I have several notebooks labelled 歌詞ノート, (kashi nooto) “Lyric Notebook,” in which I hand-write the lyrics to Japanese songs I like. Perhaps this isn’t a popular opinion these days, but I’m a huge proponent of writing in order to learn how to read. It doesn’t matter whether you write with a pencil on paper or a stylus on a touchscreen; I’m willing to bet that while you may be able to learn how to read kanji with flashcards alone, you could probably cut the number of repetitions needed to learn that kanji in half if you actually sat down to write it as well.

The song I chose to put into my Kashi Nooto this time is 「夢にキスを」(“Yume ni Kisu wo”) from the wonderful band exist†trace. The track is found on the Spiral Daisakusen single. It’s a shame it didn’t make the album, as it is a beautiful, haunting track. And since it is so short, and definitely worth sharing, I’m going to post the lyrics and a translation here. Be warned, however, that what’s written below really is more an “interpretation” than a translation. The lyrics in this song are particularly fragmented; that is, each line isn’t a nicely structured complete sentence. How do the fragments go together? There can be more than one answer to that. Ultimately, I tried to write something that was true to the lyrics and the mood of the song.

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

☆

夢にキスを

(Japanese lyrics from rocklyric.jp; I bought the single off iTunes and therefore don’t have the liner notes.)

どこにいる？　何者でもない　宙ぶらり
何のため　息をしてるの？　眠たいわ

太陽　呼んでる　窓から聞こえる
おいでよ　なんにもない　でも奇麗に　咲いた世界へ

ゆらゆら　夢にキスを
もう目を開けなきゃ
ふらふら　迷いながら
それでもここにいたいんだ
Open your eyes
See you another day

側にいる　キミに触れても　届かない
高い空　泳いでいるの　遠すぎわ

太陽　呼んでる　窓から聞こえる
このまま　眠れば　キミさえも　いない世界へ

ゆらゆら　夢の中で
置いていかないで
キラキラ憧れても
どうしてここにいたいんだ

ゆらゆら　夢にキスを
もう目を開けなきゃ
ふらふら　迷いながら
それでもキミといたい

バラバラ　壊しちゃおう
半端な中身を
キラキラ　目が眩むよ
それでもキミといたいんだ

Yume ni Kisu wo

doko ni iru? nanimono de mo nai chūburari
nan no tame iki wo shiteru no? nemutai wa

taiyō yonderu mado kara kikoeru
oide yo nanni mo nai demo kirei ni saita sekai e

yurayura yume ni kisu wo
mou me wo akenakya
furafura mayoinagara
soredemo koko ni itain da
Open your eyes
See you another day

soba ni iru kimi ni furete mo todokanai
takai sora oyoideiru no tōsugi wa

taiyō yonderu mado kara kikoeru
kono mama nemureba kimi sae mo inai sekai e

yurayura yume no naka de
oite ikanaide
kirakira akogarete mo
dōshite koko ni itain da

yurayura yume ni kisu wo
mou me wo akenakya
furafura mayoinagara
soredemo kimi to itai

barabara kowashichaou
hanpana nakami wo
kirakira me ga kuramu yo
soredemo kimi to itain da

A Kiss in a Dream

Where am I? Just hanging around aimlessly
What’s the point of me continuing to breathe? I’m sleepy…

I can hear the Sun calling at my window
“Come outside!” Into the empty but beautifully blooming world

I kissed you in the swaying dream
I have to open my eyes now
Walking around lost, with faltering steps
But I want to stay here anyway
“Open your eyes!”
“See you another day!”

Even though you’re next to me, if I touch you, my fingers don’t reach you
You’re swimming high in the sky…too far away…

I can hear the Sun calling at my window
If I stay asleep like this, I’ll go to the world where not even you exist

Don’t leave me behind in the swaying dream
Even though I yearn for the shining world, I really want to stay here

I kissed you in the swaying dream
I have to open my eyes now
Walking around lost, with faltering steps
But I want to be with you anyway

I’ll shatter this incomplete illusion to pieces
Dizzy from the sparkling light
But I want to be with you anyway