In the depths of an iron forest, I take and let out a deep, deep breath
A faint morning sun shines in from a tiny crack somewhere
Brushing aside grass, trees, even the sun and the rain, I advance
Right now there is only one existence I can rely on
In this world that has unfolded before me,
You turn the beat of words into sound
Amidst the ceaseless flow of time,
Depict your existence! Demonstrate your existence!
What place will the dry wind that slips through my hair reach?
The rising clouds of dust signal to you a new beginning
Peeling off the ivy coiling around my body,
I follow the path laid out by the score, a declaration exclusively yours
You fill this endlessly connected world
With a brilliant, gorgeous sound
Give your all—every bit of your finite life—and1
Depict your existence! Demonstrate your existence!
Whatever suffering and whatever emotion it may be,
Give it the color of music using your words
Whatever thoughts and whatever day-to-day they describe,
I shall sing your words
In this world that has unfolded before me,
You turn the beat of words into sound
Amidst the ceaseless flow of time,
While being overwhelmed with anguish,
You fill this endlessly connected world
With a brilliant, gorgeous sound
Give your all—every bit of your finite life—and
Depict your existence! Demonstrate your existence!
1. Untranslatable idiom in the Japanese. "inochi wo kezuru" means "to work hard at something to the point of shortening one's lifespan."