Kill or Be Killed
Tomokawa Kazuki
At the station in my hometown
Coarse, dry tranquility
Stains my knife
If you don’t want to be killed, you have to kill
If you don’t want to kill, you may as well hang yourself
When kindness burns the town
Meanness will douse it
My heart is flooding
If you don’t want to be killed, you have to kill
If you don’t want to kill, you may as well hang yourself
A crazy young singer
Drags along his dead cat
And makes it listen to rock ‘n’ roll
If you don’t want to be killed, you have to kill
If you don’t want to kill, you may as well hang yourself
殺されたくないなら殺せ
友川かずき
故郷の駅にある
ザラザラ乾いたのどかさが
俺の刃物に泥を塗る
殺されたくない、なら殺せ
殺したくない、なら首くくれ
やさしさが街を焼けば
卑しさそれに水かける
俺の心臓水浸し
殺されたくない、なら殺せ
殺したくない、なら首くくれ
狂った若い歌手が
死んだ猫を連れ込んで
ロックンロールを聴かせてる
殺されたくない、なら殺せ
殺したくない、なら首くくれ
NOTES:
I translated the title as “Kill or Be Killed,” but it literally translates to “If You Don’t Want to Be Killed, Then Kill.” The choruses, too, more literally translate to “If you don’t want to be killed, then kill/If you don’t want to kill, then hang yourself,” which I have modified slightly.
Entry No. 1 