Sorry for very very late post.
Some readers asked me about my plan to translate BABYMETAL's new songs.
I'm sorry but I will not translate them for now.
I translated BABYMETAL's songs for better communication of members and foreign fans. BABYMETAL's early songs had many references to Japanese (pop) culture. By explaining them, I wanted foreign fans to know Miss Suzuka, Miss Yui, & Miss Moa were ordinary Japanese teenage girls in their private life and their daily life was something like depicted in such songs as "Doki Doki * Morning".
BABYMETAL's later songs, however, have few references to Japanese (pop) culture, so my advantage as a native speaker has become less. And I've come to realize that I cannot choose a better interpretation among several possible ones because what I think is important to the lyrics seems much different from what the lyric-writers or the producer thinks is important to the lyrics, so I've come to think I can contribute less to the translation of BABYMETAL's songs.
BABYMETAL seems to have been changed. I heard [ SU-METAL, YUIMETAL, & MOAMETAL are such characters as Mickey Mouse in Disneyland ]. And YUIMETAL left BABYMETAL. Miss Suzuka & Miss Moa and Miss Yui have all been hidden.
BABYMETAL's songs also seem to have been changed. At glance, I can't find something I should/can tell about the songs of "Metal Galaxy", but, if Amuse Inc. has taken visible actions to support Miss Yui, I will try to translate them.
Thank you for writing this post. You present your explanation very clearly and logically, but your strong feelings are also very evident "between the lines".
ReplyDeleteI understand your reasons for deciding not to work on translations of the "Metal Galaxy" songs, and it would be wrong for me to try to change your mind.
All I will say is that I have hugely valued the enormous effort you have so generously put in to your transcription, translation and analysis of Babymetal's previous work. It has given me (and, it is clear from the comments sections below your posts, many others too) a wonderful insight into the group's songs. That has enabled me to obtain a much deeper understanding and enjoyment of the songs ... and, through them, of Japanese (pop) culture.
If you do have cause to change your mind in the future, I and many others will read closely and with gratitude any further translations and analysis you post. And, if not, I simply repeat my great thanks for all you have given us until now - thank you, and Happy New Year for 2020.
Thank you for comment and sorry for very late reply.
DeleteI hope Amuse Inc. will take visible actions to support Miss Yui, and the activity of BABYMETAL shall be as fruitful as possible for Miss Moa & Miss Suzuka.
I am sorry to hear this, I was looking forward to your work.
ReplyDeleteThank you for comment and I'm sorry for late reply and not translating BABYMETAL's new songs.
DeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteYou already explained over a year ago to me why you didn't return to translating songs (plus this current explanation), which is sad, but completely understandable.
I always link this place to anyone who wants to know the lyrics or just want to understand the songs and it's nuances. As for the newer songs... I have tried translating the songs and add notes to them to the best of my ability. I borrowed parts from translations that were made, as well as asked Japanese friends to help. I used the little Japanese (still learning) as much as they could, but it's still not good (let alone the level you have done here). You can see them here: https://www.babymetalnews.com/song-lyrics-and-translations/
I personally believe that what you do will help. And even if they are not 100% perfect, they will still be very good, because the quality of your translations and notes is superb! Though I understand why you won't do so, but I just wanted to tell you (though I'm sure you know very well), that there is no place on the Internet (or outside of it) with as good BM translations as yours!
I hope you are staying healthy and doing well. Thanks for all the help these years :)
Thank you for comment and sorry for late reply.
DeleteI've learned your trouble via the Reddit post. I hope it shall be solved happily.
Before then, I browsed your lyrics and translations pages briefly, and found some typos & some others. I write my comments just for your information. I'm sorry if you already know something like the following explanations and deliberately translated in your way.
________
* "Shanti Shanti Shanti"
The translation of the 3rd section (Ali Ali Ali Ali Inoru-monotachi no MAYA ...) is missing.
* "Starlight"
In the 4th section of Romaji lyrics :
Sagashi motome kakenukete "fet" away
* "Arkadia"
In the last section of English translation :
"Ima" no more tears, no more pain, no more cry
________
* "↑↓←→BBAB"
In the 2nd section :
I guess "nakama-tachi" is vocative, that is, "Oh my comrades, win against your/our enemies" or something.
In the 5th section :
The interpretation of "zui zui zukkorobashi" is difficult, but I've never heard such an interpretation like "Knock them down without any hesitation". Is it confused with "bukkorosu" (= slaughter)? I guess the lyric writer interpreted it like "どんどん転がる/転がす" (dondon korogaru/korogasu; rolling and rolling) because the kanji "転" is used in the official lyrics.
I guess "kabegiwa owarete" means "being chased along/to the wall" and "donpisha" means a very inconvenient situation (i.e. very convenient to the opposite). I guess they refer to some such situations in TV games, but I don't know whether the player is being chased or the player is chasing.
* "BxMxC"
In the 2nd section :
"Kidoku suruu (= through)" means the state that some messenger app informed the sender that the receiver displayed the message but the receiver has not yet replied to it (and the sender is worrying about whether the message is ignored). Japanese people often use "suruu" (= through) to mean "bypassing" or "ignoring".
In the last section :
I guess "hadashi" means simply "barefoot" not "superior". I guess you've seen the phrase "玄人はだし" (kurooto hadashi; a professional barefoot) somewhere. It is an abbreviated phrase of something like "he is an amateur of something but he is so superior in that field that the professionals in that field want to run away sooner than wearing their shoes", and the word "hadashi" alone doesn't have such a meaning.
* "Shine"
In the 1st section :
I've found the expression "yesterday's past", etc., but I prefer simple "the past" or "yesterday" for "過去(kinoo), and so on. Generally speaking, when the sung word is different from the kanji word written in the lyrics, it is natural for Japanese people to say the sung word in such a context/situation, but what they actually refer to with it is what the kanji word refers to.
In the 3rd section :
I think the 1st line "Hateshinaku tsuzuku" modifies the word "yami", that is, "Even wandering in the darkness that continues boundlessly" or something.
________
I also found some other disagreements about the interpretations of the grammatical structures, but I'm not sure about those points because the postpositions are sometimes omitted, the grammatical subjects/objects are often omitted, and the grammatical structures of the sentences of the lyrics are ambiguous.
Wow! Thank you for the extensive reply with lots of help.
DeleteI think the situation will remain as-is. And I will leave the current changes for the time being, including removing the lyrics :(
I will still put all this input into my lyrics and see if someone else wants to host them. I know that most of it had issues, as I took them from various places and tried my best to make them coherent, but since my Japanese level is still very low... hard for me to do that.
But, as mentioned before, thank you so much for the help! Will add them as soon as I can :)
And also enjoy them myself ;)
I hope it helps you.
DeleteI've been distant from BABYMETAL'cause makes me really sad the way things went... Your blog always had help me, mostly to increase understanding to my very passion to the band and the girls. I'm really grateful and of course can understand your motivations to leave this great work you've done so far. I hope the girls still feel happiness; i miss the old feelings, the things i could feel with the old songs. I miss thinking the girls were happy. I'm seeing this post so late 'cause i've really avoid looking for things about the girls 'cause i miss them 3 together and ok i understand things must go on i guess... Btw... Hope Yui is fine and everything.Thank you, Du!
ReplyDeleteThank you for comment.
DeleteMiss Yui is still in a contract with Amuse Inc. At the end of March, a member of Sakura Gakuin mentioned her episode with Miss Yui in SG's internet program. Such a mention of Miss Yui has been very rare recently, so her fans expected she is going to come back soon, but there is as yet no visible activity of her.
I too hope for Miss Yui's happiness and good health.
I too had been "losing my faith" a bit because of what happened with Yui... and then the Little God's transcendence... then I saw this and it changed my mind...
ReplyDeletehttps://vimeo.com/433036203
Thank you for comment.
DeleteI'm sorry but the video didn't change my mind.
Ahh.. I recently got my hands into some of the first babymetal concerts and wanted to know what was being said between songs and shows and this page was my main help to understanding those stories shown inbetween. It's so sad to read this late that you stopped publishing the prologues and epilogues of the concerts/songs. I hope you're doing well!
ReplyDeleteThank you for comment.
DeleteThe narrations until the Budokan concerts are important to understand BABYMETAL's Metal Resistance. However, it seems to me the narrations of the concerts after them are not so informative though they may be amusing (or rather, the meaning of BABYMETAL's Metal Resistance itself may have become vague). And, in the later concerts (since the Wembley concert?), the narrations themselves were spoken in English or the English translations were displayed on the screen.
Thanks for your translations. I am a fairly recent fan, but your translations help me kind of re-live the earlier days of BM. As someone whose native language is neither Japanese or English, this was my ticket to another world. Sorry, that you no longer feel like translating their recent work, but just wanted you to know that your work has been immensely valuable. Wish things take a turn for the better.
ReplyDeleteWhat did u mean about Disney world?
ReplyDeleteSorry for late reply.
DeleteIt is from KOBAMETAL's inverview (Mar 1, 2016). I've just added the link in the text above.
https://www.loudersound.com/features/why-nobody-can-stop-babymetal
> similarly, enquiries about Su-metal, Yuimetal and Moametal's roles
> in the creation of the forthcoming Metal Resistance album
> are disregarded, as the official narrative maintains that
> the girls are but messengers for the omnipotent Fox God who directs their every career move.
............................_______________________
> "Imagine if after Mickey Mouse at Disneyland came out and entertained the fans,
> he took off his suit and started talking to you like, "Oh, I'm so tired, I hate my job"",
> Kobametal explains via Nora.
> "That would break people's dreams and destroy the fantasy".
> "It actually makes things easier for the girls",
> he maintains,
> "because they can concentrate on what they have to do as Babymetal,
> can focus on just being who they are meant to be onstage,
> and not have to worry about anything else.
> In that sense it's freer for them. "
No matter what he might say,
in the early years of BABYMETAL's history, Miss Suzuka, Miss Yui & Miss Moa
didn't have to hide themselves in their costume unlike the person inside Mickey Mouse,
and talked rather freely about things in the backstages & things in their private life.
I never think our girls became freer in any sense.
Hi. What do you think about Su and Moa's recent interviews (in Hedoban magazine)?And there they claim to have discussed a lot with each other about changing BM?Su uses the word "break down".Or is it all of Koba's intentions and preparations?
ReplyDeleteI am very sorry for very late reply and for not having read those interviews.
DeleteThose interviews must contain some of true thoughts & feelings of Miss Moa & Miss Suzuka besides Kobametal's intentions and preparation, but it's tough for me to read their interviews doubting which this is and which that is.
Dear Mr Enki Du
DeleteIndeed, there are many things about Japanese culture as well as your music culture still confusing to me.But I hope what Mr Koba do is want good for girls.Recently there have been more translations of the interviews about the crisis of BM (Dec2017-2018). I hope it's the true what Mr Koba.Including BM changes were estimated before rather than Ms Yui left