And yet... it seems to me that there's power in these lyrics that Eiichi may have played down. I can imagine an arrangement that leaned more into splendor and beauty, to match lines like "come to me through the light of dawn" (!) or "I'm dressed in lace, awaiting you," or the recurring image of the glass princess. There's an elemental longing behind the play-acting, and I think Eiichi's happy-go-lucky melodies obscure it.
That fake-out ending is apposite, though. Just when you think the chase is over...!
:::
Come get me, quickly,
riding a white bicycle.
Just like in a Disney movie,
come to me through the light of dawn.
On this morning
in which the raindrops
are still shining on the window,
I'm waiting for you,
dressed in lace.
Come capture me
in a strawberry field.
I would love that.
Love is a sorcerer who,
with a mere wave of a wand,
can turn an ordinary girl
into a princess made of glass.
I plant a soft kiss
on a red strawberry's seed.
How good it would be
to toss that seed into your hand
as you run in my direction.
Even if you whispered the words "I love you,"
and even if it made me dizzy to hear it,
there's no way I would turn around
to face you just yet.
Come capture me
in a strawberry field.
I would love that.
Instead, I would become the wind,
teasing your outstretched hands,
and when I got tired of running,
maybe I'd purposely stumble and fall...
When you find someone you like,
first things first, you run away.
That's what my mother taught me
about the ways of love.
Love is a sorcerer who,
with a mere wave of a wand,
can turn an ordinary girl
into a princess made of glass.
(Back to: List of Translations)
No comments:
Post a Comment