Kaji Meiko - Shura no Hana (Flower of Carnage) – Lyrics (Corrections) #2

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This article is "Part 2" of an earlier article. Please read "Part 1" first. It's here. Thanks.
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Some Notes on the Translation of "Shura no Hana" Lyrics

Tomurai:
The word “Tomurai” in the first line of the Japanese lyrics originally means “Funeral.” But it can also mean “revenge” or “avenge.” An example of “tomurai” used as “avenge” is 弔い合戦 (Tomurai gassen) which means “avenging battle.” It is a battle of avenge to comfort the sprit of the dead -- it is an expression that was used in the old samurai period; nowadays it is only used in the "Yakuza" movies.

Geta:

“Geta (Geta sandals) no (of) oto (sound) kishimu (squeak/creak/groan)” -- this phrase is referring to the sound of Geta footsteps. Geta are wooden sandals so they squeak and make grading sounds especially when they are worn in wet weather.

Tsuru

The literal translation of "Itetsui ta tsuru" in the second verse is "Frozen crane(s)." Cranes are migratory birds that migrate to the northern region of Japan during the winter. The phrase "frozen crane(s)" evokes the image of bleak scenery, loneliness, and possibly purity.

Janome-no-kasa

"Janome-no-Kasa," is a poetic wording of "Janome-gasa." "Janome-gasa" are ambrellas made from wood and oiled paper. Literal translation of "Janome-gasa" is "Snake-eye umbrella." They are called "snake-eye" because "Janome-gasa" usually have round patterns on them (as shown in the picture) and the Japanese people in the past thought they looked like a snake's eye.

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Some trivia about the movie Shurayuki Hime.

"Shura no Hana" (Flowers of Carnage) is the theme song of the movie titled "Shurayuki Hime." Maybe most of the fans of this movie already know this but “Shurayiki Hime” (English Title: Lady Snowblood) is a pun for “Shirayuki Hime” which is the Japanese name for “Snow White” from the story of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." It is a play on the word “Shura”(carnage) and “Shira” (a derivative word of “white”) as they sound similar.

"Hime" means "Princess." So the literal translation of “Shurayuki Hime”(the movie title) is “Carnage Snow Princess" and the literal translation of “Shirayuki Hime” (the fairly tale) is “White Snow Princess.” It is oviously ironical since Snow White is a symbol of purity whereas Kaji Meiko's “Shurayuki Hime” is a story of vengeance and bloody fights. I think is also has some humorous and witty undertone. A nice naming. I think "Lady Snowblood" is also a very good interpretation of the Japanese title.

Thanks for reading.

Kaji Meiko - Shura no Hana (Flower of Carnage) – Lyrics (Corrections)

I was checking the Lyrics of the song “Flower of Carnage” -- Shura no Hana -- on the internet and I found some errors (not major errors but somewhat noticeable) in the Japanese lyrics (how they are read) and one possible misinterpretation in the English translation.

Here are the some of the first search results when I Googled "Flower of Carnage, Lyrics": stlyrics.com, lyricsdownload.com, allthelyrics.com. I checked about 10 of them at random but the Japanese Lyrics and the English translations were all identical -- obviously they are from the same source. Except for this blog: sarudama.com. The Japanese lyrics were the same but the translation was much closer to the original Japanese song than the other version found on the internet.

I noticed the errors in the Japanese lyrics because I'm a native Japanese speaker. So I made some corrections below. As for the translation, it is up to the interpretation of translator. In my case, I tried to translate it as literally as possible. It’s not meant to be poetic – it's just to help those who like this song understand the meaning of the original song better. Also, I am not in any way negating other translations.

Regarding the identical English translation I found on the internet (e.g. those on the first three websites mentioned above), the parts corresponding to the second and third verses of the Japanese lyrics are not direct translations from the original Japanese lyrics -- I believe those lyrics were created especially for the movie Kill Bill. (e.g. “soldiers” and “jail” are not mentioned in the original Japanese lyrics.)

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The two corrections I want to explain first are in the third line of the song.

1. First line of the third verse -- Japanese lyrics

"Iin na naomosa mitsumete aruku "
– correction: Inga na omosa mitsumete aruku
(The expression “Iin na naomosa” does not exist in Japanese.)

“Inga” means: cause and effect, karma, fate
Inga in kanji characters: 因果（いんが） 因：Cause, 果：effect
The appropriate translation of "inga" for this song would be "Karma/fate"

Reference: Online Japanese/English Dictionery
(Click on the image to enlarge)

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2. First line of the third verse
-- i.e. English translation of the above mentioned line.

Tranlation error?:
"I walk with the weight of the Milky Way on my shoulders"
– correction: I walk with the weight of fate (or karma) on my shoulders

Whoever translated this song must have listened to the song -- instead of reading the written Japanese lyrics -- and mis-heard "Inga" (meaning karma/fate) as "Ginga" (meaning Milky Way). "Inga" is not a very common word and these two words sound similar but the meanings are quite different.

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Flower of Carnage (Shura no Hana) on YouTube:



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修羅の花
Shura no Hana
Flower of Carnage

(Correct Japanese reading and
English translation as reference.)

唄　梶芽衣子
作詞　小池一雄
作曲　平尾昌晃
Song: Kaji Meiko
Lyrics: Koike Kazuo
Music: Hirao Masaai

死んでいた朝に とむらいの雪が降る
はぐれ犬の遠吠え 下駄の音きしむ
いんがなおもさ みつめて歩く
闇を抱きしめる 蛇の目の傘一つ
いのちの道を行く女 涙はとうに捨てました

Shinde ita asa ni tomurai no yuki ga furu
Hagure inu no tooboe Geta no oto kishimu
Inga na omosa mitsumete aruku
Yami o dakishimeru Janome no kasa hitotsu
Inochi no michi wo yuku onna namida wa tooni sutemashita

In the dead morning, I see snow of vengeance falling from the sky
Stray dogs howl and the sound of my Geta groaning
I walk on with my eyes focused on the weight of my karma
Embracing darkness, just a wooden umbrella in my hand
I am a woman who treads the road of destiny;
it has been long since I cast away my tears

ふりむいた川に 遠ざかる旅の灯が
凍てた鶴は動かず 哭いた雨と風
冷えた水面に ほつれ髪映し
涙さえ見せない 蛇の目の傘一つ
怨みの道を行く女 心はとうに捨てました

Furimuita kawa ni toozakaru tabi no hi ga
Itetsuita tsuru wa ugogazu naita ame to kaze
Hieta minamo ni hotsure-gami utsushi
Namida sae misenai Janome no kasa hitotsu
Urami no michi wo yuku onna kokoro wa tooni sutemashita

I look back at the river mirroring reflections of the receding lights of the journey
Cranes stand still in the freezing cold, rain and wind cry out loud
Shadow of my disheveled hair on the icy water surface
I won't even shed a drop of tear, just a wooden umbrella in my hand
I am a woman who treads the road of vengeance;
it has been long since I discarded my heart

義理も情も 涙も夢も
昨日も明日も 縁のない言葉
怨みの川に身をゆだね
女はとうに捨てました

Giri mo jou mo namida mo yume mo
Kinou mo ashita mo en no nai kotoba
Urami no kawa ni mi o yudane
Onna wa tooni sute mashita

Obligations and mercy, tears and dreams
I am stranger to them yesterday or tomorrow
I entrust myself to the river of vengeance
It has been long since I abandoned my womanhood

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Japanese Lyric Corrections (wrong readings are highlighted in red, corrections are shown in green)

Shura no Hana (Flowers of Carnage)
Japanese Lyrics

Shindeita
Asa ni
Tomorai no => Tomurai no
Yuki ga furu

Hagure inu no
Tooboe
Geta no
Otokishimu

Iin na naomosa* => Inga na omosa
[*As I mentioned above, "Iin na naomosa" does not have any meaning in Japanese...]
Mitsumete aruku
Yami wo dakishimeru
Janomeno kasa hitotsu

Inochi no michi wo
Yuku onna
Namida wa tooni
Sutemashita

Furimuita
Kawa ni
Toozakaru
Tabinohima => Tabino hi ga

Itteta* tsuru wa => Itetsui ta tsuru wa
[*"Itteta" has no meaning in Japanese.]
Ugokasu* = Ugokazu
[*"Ugokasu" is to move something, "Ugokazu" is to be immobile.]
Naita
Ame to kaze

Kieta* mizu mo ni => Hieta mizumo ni
[*"Kieta" means "vanished," "Hieta" means "icy"]
Hotsure ga miutsushi* = Hotsure-gami utsushi
[*This is not phonetically wrong but "Gami" (a suffix form of "kami"=hair) is one word]
Namida sae misenai
Janomeno kasa hitotsu

Urami no michi wo
Yuku onna
Kokoro wa tooni
Sutemashita

Giri mo nasake mo
Namida mo yume no* => Namida mo yume mo
[*"no" means "of," "mo" means "also."]
Kinou mo ashita mo
Henno* nai kotoba => Enno nai kotoba
[*"Henno" has no meaning.]

Urami no kawa ni
Mi wo yudanete => Mi wo yudane
Honma* wa tooni => Onna wa tooni
[*"Honma" is "Real/True" in Japanese dialect, "Onna" is woman.]
Sutemashita

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Thanks for reading!