Childhood personality, coming back to haunt, with each stage of aging (forgetfulness), leads to a multifaceted resurrection.
This song also ties into the same sort of themes as the final track (and the rest of the album).
Notes:
I had trouble getting the tone for “little girl explaining things to an young woman” sort of tone, but this is clearly meant to be PC-98 (little) Alice talking to modern Alice.
(A doll with) “my own will”.
^The words are the same but things are written differently in the booklet and also scratched out. “己” means “its own” but this very often is used to refer to oneself, the person who is talking, and I think this change suggests this different meaning. It also seems to make sense given that “playground” becomes “my playground” very soon after. Less than being anything really sinister, I think it’s just meant to tie in to the convergence that happens at the end.
The artwork for this song has muscle sinew like strings extending from PC-98 Alice’s hands to Alice’s arms, then from Alice’s hands to Shanghai and Hourai. However, all four seems to be equally connected to a black shadowy mass from behind, which looks like how the puppeteers of Japanese puppet theater would control their puppets.
I just love the way that final stanza sounds.
“Wonderland” was used for “Faraway Land” (literal), after playing with “Neverland” and some other words, which did not sound right. The word for “Wonderland” is not the traditional word for “Wonderland” used in the translation of the book, but “Wonderland” fit best. However, given the context, you could also assume it points to the “real world”/”Britain” etc. In this stanza “curious” is also used in that British sort of “how strange…” sort of meaning. This is the word that is normally paired with “Wonderland”, so curious Alice is also the Alice of Wonderland, who ends up there because she’s curious. See?
—
アリスのわすれもの
Alice no Wasuremono
What Alice Forgot
The Grimoire of Alice｜東方怪奇談
Vocal: めらみぽっぷ
Arrangement+Lyrics: RD-Sounds
Circle: 凋叶棕
Album: 音 -omoi-
Event: C92
なにもこわがらないで
なにかをさがして
それがただしいことと
だれもがしっている
nani mo kowagaranai de
nani ka wo sagashite
sore ga tadashii koto to
daremo ga shitteiru
Don’t be frightened.
Searching for something,
Everyone knows that
Is a righteous endeavor.
なにかをしろうとして
なにかをくずして
それがただしいことと
だれもしらない・・・
nanika wo shirou to shite
nanika wo kuzushite
sore ga tadashii koto to
dare mo shiranai…
But destroying something
In the pursuit of knowledge
No one knows that
Is just as righteous…
わたしをこわがらないでね。
別に悪いことをしてはいないのに。
たとえば魚達の――血に群がるのはどうして？
watashi wo kowagaranaide ne.
betsu ni warui koto wo shite wa inai no ni.
tatoeba sakana-tachi no – chi ni muragaru no wa doushite?
Don’t be frightened of me, okay?
Why would you? I haven’t done anything wrong.
For instance, let me ask you – Why is it that fish gather around blood?
興味の全てを。
思いのまま望むままに満たして。
だって、あの猫だって――獲物で遊ぶじゃない？
kyoumi no subete wo.
omoi no mama nozomu mama ni mitashite.
datte, ano neko datte – emono de asobu janai?
Think of everything you are curious about.
Satisfy your curiosity, satisfy it any way you would like.
After all, look at that cat over there – Doesn’t it play with its prey?
日が昇り――日が沈むのは。
何かが育ち――朽ちるのは。
誰の仕掛けた謎かけよ？
hi ga nobori – hi ga shizumu no wa.
nani ka sodachi – kuchiru no wa.
dare no shikaketa nazokake yo?
What makes the sun rise – and the sun set?
What makes things grow – and then wither?
These are all puzzles someone has laid out for us!
ねえあなた
こんなに広い空の下
何もかもすべて知らずに
nee anata
kon’na ni hiroi sora no shita
nani mo ka mo subete shirazu ni
Here you are,
Under such a broad expanse of sky
And you know nothing at all.
遊び場を
聖なるままの保護の手に
置いていていいはずないでしょう！？
asobiba wo
sei naru mama no hogo no te ni
oiteite ii hazu nai deshou!?
How could anyone
Leave this playground in the hands
Of those who would keep it sacred!?
そうあなただって！
わたしとおなじで。このすべてを知りたいの。
sou anata datte!
watashi to onaji de. kono subete wo shiritai no.
But of course!
You’re the same as me. You want to know everything about this place.
だからあなたも！
わたしといっしょに。さあ、見つけ出してやりましょうね。
dakara anata mo!
watashi to issho ni. saa mitsukedashiteyarimashou ne.
So you!
Come with me, and we’ll find out everything together.
おもちゃ箱をひっくり返して。
そのすみずみまで、どこまでも。
鳥籠の鳥の羽を毟るよに
――遺されるものなにもかも、捕まえて。
omochabako wo hikkurikaeshite.
sono sumizumi made, doko made mo.
torikago no tori no hane wo mushiru yo ni
-nokosareru mono nani mo ka mo, tsukamaete.
We’ll turn over the box of toys.
We’ll search in each and every corner,
Like pulling out the feathers of a bird in its cage,
We’ll grasp everything – everything that is left behind.
はじまりのイロ おしまいのイロ
己の意志持つ人形
はじまりのクロ おしまいのシロ
”己の意志”
hajimari no iro oshimai no iro
onore no ishi motsu nin’gyou
hajimari no kuro oshimai no shiro
“onore no ishi motsu nin’gyou”
The colors of beginning and the colors of the end,
A doll with its own will.
The black of beginning and the white of the end,
(A doll with) “my own will”.
――かくして 七色の魔法。
-kakushite nanairo no mahou.
-Thus we have, a seven colored magic.
何かが動き――止まるまで。
時が始まり――終わるまで。
一つの秩序を解き明かす！
nanika ga ugoki – tomaru made.
toki ga hajimari – owaru made.
hitotsu no rule wo tokiakasu!
From when something moves – to when it stops.
From when time begins – to when it ends.
We will illuminate a single rule!
ねえあなた
あなたもきっとその心
高鳴って踊ってるでしょう？
nee anata
anata mo kitto sono kokoro
takanatte odotteru deshou?
What about you?
Isn’t your heart racing?
Isn’t it dancing like mine?
『幻想郷』は
わたしの遊び場なのだから
なんだって許されるでしょう！？
“kono basho” wa
watashi no asobiba nano dakara
nan’datte yurusareru deshou!?
This “fantasia” is
My playground, so whatever I do
Is all up to me, isn’t it!?
さあ、踊りましょう！
この糸にそって。ああ憧れの姿を。
saa, odorimashou!
kono ito ni sotte. aa akogare no sugata wo.
So let us dance!
Following along these strings, yes! Be who you dreamed to be!
さああなたこそ！
その糸を操って。そう、何度でも続けましょうね。
saa anata koso!
sono ito wo gutte. sou nan’do demo tsudzukemashou ne.
Yes, especially you!
Take up those strings. Yes, let us continue, again and again.
『アリス』という幻想は。
鏡を覗けばいるからね。
その全て、或いは忘れたってね
――新たな『わたし』を知りたいの、どこまでも！
“watashi” to iu gen’sou wa.
kagami wo nozokeba iru kara ne.
sono subete, arui wa wasuretatte ne
-arata na “aitsu” wo shiritai no, doko made mo!
“Alice”, the fantasy I am, will always
Be here, whenever you look in the mirror.
You may forget about all of this, about me
-But I want to know! The new “me”, the new “you”!
ゆめがまぼろし不思議のアリスは
鏡の国と彼方の国で鏡合わせの魔法のアリスと
小さくそっと微笑み交わす
ゆめかまぼろし魔法のアリスは
鏡の国と彼方の国で鏡合わせの不思議のアリスと
今日もきっと”遊び”続けている
yume ga maboroshi fushigi no alice wa
kagami no kuni to kanata no kuni de kagamiawase no mahou no alice to
chiisaku sotto hohoemikawasu
yume ka maboroshi mahou no alice wa
kagami no kuni to kanata no kuni de kagamiawase no fushigi no alice to
kyou mo kitto “asobi”tsudzuketeiru
Where dreams are fantasy, the curious Alice, with
The mirrored magical Alices of the Looking Glass and Wonderland
Together exchange secret smiles
Where dreams may be fantasy, the magical Alice, with
The mirrored curious Alices of the Looking Glass and Wonderland
Today surely, are still “playing”.
—
