心綺楼 || Shinkirou

「心綺楼」
Shinkirou

Vocals: めらみぽっぷ (Meramipop)
Lyrics: RD-Sounds
Arranged by: RD-Sounds
Album: 伝 (Tsutae) [Official site]
Circle: 凋叶棕 (Diao ye zong)
Event: C91
Original theme: The Lost Emotion [亡失のエモーション]

Requested by: Rachelle Lee

This song is ‘Shinkirou,’ the play Kokoro wrote in collaboration with Mamizou in Forbidden Scrollery [Also Hopeless Masquerade’s Japanese title]. It is a comedic retelling of the events of the religious war, featuring exaggerated portrayals of each of the combatants…

Except Koishi.

I think Kokoro is the one performing this whole play, but since she takes on the personas of other characters, I tried to copy their speech patterns as best as I could. Another thing about this song that’s quite neat is the little hints of each character’s theme you hear during their respective sections. Of course, you probably won’t notice it the first time you listen until it reaches Nitori’s section. Then you’ll want to listen to the song again to see where the others are…

And then you’ll realise once more that Koishi is missing. Well, at least she got her own album this time…

Though I haven’t listed all of the Diao ye zong-isms here, I tried to account for them in my translation. Some are quite standard, such as substituting 感情 (‘kanjou’) with 想い (‘omoi’).

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Unofficial translation/非公式の英訳

All creatures, great and small!
How do you live those long lives of yours?
You live without getting answers, though you worry and worry.
If so, then make your lives bloom like flowers, adorning this moment!

O, infinite emotions! Become flowers!

You! Youkai over there!
You are before the Hakurei shrine maiden,
So give me your popularity!
While you’re at it, give me monetary offerings, too.

The firepower I set off
Is the result of diligent, daily work,
So it will surpass mysteries
And become hope!

According to the old man,
Our conflict is just.
Scum like you
Have already lost in terms of sheer scale!

I shall save the world.
I swear it upon my title as the strongest monk.
Displaying my power
Is like presenting the Three Buddhist Treasures in physical form.

Whilst faith continued to be disturbed…
Before that shadow secretly stretched out their hands…
I will rely on my heart and tell my tale!

Those infinite layers of emotion
Began to change, this instant.

If they are not peaceful…
Then I shall bewitch them! We shall fight!

Now, popularity explosion!
It’s a clash of great moves!

O, cries of joy! Become flowers upon this stage!

I am but a pawn.
‘Tis nary a cloud in mine heart.
You, over there –
Art thou a foe?! Then I shall set fire to thee.

Leave me!
Places full of hope can be found far and wide.
A new mask
Will become a new shape for your hope.

If a festival’s going on,
Then I’ll aim for loose purse strings!
This isn’t a game!
Even trials in hell run on something or another… (1)

The moon’s out –
It’s high time Futatsuiwa from Sado passed on by. (2)
Though I walk right through the Human Village,
They ain’t got no idea who I really am…

A time before hearts were disturbed and stolen away
By faith, which shifts from one thing to the next…
I will tell that tale to my heart’s content!

If a hopeless life awaits
Inside the darkness…

Just look upon it and smile!
As long as you’re alive, isn’t that great?

Now, popularity explosion!
Danmaku burst forth!

O, cries of wrath! Become flowers upon this stage!

One’s heart can be found in life—
It’s tale of numerous deeds
Done from person to person
Or thing to thing.

I don’t know how tomorrow will turn out
In this mirage.
Still, I’m going to follow my heart
And pass this legend on to tomorrow!

Though I gaze upon all the emotions I felt
From the beginning of this tale to its end,
My worries overwhelm me, and I feel empty…
I’m still not satisfied
So I will seek hope using these hands of mine!

The feast is in full swing
So I shall give them one last look at my wicked Noh!
I shall cover up the mood of the Holy Trinity! (3)
Do not bear a grudge, Menreiki!

And now I, too, cannot lose
For the sake of all hope.
I’ll dance once more for you!
Now, while I command this name – and my heart!

Popularity explosion!
Spells fly wildly about.

O, desire for hope! Become a flower upon this stage!

…Become flowers!

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Translator’s note

(1) This line is a corrupted version of the proverb 地獄の沙汰も金次第, which means something like “even trials in hell can be won with enough money.”

(2) These two lines are also used in the beginning of ＜正調＞佐渡の二ッ岩, a track from Itazura [徒]. In that song, they are used in reference to the tanuki Danzaburou-danuki (団三郎).

(3) This refers to the three religious sects at war in Hopeless Masquerade: Shintoism, Taoism, and Buddhism.