DnM - Chara song ヴェガ (Vega) - 「砂漠の薔薇 ~キズノ勲章~」("Sabaku no Bara") - Lyrics, romaji and translation
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Trial listening can be done at Karin entertainment's website
I present to you the character song for Vega from the game 断罪のマリア ("Danzai no Maria" / "Exorcism of Maria"), produced by Karin Entertainment.
Vega is part of the "Hellfire Club", the opposing group of exorcists in the game who use demons for their goals, unlike the team the title character Maria is a part of, who use angels. (Maria's problem is that she neither belongs to either team as she holds to the beliefs of the church but has a contract with a demon, but that is a different story).
Vega is voiced by Koichi YOKOTA. The song is the third track on the second character song album [迷宮の子羊編] ("Meikyuu no kohitsuji hen" / "Lambs of the Labyrinth - version").
Before moving onto the lyrics, I would like to stress that this song is written not specifically to convey a particular story or scene, but to bring up a certain feeling.
There are a ton of notes below the translation containing both interpretation, (possible) explanation and some suggestions for different translations. Thank you for taking notice
Thanks go out to lorraille322 for directing me to this song and making me want to try my hand at translating it.
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砂漠の薔薇 ~キズノ勲章~
歌：ヴェガ （CV：横田紘一）
砂漠の薔薇よ 抗う己（おのれ）に酔え
たとえ乾いた 痛みになろうと
悪意を咲かせよう キズノ勲章
そうまるで 虚ろな心臓 宿す人形
夢見る頃過ぎて 気付いた己の器
希望なき 玩具の拳銃 錆びた引き金
嵐のよに響く 愚かな頬を打たれ
それでも 胸穿（うが）つ衝動
濁る視線の 奏で光る
砂漠の薔薇よ 静かに悲鳴をあげろ
弱い心が その血流しても
抗う証こそ キズノ勲章
誰もかも 夢（よくぼう）抱いて 街に繰り出せば
幻覚（ゆめ）から覚め虚ろ 消えてた己の炎
残るのは 希望の余韻と夢の残骸
合成蜜（ごうせいみつ）の味 群がる愚か者ども
それでも 天駆（あまか）ける衝動
焼ける熱砂の 影に潜め
砂漠の薔薇よ 抗う己に酔え
二人の胸に 一つの希望を
砂漠の薔薇よ 静かに悲鳴をあげろ
たとえ厳しい 罰を受けようと
奪いあう証 キズノ勲章
砂漠の薔薇よ 抗う己 誇れ
たとえお前の 痛みになろうと
砂漠の薔薇よ 静かに悲鳴をあげろ
お前の心が その血流しても
悪意を咲かせよう キズノ勲章
キズノ勲章
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Sabaku no bara ~KIZU NO kunshou~
Song: VEGA （CV: YOKOTA Koichi）
Sabaku no bara yo aragau onore ni yoe
Tatoe kawaita itami ni narou to
Akui wo sakaseyou kizu no kunshou
Sou marude utsurou na shinzou yadosu ningyou
Yume miru koro sugite kidzuita onore no utsuwa
Kibou naki omocha no kenjuu sabita hikigane
Arashi no you ni hibiku oroka na hoho wo utare
Sore demo mune ugatsu shoudou
Nigoru shisen no oku de hikaru
Sabaku no bara yo shizuka ni himei wo agero
Yowai kokoro ga sono chi nagashitemo
Aragau akashi koso KIZU NO kunshou
Daremo kamo yokubou (**1) idaite machi ni kuridaseba
Yume (**2) kara sameutsuro kieteta onore no honoo
Nokoru no wa kibou no yoin to yume no no zangai
Gousei mitsu no aji hirogau orokamono domo
Sore demo amakakeru shoudou
Yakeru nassa no kage ni hisome
Sabaku no bara yo aragau onore ni yoe
Futari no mune ni hitotsu no kibou wo
Sabaku no bara yo shizuka ni himei wo agero
Tatoe kibishii batsu wo ukeyou to
Ubaiau akashi KIZU NO kunshou
Sabaku no bara yo aragau onore hokore
Tatoe omae no itami ni narou to
Sabaku no bara yo shizuka ni himei wo agero
Omae no kokoro ga sono chi nagashitemo
Akui wo sakaseyou KIZU NO kunshou
KIZU NO kunshou
Notes:
(**1) - Written with the kanji for “yume”, meaning “dream”, but sung as “yokubou”, meaning “desire”
(**2) - Written with the kanji for “gensou”, meaning “illusion”, but sung as “yume”, meaning dream
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Desert rose ~Medal of wounds ~ (*0)
Song:Vega （CV: YOKOTA Koichi）
Rose of the desert (*1) become intoxicated with your defying self
Even if it’d become a dry pain
Let malice blossom (*2) A decoration of wounds (*3)
Yes, it is quite like a puppet that houses an empty heart
Having gone beyond the period when one can dream, you noticed your shell (*4)
Without hope pulling the rusted trigger of a toy gun (*5)
Resounding like a storm striking the foolish cheek (*6)
Still the impulse to pierce the heart (*7)
Shines within a clouded gaze
Rose of the desert quietly let out a scream
Even when the weak heart will bleed (*8)
Exactly [that is] the proof of defiance A decoration of wounds
Anyone, holding onto hope (*9) when they hit town
Wake up from the dream (*10) in a daze One's lost fire
Remaining are the lingering sparks of hope and the ruins of dreams
The taste of the nectar of synthesis Foolish people swarming together
Still the impulse to ride the heavens (*11)
Conseal it in the shadow of burning hot sand
Rose of the desert become intoxicated with your defying self
One hope within two hearts
Rose of the desert quietly let out a scream
Even if you'd have to accept a harsh punishment
The proof of struggeling A decoration of wounds
Rose of the desert take pride in your defying self
Even if it would become your pain (*12)
Rose of the desert quietly let out a scream
Even when your heart will bleed (*8)
Let malice blossom (*2) A decoration of wounds
A medal of wounds
Notes:
*I am not a professional translator, so there may be some mistakes. Please let me know if you spot one, and tell me why it is wrong and how to translate it correctly. Also, please note that Japanese (or any other language) can be translated in more than one way. Thank you.*
(*0) - The translation of the title is not mine, but the common name for the song.
(*1) - Can also be “desert rose”. I prefer “rose of the desert” as it allows the interpretation we are not talking about the true desert rose, but about either a sand rose (what the Japanese 砂漠の薔薇 refers to) or a normal rose, left in the desert. I would like to point out that Vega has a rose on his hat as decoration - which may be his “desert rose”, even when it does not look like a desert rose, resulting in the interpretation that the desert rose IS the “medal of wounds” (see note 3 for more on this phrase).
(*2) - “Let malice blossom” or “Let's let malice bloom” - both are acceptable
(*3) - Kizu no kunsho -> I translated it as “a decoration of wounds”, but keep in mind that the original meaning of “kunshou” is a “medal” (thus, a decoration in the form of a medal or something similar, received for doing certain deeds).
Also, “kizu” can mean both emotional as well as physical wounds, imperfections or weaknesses, as well as a stain on one's reputation; “dishonor”. This last point would make the ironical feeling/translation “a medal of dishonor” quite fitting as well.
My interpretation is that Vega knows what he's doing isn't “right”, but he does so nonetheless. The wounds he receives, internal mostly, are a proof of his hardships and troubles, which in turn make them medals of his hardships. The rose on his hat, red as blood, is an unchanging decoration. But this may be me interpreting things too freely.
(*4) - “Shell” or “container”
(*5) - Literally this line was “Without hope a toy gun’s rusted trigger”
(*6) - Translated this literally... I believe the “resounding like a storm” belong to the “hitting the cheek” but I feel the line was written to also connect in feeling with the line above it. There .may also be a Biblic reference here: "whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also" (「右の頬を打たれたら左の頬も出せ」)
(*7) - Or “Still the chest piercing impulse” - The particle that decides which of the two it is is left out, so it is decided on feeling alone.
(*8) - Literally: “will bleed that blood”
(*9) - As sung “hope”, as written in kanji “dreams”
(*10) - As sung “dream”, as written in kanji: “illusion”
(*11) - Though a bit strange, “The heaven riding impulse” would technically be also okay.
(*12) - “Hana(bira]) wo itamu” (hurting a flower('s leaves)) is used to describe “wounding” a flower('s leaves). Since we are talking about a flower, the “itami” can both mean “pain” as well as “wounds”.
Hence, “Even if it would pain you” / “Even if it would wound you” would also work, even when their nuance is slightly different.