Happy New Year, O Reader! May 2021 treat you well. ^o^/☆

I’d been going through the songs on TWIN GATE in order, but “RESONANCE” isn’t particularly fitting for these last hours of 2020 (as I write this) heading into the first hours of 2021 (when I will finish writing & publish this). The track “Cradle,” however, is perfect. It closes out the album while speaking of new beginnings. Of course, a lot of things from 2020 will continue on for a while in 2021, but let’s appreciate the thought.

Lyrics in Japanese can be found here on Rock Lyric.

☆

Cradle

atatakana haha naru umi yurikago ni dakareru you ni

tanjou to shoumetsu no daichi de hito wa tada kenmei ni ikiru

asa ga subete wo arainagasu kara nani mo kowagarazu ni nemurou
kegareta karada mo kusunda kokoro mo yume no naka e sute
asu e to mata mezameteyuku

guuzen ni michibikare hito wa mina umareta keredo

kimi ga ite watashi ga iru kono ima wa
kawaranai magire mo nai shinjitsu

asa ga subete wo arainagasu kara nani mo kowagarazu ni nemurou
kimi to wakachiau mayoi ya itami mo futari nara koeteyukeru

kanashimu tame ni umareta wake de wa naku
tada watashi wo matteiru kimi ni hitome aitakute

asa ga subete wo terasu sono mae ni dou ka kimi no yume wo misete
tooku de naiteiru kimi wo dakiyosete kono kyori wo koete zutto

asa ga subete wo arainagasu kara nani mo kowagarazu ni nemurou
kimi to wakachiau mayoi ya itami mo shiawase to yoberu
koko ni ikiteiru dake de

Cradle

Warm Mother Sea…like being rocked in a cradle

On land, birth and extinction; people just doing their best to live

Morning will wash everything away, so let’s go to sleep fearing nothing
Throw your sullied body and darkened heart into dreams
to awaken in a new day

We may all come into this world guided by chance but

You and I, we’re here right now
That’s the unshakeable, absolute truth

Morning will wash everything away, so let’s go to sleep fearing nothing
We can overcome the doubt and pain we share as long as we’re together*

We weren’t born to be sad
You’ve been waiting for me and I want to go see you

Before everything is bathed in morning light, show me your dream, somehow
You’re crying far away, but I’ll hold you close and overcome this distance, always

Morning will wash everything away, so let’s go to sleep fearing nothing
Even the doubt and pain we share can be considered happiness
Because we’re alive here and now

*One thing that often gets lost in translation is the nuance of や (ya). As a “parallel marker,” it’s often translated simply as “and,” but it really means “and __ and other similar things.” So 「迷いや痛み」(mayoi ya itami) isn’t just “doubt and pain,” it’s “doubt and pain and other similar emotions.” I considered translating this line as “We can overcome the burdens we share like doubt and pain as long as we’re together,” but I feel like that dilutes the sense of “doubt and pain.” Those were the only emotions that were important enough to mention specifically, so I figured it was best to leave this as just “doubt and pain.” I figure if anyone ever gets so worked up over the exact meaning of this song that they argue about whether this is “just doubt and pain” or “doubt and pain and other similar things left unsaid,” well, maybe they’ll Google it and find this blog post. Ahaha…