Fra-Foa: Afterglow

03.2.01
Artist: Fra-Foa
Title: Afterglow
Words: Mikami Chisako
Music: Mikami Chisako

Who are those innocent eyes waiting for?

How many times have you overcome this unreachable pain?

I have no reservations about wrapping
the fragility that was too strong, worn out and slumbering,
in my dirty hands.

I'll let you go into a space where you'll be free
because you belong to no one.

love that heart for me.

you should have
betrayal and cunning, all of it.

don't blame yourself anymore,
there's no crime in feeling.

we should wrap the ones we love in our liberated hearts

I'll let you go into a bountiful space
you should live on without looking back.

I'll love you from the space where I'm free
and I'll forget all about you
from you I will be purified
I'll let you go into space
and love you, from my space.

Translated By: Brian Stewart & Takako Sakuma

Translator's Notes: This song was hard to translate because the kanji Mikami chose for sora is the same one she used in the first album chuu which means space. Though the image of letting a bird go into the "sky" doesn't seem that far off. Anyway this song is probably best appreciated if you know enough Japanese to get the gist of the words. Mikami is saying that throughout this album that no matter how much you love someone, they are still a stranger to you, because you are not them. The conclusion seems to be that the only thing we can do is to let each other go and respect the difference. The final line, "love you, from my space" seems to say that "though I can't have you in my mind/heart (same thing in Japanese), I can still love you from my mind/heart". There's a sadness in this song though. A withdrawal. A resignation. Like the end of a faery tale. The reality of loving someone in this way somehow hurts more than not loving at all. I admit I cried when I was listening to this song maybe a week after I'd gotten the album. Yet in a way it's a song of independence. The girl who throughout the entire album has been neurotic about losing her love, suddenly realizes that maybe it was never hers to lose. Maybe she needs to focus on herself.

Romaji

adokenai sono me ha
nani wo matteruno?

todokanai itami wo
nando koetekita no?

sono tsukarehate nemuru
tsuyosugita morosa wo

yogoreta atashi no te ha
heiki de tsutsumeru no

anata wo jiyuu na sora he to hanasou
dare no mono demo nai no

sono kokoro wo,
aishite ne

uragiri mo zurusa mo
zenbu mottete ii

mou jibun wo semenai de
omoi ni tsumi ha nai no

jiyuu na sono kokoro de
itoshii hito tsutsumeba ii

anata wo yutaka na sora he to hanasou
furikaerazu ni anata wo ikiteyukeba ii---

anata wo jiyuu na sora kara aisou
anata nado wasurete shimaou
anata kara kirei ni naru no
anata wo sora he to hanasu no
atashi no sora kara, aisu no

Romaji By: Brian Stewart