'INSPIRE' translation
 

The subject of the first stanza is quite unclear. I've translated as "I go blank". But "You go blank" and "We go blank" are also possible. Which do you think is her intention? If you find any unnatural parts, please inform me.
-------------------------------------------
Giving a smile fit for each situation
Saying plausible words
I go blank
It's about time to end up pretending to be impassive

*No one can live alone
No one can live without love
Though they are matters of course
Now I keenly feel so

**You are blaming on this age
But what is the excuse for?
You see? To talk about love or dream
Is not uncool at all

Whom are the words for?
What is the process for?
What does it mean to live?
If there are definate answers, don't you think it's boring?

***I don't have to hesitate any more
I know what I want to protect
It's too late to turn back,
Which I know very well

****Yes, I stand up again and again
If there is a wall, we can break it
Don't you think our lives have only just begun?
So long as there is a way, we can open the door

* (repeat)
** (repeat)
*** (repeat)
**** (repeat)

Thanks, but where did you hear/get the song? I would like to hear it.

It's probably just me...but it feels like Ayumi didn't write these lyrics.

Reading through the lyrics, it seems like Ayu is saying we shouldn't stand and watch life pass us by - if we want something, we should make it happen.


This line: "...It's about time to end up pretending to be impassive"


Maybe change it to: "...It's about time to stop pretending to be impassive" - that sounds more natural in English. Would that work?

This line "If there are definate answers, don't you think it's boring?"

Wouldn't it sound more like she's trying to say

"If there are definate answers, don't you think it's meaningless?"

Annnd.. "So long as there is a way, we can open the door"

To

"As long as there is a way, we can open the door"

=P

The sound very Ayu-ish to me...:shrug

its her style..the questions..similar to ASFXX..O.o

Sounds very nice! Thanks for the translation :)

After reading this, I got the same impression. However it seems to me her thought process is the opposite of the way she was when she wrote 'A Song for XX'.

"No one can live alone
No one can live without love" from 'INSPIRE'

is a complete contrast of -

"I was born alone and would live alone
I thought it was certainly natural for me to live in such a way" from 'A Song for XX'


The lyrics to this song has really shown how her attitude has changed over the years.


Much thanks to masa again, I always enjoy your translations!

Thank-you!!
I really like the lyrics.

i think "my mind goes blank" would fit a little better than "i go blank"

i was about to say..i was readng ASFXX translations...

this is pretty significant to me..O.o

I simply LOVED the lyrics! I think that with Vinneh changes, it sounds better..
I really really loved it.. It has everything to do with our situation [ the teenagers, hoping for a better world, a good future.. ]

Thanks for the translation, the lyrics are nice

thx for the translation~

i think over the years we have seen ayu growing up...i'd say the defining line would be the "I am.." album, also around the time when her relationship with tomoya was made public ( i know many wouldn't like this news ) but i truly believe that ppl and things have happened in her life and changed her from the lonely lost girl back in "a song for xx" who always wanna run away and had quite a negative world view as most of the things she saw were negative; to someone today that values life and the world, that see loves and have dreams....back when she had her interivew with the TIME magazine back around "I am..." she used to say that she had no dreams......over the past few albums, from RAINBOW to Memorial address, we can see a change of style in her lyrics, but now in INSPIRE her lyrics say strongly that everyone needs to have dreams and that most importantly, SHE has dreams

even in the ntv special interview 2004, she was willing to take reporters back to fukuoka, her hometown where she had unhappy memories as a child, a lonely childhood lack of love....she was willing to reveal her unhappy past, in A Ballad, the theme was the present ayu forgiving the past ayu, her unhappy past she is leaving behind not because she hides it beneath her memory, but she has learned to accept that, and let it be part of her life, for ayu there's no need to run away from that and feel lost anymore, "ibashou ga nakatta (i got not home) does not apply to her anymore, she now has dreams, she has love, and she has forgiven/accepted her past and all her unhappy memories

ayu had definitely grown up~

"I know what I want to protect" Aint this sentence sooo Ayu-ish? lol

mimika, after reading your post, I realized how... such a different song this is going to be~

This song... like mimika said, is probably her changing point, where she learns to accept her past and is growing, having dreams, and is loving life...

Hehe, and what a better way to express it through a song... and the song is a fast and upbeat song (Inspire from ringtones I've listened too)

Lol, wouldn't it be funny if all o a sudden it really was a ballad xD?

Oh well! I really can't wait to listen to INSPIRE... getting very twitchy to listen to it now.

Excellent lyrics. She really has grown up and I'm really proud of her!

Once again, thanks for the translation Masa! You do a great job and I always look forward to them as well as your articles.

thanks for the translation!!! i appreciate it.
these lyrics are very powerful.
i can't wait to hear the song. :]

*Sigh* *Grabs tissues*

I'm so proud of Ayu. She's really revealed to the music world what her life was like through her music. It's true....back then in the "A Song for XX", "LOVEppears", and "Duty" eras, Ayu constantly sang about despair, sadness, and her lost in dreams.

Slowly...she began to relaize who she was....and the RAINBOW album came along, something fans saw as Ayu showing her dreams. Then yes, in A BALLADS with RAINBOW, she forgave herself and helped herself realize that her past made who she was at that time.

From that on to "Memorial address"......Ayu has really opened the book of her life. I'm so proud of her na dlove her so much! GO AYU!

*Sniffle*