within this bleak world I will yearn for the moon hanging in the midnight sky"[*]

[*] - this line is actually a poem from part of the "百人一首" (Ogura Hyakunin Isshu), a collection of 100 poems written by 100 poets, and is central to the card game karuta. 

----Translators Notes---

I don't usually make comments but this song is actually just so beautiful lyrically and very poetic--so much so that I think I actually need to explain a few things and my translation choices.

I don't think I did justice translating the poem itself, and thus the rest of the song, but I also didn't like any of the translations I found online. The idea behind the poem though seems to be that if the person must continue living in their present reality against their wishes, what they will find solace in, is the beauty of the moon.

And this song--Akatsuki--reflects the sentiments of the poem almost perfectly. The subject of this song is also taking about their longing for the moon and to be close to it. Also there is a line up there "I wish that time would move on" - and this reflects the part of the poem that expresses having to remain in the world against the persons wishes. In the song, "wishing that time would move on" implies a notion of change as time moves on---so not just time passing, but time changing and ultimately (I assume) for time to bring this persons death. But the next line "even when I stretch out my hand..." shows that despite the subjects wishes, time just continues moving on but not affecting him.

In fact--the fact that the song itself is named Dawn just makes so much sense because this is the moment when the moon begins to disappear. So the subject tries to chase the moon as it it outshone by the sun, despite not being able to see it--but you know how you can see the moon sometimes on a clear day? So the moon shines through regardless, even when it should have disappeared with the morning light.

Blargh, I honestly hated analyzing poems but man, this song just... I don't know, it strikes a chord in me. My English tutor would probably have tears in her eyes if I told her this xD.