Late this spring night, a red flower
Drops one petal on my breast, two on my hat.
I’m feeling pretty and whistling
All the way to the city where you live.
In the brief hours of the secret night,
Drunk on sweet sake,
Listening to fairy tales, we close our eyes
Like the kitten on the stove.
Farewell at three in the morning,
The gift that I hand to you.
Our parting words are endless,
A clock with a broken pendulum.
* * *
NOTES: Original lyrics on uta-net.
I go to an island with no people
To live on an island with no people
I don’t see anyone or talk to anyone
My white skin floats on the water
And I fall in love with myself
Deep within the island with no people
I drift on a boat in a small cove
With a broken flute and glass shoes
Along with a little rouge bird
I sway atop the dark waves
The island with no people is far away
Near a graveyard of ships from strange lands
Deep is the sea, and stagnant
Stars fall through the night sky. Buried
in the sand, alone, I fall asleep
人のいない島に行って
人のいない島に住んで
誰にも會わず誰とも話さず
水面にうかぶ白き肌の
われとわが身に戀をする
人のいない島の奧の
小さな入江に船をうかべ
こわれた笛とガラスのくつと
紅がらいろの小鳥をつれて
暗い波間をただょひゆれる
人のいない島わ遠く
異國の船の墓場近)く
海なお深く 海なおよどみ
星ふる夜わ 銀の砂に
埋もれてひとリ 眠リにつく
Sai Yoshiko is a folk singer-songwriter who was primarily active in the mid- to late-70s. Her albums include 萬花鏡 (A Myriad of Flowers and Mirrors, 1975), 密航 (Secret Passage, 1976), and 胎児の夢 (Embryonic Dreams, 1977). She retired from music in 1979 but made a comeback in 2001.
Listen to “An Island With No People” here.
Special thanks to Yumi Hori for a few modifications.
I wonder what will happen when I turn twenty
I wonder what will happen when I turn twenty
When I turn twenty, I’ll quit smoking
and get married
I want people to say
what a lovely girl, what a wonderful woman
When I turn twenty, I’ll cut my long hair
When I turn twenty, I’ll be nicer
When I turn twenty, I’ll quit smoking
and get married
He’ll be a kind man, and I’ll want him to hold me
always and forever
When I turn twenty, I’ll grow out my hair,
his face will be unshaven, and I’ll leave him
When I turn twenty, I’ll quit smoking
and get married
I’ll get married to a kind man
nine years older
I wonder what will happen when I turn twenty
I wonder what will happen when I turn twenty
When I turn twenty, I’ll quit smoking
and get married
I’ll live the rest of my days quietly
surrounded by children
when I turn twenty, when I turn twenty
二十才になれば 何が起こるかな
二十才になれば 何が起こるかな
二十才になれば タバコをやめて
結婚するの
かわいいむすめと 素敵な女と
いわれていたい
二十才になれば 長い髪を切るの
二十才になれば 優しくなるの
二十才になれば タバコをやめて
結婚するの
優しい人に いつもいつでも
抱かれていたい
二十才になれば 長い髪をした
ひげづらのあの人 捨てていくの
二十才になれば タバコをやめて
結婚するの
九つ年上の 優しい人と結婚するの
二十才になれば 何が起こるかな
二十才になれば 何が起こるかな
二十才になれば タバコをやめて
結婚するの
子供にかこまれて 静かにひっそりと
暮らして死ぬの
二十才になれば 二十才になれば
NOTES:
Listen to the song on YouTube.
Entry No. 1 