Collector
"Collector"[1]
D
[2]
Deep gray,[3] gray-blue,[4] sandy tan[5]
I am born in this land
A broken spirit[6] affects an innocent soul,[7] ah
Disarranged gracelessly by the desired form
Touch me with your hand, you look over the beloved body as if drawing your tongue over it
We asked, “Are you satisfied?”
Delicate pink,[8] soft purple,[9] deep crimson[10]
You steal my seasons[11] with your hand
In a paradise made for only one, I will show you pity
Hey, “Do you want me by your side?”
And take these exhausted entrails…[12] Ah
Beautiful in appearance, yet your true form is not here
Touch me with your hand, you look over the beloved body as if drawing your tongue over it
Behold, we did ask.
Enclosed, I feel no life, groaning in beauty
Yes, you said that man “is never satisfied.”
[1]The characters here are fairly complicated and would normally be read “shuushuuka,” but the writing here indicates it should be read with the English pronunciation “collector.”
[2]The words for the colors named throughout the song are extremely traditional, poetic, high class, and rarely used in Japanese nowadays. Their usage brings to mind the ancient Heian court and their emphasis on color coordination, particularly in women’s 12-layered kimonos.
[3]Literally “black oak,” the color can be viewed here.
[4]Literally “dull blue,” the color can be viewed here.
[5]Literally “agarwood,” the color can be viewed here.
[6]The characters here are usually read “seishin” (“mind, spirit, intention”), but are read “kokoro” (“heart”-in the abstract sense) here.
[7]The characters here are usually read “shinkei” (“nerve, sensitivity”), but are also read “kokoro” here.
[8]Literally “incense sappanwood,” the color can be viewed here.
[9]Literally “dual indigo,” the color can be viewed here.
[10]Literally “true red,” the color can be viewed here.
[11]Color coordination in the Heian Period was directly related to the shifting seasons. Each had its own set palette.
[12]The sentence here is unfinished in a way that would not make sense in English. The entrails are the direct object, but the verb is left unsaid.
Note: I am quite dissatisfied with this translation and may edit it later, but it is a difficult song, so I am settling on this for now.