Pleiades

Shinji Tanimura - Pleiades (1980)

Music/Lyric: Shinji Tanimura

I'm fascinated by watching Shinji Tanimura sing. He just stands there in the middle of the stage, moving no more than is absolutely necessary, except to lower his microphone between verses, and occasionally moving his off-hand up to his stomach or down to his side. Between that, the precision of his enunciation and dynamic control, his conservative dress, and the extensive use of natural metaphors in his lyrics, there's something quintessentially Japanese about Tanimura. He's also one of the most talented popular singers I've ever heard.

"Pleiades" is Tanimura's signature song, and his first big solo hit after leaving the band Alice. As an aside, the Japanese title is Subaru, like the car company, which was named for the constellation because its parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries was formed from a merger of several existing firms.

Me o tojite nanimo miezu
Kanashikute me o akereba
Kouya ni mukau michi yori
Hoka ni mieru mono wa nashi

I close my eyes and see nothing.
With sorrow, I open them again
And see before me nothing
But the road leading into the wasteland.

Aa kudakechiru sadame no hoshitachi yo
Semete hisoyaka ni kono mi o terase yo

Ah, stars, fated to shatter one day,
At least shine down quietly upon me.

Ware wa yuku aojiroki hoho no mama de
Ware wa yuku saraba subaru yo

I shall go, my cheeks still pale.
I shall go. Farewell, Pleiades.

Iki o sureba mune no naka
Kogarashi wa nakitsudzukeru
Saredo waga mune wa atsuku
Yume o oitsudzukeru nari

When I take a breath,
Icy winds wail on in my heart.
But my heart grows warm
When I am chasing my dreams.

Aa sanzameku na mo naki hoshitachi yo
Semete azayaka ni sono mi o oware yo

Ah, you nameless, glorious stars,
At least die in splendor.

Ware mo yuku kokoro no meizuru mama ni
Ware mo yuku saraba subaru yo

I shall go, as my heart commands.
I shall go. Farewell, Pleiades.

Aa itsu no hi ka dareka ga kono michi o
Aa itsu no hi ka dareka ga kono michi o

Ah, one day another will walk this path.
Ah, one day another will walk this path.

Ware wa yuku aojiroki hoho no mama de
Ware wa yuku saraba subaru yo
Ware wa yuku saraba subaru yo

I shall go, my cheeks still pale.
I shall go. Farewell, Pleiades.
I shall go. Farewell, Pleiades.

There's also a nice half-Japanese, half-Chinese cover by Teresa Teng here. More songs by Shinji Tanimura here.

Notes on translation: Nothing too tough this time, though I wasn't quite sure how to translate せめて鮮やかにその身を終われよ. I think "At least die in splendor" is more or less correct, though it seems a bit odd. せめて seems to be used in ways that don't quite correspond to "at least" in English. Also not sure about the change from 我は行く to 我も行く. I think it's probably just a change for the sake of variety, but I suppose it could also indicate a second narrator.