Fair warning, folks. Even though this isn't a story post, there are some frickin' serious feels here. No, seriously. Have tissues at hand because you're about to cry some seriously manly tears.
So, I was listening to one of the Cafe Music BGM Channels (in particular, the one with the J-Pop piano instrumentals) and one of them just grabbed my attention and would not let go.
The hell of it is that it's kinda hard to find due to Sony being such copyright trolls. (Seriously, if they really want commercial success, I dunno, maybe try marketing to the US and Canada? Because it's not like people aren't gonna like the music just because it's in Japanese!)
Anyhow, I was able to find it on one youtube account that -isn't- kotoing to Sony's every whim... And then I had trouble getting the lyrics. They were easy enough to find, but every website used that pesky bit of java script that keeps you from selecting it. I had to dig into the page's source code to get at it.
And then, of course, came translation, which had it's own pitfalls. So, I've got a line-by-line version of the translated lyrics that should be easy to follow along, and then there is the 'rough translation' that I think better conveys the intended meaning.
(PS: Bob, are you working on getting code for tables in here? Cause it would have been useful for this...)
Anyhow, the thing is that hearing the music and learning the lyrics, my version of Minmei just started jumping up and down in my head, squealing, "YES YES! THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE FEELING I WANT TO SHARE!"
And that feeling? Well... Think of her as two people; The younger version who is stricken by the choice that Garrick has presented her... And the older, mature Minmei who was left behind has been apart from her beloved for some time now.
Garrick himself will think of this as one of Minmei's first real love songs. Most of what came before this was simply girlish infatuation and insecurities. Here? She is pouring her heart out with all the love and pain, and hope and loss that it carries.
The song is called Tegami (Haikei Jūgo no Kimi e) (Letter: Greetings to a 15 Year Old) by Angela Aki.
Dear You, this letter
You are reading
What are you and where
I wonder
Dear Me, who is reading this letter
I wonder where you are and what you're doing
To me in the 15th
I can not tell anyone
The kind of trouble is
There is
For me, who is fifteen years old
There are troubles that I cannot tell anyone
To yourself in the future
If a letter addressed to you
Surely obediently
I will be able to confess
If it's a letter a letter to myself in the future
Then surely I can confide honestly to myself
I'm about to lose
I'm about to cry
I am going to disappear
Whose words you trust
Would you mind walking?
I'm about to lose!
I'm about to cry!
I'm about to disappear!
Whose words should I trust and believe in?
There is only one
This breast is
It has broken apart many times
In difficult times
I am alive now
I am alive now
This one and only heart
has been broken so many times
In spite of the hardships
I still live on
I still live on
Dear You Thank you
To you in 15
Things to tell you
There is
Dear Me, Thank you.
To the fifteen year old me
There are things I need to tell
What is myself?
Where to head
If you keep asking
To be visible
What am I?
Where do I go?
If you keep asking these things
You will find your true self
Rough youth
Although the sea is tough
To the shore of tomorrow
Advance the dream boat
Youth is hard
And its seas are rough
But you must move your ship of dreams
Forward to the shores of tomorrow
Do not lose now
Do not cry
When it is about to disappear
My own voice
Should I believe you?
Do not lose now!
Do not cry now!
Even if you think you'll disappear!
You can have faith and trust in your own voice!
Adult servant also
Hurt
I have a sleepless night, but
Bitter and sweet
I am alive now
The Adult me does hurt
And has sleepless nights
But despite this bittersweet life
I am alive still.
Of life
Because everything has meaning
Without fear
Raise your dream
Everything in life has meaning
Be brave and build your dream
Keep on believing
Keep on believing
Keep on believing
Keep on believing
I think I will lose
I'm about to cry
I am going to disappear
Whose words
Do you believe to walk?
I'm about to lose!
I'm about to cry!
I'm about to disappear!
Whose words should I trust and believe in?
Do not lose
Do not cry
When it is about to disappear
My own voice
Should I believe you?
Do not lose now!
Do not cry now!
Even if you think you'll disappear!
You can have faith and trust in your own voice!
In any generation
sorrow
Although I can not go through avoiding it
Show me your smile
Let's live now
Let's live now
In every generation there is sorrow
We cannot go through life avoiding it
So show your smile
We both live now
We both live now
Dear You, this letter
You are reading
Happy things
I hope.
Dear Me, who is reading this letter
I am wishing for your happiness
So, I was listening to one of the Cafe Music BGM Channels (in particular, the one with the J-Pop piano instrumentals) and one of them just grabbed my attention and would not let go.
The hell of it is that it's kinda hard to find due to Sony being such copyright trolls. (Seriously, if they really want commercial success, I dunno, maybe try marketing to the US and Canada? Because it's not like people aren't gonna like the music just because it's in Japanese!)
Anyhow, I was able to find it on one youtube account that -isn't- kotoing to Sony's every whim... And then I had trouble getting the lyrics. They were easy enough to find, but every website used that pesky bit of java script that keeps you from selecting it. I had to dig into the page's source code to get at it.
And then, of course, came translation, which had it's own pitfalls. So, I've got a line-by-line version of the translated lyrics that should be easy to follow along, and then there is the 'rough translation' that I think better conveys the intended meaning.
(PS: Bob, are you working on getting code for tables in here? Cause it would have been useful for this...)
Anyhow, the thing is that hearing the music and learning the lyrics, my version of Minmei just started jumping up and down in my head, squealing, "YES YES! THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE FEELING I WANT TO SHARE!"
And that feeling? Well... Think of her as two people; The younger version who is stricken by the choice that Garrick has presented her... And the older, mature Minmei who was left behind has been apart from her beloved for some time now.
Garrick himself will think of this as one of Minmei's first real love songs. Most of what came before this was simply girlish infatuation and insecurities. Here? She is pouring her heart out with all the love and pain, and hope and loss that it carries.
The song is called Tegami (Haikei Jūgo no Kimi e) (Letter: Greetings to a 15 Year Old) by Angela Aki.
Dear You, this letter
You are reading
What are you and where
I wonder
Dear Me, who is reading this letter
I wonder where you are and what you're doing
To me in the 15th
I can not tell anyone
The kind of trouble is
There is
For me, who is fifteen years old
There are troubles that I cannot tell anyone
To yourself in the future
If a letter addressed to you
Surely obediently
I will be able to confess
If it's a letter a letter to myself in the future
Then surely I can confide honestly to myself
I'm about to lose
I'm about to cry
I am going to disappear
Whose words you trust
Would you mind walking?
I'm about to lose!
I'm about to cry!
I'm about to disappear!
Whose words should I trust and believe in?
There is only one
This breast is
It has broken apart many times
In difficult times
I am alive now
I am alive now
This one and only heart
has been broken so many times
In spite of the hardships
I still live on
I still live on
Dear You Thank you
To you in 15
Things to tell you
There is
Dear Me, Thank you.
To the fifteen year old me
There are things I need to tell
What is myself?
Where to head
If you keep asking
To be visible
What am I?
Where do I go?
If you keep asking these things
You will find your true self
Rough youth
Although the sea is tough
To the shore of tomorrow
Advance the dream boat
Youth is hard
And its seas are rough
But you must move your ship of dreams
Forward to the shores of tomorrow
Do not lose now
Do not cry
When it is about to disappear
My own voice
Should I believe you?
Do not lose now!
Do not cry now!
Even if you think you'll disappear!
You can have faith and trust in your own voice!
Adult servant also
Hurt
I have a sleepless night, but
Bitter and sweet
I am alive now
The Adult me does hurt
And has sleepless nights
But despite this bittersweet life
I am alive still.
Of life
Because everything has meaning
Without fear
Raise your dream
Everything in life has meaning
Be brave and build your dream
Keep on believing
Keep on believing
Keep on believing
Keep on believing
I think I will lose
I'm about to cry
I am going to disappear
Whose words
Do you believe to walk?
I'm about to lose!
I'm about to cry!
I'm about to disappear!
Whose words should I trust and believe in?
Do not lose
Do not cry
When it is about to disappear
My own voice
Should I believe you?
Do not lose now!
Do not cry now!
Even if you think you'll disappear!
You can have faith and trust in your own voice!
In any generation
sorrow
Although I can not go through avoiding it
Show me your smile
Let's live now
Let's live now
In every generation there is sorrow
We cannot go through life avoiding it
So show your smile
We both live now
We both live now
Dear You, this letter
You are reading
Happy things
I hope.
Dear Me, who is reading this letter
I am wishing for your happiness