Bump of Chicken: Sharin no Uta

05.09.08
Artist: Bump of Chicken
Title: Sharin no Uta (The Wheel Song)
Words: Fujiwara Motoh
Music: Fujiwara Motoh

at the crack of dawn
the rusted wheels squeel
carrying our bodies along
to the train station

you lean against me
as I pedal on,
what I feel from you is unquestionable warmth.

on the way up the hill
that runs along the tracks
from behind you sound like you're enjoying yourself,
"it's not much longer now"

the city is just so quiet
you let quietly slip, "it's like we're the only ones in the world."

and then we both fell silent,
the sunrise that met us
when we'd overtaken the hill
was just too beautiful.

that time
you laughed from behind me
I couldn't turn around to see you,
because I was crying.

I don't really know the town
which the ticket bought from the button
highest and furthest to the side on the ticket machine
goes to. *1

the cheapest among my options,
the platform entrance ticket
eventhough I'm going to use it almost immediately
I carefully put it away

when that big bag you bought the day before yesterday
got caught up on the turnstiles, and you couldn't get through,
you looked to me.

I avoided your eyes, and nodded.
and by my hands I loosened the string
of the bag stubbornly caught.

the bell ringing out tells us it's the end,
a door for only you opens
one step that's farther away than a million
you took it and said,

'promise me! someday, for sure one day we'll meet again!'
I couldn't answer, I just hung my head, and waved goodbye.

it wasn't wrong
that time, you were...

I race faster than the wind,
down the hill that runs by the tracks
chasing after you
the rusted wheels squeel
I tried my best to keep up with the train but
it slowly got away from me.

that time,
you were crying, on the otherside of the doors
even without seeing you, I knew it.
because your voice was quivering.

I promise! someday, for sure, we'll meet again!
I waved my hand wide so you'd see,
as you were going away from me.

the city has come alive but
I let slip,
'it's like I'm the only one in the whole world.'

the rusted wheels squeel
left behind, I'm carried away
a faint warmth. *2

Translated By: Brian Stewart & Takako Sakuma

Translator's Notes: It's so innocent but somehow tugs right at my heart strings!

* 1 - This line is about the train ticket machine. The boy is looking at the ticket 'you' purchases, which is all the way in the corner and highest up and he realizes how far away that town must be. The ticket he buys is a ticket which costs about 150 yen and gets you onto the train platform but doesn't let you go anywhere. It's for seeing others off. (It's also possible he's contrasting the ticket prices, thus you could interpret this as farthest away and most expensive.)

* 2 - 'your' warmth must still be on the bike's seat or the boy's back.

Romaji

sabitsuita sharin himei wo age
bokura no karada wo hakondeiku
akegata no eki he to

pedaru wo kogu boku no senaka
yorikakaru kimi kara tsutawaru mono
tashika na nukumori

rosenzoi no agarizaka de
'sekaijyuu ni futari dake mitai da ne'
to chiisaku koboshita

douji ni kotoba wo nakushita
saka wo agarikitta toki
mukaetekureta asayake ga
amari ni kirei sugite

waratta darou ano toki boku no ushiro gawa de
furikaeru koto ga dekinakatta boku ha naiteta kara

kenbaiki de ichiban haji no
ichiban takai kippu ga iku machi wo
boku ha yoku shiranai
sono naka demo ichiban yasui
nyuujyouken wo sugu ni tsukau no ni
daiji ni shimatta

ototoi katta ooki na kaban
kaisatsu ni hikkakete
toorezu ni kimi ha boku wo mita

me ha awasenai de unazuite
katakunani hikkakaru kaban no himo wo
boku no te ga hazushita

hibiku beru ga saigo wo tsugeru
kimi dake no doa ga aku
nanmanpo yori kyori no aru ippo
fumidashite kimi ha iu

'yakusoku da yo kanarazu itsunohika mata aou'
kotaerarezu utsumuita mama boku ha te wo futta yo

machigai jyanai ano toki kimi ha...

rosenzoi no kudarizaka wo
kaze yori mo hayaku tobashiteiku
kimi ni oitsuke to
sabitsuita sharin himei wo age
seippai densha to narabu keredo
yukkuri hanasareteku

naiteta darou ano toki doa no mukou gawa de
kao minakute mo wakatteta yo koe ga furueteta kara

yakusoku da yo kanarazu itsunohika mata aou
hanareteiku kimi ni mieru you ni ookiku te wo futta yo

machi ha nigiwaidashita keredo
sekaijyuu ni hitori dake mitai da naa
to chiisaku koboshita

sabitsuita sharin himei wo age
nokosareta boku wo hakondeiku
kasuka na nukumori

Romaji By: Brian Stewart