YuYuKo will EaT YoU

First, I would like to give a shout out to Heartfelt Fancy (Satellite Shinigiwa) who was able to acquire a (semi-)official draft of the lyrics, which means that (apart from the screams) this is not a by-ear transcription and therefore it is much more accurate. I borrowed the transcription from this post, though I reworked the translation from scratch.

At the risk of sounding over-dramatic, every time I see a new emerging lyrics translator join the fray, tackling songs like this, it gives me hope — there’s a treasure trove out there of emotional experiences songs like this bring that deserve not to be blocked from view by language barriers.

(*steps down from soapbox*)

Shinigiwa Satellite’s original 妖仙ドライヴ (Yousen Drive) (EN) has always been a favorite of mine for its punchy punk lyrics, but よくぼうのうた (Yokubou no Uta) is an entirely different beast.

You really have to give Merami and co. a hand for these lyrics: the wordplay and metaphorical constructions, the strong sense of story and character-driven dramatic irony, and the call and response relationship between the primary and secondary vocals, which all combine to reach a level of ingenuity that rivals RD’s, and I do not make that comment lightly.

Plus, you know me — I’m a sucker for unhappy endings.

Notes:

• I had to break with my usual line-length pragma because there was too much meaning I did not want to give up in some lines. In those cases, the line was structured so that the second part could be cut with minimal loss (in stanzas 3 and 5).

• “inalienable filth” : we often talk of “inalienable rights”, but another example is karma — it may grow or evolve, but it cannot be given or bartered away.

• “succumbing to the retribution of sins…” : the sins are acting against the natural order and one’s own self, and so the mocking aspect is two-fold, where the mocking the natural order is the sin, which is in turn mocked by evading retribution.

• “filthy indigo” : light blue(/green) is synonymous with unripeness and life in Japanese — add enough dirt and grime and the blue may darken; “indigo” also happens to be homonymous with “love”. This line is also the big pivot part of the song, where this disgust could be turned inward for self-reflection, but is instead aggressively projected outward in an act of self-preservation, very in line with the character.

• “innocent inexperience” : “blue” see above.

• The first all-scream multi-line stanza is as puzzling to me as you, and is probably rife with error. (Although I like the title “sovereigness” for Seiga.)

—

よくぼうのうた
　Yokubou no Uta
　Desire Song
デザイアドライブ｜東方神霊廟
Vo+Lyr: めらみ
Scr+Lyr: 天舞音 叫子
Arr+Lyr: かちかち山
Circle: かちかち山
Album: どうぶつのうた　玖
Event: Autumn Reitaisai 8 (2021.10.24)

吸い込まれそうな　無垢な瞳には
ひとつの疑念すら抱かずに
忠実なる傀儡は　慰み者だった
そうだったはずなのに　どうして…

suikomaresou na muku na hitomi ni wa
hitotsu no ginen’ sura idakazu ni
chuujitsu naru kugutsu wa nagusami mono datta
sou datta hazu na no ni doushite… (so tell me why)

Your innocent eyes, always drawing my gaze
Never hold a single shred of doubt
My loyal puppet, you were meant to be my plaything,
Nothing more — so tell me, why…?

独善的な欲望を　貴女はひとつ残らず受け入れ
まるで私の穢れさえ　消してくれる気がして

dokuzen’teki na yokubou wo anata wa hitotsu nokorazu ukeire (tell me a sign)
maru de watashi no kegare sae keshitekureru ki ga shite

Accepting all of my self-serving desires without exception,
You made me feel as if my inalienable filth could be cleansed…

(
coming ’round
’round the prowling
sovereigness
praise the prophet
we’re just bracing
)

暗闇へ堕ちてく　天に背いた業に囚われ　濁る心　
透き通るその手で　その心で包み込んで

kurayami e ochiteku (my end) ten’ ni somuita gou ni toraware nigoru kokoro (so desire)
sukitooru (is with) sono te de (the end) sono kokoro de tsutsumikon’de (my desire)

Ever I fall into darkness towards my end, with a heart contaminated by desire,
ensnared by my own transgressions against the heavens and obsessed with my fate —
Yet here you stand, with pale hands of purity and a transparent heart to envelop my own…

初めて感じた痛みが　私を狂わせる
触れるたび刺さる純真に　きっと死んでいたのは私の方だ

hajimete kan’jita itami ga watashi wo kuruwaseru (throw in desire)
fureru tabi sasaru jun’shin’ ni kitto shin’deita no wa watashi no hou da

This act — the first time I ever experienced pain — nearly drove me insane
Every time we touch, my remnant conscience impales me —
surely it is not you, but I who am dead…

(
ever like I can’t tell out everything
every touch makes me crazy
)

どこまでも堕ちてく　自らを欺いた罰へと　暗闇へと
偽りさえ青さを保てず　澱んでゆく

doko made mo ochiteku (I feel) mizukara wo azamuita batsu e to kurayami e to (this innocence)
itsuwari sae (your time) aosa wo (you’re dead) tomatezu nigon’deyuku (this always apart)

Ever further I fall, succumbing to the retributions of sins I had long mocked and evaded,
deeper into a darkness contrasted by the light of your innocence
But even a façade of young life is living, unable to preserve itself from ripeness unto rot…

ねぇ 汚れた藍色じゃ　私はもう満たせない

nee kegareta aiiro ja watashi wa mou mitasenai

The dregs of a filthy indigo given to rot can no longer fulfill me

(
see
fear I come down
for that I feel
this is the last I desire
)

無垢なる愛しの番人よ
土に還る最後の時も

muku naru itoshi no ban’nin’ yo
tsuchi ni kaeru saigo no toki mo

O my pure servant-guard, love of my life
Even when you return to the earth I plead—

あぁ　どうか変わらないで

aa douka kawaranaide (my end)

May you never change…

穢れを知らぬ少女のように清いままで
滲んだ青　欲望の土に埋もれてゆく

kegare wo shiranu shoujo no you ni kiyoi mama de (lost anymore)
nijin’da ao (come down) yokubou no (’til time) tsuchi ni umoreteyuku (love brings us down)

Like a maiden oblivious to corruption, may you remain ever pure —
Your innocent inexperience kept buried under earth of my desire

他の誰かにもし奪われてしまうくらいなら
終わらせよう
もう誰にも邪魔されぬように　私の手で

hoka no dare ka ni moshi ubawareteshimau kurai nara (my dead)
owaraseyou (this only was)
mou dare (my way) ni mo jama sarenu (come through) you ni watashi no te de (you wait for me)

Unable to bear the thought of you, my dead, ever being stolen away from me…
I would rather end this now — it is the only way…
I will do it myself, so that no one may intervene — wait for me…

—