A lot more effort had to go into this than I originally thought would have to go into it.
Song: 童歌
———> warabe uta
———> Children’s Song
Artist: ワニ ft. IZNA
———> Wani ft. IZNA
Circle: サリー
———> Sally
Release: Sally
Key: Original Lyrics; Romaji; Translation
NOTES: This song is written from a child’s perspective, but the child’s upbringing was one of a high status. Also, the language is “archaic,” if you’ll pardon the use of that word. Make your own assertions about why that is.
手鞠 – てまり – Temari are Japanese handballs that children are given by their parents to play with. Traditional temari crafting was eventually to be considered an art, and a symbol of the upper class.
茜雲（を）抜いて – 茜 is rubia, a genus of flower more commonly known as “madder,” and was used during older times as a red dye throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa.
爪 – (in context of song) ネイル – A nail, as in a fingernail.
とつぴんしやんでおちやらかあぶくもうにえたつた – An amalgam of Japanese children’s songs. Many thanks to Kafka Fuura for his assistance in understanding the context of this line.
The lines are referencing these songs; I’ve tried to translate their context for you, but it’s not necessary to understand this song:
とつぴんしやん – A song originally from the Edo period. When presenting gifts to the Tokugawa, the people of Uji-Kyoto would have to parade their special Uji tea in big teapots as they brought it. If anyone crossed the parade line they would be forced to stand and clap regardless of status, women and children alike. So people sang this song to warn people of the coming teapots and to close their doors and stay inside. This part of the line is literally onomatopoeia for a door slamming. I wonder how much of this origin is true and how much I mistranslated?
おちやらか – A song and game similar to schoolyard “slap games” in America. In this, you spin around and play Rock, Paper, Scissors while singing a song.
あぶくもうにえたつた – A children’s song and game where you encircle children selected to be “it” and sing and dance around them.
Basically, IZNA threw a handful of children’s songs together and this hodgepodge of nonsense lyrics came out. I localized in kind to an equally nonsensical amalgam of English-language children’s songs.
_________________________________________________________________
いずこここはどこのほそみちじやわらべ
izuko koko ha doko no hosomichi ja warabe
Where is here? This narrow path I’m on
退屈は嫌いが故に
唄い出した童歌は
あんたがたどこさと尋ねて
返事のない続きに一人
途惑ってる
taikutsu ha kirai ga yue ni
utaidashita warabe uta ha
anta gata doko sa to tazunete
henji no nai tsudzuki ni hitori
tomadotteru
I hate being bored; therefore
This children’s song I sing
Enquires to your whereabouts
But there’s never a reply
So I continue on, lost and alone
だって
datte
But
嗚呼 手鞠の様に
わらわ手落とし玩ぶ歌だもの。
aa temari no you ni
warawa te otoshi moteasobu uta da mono
Ah, like a temari
A song of my hands being dropped as if I was a forgotten toy
いずこここはどこのほそみちじやわらべ
izuko koko ha doko no hosomichi ja warabe
But here is where? This narrow path I’m on
貴方が望むのならば
耐え忍び 涙を拭おう。
朱に染まる茜雲抜いて
帰ってよ その御顔を見せて
anata ga nozomu no naraba
taeshinobi namida wo nuguou
shu ni somaru akanegumo nuite
kaette yo sono okao wo misete
If you wished for it
I would bear it, and wipe away my tears
Be stained in blood, draw forth a red madder mist
Please come home; let me see that face again
こんなにも伸びた爪じゃ
メィルもろくに送れなくて
「返事が無いのは良い便り」
一人言い聞かせてみても
何時の間にか
konna ni mo nobita neiru ja
meiru moroku ni okurenakute
henji ga nai no ha ii tayori
hitori iikikasetemitemo
itsu no ma ni ka
Even this flattened nail
Mail I was too weak to send
“No reply is good news”
Even though I wanted to warn that person
Before it was too late
だって
datte
But
唄い出した数え歌は
幾度となく日を重ねて
腐った所に留まらずに
拾壱を越えたってなお
utauidashita kazoeuta ha
ikudo to naku hi wo kasanete
kusatta tokoro ni todomarazu ni
juuichi wo koetatte nao
The counting song I would burst into singing
Countless times, days repeating
In that rotted place, without stopping
I would count past 11
嗚呼 わらわの身体に
刻まれる皺を数える終わりなき歌だもの。
aa warawa no karada ni
kizamareru shiwa wo kazoeru owari naki uta da mono
Ah, an unending song of
Counting the wrinkles carved into my body
とつぴんしやんでおちやらかあぶくもうにえたつた
toppinshan de ocharaka abuku mou nietatta
“Ring around the Longdon Bridge so early in the morning…”
貴方の傍に居られぬのならば
わらわから もう消えて見せようか
眺めて居たあの茜雲は 潔く夜に溶けた
anata no soba ni irarenu no naraba
warawa kara mou kietemiseyou ka
nagameteita ano akanegumo ha isagiyoku yoru ni toketa
If I can’t be by your side
Shall I, too, try to disappear?
That red mist I had gazed at dissolved into the pure night
貴方がもしも そう望むのならば
耐え忍び 涙を拭おう。
朱に染まる茜雲を抜いて
帰ってよ その御顔を見せて
anata ga moshimo sou nozomu no naraba
taeshinobi namida wo nuguou
shu ni somaru akanegumo wo nuite
kaette yo sono okao wo misete
If, by chance, you wished for that
I would bear it, and wipe away my tears
Be stained in blood, draw forth a red madder mist
Please come home; let me see that face again