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願い | A Wish
by ケツメイシ | Ketsumeishi
edit by ケツメイシ｜YANAGIMAN｜NAOKI-T
Translation by Mathieu





暗い世界　暗い時代の果て
A dark world, at the extremity of dark times
笑い合い　笑いたいのに　なぜ
Though I want to laugh, and laugh. Why...
涙を流すの　声を殺すの
tears streaming, voices murdered
人の上に人はいないのに　なぜ
Even though no person is above another person... why...

争い事　絶えない世の中
Disputes, constantly in the world
また歴史は同じ道をたどる愚かさ
still history is foolish enough to follow the same path

罪のない子供　力ない者から
Children with no crimes, people with no power
消されて行く　その優しい心が
We go on wiping out those gentle souls
その銃の重さ知らないが　命の重さ伝えたい
We don't know the weight of guns, but we want to tell of the weight of lives

ばらまかれた 欲望のかたまり との戦い
Conflicts between mobs of the blatantly money greedy
まだ終わらない　止まらない
It's still not over, it doesn't stop
誰のため　何のため　兵士さえ戦う意味も知らず
Who's it for... what's it for... soldiers don't even know the meaning for which fight
人々のため　国のためなら　なぜまた黒い雨を降らす
For the people? If it's for the country then why does black rain still fall*.

神さえ止められない　祈りさえ届かない
God can't make it end, prayers don't even make it through.
持たざる者が　泣くしかない
People with who have nothing, can only cry.

また　いつ笑い合えるのか？
When can we laugh again?
この歌　心に響くのか？
Will this song sound in people's hearts?

暗い世界　暗い時代の果て
A dark world, at the extreme of dark times
笑い合い　笑いたいのに　なぜ
Though I want to laugh, and laugh. Why...
涙を流すの　声を殺すの
Tears streaming, voices murdered
人の上に人はいないのに
Even though no person is above another person...

また世界のどこかで　起こる様の果て
Anyplace in the world, as soon at it happens
メディア　電波　ニュース　ネット
With Media, Radio, News, Net
載って届く　ここまで
Get On it and Get It - Anywhere

守る者があって頼る物があって
We've people to protect, we've things to depend on
皆　同じ様にこの星に生まれた立って　何で？
All people - born and stand in the same way on this planet. What for?
容赦ない　船玉が子供達に降り注ぐ
No pardons, funadama rain down incessantly on all the children

望まない　
Without hope -
ミサイルをまたミサイルで　撃ち落とす
Missiles are shot down by Missiles
その影で　誰かまた　でかい兵器売り飛ばす
And in the shadow, there's someone selling off more huge weapons

その理由で　もう一度考えろ　罪と罰
With all of that - rethink it - crime and punishment
過ちも薄れる　戦いを続ける
Faults too are fading Fighting continues.
思いやりに愛を　足さないを崩れる
Put effort into loving. Do away with such inadequacies
鳴り響く銃声の中に生きる執念は
There's tenacity living in the midst of the resounding blasts of gunfire

お互い様ならば　もう止めにしないか？
If we're all as one, why don't we just give it up already.
憎しみや怒りからは　もはや何も生まれない
Nothing can come from hate and anger
浮かれたい　ただ笑い声のでかさ比べたい

Burst it out. I just wanna do is compare the size of our laughing voices.
繰り返す人はまた　同じ事がどこかで

Those repetitious people, doing the same thing someplace somewhere
届かね　俺の声で　もう　もはやそこまで
They're not getting it - Hear my voice, again and now to there

暗い世界　暗い時代の果て
笑い合い　笑いたいのに　なぜ
涙を流すの　声を殺すの
人の上に人はいないのに　なぜ

朝昼晩　
Morning noon and night
いつ点けてもテレビから流れるくらいニュース
Whatever time you switch the TV on there's dark news flowing from it
目を背けずに見るが瞑りたくなる目
I don't turn my eyes away - I look - but by eyes just wanna shut
塞ぎたくなる耳を手の平で
I feel I wanna close up my ears with the palm of my hand

僕らに何が出来るかも分からず　歌い続ける
Us guys don't know what we can do. We keep singing
この声の先は遥か彼方に　いやまずは傍にいる君の元に
Send your voice ahead and away far off yonder - NO first of all get it straight to him beside you
届いたなら　まずは君一人
If you receive it - for starters just you alone

でも変わってく　この先のヒストリー
But history from now, it'll all change
人　一人の命の重み　感じて変わっていこう人類
People. Humanity - change it so that the import of a single person's life gets felt
笑顔で　暮らす事の意味
With smiling faces. The meaning of living.
笑顔を奪い去る　事の罪
Oh the crime of snatching away a happy face

いつまでも止まらぬ　権力主義なくすため日々 託す僕らの思いを
Never stop - to get rid of authoritarianism
Entrust this thought of ours day after day

暗い世界　暗い時代の果て
笑い合い　笑いたいのに　なぜ
涙を流すの　声を殺すの
人の上に人はいないのに　なぜ

* Japanese call the rain that fell after the bombs were detonated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki「 黒い雨」'Black Rain'.

Translation notes.
1. The word 暗い (kurai) used in the chorus sounds a lot like 'cry' in English, which sounds fitting to the tone of the song.
2. I translated 載って届く　ここまで to 'get on it and get it - anywhere' because I feel the lyrics are trying to stress with ここまで the state to which the world has become overloaded with information, and the line gives the feeling of 'We have come to the point where we can get anything anywhere'.
3. Translated 星 to Planet, rather than star, as this makes more sense in English (The meaning is clearer)
4. Does anyone know what funadama is?
5.影で could also mean 'on the other hand / side, but it sounds better with the more literal translation 'in the shadow'.
6. 思いやりに愛を　足さないを崩れる Was very difficult to translate. They are sentence fragments and thus don't make sense when stated literally in English. Any suggestions?