"Memorial address" translation
 

Quite excellent but really shocking lyrics. If you find any unnatural parts, please inform me.
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I remember I went to sleep with a presentiment late at night
And had a very sad dream
On the morning the phone started to ring, breaking the silence
And the presentiment became a reality
Leaving an indelible scar on my heart
You became a star alone

*Sayonara --- You had gone to the place where we can never meet again
I can't accept the coldness of the eternal parting
I wish I could have heard from you
That I had certainly been loved by you
Only once, even if it had been a lie

The sorrow I had thought to be endless came to an end
The season has changed and I feel it's biting cold
But I never forget that starting day of summer
The sky kept on crying instead of me this year
I feel as if I were living in the continuation of the dream
And still can't even cry

Sayonara --- Even my last words don't reach you
I'm made to realize the coldness of the parting
I wish I could have heard from you
That you never regretted the days we had spent together
Only once, even if it had been a lie

Why do you do in such a way
As leaving memories alone to the very end

* (repeat)

Please tell me this is only the story of the continuing dream
And that I'm not yet awake

Thank you very much for the translation, masa-san!

The lyrics are so honest and sad. I almost cried while reading it...

Very touching lyrics.

Thank you masa for the translation.

presentiment? Do you mean "pre-sentiment"? Not sure about that, but once again, thanks for your translations :thumbsup !

I once looked up this word in a dictionary, so I guess "presentiment" should be right, but as I'm not a native English speaker... :think

Ah...alright... I looked it up and found this:

I was thinking more along the lines of "premonition"... sorry about that... guess I never heard the word used before ^^'

Those are beautiful... they remind me of my gran's passing earlier this year - what a lovely song to remind me of a lovely person...

No need to apologize! ^_^

Re: "Memorial address" translation
 

This lyric is so deep, so beautiful, one of my favorites...
;____;

It make my sad ;(( ... this song is so beautiful

Thanks for the translation !!

Great, thnx for the once again wonderful translation! :thumbsup

Wow.. the translation.. the song.... god....

masa-san, do You have any idea who is ayu singing about? God, I am so curious!!!!

Memorial address = Ayu's lyrical genius

thank you SO MUCH for these lyrics... one of her best songs in a *loooong* time ^_^

hmmm i heard a rumor that her mommy died and she wrote the song for her... that's why in the album where she's w/ the mirror it says 0630 in red cause her mom died on june 30th... which is 06/30... just a rumor tho.

Re: "Memorial address" translation
 

I'm curious why you think the lyrics are shocking. Is it shocking for the style of the music in the song? Thanks very much for the lyrics!

Trying not the remove the poetic nature when translating lyrics is difficult, but here are a few possible suggestions:
"Why do you do in such a way
As leaving memories alone to the very end"
Maybe it could be "Why do you do things the way you do
Like leaving memories alone to the very end."
That last line doesn't make sense to me. I don't know understand what she is trying to say.

"On the morning the phone started to ring, breaking the silence"
In the morning the phone started to ring, breaking the silence

"Leaving an indelible scar on my heart"
I'm not sure how common "indelible" is used, but it's not a word I have ever heard befpre. If you'd like, "immoveable" "permanent" or "unfading" could be replacements.

"You became a star alone"
I don't fully understand what you mean. Maybe "You became a lone star." or "You became a lonely star." Is "alone" supposed to be an adverb modifying "became"? I don't understand.

"*Sayonara --- You had gone to the place where we can never meet again"
You changed tenses in the sentence. So possibly "You had gone to the place where we could never meet again"

Indelible means something that is impossible to remove or wash away. In this case, it is a perfect word, I think. ^^

This song shocked me very much. When I first heard it, it sounded like a good-bye song. When I listened to the lyrics, I couldn't help but think that this was the saddest song I've ever heard by ayu. Now, seeing the lyrics in English in front of me, I feel so even more. 100 times more.

It is probably my favourite ayu song beside For My Dear. I think it's the most beautiful melody and lyrics combination I've heard in a long, long time. Makes me think. I'm inspired.

Re: Re: "Memorial address" translation
 

He probably wanted to say "You became a star by yourself"


Thanks a lot for the translation masa! I thought the lyrics were a bit shocking too because I don't ever remember Ayu talking directly about death in one of her songs....but does it mean really a departure for a dead person or is that that her relationship with that person is over and it hurt her as much as if the person she loved had died?

Thx once again masa for your hard work. We all really appreciate what u do :thumbsup

Re: Re: Re: "Memorial address" translation
 

ooooo ok. I see it now. :D

hanabiwings, the word does seem to fit, I was just pointing out the possibility that the word might not be very common. I could always be wrong though.

My God.... if this is true.......

can anyone confirm this informtaion?

I'm getting scared!!!:eek I really wonder why she wrote such lyrics...did someone important to her really died? Probably yes, because the name of the album is "Memorial adress"....hmmm....

Thx for the translation.. I was thinking that the Anata ni hitori hoshi ni natta would mean that, but I tend to think of that line as only you became a star.. But what masa-san has is fine.

No kidding! So am I! Please... masa-san, anyone... do you know why did she wrote this song? Who is it for? :confused

:confused :confused :confused :confused

These lyrics are so :cry

And if really on the 30th of June her mother died.... :cry :cry
But would she keep it a secret for so long? Who died?!

thanks for the translations :S

so beautiful! I'll bet someone close to her died, don't know if it was her mom... but she tends to write on personal experience... brings a tear to my eye

masa-chan arigatou ne!

pressentiment is something when we feel something is about to happen. And i dont think "I were living" is OK, well i never saw "I" with "were" before. However i am not an english native.

But thank you very very much for the translations of these lyrics!

I have something else to say.. [You became a star alone.. very contreversed subject. I think [star] is not the word "star" like "popular" but like we see in the sky, because in the text it's "Hoshi". So, She became a lonely star. It make more sens for me, though...

I think I read somewhere that Ayu and her boyfriend broke up, but she didn't want to believe it.... I don't know, it may just be a rumour, however it was in a translated article on a website about Nagase. The article stated that Nagase and Ayumi had broken up, and Johnny's was very happy, but didn't want to make a statement to the press because avex had said not to. Perhaps, this is the meaning? Perhaps not?

have you noticed the "if" in the setence? It is right then and it should be "If I were" not "If I was".

oops gomen ne~ -_-

hiks hiks beauty lyric.... remind me some bad memories when i broke up with the one i used to love so much.... :( and now im single since then... hiks hiks.... this is absolutely new most favorite song

Wow! Such amazing and strong lyrics! *claps* There's our proof that Ayu is indeed a master of words and concept. =)

This song...is so sad, it's beautiful. I <3 it to pieces. It's not my favorite song, but it's definitely up there. Maybe because I can't relate to it. Either way, thank you very much! Commendable job!

Tragically beautiful...thank you very much, Masa

I honestly like them. it all fits.

Thanks Masa! Superb Fantabulous translation! ^__^ much thanks

thanks again!

Masa-san,,,thank you. The lyrics are somehow tragic. Perhaps her love that died. I noticed it have some parts saying about the ending of a sorrow....and some parts about seasons??? God it's just lovely

Honestly, I don't think she would write such lyrics because of the end of a relationship.
Even if she would have felt the broke up as an "eternal parting", I don't think she would have used such an imagery for the lyrics.

so sad... especially the part where she wished she could have felt loved by whomever this person was, even if it was just the lie

just the feeling of love ;.; ::cry cry::

You are welcome.
Btw, I suppose strongly that her father passed away on June 30 this year. The reasons are ---

1.This lyrics clearly shows that someone very important to her died in the beginning of this summer. And many phrases in this lyrics reminds me of her father.

2.There is a photo with "0630" written on a mirror in the leaflet. In the photo, she lies in a black dress with her eyes closed. Also, "Memorial address" is a rather strange title for a common album, isn't it? And though it's the title of this album, she didn't show the lyrics of the title song in the leaflet intentionally.

3.Here is my partial translation of "Tokyo Walker" interview (Dec 23 issue). I believe "teddy bear" was the only song she had written for her father. And so, this song will be for him, too.

(Interviewer) Hamasaki-san tried to make an mini-album for the first time. Why did you want to make this album, "Memorial address" this time?
(Ayumi) I was going to make something like a Christmas present last winter, but couldn't do it after all. So I wanted to do it this year. The release of a single CD might be OK. But I felt like doing in some other way and decided to make this mini-album. Another reason is that if I hadn't released it this year, it would have lost its sense, to me personally.
(I) I hear this title means like "a funeral speech". Why did you think you needed to release it this year?
(A) Since around the time before the release of "&", the song "teddy bear" always sounded in my brain. I pretended I didn't see such part of my heart and mind, and made songs and held concerts. But I felt I could not end this year pretending so. I made this title song to express the feeling like "teddy bear", and this album came to look like "Ayu of this year". That's why I wanted to release it this year.

To Grantith
Thanks for your advices.

It seems "alone" is the problem.Actually I used "alone" with the same meaning as "only". So is it all right I use "only" instead of "alone"?

She had a very sad dream. And the morning was just after the night. Even in such a case, "in the morning" is proper?

Which word do you think is the most appropriate?

Anata wa (You) hitori (alone / by yourself) hoshi ni (a star) natta (became)
There is a hidden feeling of "not together with me" or "leaving me alone". Is "by yourself" better than "alone" in this case?

Sounds like someone died in her life.

Presentiment sounds weird to me. It's not a word used much, I didn't even know it was actually a word until now.

Ashley

I'm not sure about this. It still doesn't sound right to me. Can anyone else help out? Any ideas? Or am I just being crazy for not understanding? ;)

I still think it should be "in." Does anyone else agree/disagree with that?

Like hanabiwings said, indelible definitely works. I was just pointing out that I haven't heard it before so I wasn't sure how commonly it is used. Just because I haven't heard it before doesn't mean that it's not common though. :) If I had to choose a replacement, I would choose "unfading" out of the options I listed 'cause it sounds the most poetic to me. If anyone else has a suggestion (or has a comment about indelible), please post it.


What about "You became a star without me" or "You became a star while leaving me behind" The second suggestion is stretching the translation a little more, but it might get the meaning across better. :shrug

If those two don't work, I think "by yourself" would work better than "alone" in that case. :thumbsup

masa, you're comments about the song being by her dad make a lot of sense! wow! Now that you point it out the lyrics seem to fit that very well. It must be a difficult time for her.

i really like these lyrics. Deep. well written. Thanks masa

The words "presentiment" and "indelible" are not rare. Honestly I am very surprised to learn that American high school students (at least some ;)) are not familiar with them.

"Why do you do in such a way
As leaving memories alone to the very end"

I agree with Grantith that this reads awkwardly. I think the the reason is that in this context it appears that "alone" is being used as an adjective, that is the meaning seems to be "the memories are alone".
The first sentence also does not feel right because the second "do" has no object. This is strange in English.


"On the morning the phone started to ring, breaking the silence"

This also seems unnatural, but I don't know how to explain why. Here is another way of saying it that sounds better to me:
"On the morning after, the phone started to ring, breaking the silence"

I am not an expert on English either, but I believe everything I've said is correct.

Hmm... perhaps it can also be said like this:

"In this morning, the phone began to ring, breaking the silence"

"The phone started to ring in the morning, breaking the silence"

Also:

"The season has changed and I feel it's biting cold"

Perhaps "bitter" could be an alternate word, although "biting" fits as well :)

Re: "Memorial address" translation
 

How about "The morning after, the phone began to ring, breaking the silence"??! Could this work, too?!
Or maybe "The following morning, the phone began to ring, breaking the silence"?!! ... :think

presentiment in portuguese = pressentimento...It is SUCH a common word here you can hear it almost everyday. I think masa used the right word, it sounds good enough :)

I just noticed another slight error with this:

"The season has changed and I feel it's biting cold"

Not the sentence, but shouldn't "it's" be "its", since "it's" means "it is"? Not a major error, but just something worth noting :)

This is the best translation of a song I think I have ever read. Which is fitting for such beautiful lyrics and such a beautiful song. Thank you very much Masa.

AHHHHH OMG I told yall it might've been her father ;_____; so sad...

the translation is so sad...
thnx masa for it

Ayu said herself that she doesn't know her father (he walked out on she and her mother when Ayu was 2 years old), and doesn't know whether he's still alive or not. This was a few years back, so it could be true... However, I'd believe it to be one of her friends, or maybe her grandmother (whom she's close to.)

do u really think ayu would be smiling at the mirror if she was writing about someones death?! :laugh 6/30 = her friends birthday ( = Greatful day) and why she wrote July 1st, that pictures featured for Greatful days lyrics anyway...

hahah yep! 6/30 is that friend's party! i had forgotten about it LOL:laugh

I forgot about that too..But still, why is Memorial address written in such a way as to make it seem as if someone died?

I noticed that a few days after I posted last time. But my supposition still didn't change. I think it's quite unlikely that she writes the birthday of one of her friend in the booklet and she doesn't look smiling to me. Actually it's clearly intentional that she shows herself all in a blank look in this booklet. And I forgot to write last time that "hoshi ni naru" (become a star) is commonly used as nothing but his / her death in Japanese.
Anyway, this is a mysterious album. She alone knows the truth now. I think she may clarify several years later.

but that image is associated with Greatful days... isnt that song to do with the happy times she had with her friends or something?
nihonjin deha nain desu kedo, sono ime-ji no ayu no o-tura tte egao jya arimasen ka?

Ah, it's possible that she wrote it as the day of the annual party (not as the birthday). But it's also possible that she did so as a mystification. As for her look, it's very unclear whether she is smiling or not. To me, she doesn't look smiling.

Nihongo ga umai desu ne. But "tsura" is a rude word. It's better for you to use "kao".

ara, gomen ne...
tura tte higo ka wakaranakattan desu...
tada zokugo dato omoimasita...
sekai jyuu, hamasaki-sama no itibandaifan desu kara, hamasaki-sama ni tuite no warui koto ga sappari iitakunaku, watasi ha gaizin dakara nihongo no iroiro ga sugoku wakarinikui desu...
goryosyo kudasai...

[kore mo attenakattara sumimasenu]

Advised and suggested by some members, I change my translation as below. Thank you.
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I remember I went to sleep late that night feeling uneasy
And had a very sad dream
The phone started to ring in the morning, breaking the silence
And the premonition became a reality
Leaving an unfading scar on my heart
You became a star by yourself

*Sayonara --- You have gone to the place where we can never meet again
I can't accept the coldness of the eternal parting
I wish I could have heard from you
That I had certainly been loved by you
Only once, even if it had been a lie

The sorrow I had thought to be endless came to an end
The season has changed, I feel bitterly cold
I will never forget that first day of summer
The sky kept on weeping instead of me this year
I feel as if I were living in the continuation of the dream
And I can't even cry now

Sayonara --- Even my last words don't reach you
I'm made to realize the coldness of the parting
I wish I could have heard from you
That you never regretted the days we had spent together
Only once, even if it had been a lie

Why did you do it this way
Leaving memories only to the very end?

(*) repeat

Please tell me this is only the story of the continuing dream
And that I'm not yet awake
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To appears
"Sama" is too polite this time. "San" is the commom way of saying. Muzukashii desu ne.

Sugoi~

Sankyuu once again, masa-san! Your translations are always appreciated!

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/Unimat...1X/bowdown.gif

thanks for the translation masa san. appears your japanese is really really good! thanks everyone for the interpretations of the song...wow ayu's very good at expressing herself!

Great translation! Also I figured hoshi ni naru may mean that someone has died, but several years from now we will find out what that means? I hope it is soon.

OH WOW the lyrics is beautifulreally poeticaly-GODNESS
is very very very well written
thanks masa-san for the translation :thumbsup

Re: Re: "Memorial address" translation
 

~~ It has so much meaning to it!!

I had an experience pretty much like this song only I had the feeling of sadness and terror for about two weeks. My best friend's mother called and asked to speak to my mom. She refused to tell me herself that her daughter- my best friend for years- had been murdered. =\

Because of that experience, that phrase holds so much meaning.. My friend and I had once made the promise to do so many things together.. including growing old.

I'm not sure what Ayu was thinking of or feeling, but I get reminded of the promise of two pre-adolescent girls pinky swearing to be friends forever.. now that one of them is gone, the other is left with the promise.

You became a star alone, to me, symbolizes the death of someone special.. they ascended to Heaven.

That phrase also holds the child-like view of death. Most children think that loved ones turn into stars when they die so that they can watch over them and their family.

This star thought also occurs with young adults and adults alike. it's sort of a denial thing and a bounce back thing.. "Yes, [they] died, but [they] are still watching over me", "[They] are my guiding light", and "[They] are my Northern Star".

I was 14 when Crystal died, and I told myself that she was a star. To this day, I believe she is =)


oh man, I'm so sorry this came out so long!! >_O
It's all my psycho babble from class... it's coming out and haunting me while I'm on vacation!!! XD

Re: Re: Re: "Memorial address" translation
 

Maybe the "became a star alone" is a reference to what Lo-rez said...
Ayu and a person promised some day they would die together, so none of them would suffer. But this person died before and became a star without Ayumi.

This is a very sad song... But meaningful. I wonder who is this person Ayu lost...

the lyrics are beautiful...

Thank God for Ayu being so lyrically correct to experiences and emotions!

Additional information.
In the interview of "R & R Newsmaker" magazine, asked by the interviewer what actually is the meaning of "memorial address", she answered that she had used the phrase clearly as a "funeral speech".

:eek why "funeral speech"? sounds so scary...

shocking..

never thought she could be so tragical

The title is perfect for the nature of the song... yeah, it is scary, but so are a lot of things in life =T

Ano.....You don't think Ayu could be planning on retiring.... that would be terrible... T_T

amazing! but utterly saddenning

:weep :weep :weep

thanks for the translation very much, i think that it is very touching, and i knew it when she first said "sayanora" that it is about leaving someone. this song makes me cry!

thank u forthe transalation, yur a star :thumbups now i hav a gud idea about the song :)

thats one of ayu's saddest songs... that must be her most touching lyrics yet, for me at least.
wah that mirror thing..... is it true? wouldnt it have been all in the news if so? if so, then sympathies to ayu..

im forcing myself to remember thses lyrics, ive had the song on repeat all day.....

hey does anyone have a J-lyric or romanization of the song? coz it wasnt included in the lyrics booklet and you must have got it from somewhere to translate it.

no offense to anyone but 'on the morning' is not correct at all. that doesnt make sense in this case. if you were saying 'on the morning of... (eg that day)' then on makes sense. but in this case i have to say DEFINITELY 'in the morning'. definitely not 'on'

i think in this case they are both right but 'if i were' sounds like more formal and better english that would suit the lyrics better.