MEGITSUNE

Released on 2013 Jun. 19th. [MV]
Lyric: MK-METAL, NORiMETAL / Music: NORiMETAL / Arr.: Yuyoyuppe

In short: BABYMETAL are the maiden-like female foxes that, without intention but with mysterious charm, let you get into a sweet illusion.

MEGITSUNE (Female Foxes)

Go! - Go! - Go! - Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! - Go! - Go! - Go! Go! Go! Go!

Dressed-up Miss Fox
  [Check it! Cheer up! Check it! Cheer up!]
waves her twin ponytails in the air.
  [Fluttering! Cheer up! Fluttering! Cheer up!]
She pops and vanishes.
  [Whirling! Cheer up! Whirling! Cheer up!]
Let her show her various aspects!
  [Kon kon kon ko, kon kon ko kon!]

Go! - Go! - Go! - Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! - Go! - Go! - Go! Go! Go! Go!

Ancient maidens,
you dance in the transient dream.
Getting over thousands years,
you live today.

Ah, it's right. Always women are actresses.
We're not foxes, not deceiving,
but maiden-like female foxes.

Ah, girls are becoming more like an ideal woman.
Smiling at face, crying at heart,
saying "It's right", we never show our tears.

A fox, a fox, I'm a female fox.
Women are actresses.

Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! Go! Go! Go!

Go! - Go! - Go! - Go! Go! Go! Go!
Go! - Go! - Go! - Go! Go! Go! Go!

Ancient maidens,
you sing in the transient dream.
Getting over thousands years,
you live inside us.

Ah, it's right. Always women are actresses.
We're not foxes, not deceiving.
Maidens...

... shouldn't be underestimated.

Ah, girls are becoming more like an ideal woman.
Continuously, to keep blazing,
we shoot up the fireworks.

Ah, blooming and falling is the fate for a woman.
Smiling at face, crying at heart,
we're pure-hearted maiden-like female foxes.

Ah...

---

  ROMAJI LYRIC AND NOTES ARE BELOW.

[i] and [ii] may misunderstand lyric writers' intentions. But, when asked "Why are maiden-like foxes not foxes?" or "How can ancient maidens live today?", I think most Japanese would answer something like this.

[i] About the Word "Megitsune"

"Megitsune" = "me"+"kitsune" = female+fox = vixen. Such changes as "k" to "g", "s" to "z", etc. often occur in Japanese compound words.

The Japanese folklore tells that foxes can change into anything and deceive people. So a man who was deceived by a (charming) woman, feels like deceived by a vixen, and calls her "megitsune", that is, he says like "she is as cunning as a vixen".

But a man very easily misunderstands the behavior of a charming woman and gets into the sweet illusion that she loves him, and, when he is disillusioned, he feels like deceived by her. But she is not to blame because she had no intention to deceive but she is just too much charming.

I think that the lines "We're not foxes ... but maiden-like female foxes." says like
  "we're not deceiving but we're so charming that you may get into a sweet illusion."
and so translated. "Maiden-like" is important to show not having ill intentions.

[i+] About "Women Are Actresses"

In an interview [on HotWave 2 (3:27-)], SU-METAL talked about this. People may think women are always disguising (as to makeup) and pretending. But she loves the lyrics "smiling at face, crying at heart", and said that adult women are so cool as they never show suffering, by acting quite as usual even in a hard time, and she hopes to be so too. For "smiling at heart, crying at heart", see note #12 below.

[ii] About "Ancient Maidens"

Though writing "現代に" (= in the present) and reading it as "koko ni" (= here), here we can see no other maidens than BABYMETAL. So I think these lines say that BABYMETAL have inherited ancient maidens' spirits and so translated. The Japanese often say like "they live inside us" in this meaning.

Probably they are ancient "miko" or the like. Miko dance "kagura" (= a sacred dance) in a shrine. But they had a kind of shamanic character in the ancient times. In medieval Japan, there were famous dancers "Shizuka Gozen" (perhaps not a miko) and "Izumono Okuni" (probably once a miko). Please see Wikipedia or else if you like to learn more about "miko".

The original lines have no grammatical subjects. Frankly speaking, to dance: probably ancient maidens, to get over: ... possibly "time" itself, to live: perhaps BABYMETAL, these are what come along when I listen to these lines. Perhaps most Japanese too, possibly even the writers themselves.

MEGITSUNE (Female Foxes)

Romaji Lyric	English Translation	Notes
Sore.	Go!	1
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Omekashi kitsune san	Dressed-up Miss Fox
[Chikichiki wasshoi! Chikichiki wasshoi!]	[Check it! Cheer up! Check it! Cheer up!]	2,3
tsuinte nabikasete	waves her twin ponytails in the air.	4
[Hirahira wasshoi! Hirahira wasshoi!]	[Fluttering! Cheer up! Fluttering! Cheer up!]	5
hajikete doron-shite.	She pops and vanishes.	6,7
[Kurukuru wasshoi! Kurukuru wasshoi!]	[Whirling! Cheer up! Whirling! Cheer up!]
Iza yuke shichi-henge.	Let her show her various aspects!	8
[Kon kon kon ko, kon kon ko kon.]	[Kon kon kon ko, kon kon ko kon.]	9
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Inishie no otome-tachi yo	Ancient maidens,	10
karisome no yume ni odoru.	you dance in the transient dream.
Ikusen no toki o koete	Getting over thousands years,
ima o ikiru.	you live today.	[ii]
Aa soo yo itsudemo onna wa joyuu yo.	Ah, it's right. Always women are actresses.	[i+]
Kitsune ja nai. Kitsune ja nai.	We're not foxes, not deceiving,	[i]
Otome na megitsune.	but maiden-like female foxes.
Aa Yamato-nadeshiku onna wa kawaru no.	Ah, girls are becoming more like an ideal woman.	11
Kao de waratte kokoro de naite	Smiling at face, crying at heart,	12
"Soo yo ne"tte namida wa mise-nai no.	saying "It's right", we never show our tears.
Kitusne kitsune watashi wa megitsune.	A fox, a fox, I'm a female fox.	13
Onna wa joyuu yo.	Women are actresses.
Soiya soiya soiya soiya	Go! Go! Go! Go!	14
soiya soiya soiya soiya	Go! Go! Go! Go!
soiya soiya soiya soiya.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Soiya soiya soiya soiya	Go! Go! Go! Go!
soiya soiya soiya soiya	Go! Go! Go! Go!
soiya soiya soiya soiya.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Inishie no otome-tachi yo	Ancient maidens,
karisome no yume ni utau.	you sing in the transient dream.
Ikusen no toki o koete	Getting over thousands years,
koko ni ikiru.	you live inside us.	[ii]
Aa soo yo itsudemo onna wa joyuu yo.	Ah, it's right. Always women are actresses.
Kitsune ja nai. Kitsune ja nai.	We're not foxes, not deceiving,
Otome wa...	Maidens...
... nametara ikan zeyo.	... shouldn't be underestimated.	15
Aa Yamato-nadeshiku onna wa kawaru no.	Ah, girls are becoming more like an ideal woman.
Zutto itsumo kie-nai yoo ni	Continuously, to keep blazing,	16
hanabi o ageru no.	we shoot up the fireworks.
Aa saite chiru no ga onna no sadame yo.	Ah, blooming and falling is the fate for a woman.	17
Kao de waratte kokoro de naite	Smiling at face, crying at heart,
Junjoo otome na megitsune yo.	we're pure-hearted maiden-like female foxes.
Aa.	Ah...

Notes

1. These "sore" are the interjections to prompt someone to do something (= 3, 2, 1, sore!). In this song, it is similar to "wasshoi".
2. Though "Hirahira" and "Kurukuru" (onomatopoeia) have rather clear meanings and so translated, "Chikichiki" doesn't (it sounds like a mechanical noise). But something corresponding to "dressed-up" should come here. So I choose "Check it!" which the youth often say.
       Anonymous san (on 2015 Jul. 18) suggested "chikichiki" represents the sound of kane (= bell) in matsuri-bayashi (= Japanese festival music). If so, the translation is "Tinkling!", "Ting-a-ling!", etc. It is very likely because matsuri-bayashi are often expressed like "konkon chikichiki kon chiki chin", but I can't think so because "chiki" without "kon" (drum) doesn't sound like matsuri-bayashi to me and it has no direct relation with the precedent words unlike the other two lines. (Appended on 2015 Aug. 29.)
3. "Wasshoi" is used in festivals to keep in tune all the breath of the carriers of "mikoshi" (= the potable shrine).
4. "Tsuinte" is an abbreviation for "tsuin teeru" (= twin tails). This hairstyle is also called "pigtails" but not woven one.
5. Many versions are written as "Kirakira" and it may sound so. But the official lyric says "Hirahira" and it corresponds to "waves ... in the air"
6. "Hajikete" (= hajikeru) means to "pop" of popcorn and the youth also use it when they act cheerfully (after an examination, etc).
7. This "doron" is "to vanish in a sudden smoke (and change into something else)", like ninjas, foxes, etc.
8. "Shichi-henge" is literally "seven changing" and usually "changing seven clothes" (in a short time, in a traditional drama). This word suggests that a girl looks very different (cute, elegant, etc) in different clothes, and may also suggest that girls are capricious, based on a song "Yamatonadeshiko Shichihenge" sung by Kyoko KOIZUMI, 1984.
9. The Japanese hear fox barking as "kon".
10. This "yo" is used for the vocative case.
11. It's not "Yamato-nadeshiko" but "Yamato-nadeshiku". "-ku" is one of the endings of the adjective and this non-authentic word sounds like "like Yamato-nadeshiko".
        "Yamato" means (ancient) Japan and "nadeshiko" is a pink flower called "dianthus". As a whole, "Yamato-nadeshiko" is the personification of an idealized Japanese woman (traditional one or else). Please see Wikipedia or else if you like to learn more about Yamato-nadeshiko.
12. "Smiling at face, crying at heart" is often said in Japan for both men and women.
        It is not a superficial smile but a sad/lonely smile. In 20th century, most Japanese thought crying in public was inappropriate for adults probably because the fellows around can't ignore the crying person but they can do nothing to rescue her/him from sadness (careless comforting often hurts her/him). And people think, for example, if one's child or sweetheart says she/he wants to leave her/his hometown for her/his career, one should consent to her/his decision with a smile because she/he has already made up her/his mind though she/he knows how sad one will feel and one's tears can do nothing but torment her/him (one should have noticed before she/he made up her/his mind). The (20th century) Japanese smile at face & cry at heart in situations like this. (Appended on 2015 Aug. 29.)
13. This line is sung on a melody borrowed from a famous Japanese traditional song "Sakura Sakura".
14. This "soiya" is similar to "wasshoi", only used in festivals.
15. "Nametara ikan zeyo" is a dialect of Kochi and became famous as said by gangster's daughter in a movie (actress Masako NATSUME in "Kiryu-in Hanako no Shogai", 1982).
16. This "kie-nai yoo ni" is "(for a firework) not to go out". It's impossible. But the sky (= girl) can keep on blazing with the continuous fireworks.
17. This "chiru" (= to fall) is contrasted with "kareru" (= to fade). It means "to fall before fading" like cherry blossoms and the Japanese like what disappears before fading.

---

I will try. But this section may not be completed forever.

English Lyric for Singing.

Romaji Lyric	English Lyric
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Omekashi kitsune san
[Chikichiki wasshoi! Chikichiki wasshoi!]	[Check it! Check it! Cheer up! Check it! Check it! Cheer up!]
tsuinte nabikasete
[Hirahira wasshoi! Hirahira wasshoi!]	[Fluttering! Cheer up! Fluttering! Cheer up!]
hajikete doron-shite.
[Kurukuru wasshoi! Kurukuru wasshoi!]	[Whirling! Cheer up! Whirling! Cheer up!]
Iza yuke shichi-henge.
[Kon kon kon ko, kon kon ko kon.]	[Kon kon kon ko, kon kon ko kon.]
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Inishie no otome-tachi yo	In the ancient age, the sacred maidens *
karisome no yume ni odoru.	* * * * *, * * the transient dream.
Ikusen no toki o koete
ima o ikiru.
Aa soo yo itsudemo onna wa joyuu yo.	Ah. Well, it's right. Always women * * * *, * * * *
Kitsune ja nai. Kitsune ja nai.	No, no. We aren't foxes. We're not deceiving,
Otome na megitsune.	We are maiden MEGITSUNE.
Aa Yamato-nadeshiku onna wa kawaru no.
Kao de waratte kokoro de naite
"Soo yo ne"tte namida wa mise-nai no.
Kitusne kitsune watashi wa megitsune.	Female fox, female fox. You know I'm a female_ fox.
Onna wa joyuu yo.	Alway women * * * *
Soiya soiya soiya soiya	Go! Go! Go! Go!
soiya soiya soiya soiya	Go! Go! Go! Go!
soiya soiya soiya soiya.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Soiya soiya soiya soiya	Go! Go! Go! Go!
soiya soiya soiya soiya	Go! Go! Go! Go!
soiya soiya soiya soiya.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore.	Go!
Sore sore sore sore.	Go! Go! Go! Go!
Inishie no otome-tachi yo
karisome no yume ni utau.
Ikusen no toki o koete
koko ni ikiru.
Aa soo yo itsudemo onna wa joyuu yo.
Kitsune ja nai. Kitsune ja nai.
Otome wa...
... nametara ikan zeyo.
Aa Yamato-nadeshiku onna wa kawaru no.
Zutto itsumo kie-nai yoo ni
hanabi o ageru no.
Aa saite chiru no ga onna no sadame yo.
Kao de waratte kokoro de naite
Junjoo otome na megitsune yo.
Aa.	Ah...