Kamen — Yoh Kamiyama (English Translation)
Tags: Translation, Yoh Kamiyama, Kamen

手探りで僕らは今でも

even now, we fumble —

綱渡りの日々にもがいている

— struggling through this balancing act of our lives

ふらついて試す疑いの余地

having room for doubt that keeps you on your toes — [1]

壁に付けた正の字も二画目

that’s the second strike on the scoreboard [2]

思い出すあなた届かない指が

your unreachable hands —

その隅から隅までが

— i remember them from tip to toe

嫌になっちゃってさ

and i absolutely hate it

鈍く灯った優しさだけ

guess that was just dimly lit kindness

重たい体ならば置いておいで

if your body’s too heavy just leave it behind

全てわかった気でいたい夜もある

there’s still nights i wish i had it all figured out

誰にも言えないような過去があって

there are things in our pasts we can’t talk about

このまま秘密にできるなんて

— can’t believe we’ve kept them a secret like this!

仮面の奥の顔は何を見てたの

behind that mask, what did you see?

欲しがれば夢のあとさき

if you want it, that’s your dreams talking [3]

仮面の奥に光る

behind that mask, it’s shining —

朝焼けが消えないで

— don’t let that morning glow disappear

まだ張り付いたまま

still clinging on,

後ろの正面の

that you behind the facade —

あなたは誰

who is that?

幸せな暮らしもいつかは

oh i already know that someday

変わっていくものだと気付いてる

my happy life will change

浮ついて減らす言い訳の余地

having room for excuses that let you throw it all away — [4]

こべりついた正の字も七つ目

we’ve somehow already five strikes on the scoreboard [2]

笑い出すあなた戻らない時が

you who started laughing —

その場しのぎばっかりで

— your leaving was just make-do

嫌いだったんだな

and i absolutely hate it

黒く濁った虚しさだけ

guess that was just inky black nothingness

泣きたくなったならここにおいで

if you wanna cry, come over here

全て無かったことにはできない夜

to a night you couldn’t pretend it didn’t all happen

誰にも見せないような傷があって

there are scars we have we wouldn’t show anyone

二人の秘密にできるなんて

— can’t believe we’ve kept them a secret like this!

仮面の奥の顔は何を見てたの

behind that mask, what did you see?

あなたしか知らないままで

with something only you know

仮面の奥に光る

behind that mask, it’s shining —

明日が跡になって

tomorrow turns to dust

まだ焼き付いたまま

with it still etched in memory,

生きてる証明をしているだけ

i’m just trying to prove i’m alive

暗闇の中でさえ

even in the dark,

迷わずに歩いて行ける

i can still walk forward without getting lost

この先にあなたがいると

because i believed

信じていたから

you were just ahead of me

仮面の奥の顔は何を見てたの

behind that mask, what did you see?

欲しがれば夢のあとさき

if you want it, that’s your dreams talking [3]

仮面の奥に光る

behind that mask, it’s shining —

朝焼けが消えないで

— don’t let that morning glow disappear

時が流れても

even though time keeps flowing,

変わらない想いを

these feelings just don’t change

後ろの正面の

that you behind the facade —

あなたは誰

who is that?

[1] ふらついて試す is translated as “keeps you on your toes”, but literally is “to hesitantly/waveringly test/experiment”

[2] Ah, a (sort of) cultural reference. 正の字 refers to tally marks (you know, like the ones that’re grouped in fives?), but specifically the version where each group of five is represented by the five-stroke character 正, and one 正 is one full tally. It was a bit hard trying to translate this without either losing the actual literal meaning or the in-song metaphorical meaning — but i think i did ok (turning one full tally into three strikes and out)? The literal translations for those two lines are “That’s the second stroke on the tally painted on the wall” (for 壁に付けた正の字も二画目) and “That’s the seventh stroke on the tally, stuck on (the original 5)” (for こべりついた正の字も七つ目).

[3] More literally “if want, it’s the consequences of dreams”

[4] 浮ついて減らす is translated as “throw it all away”, but literally is “to frivolously abate/diminish”