The Back Horn: Hachigatsu no Himitsu

04.01.14
Artist: The Back Horn
Title: Hachigatsu no Himitsu (August Secret)
Words: The Back Horn
Music: The Back Horn

that fragile life,
will it leave you? *1
though you hushed your breathing
I felt your heart beat

the air raid shelter burnt black
we dreamed a secret dream
the blue sky, the body of a cat
the summer my friend died *2

I said "it's cause I yawn"
but you laughed at me
'liar' the cicadas
chirp forever on, incessantly.

adults will take it all away
with kind faces

I won't tell anyone
that sad,
clean and all too filthy secret
I want to see you, I cried.

That fragile life
will it leave you?
though you hushed your breathing
I felt your heart beat,

'we'll meet again'
from the otherside of the railroad crossing
the shadows growing into the distance,
without blinking once.

Since I can't find you,
hide 'n seek never ends
that day in the air raid shelter
peek-a-boo, I'm right here.

Translated By: Brian Stewart & Takako Sakuma

Translator's Notes: Heart wrenching.

*1 - This is an executive decision by Takko and I, because a literal translation doesn't get to the heart of the song. The song is about a friend dying in childhood. The line hakanai no ni is referring to the life of his friend.
*2 - Died, disappeared, went away. Any you slice it the friend is gone.

Romaji

konna ni hakanai no ni hanareteshimau no ka
iki wo hisomeru kimi no kodou kanjiteta

kurokoge boukuugou
himitsu no yume mita ne
aozora neko no shigai
tomodachi no kieta natsu

akubi no sei da yo to
itta no ni warawareta
'usotsuki' semi no koe ga
eien nariyamanai

otona ha yasashii kao
subete wo ubatteiku

kirei de kitanasugita
kanashii ano himitsu ha
dare ni mo ienai kara
kimi ni aitakute naita

konna hakanai no ni hanareteshimau no ka
iki wo hisomeru kimi no kodou kanjiteta

'mata aeru kara' to fumikiri no mukougawa
tooku nobiru kage mabataki hitotsu sezu ni

kimi ga mitsukaranai kara
kakurenbo owaranai
ano hi no boukuugou
inai inai baa koko ni iru yo

Romaji By: Brian Stewart