#虹 NIJI

[touhoutunes]

Title: RE:UNION

Arrangement: MasKaleido

Vocals: 花たん

Album: 虹 -NIJI-

Circle: SOUND HOLIC

Original: Lunar Rainbow, Where is that Bustling Marketplace Now ~ Immemorial Marketeers

[luckydaikon]

[hersadexistence]

Niji ni Mukatte, Tadanari Okamoto, 1977

[nakamorijuan]

ラルク・アン・シエル - 虹 L'Arc~en~Ciel - Niji Rurouni Kenshin -The Movie- - Opening Theme

[antinousamongthereeds]

[bishiedoll]

虹にねがいを (Niji ni Negai wo) by Maki Miyako.

[an-insignificant-flower]

Tasogare no Hauringu 黄昏のハオリング

Music and lyrics by Imai Hisashi

I think there has been some sentiment among some (certainly not all) fans that Imai's headstrong optimism and push forward can sometimes seem cold. I have long suspected that's more of a cultural clash, as in the west, a man who doesn't shed tears is doing it to keep a "stiff upper lip" because of the underlying belief that emotion is weakness (except for anger, of course). However, while forms of toxic masculinity do exist in the east as well, you're just as, if not more, likely to run into a motive to keep everyone together, and to not shed your own tears so as not to spread sadness further. I always felt such was Imai's motivation, especially after his tender speech at the 2023 Genshou performance.

I had been thinking that I wish Imai would show his sorrow a bit more. I think it's a vulnerability fans need to touch as much as for his own message of "Be Happy" as for the validation of their own tears. After all, if the man who can find contentment in this hell can also mourn, than can't we who mourn also be able to find contentment?

If there was any remaining concern that Imai might not be capable of tears, publicly or privately, this song blasts them out of the waters.

The Twilight Howling

Tasogare, as a modern term, refers to the time between sunset and night. An older version of the same word, tasokare, refers to the time of night when it has just become too dark to clearly see others' faces. In the Chinese zodiac counting of the day, it falls during the "hour of the dog" (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) when he takes his place to guard the gate.

While Japanese has many words for dusk or twilight, tasogare specifically also has a colloquial use as an expression of melancholy or nostalgia. As with twilight in English, it can refer to one's "twilight years."

Though I wouldn't say it necessarily applies to this song, but it does to the rest of the album, tasogare can also be used metaphorically to mean that, while the brightest time is past, there is still enough light worth pushing a little further.

And there in just the title alone we have a coming darkness, the inability to see the face of even a friend, the loyal guardian, melancholy, nostalgia, physical decline in aging, and the drive to continue regardless. Now on to the lyrics themselves...

オーロラの地へ　魂のパレード Oh Flyaway ōrora no chi he　tamashī no parēdo　oh fly away

to the land of the aurora, parade of souls, oh fly away

Okay, so, I'm already a hot, sobbing, facial tissue-consuming mess; how is everyone else???

Right off the bat, we know the album has been leading up to this song from the very cover. The aurora as not simply a visual metaphor, but here a lyrical one, specifically the parade that Acchan has ascended to, and the one we all will eventually join.

3000年後の　荒野に立て Oh Memory sanzen nen go no　kōya ni tate　oh memory

standing in the wilderness 3000 years from now, oh memory

Narratively, the lyrics here are less clear, but I'm inclined to see it as the end of humanity, that we as a species as much as we as individuals will leave nothing but a memory, with nature returning to take her place where our cities once stood.

エンジェルの群れ　虹色　風 Oh Flyaway enjeru no mure　niji iro kaze　oh fly away

a flock of angels, rainbow wind, oh fly away

More metaphoric descriptions of the aurora as the place where Acchan and all other beloved souls must be.

薔薇の下　獣たち　Oh Oh bara no moto　kemono-tachi　o-oh

we beasts under the rose, oh

In 2018, Sakurai Atsushi completed a performance in very obvious pain. After apologizing to the audience for not performing his best, he was rushed to hospital, where he was found to be bleeding internally from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage. While in recovery, he penned Kemonotachi no Yoru, ("Our Night" with "our" meaning "we beasts"). A few lyrics near the end of that song imply his promise, for the sake of his fans, to never leave the stage: "Dance for me, Pierrot / Tonight you stay on that stage till the end" (trans. by Cayce). If such was Acchan's intention, then it was in this song that he predicted his own death.

Kemonotachi ("we beasts") here means as much the remaining members of the band as the entire fandom, and "under the rose," the literal translation of "subrosa," the Latin meaning "done in secret," is the unique connection we share, having loved so dearly the one we all lost together.

黄昏のハウリング　歌うように　歌うように　Oh Oh tasogare no hauringu　utau yō ni　utau yō ni　o-oh

the twilight howling, like singing, (like a song), oh

Using the base noun "song" twice would probably be the more natural choice, if only to avoid the repeating continuous -ing form, which is not as it appears in the Japanese.

There's also an implication that what we the audience hear as music, and have heard throughout this album, has actually been the sorrowful cries of a lonely pack this whole time.

黄昏のハウリング　哭いている　咆えている tasogare no hauringu　naiteiru　hoeteiru

This line has two translations. If you're just listening to the lyrics, you might assume naiteiru and hoeteiru are 泣いている and 吠えている, which are the common characters used for those words, leading a listener(-only) to hear:

the twilight howling, crying, howling

with the second howling being the typical Japanese word for the howl of animals. However, with the very specific and uncommon characters used, the meaning is closer to:

the twilight howling, wailing, yowling

While the common "crying" with 泣 very simply means "crying" with no particular nuance, the "crying" with 哭 is a noisy cry, a wail, a sob. It implies uncontrolled emotions and a demand to be heard.

Likewise 咆 can mean "howling" like its common counterpart, 吠, but this roar, this howl, has a distinct undertone of violence, anger, or rage. There is no good direct translation for this one in English. Any word animalistic enough isn't dangerous enough. Any word dangerous enough isn't animalistic enough.

Harkening back to the previous line of "sounding like a song but (is actually) howling" we have a line that sounds like simple "crying, howling" but is actually far more gut-wrenching and unleashed.

From here on out, we repeat the previous lyrics:

オーロラの地へ　魂のパレード　Oh Flyaway

3000年後の　荒野に立て　Oh Memory

エンジェルの群れ　虹色　風　Oh Flyaway

薔薇の下　獣たち Oh Oh

黄昏のハウリング　歌うように　歌うように Oh Oh 黄昏のハウリング　哭いている　咆えている

Oh Oh　歌うように　歌うように Oh Oh　哭いている　咆えている

🌌

This song is only ever so slightly slower than Mudai and follows a similar chord progression. Sakurai has never clearly revealed what he intended for Mudai's message to be, but personally, I'm inclined to see it as the horror and confusion of being brought into existence—a trauma many of us never really recover from—and the inclination to pursue the darkness that once felt safe. From darkness we come and to darkness we go.

Even without interpretation, the theme of birth in the song is obvious. How poetic then, to end the album mourning Sakurai's passing with such an homage to it, reminding us that death and birth are part of a (painful) cycle.

After lyrics such as these, the sound of Imai's guitar ends on the same tones as ended Mudai, more discordant, more painful. A furious and heartrending howl you would almost mistake for a song.

[jariten]

レイニー通りの虹 (Rainy Doori no Niji), Keiko Fukuyama

[easy-japan]

JLPT Kanji N4 Word for today is 空

空がとても青いですね。

Sora ga totemo aoi desu ne.

The sky is so blue, isn’t it?

夜の空には星がたくさんあります。

Yoru no sora ni wa hoshi ga takusan arimasu.

There are many stars in the night sky.

飛行機が空を飛んでいます。

Hikouki ga sora o tonde imasu.

An airplane is flying in the sky.

空を見上げると気持ちが落ち着きます。

Sora o miageru to kimochi ga ochitsukimasu.

Looking up at the sky calms me.

空に虹が出ています！

Sora ni niji ga dete imasu!

There’s a rainbow in the sky!

...

Easy to Learn Japanese with crunchynihongo.com

...

Highlighted vocabularies

空 (sora) - sky

青い (aoi) - blue

夜 (yoru) - night

星 (hoshi) - star

飛行機 (hikouki) - airplane

飛んでいます (tonde imasu) - is flying

見上げる (miageru) - to look up

気持ち (kimochi) - feeling

落ち着きます (ochitsukimasu) - calms down

虹 (niji) - rainbow

出ています (dete imasu) - is appearing, is out

[kyu-ura]

Wonderful Precure Civilian name Translation

Kyuura here, excited to translate all the new information on the website

As usual, I will explain cultural background, context, literal translation and something more than just Google can teach you!

Civilian Name Translation and Explanation

犬飼 (Inukai)

As we have noticed, both Komugi and Iroha shares the same last name!

Inukai in general, can be literally translated to "Dog Keeper"

Inu 犬　simply means "Dog"

Kai 飼　is a character commonly use when you talk about keeping a pet. The word "飼" itself means to feed animals and to nurture life.

So when you put the two characters 犬飼 together. We can see the meaning is more or less "Dog keeper", or even more literal translation, "Dog Feeder / Dog Nurturer"

Extra info: The word 飼 is composed of the word EATING (食) and it's a character with heavy meaning of food and feeding.

Komugi こむぎ

Komugi simply means wheat. It's a very common pet name in Japan!

Iroha いろは

Without the Kanji, it's actually quite hard to tell what Iroha means, BUT! Iroha is actually a common girl name and it means "Colorful leaves" or "Colorful feathers"

You might have heard the words Niji-iro (虹色) or Iroiro (色々)

Iro (色) itself means "Color", but when it's used in the name Iroha, it turns into 彩, which is still pronounced IRO, but it means COLORFUL.

With Cure Friendy's Catchphrase being "A world colored by everyone's smile! Cure Friendy! Let me hear your voice", I am quite certain Iroha's name is about colors.

We will probably never know what the "HA" part means without the kanji. Ha is more commonly "leaves". It could be "feathers". Even "flowers"

The word IROHA does have the meaning "The basics, the fundamentals", and without the kanji, we will never know if the name is trying to play with some puns or what not.

But when the name IROHA is placed on a girl, it 99% means "colorful-(something)"

.

That's all folks! In the next post I will translate the character information and Precure's catchphrases!

[saltprince]

First of all, I just want to tell thank for your hard work. You've done an amazing job for the English community with your translations. My enjoyment of GBF's songs would not be nearly as great if it wasn't for the fact that I'm actually able to understand what the singer is actually singing and what the lyrics actually mean.

2nd, if it isn't too much trouble for you could you add Cloudy World the original song from Stella Magna's album to your translation backlog because it's the only Granblue related song that has sung lyrics that I haven't been able to find any lyrics for at all not even Japanese lyrics.

I'm just genuinely curious about the lyrics to this song considering the fact that this song released in a Granblue related album and the fact that Ono Yuuki is the main and solo vocalist for this song makes me wonder if this song is just a unofficial theme song for Danchou.

But please don't feel pressured, you'vs done amazing work and that can't be stated enough.

Wow. Thank you so much for the kind words, that means a ton. It's a bit hard for me to truly know how much what I'm doing has impact, so I appreciate this more than I can convey. These messages really do so much to keep me going!

To answer your second question: Cloudy World is already on my list! You'll be happy to know it seems to directly refer Over The Sky, which is another song the MCs did.

To tide things over while I work on the translations, I'd like to give you the lyrics to the song since you said you can't find them online anywhere. I've transcribed these from the CD jacket. This does not include my translation draft, but at least you'll be able to sing along. I'll place it under the cut.

Thank you for your message!

Cloudy World lyrics

いつか夢に見た　リアルさの欠けたヴィジョン itsuka yume ni mita riaru sa no kaketa vision 荒唐無稽だと　無意識のブレーキかけてた koutou mukei dato mu'ishiki no bureeki kaketeta 鼓動隠して kodou kakushite

曇り空　山の向こう　光指す切れ間見た kumori sora yama no mukou hikari sasu kirema mita

そうだ　このまま　ただ待ってるだけじゃ sou da kono mama tada matteru dake jya 空は灰色のまま　歩き出そう sora wa hai'iro no mama aruki dasou

Cloudy World　この曖昧な世界で　標なく進むのさ Cloudy World kono aimai na sekai de shirube naku susumu no sa つまずいても　不安になっても　凍えても tsumazuite mo fuan ni natte mo kogoete mo 目の輝き���火（あかり）にして　踏み出そう me no kagayaki akari ni shite fumi dasou

カタチはないけど　この手で掴んだイメージが katachi wa nai kedo kono te de tsukanda imeeji ga たしかに在るんだ　この手の上に確実に tashikani arunda kono te no ue ni kakujitsu ni もう離さない mou hanasanai

明日（あす）の空　また曇りかな　自分自身だ　変えるのは asu no sora mata kumori ka na jibun jishin da kaeru no wa

空を　見上げる　位置を探そう sora wo mi'ageru ichi wo sagasou ここにはもう留まれない　走り出そう koko ni wa mou todomarenai hashiri dasou

あの時　胸ときめいた好奇心　あれがきっと宝物 ano toki mune tokimeita koukishin are ga kitto takaramono 大事にしよう　ぼくだけが価値を　忘れなければ daiji ni shiyou boku dake ga kachi wo wasure nakereba 虹の彼方へだって　行けるさ niji no kanata he datte ikeru sa

雨の日急に飛び出して　知らない景色見ようとして ame no hi kyuu ni tobi dashite shiranai keshiki miyou toshite ひたすら走ってた　高鳴りを感じてた　抑えられなかったんだ ah hitasura hashitteta takanari kanjiteta osaerarenakattanda ah

どれだけ　目指すものが遠くても　距離感わからなくても dore dake mezasu mono ga tookute mo kyorikan wakaranakute mo 前を向いて　足を出して　それを繰り返せば　恐らくたどりつくだろう mae wo muite ashi wo dashite sore wo kuri kaeseba osoraku tadoritsuku darou

Cloudy World　この曖昧な世界で　標なく進むのさ Cloudy World kono aimai na sekai de shirube naku susumu no sa つまずいても　不安になっても　凍えても tsumazuite mo fuan ni natte mo kogoete mo 目の輝き灯火（あかり）にして　踏み出そう me no kagayaki akari ni shite fumi dasou

踏み出そう　前へ fumi dasou mae he

[luckydaikon]

[hersadexistence]

Niji ni Mukatte, Tadanari Okamoto, 1977

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

Nebārando no kiseki - Lyrics + Translation (ネバーランドの奇跡)

English title: The miracle of Neverland

Please do not repost/retranslate without permission.

Kanji:

【Sy】 空を飛びたくないかい？

【Re】 すべてを捨てるなら

【Na】 空を飛びたいけれど…

【To】 だったらネバーランドへ

【Re】 「現実(きょうふ)」から逃げたい

(Tick-tack×2)

【Re】 竦む足

【Ce】 だけどそんなもの

(Waku×2)

【Ce】 「未来(ゆめ)」には勝てない

(Which do you think？ Which do you want？)

【Ot】 「時間を戻せるなら」と

【Ma】 一度は誰もが想う

【To】 大人になりたくはないから

【Ot・Ma・To・Re・Ce】 自由を願う

【Na】 助けてほしい…

【Sy】 助けよう

【Na・Sy】 愛の行方は？

【All】 だから答えを探しにゆこう

虹の扉の先

永遠さえ叶うネバーランドへ

【All】 子供の頃に忘れてきた

奇跡の灯���方

ねえ…一緒なら見つかるよ

さあ手を取って

【Re】 「闇」に堕ちようか？

(Tick-tack×2)

【Re】 楽だから

【Ce】 そんなことさせない

(Kira×2)

【Ce】 正義は「光」に

(Which do you think？ Which do you want？)

【Ot】 「会える」と信じることが

【Ma】 一番の大事なこと

【To】 お互いが想っているなら

【Ot・Ma・To・Re・Ce】 道は見えるよ

【Sy】 助けてあげる…

【Na】 本当に…？

【Na・Sy】 輝け明日(あす)よ

【All】 きっと夜が星を待つように

朝には風が吹き

時が廻り何かの意味を運ぶ

【All】 そしてネバーランドの歌は

君が望むたびに

そう…胸の中その心音(おと)と

生き続けるさ

【Ot】 だから答えを探しにゆこう

【Ce】 虹の扉の先

【Ma】 永遠さえ叶うネバーランドへ

【All】 子供の頃に忘れてきた

奇跡の灯し方

ねえ…一緒なら見つかるよ

さあ手を取って

Rōmaji:

【Sy】 Sora o tobitakunai kai? 

【Re】 Subete o suteru nara 

【Na】 Sora o tobitai keredo… 

【To】 Dattara Nebārando e 

【Re】  “Kyōfu” kara nigetai 

(Tick-tack×2) 

【Re】 Sukumu ashi 

【Ce】 Dakedo son'na mono 

(Waku×2)

【Ce】 “Yume” ni wa katenai 

(Which do you think? Which do you want?) 

【Ot】 “Jikan o modoseru nara” to 

【Ma】 Ichido wa daremo ga omou 

【To】 Otona ni naritaku wa nai kara 

【Ot・Ma・To・Re・Ce】 Jiyū o negau 

【Na】 Tasukete hoshī… 

【Sy】 Tasukeyou 

【Na・Sy】 Ai no yukue wa? 

【All】 Dakara kotae o sagashi ni yukou 

Niji no tobira no saki 

Eien sae kanau Nebārando e 

【All】 Kodomo no koro ni wasurete kita

Kiseki no tomoshi kata

Nē… issho nara mitsukaru yo

Sā te o totte 

【Re】 “Yami” ni ochiyou ka? 

(Tick-tack×2)

【Re】 Raku dakara 

【Ce】 Son'na koto sasenai 

(Kira×2) 

【Ce】 Seigi wa “hikari” ni 

(Which do you think? Which do you want?) 

【Ot】 “Aeru” to shinjiru koto ga

【Ma】 Ichiban no daijina koto 

【To】 Otagai ga omotte iru nara 

【Ot・Ma・To・Re・Ce】 Michi wa mieru yo 

【Sy】 Tasukete ageru… 

【Na】 Hontō ni…? 

【Na・Sy】 Kagayake asu yo 

【All】 Kitto yoru ga hoshi o matsu yō ni 

Asa ni wa kaze ga fuki

Toki ga mawari nanika no imi o hakobu 

【All】 Soshite Nebārando no uta wa

Kimi ga nozomu tabi ni 

Sō… mune no naka sono oto to

Iki tsudzukeru sa 

【Ot】 Dakara kotae o sagashi ni yukou 

【Ce】 Niji no tobira no saki 

【Ma】 Eien sae kanau Nebārando e 

【All】 Kodomo no koro ni wasurete kita 

Kiseki no tomoshi kata

Nē… issho nara mitsukaru yo 

Sā te o totte

Translation:

【Sy】 Wouldn’t you like to fly?

【Re】 If you’re willing to throw everything away

【Na】 I want to fly, but…

【To】 Then come to Neverland

【Re】 You want to run away from reality

(Tick-tack×2)

【Re】 Your legs are frozen from fear

【Ce】 However, such a thing 

(Excitement×2)

【Ce】 Cannot win against the future

(Which do you think? Which do you want?)

【Ot】 Everyone thinks at least once, 

【Ma】 “If only I could turn back time”

【To】 Not wanting to grow up,

【Ot・Ma・To・Re・Ce】 We wish for freedom

【Na】 I wish someone would rescue me…

【Sy】 I’ll rescue you

【Na・Sy】 What is the course of love?

【All】 So let’s go looking for the answer

Beyond the rainbow door

To Neverland, where even eternity is possible

【All】 The way to ignite a miracle

That we’ve forgotten from childhood

Hey… Let’s go find it together

Come on, take my hand

【Re】 Shall we fall to the “dark side”?

(Tick-tack×2)

【Re】 It’s easier

【Ce】 I won’t let that happen

(Sparkle×2)

【Ce】 Justice is found in the “light”

(Which do you think? Which do you want?)

【Ot】 Believing that you “will see each other”

【Ma】 Is the most important thing

【To】 If you’re thinking of each other,

【Ot・Ma・To・Re・Ce】 You will find the way

【Sy】 I’ll save you…

【Na】 Really…?

【Na・Sy】 Shine brightly, tomorrow

【All】 Surely the wind will blow in the morning 

Like the night waits for the stars

Time passes and carries the meaning of something

【All】 And Neverland’s song

Plays every time you want it to

Yes… It will live on

With the sound of the heartbeat in your chest

【Ot】 So let’s go looking for the answer

【Ce】 Beyond the rainbow door

【Ma】 To Neverland, where even eternity is possible

【All】 The way to ignite a miracle

That we’ve forgotten from childhood

Hey… Let’s go find it together

Come on, take my hand

[vocaloid-tunes]

Niji (Kikuo Rainbow Remix) | Kikuo feat. Hatsune Miku Append Dark // Original | whoo feat. Hatsune Miku Append

[earthanthem]

(via Pinterest)

Yoshihiro Ogawa : Dahlia "Niji（虹）"