Somaru Yo (Chatmonchy)
November 15, 2008
染まるよ
(Somaru Yo)
performed by Chatmonchy
歩き慣れてない夜道を ふらりと歩きたくなって
蛍光灯に照らされたら ここだけ無理してるみたいだ
aruki naretenai yomichi o furari to arukitakunatte
keikoutou ni terasaretara koko dake murishiteru mitai da
(I’ve come to like wandering in these unfamiliar streets at night)
(Only here when the lamp shines, I want to push myself)
大人だから一度くらい 煙草を吸ってみたくなって
月明かりに照らされたら 悪い事してるみたいだ
otona dakara ichidokurai tabako o sutte mitakunatte
tsukiakari ni terasaretara warui kotoshiteru mitai da
(Now that I’ve grown up, just once I’d like to try smoking this cigarette)
(When the moonlight shines, I want to do something wrong)
あなたの好きな煙草
わたしより好きな煙草
anata no suki na tabako
watashi yori suki na tabako
(This cigarette that you love)
(This cigarette that is more loved than I)
いつだって そばにいたかった
分かりたかった 満たしたかった
プカ プカ プカ プカ
煙が目に染みるよ 苦くて黒く染まるよ
itsudatte soba ni itakatta
wakaritakatta mitashitakatta
puka puka puka puka
kemuri ga me ni shimiru yo nigakute kuroku somaru yo
(Each time I wanted to be close)
(I wanted to understand, I wanted to be fulfilled)
(I puff and puff and puff)
(The smoke stains my eyes – a black and bitter stain)
火が消えたから もうだめだ
魔法は解けてしまう
あなたは煙に巻かれて 後味サイテイ
hi ga kietakara mou dame da
mahou wa toketeshimau
anata wa kemuri ni makarete atoaji saitei
(The fire has died, it’s time to stop)
(The magic has left)
(You’re wrapped in smoke and the aftertaste is sickening)
真っ白な息が止まる
真っ黒な夜とわたし
masshiro na iki ga tomaru
makkuro na yoru to watashi
(The pure white breath stops)
(The pure black night is with me)
いつだって そばにいれたら
変われたかな マシだったかな
プカ プカ プカ プカ
煙が目に染みても 暗くても夜は明ける
itsudatte soba ni iretara
kawareta kana mashidatta kana
puka puka puka puka
kemuri ga me ni shimitemo kurokutemo yoru wa akeru
(Each time I take it in)
(I wonder if I should have changed, I wonder if I should have been better)
(I puff and puff and puff)
(The smoke might stain my eyes and stain it black but this night will turn into day)
あなたのくれた言葉
正しくて色褪せない
でも もう いら ない
anata no kureta kotoba
tadashikute iroasenai
demo mou ira nai
(The words that came from you)
(Are exact and will not fade)
(But they are no longer needed)
いつだって あなただけだった
嫌わないでよ 忘れないでよ
プカ プカ プカ プカ
煙が雲になって 朝焼け色に染まるよ
itsudatte anata dake datta
kirawanaide yo wasurenaide yo
puka puka puka puka
kemuri ga kumo ni natte asayake iro ni somaru yo
(You were always the only one)
(Do not resent me, do not forget me)
(I puff and puff and puff)
(The smoke turns into clouds, staining the color of sunrise)
–
This is a song by the Japanese band Chatmonchy. It’s basically about this rather melancholy individual who finds comfort in cigarettes. I don’t think it’s about being addicted to smoking but rather, it illustrates a void in people’s lives that they fill with certain activities. I made this rough English translation because I think it’s pretty great song. It’s not patronizing and not encouraging.
EDIT: I’ve fixed a few mistakes and explained my choice of words. Comments are always welcome.
I tried to approximate meanings at some parts (like using “puff” for the sound プカ プカ). I translated it based on my understanding of the song and it is likely to be wrong or different. If I find that I made a huge mistake, I’ll correct them real quick.
November 17, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Hey, I was looking for the kanji lyrics to the song when I happened upon this, just in case you’re wondering who the heck I am, haha. I want to preface this by saying that I’m not a native Japanese speaker, so I make no claims as to being infallible, but I have been studying the language for a number of years, so I think it’s fairly accurate. Also, I don’t mean any disrespect because your translation was very good, and you actually picked up on some stuff that I would have missed. So this is just some advice and I don’t mean anything personal by my suggestions. :]
-aruki naretenai *yorumichi o furari to arukitakunatte
[Should be yomichi]
-keikouto ni terasaretara koko dake murishiteru mitai da
[keikoutou]
(Aimlessly wandering at night in an unfamiliar street)
~たくなって means “I’ve come to want to~”
(Only here when the lamp shines can I seem to do the impossible)
“can… do the imposible” would be 無理できる, or something to that effect. 無理してる is more to do something unreasonable, or to overdo something (in this case I think it’s the later, saying that she smokes too much). You hear 無理しなくていい a lot “You don’t have to go through too much trouble”
-tsukiakeru ni terasaretara warui kotoshiteru mitai da
[Should be tsukiakari]
(I have grown up and just once I’d like to try smoking this cigarette)
You should though a because (だから) in there. Also, ‘this’ makes it needlessly awkward, especially as there isn’t a この in the Japanese. Just go with “a cigarette”
(As the moonlight shines and I seem to be doing something wrong)
Should be “when” instead of “as”
(This cigarette that you love)
-Should probably be ‘those cigarettes’
(This cigarette that is more loved than I)
-Once again, more awkward than it needs to be. “Those cigarettes that you loved more than me”
(Each time I wanted to be close)
いつだって is more like always, and そばにいたい means “I want to be by your side”
(I wanted to understand, I wanted to be fulfilled)
満たしたかった is active, not passive, so it’s more like “I wanted to fulfill you”
(I puff and puff and puff)
I think the プカs are just ’sound effects’, rather than being used as a verb.
(The smoke stains my eyes – a black and bitter stain)
染みる doesn’t mean to stain, it’s more like “to soak in” or “to seep into.” It’s a subtle, but think of the difference between something staining a sponge and something soaking into a sponge.
(The fire has died, it’s time to stop)
There’s a から in there after 消えた, so you definitely want to work that in there. もうだめ is more like “it’s no good”
(The magic leaves)
I don’t think “leave” is really a strong enough word. I’d suggest going with “The magic has died.” Also, ~てしまう should generally be translated “has ~ed;” it’s present tense, but conveys an action that has ended (and cannot be reversed).
(The pure white breath stops)
I think (though I may be wrong) this should be “Your pure…”
(The pure black night is with me)
I can’t think of how to translate this line smoothly, but it’s saying that both 私 and 夜 are 真っ黒.
(Each time I take it in)
いれたら is from いる, not 入る, so it should be “If I was always by your side”
(I wonder if I should change, I wonder if I should be better)
If it was “…should change” it would be 変わればよいいのかな…. As it is, it’s “I wonder if things would have changed”/”Would things have changed?” (The former is more literal, but I think the latter works much better in English.)
(I puff and puff and puff)
See note above.
(The smoke might stain my eyes and stain it black but this night will turn into day)
See note above about 染みる. 暗くても is modifying 夜 here. ～ても conveys a sense of “even [if]…” So the whole line is like “Even if the smoke seeps into my eyes, even the darkest night will end”
(The words that came from you)
くれた is more like “given.” It is generally tacked onto verbs as a more casual way of saying もらった. “The words you gave to me” is more literal, but you may want to go with “The words you said to me”
(Are exact and shall not fade)
正しくて is an idiomatic phrase that’s a little hard to translate directly into English. It is sort of like “really.” It basically just emphasizes whatever follows it. 色褪せない should probably be “aren’t fading” rather than “won’t fade.”
(But they are no longer needed)
Once again, you’re making this more awkward than it needs to be. “But I don’t need them anymore”
(Do not resent me, do not forget me)
Instead of resent, you should probably just go with ‘hate’
(I puff and puff and puff)
(The smoke turns into clouds, staining the color of sunrise)
染まる is an intransitive verb, so instead of 煙 staining 朝焼け色, the 煙 is being stained by the 朝焼け色.
BRIGHTREDBOW says: Hello, I had a longer message but I’ve decided to just keep the nonsense to myself. I have a tendency to ramble, you see.
Anyway, the whole point was to thank you for bringing up the corrections. I took your advice on some of them but there are things that I stuck with because it’s how I understood the song and I like it that way :p I hope it doesn’t offend you (and I hope I haven’t offended the language… :p)
I’m very grateful. Peace and love!