Translation: Rainy Station (Shigeru Suzuki)

THIS SONG. 

Holy hell.

My first run through the translation had me weeping like a baby. And for a while, every time I reread my draft to make edits, the ending made me cry again. And again. And again. And again. Even without the band's sensitive musical accompaniment. This is TAKASHI MATSUMOTO, dear reader, the one & only.

The impact was all the stronger, first time around, because Takashi carefully obscures where the story of Rainy Station is headed. At first I thought it would be about a negligent boyfriend who was supposed to go pick his girlfriend up at the train station, but lost track of time, and now is heading over as fast as he can, because he doesn't want to catch a cold. (I've been there. As recently as — cough — May of this year...) 

But Takashi is great at plot twists, isn't he? Like in Seiko Matsuda's December Morning.

My translation obviously doesn't have the power of the original Japanese. Still — if you don't know the language, and you play Rainy Station and follow along with the translated lyrics, I think you might be able to get partway to the place that Takashi takes me.

And even if not, you'll have the music to enjoy. Hosono on bass, Hayashi on drums, great horn arrangement, great — samba? — feel, great propulsion and urgency in the performance, great heartfelt singing from Shigeru (single-tracked! our boy's gaining confidence).

By the way, Japanese comments online are full of people getting emotional about how good the words are, so it isn't just me.

:::

Through my sunglasses

I see rain

painting the streets of the city.

I have to hurry. I have to hurry.

You're at the station

with a heavy suitcase.

The taxi's stuck in traffic.

I hop out and take off running,

weaving my way through the rain.

I didn't realize

what was going through your mind.

God, I'm such a blockhead.

I have to hurry. I have to hurry.

If I don't make it in time,

I know we'll never meet again.

I cross the ticket gate without a ticket.

If I run like hell, there's still a chance —

but the train

is already pulling away.

If all this were a movie, it would end right here.

But love should keep right on going.

I see you, indistinctly,

standing on the opposite platform.

I have to hurry. I have to hurry.

I see traces of tears

on your cheeks.

Your courage gave out

before you boarded.

You break down crying

in my arms.

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