Lyrics: 花のいろは

The Colors of Flowers... by ShibayanRecords
Original Romanized Translation

唐紅の名残の花 ようよう揺れる水面の果て 舟人の櫂の誘う浜 宵の宴は支度を待たねど

karakurenai no nagori no hana youyou yureru minamo no hate funabito no kai no sasou hama yoi no utage wa shitaku wo matenedo

Crimson flowers of regret, the horizon tracing the vast rippling surface of the water The shore drawing in the boatman’s oar, the evening’s festival waits not for preparation,

うつりにけりなうつつの色 ながめせしまに彼岸の虚 曼珠沙華咲く三途の藍 散る 散る 散る 朽ち行く

utsurinikeri na utsutsu no iro nagameseshi ma ni higan no uro man’jushage saku san’zu no ai chiru chiru chiru kuchiyuku

But how they have faded, the colors of reality! In the lapse of a gaze, in the hollow emptiness of the far shore The lycoris blossom by the indigo of the San’zu river; Everything scatters, scatters, scatters and withers away

六文を秤にかけ 閑を遊戯にすりかえ 手慰みに石を並べ 幾千の罪を遊ぶ

okumon wo hakari ni kake hima wo yuugi ni surikae tenagusami ni ishi wo narabe ikusen’ no tsumi wo susabu

Six mon’ upon the scales and idleness traded for games Boredom staved arranging stones, playing with the thousands of sins

たそかれの黄金の川 佇むは少女と百合 風化する骨を並べ 三千世界を謡え

tasokare no kogane no kawa tatadzumu wa otome to yuri fuuka suru hone wo narabe san’zen’ sekai wo utae

On the river golden in the twilight, still are only the maiden and lilies Arranging weathering bones, she sings of three thousand worlds

彼方に見る享楽の闇 此方に見る皆苦の海 盛りさえ一睡の儚さに消え 指に乗せる記憶の花

kanata ni miru kyouraku no yami konata ni miru kaiku no umi sakari sae issui no hakanasa ni kie yubi ni noseru kioku no hana

The pleasurable darkness seen in the distance The painful sea seen at the fore Any blossoming climax vanishes in the blink of an eye As this flower of memories resting on my fingers

渡る烏の羽音を読み 酒精を浴び微笑みかける 裁かれ行くは定めと悟る たましいの絶望の糧

wataru karasu no haoto wo yomi shusei wo abi hohoemi kakeru sabakareyuku wa sadame to satoru tamashii no zetsubou no kate

Reading the wingbeats of passing ravens, Bathing in alcohol, I smile watching on Knowing what is judged is fate, The source for the soul’s despair

しじまに浮き上がるは黄泉 月読みては数える時 水まさりなば踏み毀れるは橋 導くのは木の船

shijima ni ukiagaru wa yomi tsuki yomite wa kazoeru toki mizu masarinaba fumikoboreru wa hashi michibiku no wa ki no fune

In silence the underworld rises Time told by reading the moon If water rises, bridges will crumble So it is wooden ships that lead

胡蝶うたまう火葬の跡 香る盆の夕暮れには 七宝の善と深遠の悪 あいまみえて連れ添う

kochou utamau kasou no ato kaoru bon’ no yuugure ni wa shippou no zen’ to shin’en’ no aku aima miete tsuresou

Cremated ashes dance in the air like butterflies In this evening fragrant of the festival for the dead The seven treasures of good and infinitely deep evil Appear here and there as we travel along

花のいろはいたづらの睡 野にさらせば腕の憂い 身むなしくなりぬ崩れ行くは恋 掻い摘むも刹那の粋

hana no iro wa itadzura no sui no ni saraseba kaina no ui mi munashiku narinu kuzureyuku wa koi kaitsumu mo setsuna no iki

The colors of flowers are but useless fleeting dreams Exposed to nature, all our efforts are for naught I am emptied; what was love crumbles within me For all we may pluck are mometary sympathies

風見鶏の尾羽を折り 漕ぎつけるは此岸の街 ひとの宴に業誘う宵 飽いた視線酔いにはまだ

kazamidori no obane wo ori kogitsukeru wa shigan’ no machi hito no utage ni gou sasou yoi aita shisen’ ei ni wa mada

Those that bend the weathervane’s tail feathers, Those that row are only the towns of our departed shore Tonight karma is tempted into those human festivals To where my bored gaze is yet to be distorted by drink

永世行く旅路もなし さざ波のなびく潮のみ 雲間の月の差して鎌には紅 降り積もるは花びら

eisei yuku tabiji mo nashi sazanami no nabiku shio nomi kumoma no tsuki no sashite kama ni wa beni furitsumoru wa hanabira

There is no journey that goes on forever Only the tide and the ripping waves it carries The moon peeking through the clouds shines crimson on my scythe As flower petals pile falling from the sky

悔い贖う輪廻の先 現世には那由他の夢 今生は塵芥の園 幽玄まで連れ添う

kuiaganau rin’ne no saki gen’sei ni wa nayuta no yume kon’jou wa jin’kai no sono yuugen’ made tsuresou

Reincarnation, repentance through suffering In the apparent world are countless dreams Though one’s life is but a garden of garbage Past that we travel, into the profound

うつつの色うつりにけりな一夜 彼岸の虚ながめせしまに満つ 曼珠沙華舞う三途の藍に香に眠れ 散り朽ちるを見届けるだけ

utsutsu no iro utsurinikeri na hitoyo higan’ no uro nagameseshi ma ni mitsu man’jushage mau san’zu no ai ni kou ni nemure chirikuchiru wo mitodokeru dake

How the colors of reality have faded, in but one night! In the lapse of a gaze, the hollow emptiness of the far shore fills Sleep in the fragrances as the lycoris dance by the indigo of the San’zu river I only watch as they scatter and wither away

花のいろは いたづらの睡を悼む紅に 身までむなしまた夢の世ぞ 遊ばれて耐えなむ 野にさらせば一握の憂い 手向けるは一輪の花

hana no iro wa itadzura no sui wo itamu beni ni mi made munashi mata yume no yo zo sasubarete taenamu no ni saraseba ichiaku no ui temukeru wa ichirin’ no hana

The colors of flowers Turn crimson lamenting over useless fleeting dreams I am emptied; it’s back to the world of dreams Where through what games I play I endure Exposed to nature, all what we grasp is for naught; As is in my open hand, this single flower.

Translated by Kafka-Fuura