[REQUEST] 凋叶棕 (Diao ye Zong) – 心強きもの

picture by pisoshi

【Requested by B-016】

The fact I like about Diao Ye Zong‘s songs is that you can always recognize them just by listening to them. It’s one of the few circles that cares the most about the instrument section, being always flawless. 流石ＲＤさん！
About this song, there are lots of parts which are in classical / not-so-modern japanese, I’ve studied it a bit so I hope I didn’t screw them up that much.
But man, this song was long. It may be the longest post on foreground noises by far. [2017 edit: probably not even in the top 10]
I found the lyrics for this song good but… kinda silly? I mean, it’s great it’s all about Unzan and Ichirin, but it’s like… not the type of lyrics I like the most. But I find it really clever, to have a song which tells the characters’ background story. Yeah, this song is basically “how Ichirin met Unzan and how they become a pair”. There you go!

凋叶棕 (Diao Ye Zong) – 心強きもの

その身の丈山のごとく
雲さえ貫くほどの大男として聞こえた

sono mi no take yama no gotoku
kumo sae tsuranuku hodo no oootoko to shite kikoeta

His body height is the same as a mountain
It’s said he’s the giant man who can even pierce through clouds!

それは心の弱きものには
けして見つめることさえも適わない化妖

sore wa kokoro no yowaki mono ni wa
keshite mitsumeru koto sae mo kanawanai ayakashi

He’s the shapeshifting being that can’t be rivaled
And can’t be seen by those with a weak spirit!

恐るべき時代親父！

osorubeki jidai oyaji!

He’s the terrifying traditional old man!

その噂の確かならばと
幾度も現れては一人また一人と違え

sono uwasa no tashika naraba to
ikutabi mo arawarete wa hitori mata hitori to tagae

And if that rumor turns out to be true,
He’ll appear more and more often, changing his shape one by one

そんな姿にさえ怯えるもの
幾ら居たとて強きものとは呼べることなく

sonna sugata ni sae obieru mono
ikura ita to te tsuyoki mono to wa yoberu koto naku

And those who were terrified by his figure
No matter if they met him, they’ll never be called brave-hearted

居るならば強き者―心に雲ひとつ翳らぬもの 　　
―それか剛胆豪放剛にして怯えぬもの

iru naraba tsuyoki mono – kokoro ni kumo hitotsu kageranu mono
-sore ka goutan gouhou gou ni shite obienu mono

If there’s someone strong – someone who hasn’t a single cloud drifing in his heart…
– Or which can make courage and honesty his strenght and show no fear…

されど―未だ影も見ず

saredo – imada kage mo mizu

Even so – he’ll may still not see that shade

幾度も軟弱者を屠っても
時代親父は満たされず

ikutabi mo nanjakumono o hofutte mo
jidai oyaji wa mitasarezu

No matter how many weak-willed people he’ll defeat,
The traditional old man won’t be satisfied!

いつしか思い描く姿
強者やはいつ来る

itsu shika omoi egaku sugata
tsuwamono ya wa itsu kuru

A figure that, before one knows,
Imagines strong men to come face it one day

意味なき殺生を重ねては
失意に暮れる日々

imi naki sesshou o kasanete wa
shitsui ni kureru hibi

Living his days in disappointment
Piling up countless pointless killings…

我真に強き者を
求めては風任せ

ware ma ni tsuyoki mono o
motomete wa kaze makase

I’ll entrust this true longing
For someone strong to the wind

その行方は明日往く雲の先

sono yukue wa asu yuku kumo no saki

Those wereabouts are just before the clouds heading towards tomorrow

そしてまた暮れ往く空の下
空ろに影を揺らして佇む入道のあれば

soshite mata kureyuku sora no shita
utsuro ni kage o yurashite tatazumu ayakashi no areba

And then again under the setting sky, if that being
Will be standing there, making a shadow sway into the void…

ここに足を鳴らしてその影を
我が道より除けとばかりに踏むものが来る

koko ni ashi o narashite sono kage o
wa ga michi yori doke to bakari ni fumu mono ga kuru

And if that shadow’s steps will resound here,
I’ll move away from this road so someone who dare to step it will come

見るにハイカラな少女！

miru ni haikarana shoujo!

What I see is a stylish girl!

その噂に名高ければ
その姿を一目見ては逃げ帰らぬもののなく

sono uwasa ni nadakakereba
sono sugata o hitome mite wa nigekaeranu mono no naku

No one who took that rumor for real
Could go back home after looking just once at that figure

しかるにその幼さの残る顔に
不敵な笑みさえ湛え歩み留めることなし

shikaru ni sono osanasa no nokoru kao ni
futeki na emi sae tatae ayumi tomeru koto nashi

Scolding over that face which still show glimpses of immaturity
While she shows an intrepid smile she kept walking without stopping

その瞳凛として―何にも屈さぬ不撓不屈さ
　　―己が強さを疑わず生きるその目の彩

sono hitomi rin to shite – nannimo kussanu futoufukutsu sa
– ono ga tsuyosa o utagawazu ikiru sono me no iro

With cold eyes – with an absolutely unbending indomitableness
– I won’t doubt that strenght living in your eyes’ color!

まるで―恐れを知らぬ者

maru de – osore o shiranu mono

She’s really – someone who doesn’t know fear

それはけして偽りでなく
斯様な強きもののあること
それを遠く探していたと
その姿凛として

sore wa keshite itsuwari de naku
kayou na tsuyoki mono no aru koto
sore o tooku sagashiteita to
sono sugata rin to shite

There’s no way it is a lie
The fact that such a strong being exist;
He searched for that cold figure
For a long time and far away

“見越したり！”

“mikoshitari!”

“I can see your moves!”

“その正体見破ったらば何も恐れることはなし！”

“sono shoutai miyabuttaraba nani mo osoreru koto wa nashi!”

“I don’t fear anything since I can see through your thoughts!”

“されば消えよ見越し入道、その悪事これまでよ！”

“sareba kieyo mikoshi nyuudou, sono akuji kore made yo!”

“Go away! Vanish! Oh Nyuudou who sees through anything, your evil deeds will face an end right now!”

笑顔さえ見せながらも
毅然と告げるその声に

egao sae misenagara mo
kizen to tsugeru sono koe ni

Her voice was ringing with resolution
As she was showing off her smile

時代親父も笑顔さえ
浮かべていたことか

jidai oyaji mo egao sae
ukabeteita koto ka

And has a smile appeared bright
On the traditional old man’s face too?

強きもの
心の強きもの
恐れを知らぬもの

tsuyoki mono
kokoro no tsuyoki mono
osore o shiranu mono

A strong one,
One with a strong heart,
One who doesn’t know fear

そしてそれに付き従うが時代親父の本懐

soshite sore ni tsukishitagau ga jidai oyaji no negai

And the choice to follow her was the Traditional Old Man’s wish

守り守られ手を取り合う影二つ
雲居に咲く一輪の花

mamori mamorare te o tori au kage futatsu
kumoi ni saku ichirin no hana

Two shadows holding their hands, protecting each other
Like a single-petaled flower blooming in the sky

～

Notes:

– In the translation: he = Unzan, she = Ichirin
– 化妖 on the second stanza is read as “ayakashi”, which is a term pretty similar to “youkai”. In this song is wrote with the kanji for “transforming” (化) and “being” (妖), so it’s more likely refering to Unzan.
– “weak spirit” in the second stanza could be “weak heart” too. What I wanted it to mean is basically “those without a strong will”.
– 入道 on… which stanza was it? There are way too much. Anyway, 入道 should be read as “nyuudou” (priest), but here it’s read as “ayakashi” again. It’s again a reference to Unzan.
– In this song, Unzan is also refered to the “Traditional Old Man” and Ichirin to the “Stylish Girl”. I’ve left this two terms with this translation, being the “”””official”””” english one.
– I’ve left “nyuudou” instead of “priest” in the translation, because is also the youkai-race of Unzan. Is Ichirin which is saying that, lastly, to him.
– On the second to last stanza, 本懐 (honkai) is read as “negai” (wish).
– On the last stanza there’s an interesting part. “雲居に咲く一輪の花” (a single-petaled flower blossomed in the sky) features “kumoi” (雲居, which could be both another type of writing 雲井, which means “sky” or another way to express 雲間, “kumoma”, in other words the space between the clouds) and “ichirin” (一輪, which is another way to read the kanji for “wa” 輪 that, when speaking about flowers, means “petal”). Those two terms form the kanjis for Ichirin Kumoi’s name. That’s really clever!

～

• Title: 心強きもの (kokoro tsuyoki mono) (those with a strong heart)
• Circle: 凋叶棕 (Diao Ye Zong)
• Album: 屠 -Hohuri-
• Vocals: めらみぽっぷ (Meramipop)
• Lyrics: RD-Sounds
• Arrangement: RD-Sounds
• Release Event: C86
• Source: 時代親父とハイカラ少女 (The Traditional Old Man And The Stylish Girl) Unidentified Fantastic Object, Ichirin Kumoi & Unzan’s Theme