A Summer of Farewell (Sayonara no Natsu)

Hola, mina vänner!

So lately, I've been inspired by Japanese music (curse you, anime!). Inspired, I mean: melodiously engrossed  with 'em. Japan has long been an interesting subject in my mind, and its language is honestly one of the most beautiful-sounding tongues I have ever laid ears on (god, no innuendo please). So put that together with great music. You get awesome songs sung in one of the most beautiful languages ever.

So, where were we? Okay. Japanese music and awesome-sounding songs. Okay... Now, I've told you that Japanese is one of the most beautiful languages I have ever heard and therefore, it's one of my faves.

And lately, I've been struggling to learn it so I'm currently studying kana and phrases. But before all that, I've had another hobby: song translation. I've had a knack for translating foreign-language songs into English and I've started with translating Swedish songs into English. That hobby now has spread to Japanese.

I guess you get what I'm talking about now.

I'm introducing to you guys (my non-existent friends) a song translated from Japanese to English by yours truly. It's called "Sayonara no Natsu" (A Summer of Farewell) from the movie "From Up on Poppy Hill" by king of Japanese animation studios: Studio Ghibli. You can look at the song and listen to it in Japanese here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XPfUOZCrFM

Now, without further ado, here is the song (in English translation, first; then, the original Japanese):

Summer of Farewell

Music by: Koichi Sakata
English Translation by Znieh Gregorio

A ship sails to the sea, the waters bring aloft
As it whistles a melody, a wistful goodbye
If I walk down and count the steps from the gentle slope,
Will I still see the wind of color summer shines on me

My love is like a song, it is a melody
High and low, different voices and tones
My love is like a bird, a seagull as it flies
High and low, swaying just like a breeze

If the sun sets from the sky, and you are not around,
If I call you, my darling, will you see me then?

The sound of a piano, the tunes it sings are like
The waves are crashing to the shores, with rumble so sweet
Do people have the dream to see the summer’s hue,
When they come and go away from the setting of the sun?

My love is nothing but a diary of sorts,
A heart beat is a page written a day
My love is nothing but a simple, little boat,
As it goes to the seas of the sky

If I look back tonight, as the sun sets for the day,
My love, will you come for me? Will you look for me?

The trees are shaking in a promenade, a stroll
Yet the shadows they make are nothing but a farewell of sorts
A hen from an old church, it sways and spins around,
but can it see a little town in hues of summertime?

The love of yesterday, it’s nothing but a tear,
It falls and dries till it disappears,
But come tomorrow it’s a melodious refrain,
Singing words, playing chords with no end

If I see you right now, as the day draws to a close,
Will you hold out your arms and pull me in for an embrace?

Sayonara no Natsu

Music by: Koichi Sakata

Lyrics by: Yukiko Marimura

Vocals by: Aoi Teshima

hikaru umi ni kasumu fune wa 
sayonara no kiteki nokoshimasu 
yurui saka o orite yukeba 
natsu-iro no kaze ni aeru kashira 

watashi no ai sore wa merodī 
takaku hikuku utau no 

watashi no ai sore wa kamome 

takaku hikuku tobu no 

yuuhi no naka yonde mitara 
yasashii anata ni aeru kashira 

dare ka ga hiku piano no oto 
uminari mitai ni kikoemasu 
osoi gogo o yuki kau hito 
natsu-iro no yume o hakobu kashira 

watashi no ai sore wa daiarii 
hibi no peeji tsuzuru no 
watashi no ai sore wa kobune 
sora no umi o yuku no 

yuuhi no naka furikaereba 
anata wa watashi o sagasu kashira 

sanpo michi ni yureru kigi wa 
sayonara no kage o otoshimasu 
furui chaperu kazami no tori
natsu-iro no machi wa mieru kashira 

kinou no ai sore wa namida 
yagate kawaki kieru no 
ashita no ai sore wa rufuran 
owari no nai kotoba 

yuuhi no naka meguri aeba 
anata wa watashi o daku kashira

So, there you have it!

Bye! For now...

-HG