ニジがキレイだよ The rainbow is beautiful
I translated Nino's "Niji" a while ago over at my Ameba blog, but I never posted it here for some reason. I know it's been translated lots before, but it's one of my all-time favourites, so I had to have a try myself. It's such a tricky song to translate accurately whilst capturing and maintaining the simple beauty of the lyrics.
虹
NIJI
RAINBOW
二宮和也
Ninomiya Kazunari
いつもそうよ itsumo sou yo
It's always like this
拗ねると君は suneru to kimi wa
When you're sulking
私の大事な物を隠すでしょ watashi no daijina mono wo kakusu desho
You hide my most precious things from me.
その場所は決まって同じだから sono basho wa kimatte onaji dakara
The place you take them to is always the same
今日は先に行って待ってみるわ kyou wa saki ni itte matte miru wa
So today I'll go there first and wait for you.
季節たちが夕日を連れて来て kisetsutachi ga yuuhi wo tsuretekite
The seasons have brought along the setting sun
影が私を見つけて延びる... kage ga watashi wo mitsukete nobiru
And the shadows reach out to find me.
ビックリした顔で私をみつめては bikkurishita kao de watashi wo mitsumete wa
With surprise on your face, you stare at me
急に口尖らせ「プイッ」と外見るの kyuu ni kuchi togarase puitto sotto miru no
With a sudden pout, you avert your gaze
「ごめんね」と言うと "Gomen ne" to iu to
"Sorry," you say,
「じゃあ、こっちに来てよ」と jya, kocchi ni kite yo to
"C'mon, come here then,"
「ねぇ、ほら見て見て nee, hora mite mite
"Hey, look, look...
影が重なった...」 kage ga kasanatta
Our shadows have become one."
傘が打つかりまっすぐ歩けない kasa ga butsukari massugu arukenai
Our umbrellas clash, I can't walk straight.
そんな私を見て笑っているの sonna watashi wo mite waratte iru no
Seeing me like this, you're laughing.
私もやってみせてあげるの watashi mo yatte misete ageru no
That same way you've shown me,
同じ様に口を尖らす... onaji you ni kuchi wo togarasu
I pout my lips.
優しく笑うきみが yasashiku warau kimi ga
It's you, who's smiling gently
この時間が空間が kono jikan ga kuukan ga
All this time...
泣きたくなるくらい nakitakunaru kurai
一番大事なものだよ ichiban daiji na mono da yo
You're the thing that's been most precious to me;
so precious I could cry.
わざと尖らせてる... wazato togaraseteru
I'm pouting on purpose
私に「ごめんね」の返事を持たずに watashi ni "gomen ne" no henji wo matazu ni
And before you can say you're sorry,
優しくキスしたの... yasashiku kisushita no
I softly kiss you...
これからはちょっとくらいの我が儘 korekara wa chotto kurai no wagamama
From now on, it's fine for you
言ってもいいよ ittemo ii yo
to make a few selfish requests
でも私にだけよ demo watashi ni dake yo
But make them only to me.
「面倒くさいから」って "mendokusai kara" tte
"I just can't be bothered," you say,
素直じゃないんだから sunao jyanain dakara
But you're not being honest with me.
何で言えないのかな？ nande ienai no kana?
Why can't you say it?
「好きだよ」一言よ？ "suki da yo" hitokoto yo?
Those simple words, "I love you"?
たまには聞きたいな tamani wa kikitai na
You know, sometimes I just want to hear it.
今日は私と君が kyou wa watashi to kimi ga
Today is the day
名字を重ねた日 myoji ga kasaneta hi
that our names become one.
愛が芽吹いた日 ai ga mebuita hi
The day that out love buds.
La la la…
「虹がキレイだよ niji ga kirei da yo
"The rainbow is beautiful...
いや、お前の方が... 」 iya, omae no hou ga...
no, the beautiful one is you."
テレはじめるきみに terehajimeru kimi ni *
To you, as you're starting to blush,
「ありがとう ありがとう」 "arigatou, arigatou"
"Thank you, thank you."
Notes:
テレはじめる君に
Terehajimeru kimi ni
"Tereru" is a word we don't really have in English. It's like getting embarrassed in a good way when someone compliments you. "Bashful," is probably the closest equivalent. "Terehajimeru" is when someone's starting to get "tereru". Which is why "starting to blush" was the most natural-sounding translation.
虹
NIJI
RAINBOW
二宮和也
Ninomiya Kazunari
いつもそうよ itsumo sou yo
It's always like this
拗ねると君は suneru to kimi wa
When you're sulking
私の大事な物を隠すでしょ watashi no daijina mono wo kakusu desho
You hide my most precious things from me.
その場所は決まって同じだから sono basho wa kimatte onaji dakara
The place you take them to is always the same
今日は先に行って待ってみるわ kyou wa saki ni itte matte miru wa
So today I'll go there first and wait for you.
季節たちが夕日を連れて来て kisetsutachi ga yuuhi wo tsuretekite
The seasons have brought along the setting sun
影が私を見つけて延びる... kage ga watashi wo mitsukete nobiru
And the shadows reach out to find me.
ビックリした顔で私をみつめては bikkurishita kao de watashi wo mitsumete wa
With surprise on your face, you stare at me
急に口尖らせ「プイッ」と外見るの kyuu ni kuchi togarase puitto sotto miru no
With a sudden pout, you avert your gaze
「ごめんね」と言うと "Gomen ne" to iu to
"Sorry," you say,
「じゃあ、こっちに来てよ」と jya, kocchi ni kite yo to
"C'mon, come here then,"
「ねぇ、ほら見て見て nee, hora mite mite
"Hey, look, look...
影が重なった...」 kage ga kasanatta
Our shadows have become one."
傘が打つかりまっすぐ歩けない kasa ga butsukari massugu arukenai
Our umbrellas clash, I can't walk straight.
そんな私を見て笑っているの sonna watashi wo mite waratte iru no
Seeing me like this, you're laughing.
私もやってみせてあげるの watashi mo yatte misete ageru no
That same way you've shown me,
同じ様に口を尖らす... onaji you ni kuchi wo togarasu
I pout my lips.
優しく笑うきみが yasashiku warau kimi ga
It's you, who's smiling gently
この時間が空間が kono jikan ga kuukan ga
All this time...
泣きたくなるくらい nakitakunaru kurai
一番大事なものだよ ichiban daiji na mono da yo
You're the thing that's been most precious to me;
so precious I could cry.
わざと尖らせてる... wazato togaraseteru
I'm pouting on purpose
私に「ごめんね」の返事を持たずに watashi ni "gomen ne" no henji wo matazu ni
And before you can say you're sorry,
優しくキスしたの... yasashiku kisushita no
I softly kiss you...
これからはちょっとくらいの我が儘 korekara wa chotto kurai no wagamama
From now on, it's fine for you
言ってもいいよ ittemo ii yo
to make a few selfish requests
でも私にだけよ demo watashi ni dake yo
But make them only to me.
「面倒くさいから」って "mendokusai kara" tte
"I just can't be bothered," you say,
素直じゃないんだから sunao jyanain dakara
But you're not being honest with me.
何で言えないのかな？ nande ienai no kana?
Why can't you say it?
「好きだよ」一言よ？ "suki da yo" hitokoto yo?
Those simple words, "I love you"?
たまには聞きたいな tamani wa kikitai na
You know, sometimes I just want to hear it.
今日は私と君が kyou wa watashi to kimi ga
Today is the day
名字を重ねた日 myoji ga kasaneta hi
that our names become one.
愛が芽吹いた日 ai ga mebuita hi
The day that out love buds.
La la la…
「虹がキレイだよ niji ga kirei da yo
"The rainbow is beautiful...
いや、お前の方が... 」 iya, omae no hou ga...
no, the beautiful one is you."
テレはじめるきみに terehajimeru kimi ni *
To you, as you're starting to blush,
「ありがとう ありがとう」 "arigatou, arigatou"
"Thank you, thank you."
Notes:
テレはじめる君に
Terehajimeru kimi ni
"Tereru" is a word we don't really have in English. It's like getting embarrassed in a good way when someone compliments you. "Bashful," is probably the closest equivalent. "Terehajimeru" is when someone's starting to get "tereru". Which is why "starting to blush" was the most natural-sounding translation.