Translation: The Silk Road (Haruomi Hosono)

Given the title of the album, as well as its Procol Harum-tribute cover art (compare A Salty Dog), it's easy to forget that Tropical Dandy is made up of both tropical and Chinese exotica. The Silk Road is effectively fanfiction for Journey to the West, a novel Hosono loved. 

It was a hard song to translate. The narrative voice! The attitude! I needed to take into account not just the words but how badass Hosono sounds when he sings them.

:::

I'm swaggering 

through the ominous wastes.

Low-grade demons, get the fuck out of my way

if you don't want me beating the shit out of you.

As I go, I shout to the clouds

and cross a million leagues in one leap.

The Silk Road will take you anywhere you want to go,

even as far as the markets of Persia.

Piece of shit, 

I'll knock you flying!

One taste of my karate chop

and you'll be fleeing

with your tail between your legs.

As I go, I shout to the clouds

and cross a million leagues in one leap.

The Silk Road will take you anywhere you want to go,

even as far as the markets of Persia.

The road leads ahead

to the great cities of the west.

But I'm going to find you

and I'm going to fight you

even if it kills me!

As I go, I shout to the clouds

and cross a million leagues in one leap.

The Silk Road will take you anywhere you want to go,

even as far as the markets of Persia.

(Back to: List of Translations)