DETERMINED by GREMLINS

ENGLISH

I strained my ears (to hear) the voice of the trees
I harmonized my voice with the sound in the sky
My chest scorched by the ground’s heat(1)
Deprived of my heart by the water’s kindness(2)

I make a rainbow leading to the far away distant you
If you can transcend time, I hope to admire you blowing in the wind
in the sky

The shape of light revealed by a shadow
Is its shadow a light that a cloud reveals
A life loop arbitrarily decided(3)
[I don’t want to get caught (in the loop)]
You cried out

At some point, even a waning voice will resound
Someday even withered flowers should reach you
I hoped so

[I believe in something]
In other words I’ve braced myself for betrayal
You laughed a little

Seeing the breath of a star in the seasons passing by
I try to set a gentle voice on the clouds that drift away
To make you aware of this small existence
Since I’m surely not the center of the universe

I make a rainbow leading to the far away distant you
If you can transcend time, I hope to admire you blowing in the wind
Ah
At some point, even a waning voice will resound
Someday even withered flowers should eventually reach you
I hoped so?
ROMAJI

kigi no koe ni mimi o sumashite
sora no oto ni koe o awasete
daichi no netsu ni mune kogarete(1)
mizu no yasashi-sa ni kokoro o ubawa rete(2)

haruka tōku no kimi e to tsudzuku niji o kake
toki o koetanara miagete kaze ni fukare
I hope in the sky

kage ga miseru hikari no katachi to wa
kumo ga miseru hikari sore no kage ka
kimetsuke rareta inochi no rūpu(3)
[makikoma retakunai]
kimi wa sakenda

kareta koe demo itsuka wa hibiku kotodeshou
kareta hana ni mo itsuka wa todoku hazu sa
sō negatta

[nanika o shinjiru]
tsumari uragiri e no kaku godaro
kimi wa sukoshi waratta

meguru kisetsu ni hoshi no ibuki o mite
nagareru kumo ni sotto koe o kakete miru
chīsana sonzaida to kidzuka sarete shimau
sekai no man’naka nante kitto nai nodarou

haruka tōku no kimi e to tsudzuku niji o kake
toki o koetanara miagete kaze ni fukare
aa
kareta koe demo itsuka wa hibiku kotodeshou
kareta hana ni mo itsuka wa todoku hazu sa
sō negatta?
NOTES
1) kogarete – this verb (scorch/burn) is used as an idiom to mean “yearn for”
2)  kokoro o ubawarete – this idiom is the same a “stole my heart”
3)  inochi no rūpu – life’s loop; I’m not sure what this means but maybe… the cycle of life or reincarnation

MASK by GREMLINS

ENGLISH

Sleek fingers reaching out deceive the cat Horror Night
The slit which let me have a flickering glimpse(1) is malicious Sadist
Right? No, left? Or maybe behind?
Don’t hide, come out, I don’t like to be alone

Look only at me, hold me even though it’s bittersweet, call out “treat me kindly” with a sigh
Only look at you, I want you to hold me close, but for you it’s still early

I will now do my self-introduction which was delayed
A liberalist who hides his feelings(2) , paranoid delusions are my hobby
A lie? Where is the answer? I wonder if there is no answer?
Cigarette smoke gets in my eyes and you become invisible (there is nothing beautiful)(3)

Look only at me, hold me even though it’s bittersweet, call out “treat me kindly” with a sigh
Only look at you, I want you to hold me close, but for you it’s still early

My own reflection in the window
Vain lonely sad
for someone else
Just to live how I want
for someone else
I’ve lost that

I just miss you, open your eyes, come close to my (dead?) body heart guarded(4)
Wanna look at you, I hope you don’t forget, I wish on a star(5)
Look only at me, hold me even though it’s bittersweet, call out “treat me kindly” with a sigh
Only look at you, I want you to hold me close, but for you it’s still early

Look only at me
Look only at me
Only look at you
ROMAJI

surari to nobita yubisaki ga neko wo madowasu horānaito
hirari to nozoku suritto ni akui motaseru sadisuto
migi ka na? Iya, hidari ka na? soretomo haigo ka na?
kakuretenaide dete oide hitori wa iya nan desu

Look only at me daite setsunakute “yasashikushite” toiki de yobare
Only look at you dakishimete hoshīkeredo anata ni wa mada hayai wa

okuremashita watashi no jiko shōkai sasete itadakimasu
tsuyogari ni mieru riberarisuto shumi wa higaimōzō
uso ka na? kotae wa doko ka na? kotae wa nai no ka na?
fukasu tabako ga me ni shimite nani mo mienaku naru nodesu

Look only at me daite setsunakute “yasashikushite” toiki de yobare
Only look at you dakishimete hoshīkeredo anata ni wa mada hayai wa

mado ni utsuru jibun no sugata
munashii sabishī kanashī
for someone else
suki ni ikiru dake
for someone else
son’na no nakushita yo

I just miss you mabuta wo haite, kokoro tojite karada wo yosete
Wanna look at you wasurenaide hoshī ni onegai
Look only at me daite setsunakute “yasashikushite” toiki de yobare
Only look at you dakishimete hoshīkeredo anata ni wa mada hayai wa

Look only at me
Look only at me
Only look at you

Notes
1)  hirari to nozoku suritto –  Hirari and nozoku is kinda like… imagine the wind blowing a lady’s dress; then it blows in such a way that OOPS you catch a glimpse of her panties but only for a second. In this lyrics it happens to a “slit.” I’m not sure what the “slit” is exactly… maybe it’s something tangible like a slit in a curtain or dress; maybe it’s more like a “hole” across time or space or between worlds. Either way, the fact that he only gets a quick peek of something he really wants to see makes the slit malicious, or evil.

2)  tsuyogari ni mieru riberarisuto – This is literally “liberalist who appears to be strong.” But this really means he acts happy even when he’s hurting on the inside, he doesn’t let his true feelings show.

3) nani mo mienaku naru nodesu  何も美えなくなるのです – There is pun hiding in this one! (^_^)   美 え is not a proper way of using this kanji, which is my clue that it’s a pun. This kanji can be used to spell utsukushii;but since it clearly isn’t spelling that, the kanji isn’t read as the kunyomi “utsu.”  It must be onyomi instead, which can be pronounced “mi” giving us mieru. Hence the 2 meanings in English.

4) karada 身体 – Possibly another pun… the first kanji 身 in this totally unnecessary to say body, so why use it?? To add extra meaning! (^_^)  The first kanji (alone) can mean “one’s own” so in this lyric “my own body” or maybe “our bodies.”  This kanji can also mean corpse, which might be a logical pun if one of the song characters is dead.

5)  wasurenaide hoshī ni onegai 忘れないで欲しいのお願い – Another pun, this time with the word hoshi(i). I see this as 2 phrases, with hoshi(i) being used in both. Wasurenaide hoshii  is a pretty standard phrase;  “I want for you to not forget.” Hoshi no onegai is a set phrase meaning “wish on a star.” Hoshii 欲  SOUNDS like star but it’s not the right kanji for star.