Ten kara no Tegami (天からの手紙) - (JOHNNYS' World Next Stage) lyrics & translation
Please find an English translation of 「天からの手紙」(Ten kara no Tegami) from me. This is a song from JOHNNYS' World Next Stage musical for which Koichi Domoto wrote the lyrics. I've also included the Japanese original and a romanization. These lyrics have been taken from JOHNNYS' World performance on The Music Fair 7th January 2023 and it was performed by HiHi Jets, Bishonen, Shonen Ninja, and Johnny Jr.
Please do have a look at the translation notes below as well.
Any mistakes or errors are my own and do let me know if you spot anything. Many thanks!
"Because there are many kids in this generation who don't know Johnny-san"
HiHi Jets, Bishonen, Shonen Ninja, Johnny's Jr. (JOHNNYS' World Next Stage) - Ten kara no Tegami
Japanese Title: 天からの手紙
English Translation: Letter from Heaven
Lyrics: Koichi Domoto
Composition: Elias Ringuist, Mickela Ahnhem, Mikael Regenholz
Release: 2023
Single/Album: N/A - Song from JOHNNYS' World Next Stage musical
Japanese
子供はいつか大人に なるけど そう
大人は子供にはならない
流れる時の中 軌跡の果てに見える光を
託すよ まだ見ぬ君たちへ
僕らの時代へと この手で掴むのさ
You're the only one (translation: You は You なんだよ)
いつでも 忘れないでいて
Change the world
新しい世界へと
You're the only one (translation: You は You なんだよ)
そばにいるから
Don't say a prayer for me (translation: 僕のために祈らないでね...)
ここから見える景色は そうさ
あの日の夢 叶えようと 涙もこらえ
輝きの日々を あなたがくれたんだ
You're the only one いつかまた 会える気がするよ
Change the world 新しい世界なら
You're the only one 永遠に想うよ
共に行こう
空を仰げば 聞こえるよ
You & I いつでも…
You're the only one ありがとう 今なら言えるよ (You're the only one)
Change the world 僕にくれたこの愛で
You're the only one そばに行くまで (Change the world)
Save a prayer for 'YOU'
Romaji
Kodomo wa itsuka otona ni naru kedo sou
Otona wa kodomo ni wa naranai
Nagareru toki no naka kiseki no hate ni mieru hikari wo
Takusu yo mada minu kimi-tachi e
Bokura no jidai e to Kono te de tsukamu no sa
You're the only one
Itsu demo wasurenai de ite
Change the world atarashii sekai e to
You're the only one
Soba ni iru kara
Don't say a prayer for me
Koko kara mieru keshiki wa sou sa
Ano hi no yume kanaeyou to namida mo korae
Kagayaki no hibi wo anata ga kureta nda
You're the only one itsuka mata aeru ki ga suru yo
Change the world atarashii sekai nara
You're the only one towa ni omou yo
Tomo ni ikou
Sora wo aogeba kikoeru yo
You & I itsu demo...
You're the only one Arigatou ima nara ieru yo (You're the only one)
Change the world Boku ni kureta kono ai de
You're the only one Soba ni iku made (Change the world)
Save a prayer for 'YOU'
English
Although children will one day become adults
Adults will not become children
In the passage of time, the light I can see at the end of the track
I entrust to you all who don't yet see it
Into our era, we will seize it with our hands
You're the only one (t/n: Only you are you)
Always remember
Change the world
Into a new world
You're the only one (t/n: Only you are you)
Because I'm with you
Don't say a prayer for me
The view you can see from here
Making the dream from back then come true, holding back my tears
The golden days you gave me
You're the only one, I have a feeling we'll meet again one day
Change the world, if it's a new world
You're the only one, I'll think forever
Let's go together
When I look up at the sky, I can hear it
You & I, always...
You're the only one, Now I can tell you 'Thank you' (You're the only one)
Change the world, With this love you gave me
You're the only one, Until I can go to your side (Change the world)
Save a prayer for 'YOU'
Translation notes:
1. My interpretation of this is that the song is a letter from Johnny-san with a reply from Koichi-kun (or the Johnnys). When this was performed on The Music Fair text formatting was used to convey some information that I'd like to note and share. (Of course this is my understanding of it.)
There are parts where Johnny-san is addressing the Johnnys kids and parts where the Johnnys/Koichi-kun are addressing Johnny-san. Johnny-san's words were written in font like handwriting style on the screen, while the words from the Johnnys/Kochan appeared using a standard normal type-style font. I have tried to capture this distinction above by using italics for Johnny-san's words in the Japanese original, and English translation.
Additionally, some of Johnny-san's 'words' were sung in English, but written in Japanese or given a Japanese translation on screen. I have put these Japanese translations in brackets and marked them as translations. There were only 2 instances of this:
You're the only one (translation: You は You なんだよ)
Don't say a prayer for me (translation: 僕のために祈らないでね)
These are already translated for us into English by Kochan, however, one of them I think is worth noting or of interest:
You're the only one (translation: You は You なんだよ) - my English translation: You are you!
Don't say a prayer for me (translation: 僕のために祈らないでね) - my English translation: Don't say a prayer for me / Don't pray for me
In the Japanese 'You wa You nanda yo' we can really hear Johnny-san saying this, as he called everyone 'You' in Japanese, and of course the style of speech matches the stories and quotes we've heard from him. I can see why Kochan translated this into English as 'You're the only one', but if it were me, I might have said something along the lines of 'There's no one else like you', 'Only you are you', or 'Only you can be you' which I believe is more how we'd express this in English. (My personal thinking is that Kochan was aiming for 'You're the only one (of you)' type of meaning.)
It's also interesting because of course Japanese songs often use English or English lines, and I tend not to translate or interpret them because they are already in English and so as the author/lyricist intended, however this presented us with a Japanese translation, so I felt it was worth pointing out. (Sometimes I am tempted to interpret the English used and make it more fluent or capture the English meaning *I think* they are aiming for... but without more context, I don't like to presume....) This also may explain why I translated the Japanese 'translation' for 'You wa You nanda yo' but not for 'You're the only one' later when Johnnys/Koichi-kun's speaking.
Also please note, in the English translation 't/n' is short for 'translation note'.