JtP: [棗いつき] Impulse

Posted on June 18, 2022 by tetrax4berium — Leave a comment

Preamble:

[This is a JP→EN Song Translation Post]

To follow up on the previous translation post, I decided to pick another of Room97’s songs to translate. Once again, Itsuki Natsume is providing the vocals for the song. Although I know of Itsuki as a singer who usually delivers powerful vocals to upbeat songs, her collaboration with Room97 definitely shows another side of her where she can do more chill beats.

Disclaimer: I may not be able to fully translate the intended expressed meaning of the song, but hopefully it can still be a reference for listeners as well as more capable translators should they be able to help and do justice for the song.

Information:

Classification: 棗いつき | Itsuki Natsume
Song Title: 衝動 | Impulse
Album: Diary
Release: 2020, 25th October | YT: 2021, 29th January
Arrangement: Room97
Singer: 棗いつき | Itsuki Natsume
Lyrics: Room97

Original MV:

―Clinging onto ephemeral beliefs, The things I love are but remains of flickering memories―

衝動 / Room97 (feat. 棗いつき)

Original Lyrics (Japanese | Kanji & Romaji):

1つ深呼吸をして
Hitotsu Shinkokyū wo shite
2つ透明な言葉束ねて
Futatsu Toumei na kotoba kasanete
3つネガティブを上塗りして
Mitsu Negatibu(Negative) wo uwanuri shite
頭からっぽにして
Atama karappo ni shite

信じては縋ってる　ウタカタで朧気な鼓動
Shinjite wa sugatteru　Utakata de oboroge na kodou
愛すべき事柄は　たゆとう記憶の亡骸
Aisubeki kotogara wa　Tayutou kioku no nakigara

吐ききった毒が音も無く蝕んでく
Haki kitta doku ga oto mo naku mushibandeku
衝動を綺麗に縁取ってさ
Shoudou wo kirei ni fuchidotte sa
君が得意なそのポエム聞かせてよ
Kimi ga tokui na sono Poemu(Poem) kikasete yo
ワビもサビも余白も効かせてさ
Wabi mo sabi mo yohaku mo kikasete sa
独り善がりなの気付き始めてんでしょ
Hitori yogari nano kidzuki hajimeten desho

君の浸り顔は麗しい
Kimi no hitari kao wa uruwashī
君の妄言はさも香しく
Kimi no mougen wa samo kaguwashiku
重なって熱帯び始めている
Kasanatte netsu obi hajimeteiru
束ねてしまえば思い通り
Tabanete shimae ba omoidōri

繰り返し綴っては　彷徨う事も無く滞る
Kurikaeshi tsudzutte wa　Samayou koto mo naku todokōru
弱さのせいじゃないと　いつも何度も何度でも
Yowasa no sei janai to　Itsumo nandomo nandodemo

心躍る瞬間　音も無く密かに抱く
Kokoro odoru shunkan　Oto mo naku hisokani daku
衝動を綺麗に縁取ってさ
Shoudou wo kirei ni fuchidotte sa
君が得意なそのポエム糧にして
Kimi ga tokui na sono poemu(Poem) kate ni shite
余白を全部全部埋めつくして
Yohaku wo zenbu zenbu umetsuku shite
整って論じて誰かを羨んでも
Totonotte ronjite Dareka wo urayande mo

恋焦がれ　身を委ね
Koi kogare　Mi wo yudane
思いがけない　理由になって
Omoi ga kenai　Riyū ni natte

吐ききった毒が音も無く蝕んでく
Haki kitta doku ga oto mo naku mushibandeku
衝動を綺麗に縁取ってさ
Shoudou wo kirei ni fuchidotte sa
君が得意なそのポエム聞かせてよ
Kimi ga tokui na sono poemu(Poem) kikasete yo
ワビもサビも余白も埋め尽くした
Wabi mo sabi mo yohaku mo umetsukushite
独り善がりなの気付き始めてんでしょ
Hitori yogari nano kidzuki hajimeten desho

English Translation (Version 1):
Note(I): Transcription may not reflect actual meaning
Note(II): Transcription may change over time

This translyrics/translation is not optimized for sing-along (i.e. no rhymes & fit to melody)

One,　Take deep breath.
Two,　Aggregate these transparent words.
Three,　Add Negativity for the finish.
Empty my mind of all thoughts.

Clinging onto ephemeral beliefs that my heart faintly beats for,
The things I love are but remains of flickering memories.

Sickened by a poison that silently eats at me from within,
With a nausea primly bordering on an impulse.
❝Let me listen to your specialty poem,
Of it’s artistic flair, embodying a philosophical essence so profound.❞
And then I began to realize, perhaps it’s all just for self satisfaction.

That indulgent face of yours is lovely,
And those thoughtless remarks you make are fragrant.
As the praises my heart desires accumulate,
I begin feeling all feverish.

Making these repetitive compositions, not because I’m lost or weak.
Rather I’m just stagnating, and that’s always been the case.

My heart pounds in the instant we silently hugged in secret,
With an excitement primly bordering on an impulse.
❝Filling up the blank pages till it is full,
Let your specialty poem be my nourishment.❞
Bringing one a well-prepared topic for envious discussion.

Yearning for love, I’ll devote this body to you.
Unexpectedly, such a reason came to be.

Sickened by a poison that silently eats at me from within,
With a nausea nicely bordering on an impulse.
❝Let me listen to your specialty poem,
Overwhelming with a philosophical essence so profound.❞
And then I began to realize, perhaps it’s all just for self satisfaction.

Afterthoughts:

In the title of the MV, the author wrote:
❝今にも投げ出しそうな曲❞ ー ❝A song that’s good enough to release for today❞

This song is somewhat easier than the previous one, probably because I am more familiar with this sort of lyrical sentence structure, and that I am able to make the connection of the title with the chorus. Still, I wonder what goes behind the thought process of Room97’s lyrical compositions. The songs I’ve tried listening and transcribing so far are actually pretty “raw” yet convoluted. In a way, it is possible to associate the lyrics to the process of song writing / lyric composing.

(Good question, I don’t know where the illustration of the MV comes into all of this)

Or maybe it’s just a mash of thoughts, and I’m just thinking too much about it.

Notes on translation:
———- ———-
– The sections with “ワビもサビも余白も” are too difficult to translate. To be precise, there aren’t any borrowed words to describe this very concisely. Hence I generalized it as “philosophical essence”.
^ To break down this phrase, “ワビ” also known as “詫び” embodies a description of pessimism and the essence of overlooking this feeling, and being at peace with it.
“サビ” also written as “寂び” is somewhat more direct, and has a relation to the feeling of loneliness, stemming from the understanding of all things being impermanent, which gives them its beauty.
Combined, “ワビサビ” or “詫び寂び” compounds both attributes.
———-
– I have decided to assume that the lyrics enclosed in ❝ ❞ are spoken statements, given how there is a subject explicitly stated there.
———-
– I wonder if the 4th stanza of the song is showing an example of “repetitive composition” which is later mentioned in the 5th stanza.

Post-Ramblings:

Now that I’m done (and fairly satisfied with this), I can get a nice afternoon nap.
Also, new free-to-view episode of Spy X Family and Shikimori tonight where I am at. So I’ll be doing more screencaps again (mostly just to get sketch pose references).

Acknowledgements:

Room97・棗いつき

About tetrax4berium

Living life little by little as I try to understand how life works. As complex as it is, so as I am, it may take a lifetime to understand. But regardless it is not pointless to pursue a near-impossible goal.