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Post by comet on Jan 8, 2011 14:16:14 GMT
The Japanese lady in the video above sings the song quite well. But Hayley lets this song fly, glide, soar and dive with the majesty of an eagle. I still believe Hayley's interpretation of this song is "THE GREAT MASTERPIECE" on HSJS2 I seldom let it play just once when it comes on, I often press repeat two or three times. |
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Post by maya on Jan 8, 2011 15:21:29 GMT
The Japanese lady in the video above sings the song quite well. But Hayley lets this song fly, glide, soar and dive with the majesty of an eagle. Last night throughout Japan, the movie "Spirited Away" was on air with the digital high definition mode. As I was listening to the song, I thought what was exactly the same as Comet has commented. Today I met friends of mine and talked about the movie and the song. They were saying something similar to me. Hayley sings it very well and I like it. Maya |
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Post by I-H-F on Jan 9, 2011 17:09:13 GMT
Just a little something I recently came across...
I was listening to a podcast of Chris Evans' BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, where he interviewed Jimmy Osmond.
Chris said he had a 7" single of 'Long Haired Lover From Liverpool' at home, when he was a kid. He said he was fascinated by the sad, haunting B-Side, which was called 'Mother Of Mine'.
I wondered if this was the same song from HSJS2 - it was. Chris then proceded to sing a few lines, with Jimmy joining in. Jimmy then joked that they should do it as a duet.
The podcast is still available on iTunes (dated 10th December).
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Post by martindn on Jan 9, 2011 20:37:44 GMT
Hi IHF,
I haven't looked but I suspect that it was this song. Jimmy Osmond is listed on Wikipedia as one of those who recorded it.
It is a song I always hated until I heard Hayley sing it. To be honest, it made me cringe, and the only thing that makes it palatable is Hayley's fabulous voice. And I was never a fan of "Little Jimmy" or any of the Osmonds.
Martin D
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Post by martindn on Jan 14, 2011 18:25:12 GMT
Track 10 is "Flower" or Hana, which was a big hit for the popular Japanese male duo called Kinki Kids in 1999.
There are several videos about, but none that I'm sure of the copyright status of. There is one that might (or might not) be OK - so I think I'll ask the moderators what they think.
Martin D
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Post by martindn on Jan 20, 2011 22:25:23 GMT
And finally - Nemunoki No Komoriuta.
The version I have on the "Original HSJS2" CD is by Sayuri Yoshinaga - an actress rather than a singer who is almost as old as I am. Hayley's version blows her out of the water I'm afraid. But that's not unusual is it for Hayley, most of her performances blow other singers out of the water. That's why I rate her, not only as my current favourite singer (and there have been many, over the years), but my favourite singer of all time.
I can't link to this on YouTube although it exists - for the usual reason. You can find it if you are interested. But I think I'd rather just enjoy Hayley's version instead.
Martin D
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Post by martindn on Jan 21, 2011 23:57:28 GMT
I have a translation of the original lyric of Mikazuki - A crescent Moon
We were always together
The two of us walked down a straight road
Separating into two,
we walked off in our separate waysI hold to this chest that overflowed in loneliness
Even now, I look up at a sky that seems about to cry
I thought of you…
*Even in the nights without you
like that, no more cry
I won’t cry anymore
Because I’m trying my best
Because I’ll become strong
You must be watching too
This crescent moon that seems like it’ll disappear
Because we’re connecting
Because I love you
The days when I warmed my completely chilled hands by myself
I so, so yearned for your warmth
No matter how much I was told “I love you” on the phone
I couldn’t ever rely on you
I wiped my tears…
Even in the nights without you
like that, no more cry
I won’t cry anymore
Because I’m trying my best
Because I’ll become strong
Next time, when will we be able to meet, I wonder?
While embracing the batteries up until then
I said the one word that you love
*repeat*
I stretched out my hand toward the crescent mooon
Let these feelings reach you
This is quite a bit different from Hayley's version. Indeed, I have often wondered how realistic
"Can you see in the blackened sky,
the crescent moon, drifting way up high?"
is. After all, a crescent moon is rarely seen in such circustances. When the moon is a crescent, it is always close to the sun, and when it is high in the sky is invisible in the sun's glare. Crescent moons are always seen around sunset or sunrise, at a time when the sky is certainly not "blackened".
But I'm being too pedantic I'm sure. This is still a beautiful song, wonderfully performed by Hayley. And we have to allow her some poetic licence in order to create something so beautiful. I love it!
Martin D
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Post by Libby on Jan 22, 2011 3:41:36 GMT
Wow, that's very interesting. It seems to prove your point that Hayley's lyrics really are her own. I always assumed she wrote them as close to the interpretation as she could, but maybe not. Go ahead, you can say "I told you so". :rollin
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Post by martindn on Jan 24, 2011 23:18:08 GMT
I've been attempting to translate the original Japanese lyric for Tsubomi. This has proved somewhat difficult, and I'm not very happy with the result to be honest.. Google Translate doesn't work well with Romanji, so I have cone back to the original Japanese script (no sure which of the three other Japanese scripts it is). The translations I get from Google Translate and Babelfish are fairly imcomprehensible. But you can see some slight resemblance to Hayley's English lyric if you look hard enough.
Kobukuro - Bud
Then in a sweaty smile, but tears spill
Nobody noticed me
So I know your tears
Was lit in my heart without eradicate it
The gentle light of the testimony that you gave me love without reason
While talking on his back covering the sunny soft Potsuri
Also this day would come someday
Surely, surely, surely I knew I should have
I'm waiting for it to bloom again this year the flower bud is likely to disappear
Palm can not grasp petals dancing in the wind
Nimbly stop shoulder
You remember the one who put on a good laugh and showed
Bud buried in the valley of the building one day dream
Believed dreams could not choose where the flowers bloom bloom
Everyone looking for the light in this city dropped Bokura silhouette
The flow of time overlaps
Surely, surely, surely surpass the day will come
May Misora lonely road blue line with no wind
I floated on clouds ever work
Nowhere to go back
Please tear down sparkling dancing in the wind seems to whisper to me
Scattered petals open it again when you like
Many times did your best to hear both hands held
I'm waiting for it to bloom again this year the flower bud is likely to disappear
I still hold on my dreams with you
Stop by my side
Looking to the sky like buds open tender smile
Martin D
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Post by Richard on Jan 25, 2011 8:32:41 GMT
Hello Martin D!  Here's another online translator you can try: www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.htmlI've had some very good results translating comments on YouTube from Chinese and Russian, and it translates to and from Japanese as well. It can handle 500 words at a time, and it's also got a very useful character map.  Richard  |
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Post by maya on Jan 25, 2011 11:41:56 GMT
I think I'd better to inform you a bit more about the background of the song "Tsubomi". This song was the theme song of the TV soap opera called "The Tokyo Tower ~My mom and me and sometimes with my dad~" which is the story about a mother and a young son from his childhood to the time of mother's death. They used to live in a house where they could see the Tokyo Tower (333m high). In the story and the song, "I" means the son and "you" means the mother. As you know the theme of the HSJS2 was "Mother", and the song Tsubomi was chosen I imagine. Also this was one of the big hits in Japan in 2007.
Tsubomi or a flower bud is refereed as a mother who passed away and the son remembers his mother seeing it to bloom. Below is just the initial part which I translated. Translations by computers between English and Japanese are still not good enough. Of course, mine is not enough too but I hope it is easier for you to get to know the original meanings.
"Tsubomi"
While you were sweating a lot and smiling at the same time,
No one could notice your tears.
So I didn't notice that you were crying.
It was the testimony of your love with no reasons that you were constantly
giving me the gentle light warming my heart up.
The soft sunshine was warming your back
and I was talking to you. But I should surely,
surely, surely have known the day would come.
The flower bud about to bloom is gently waiting for me again this year.
I can't catch a petal dancing in the wind.
Suddenly it comes to my shoulder.
It reminds me that you have once landed a petal to your shoulder and smiled. .......
So much for today.
Best wishes.
Maya.
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Post by martindn on Jan 25, 2011 23:06:12 GMT
Thanks for that Richard, another one to try when I'm trying to make sense of these things.
And thank you Maya for your improved translation. I think it makes a bit more sense than my attempt.
Best Wishes
Martin
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Post by martindn on Jan 27, 2011 22:51:45 GMT
Now, this one is even worse. Struggled to find a translator that would even attempt it.
This is Mirai-E To the Future. But some bits are recognisable nonethless.
The more I do this, the more admiration I have for the work that led to Hayley's wondewrful English versions of these songs.
look!
at one's feet this mother you of to walk road look!
before that mother you of future mother many of yasashisa eye wo idaite ayume metropolitan district kurikaeshita that over there time I, me, oneself, self, ego yet osanakute semantics et cetera unknown such I of hand wo grip one place load ayundekita dream I, me, oneself, self, ego always look! many-sided exist blank todokanakute scary root however oitsuzukeru of time of sutoorii so for sure akirametakunai anxiety load to become metropolitan district hand wo grip one place load ayundekita ** garden yasashi wo time
Well, the first few words look credible "Won't you look down upon your feet" seems a reasonable translation - the rest is gibberish I'm afraid. Help!! Maya?
Martin D
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Post by maya on Jan 28, 2011 10:35:25 GMT
Well, the first few words look credible "Won't you look down upon your feet" seems a reasonable translation - the rest is gibberish I'm afraid. Help!! Maya? Martin D As Marin D requested it, here it goes. ------------------------ "To The Future"
Oh look down upon your feet.
This road is yours to take.
Oh look ahead and that is your future.
Mother was so kind giving me so much love.
She repeated saying me to walk on with love.
I was too young to understand everything.
But she was walking with me holding my hand.
Dreams are always up high hanging
from our reach and are scary.
But that's what keeps us striding on.
It's my street and I don't want give it up.
We were walking together hand in hand
when uncertainties deluded us.
Sometimes, I considered the kindness bothering me
and I wasn't obedient to my mother who left me.
Oh look down upon your feet.
This road is yours to take.
Oh look ahead and that is your future.
Sometimes, I considered the kindness bothering me
and I wasn't obedient to my mother who left me.
Oh look down upon your feet.
This road is yours to take.
Oh look ahead and that is your future.
Oh look down upon your feet.
This road is yours to take.
Oh look ahead and that is your future.
I will be walking on to the future slowly.---------------------------- As Martin D has mentioned, the initial part was almost the same with the original Japanese lyrics. As I translated it, I confirmed that Hayley must had wrote the the lyrics herself informed the original meanings by the translator. Hayley's lyrics has more range of expressions. Also it reduced the repetitions. I don't find anything like "stars shine brightly", "I apologize for" and "A sky of colours from red to gold" in the original but these Hayley's words made the lyrics more colourful and tasty to me. But I must say that literal expressions are beyond my ability to translate. I have never measured English to study and mine was quite limited. I only have been in use of it in my technical field. Some well-skilled translator would be needed here. I must request my co-volunteers who have worked together at COP10, the UN Conference held near here 3 months ago. I've found Hayley fans who spoke very good English among us there. Best wishes. Maya |
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Post by martindn on Jan 28, 2011 21:22:27 GMT
Hi Maya,
Thank you for clarifying that for us. I can see now that quite a lot of Hayley's lyric comes from the original.
Lyrically, I think this is my favourite song on HSJS2 and my second favourite overall. Hayley's version, as one would expect knowing Hayley, is wonderfully positive and uplifting. I see that there are negative aspects in the original, which Hayley omitted.
"Blank pages before me are crying out for words" appears to be pure Hayley too.
But I have to say I prefer Hayley's version. Like many others, she made this song her own. I only wish it could be more widely heard in the West.
Martin D
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