Days That Used To Be: Spring in Your Step

山口百恵、歌詞(Lyrics)『いい日旅立ち』(English Translation)

Released in 1978, written by Shinji Tanimura and sung by Momoe Yamaguchi, Days That Used To Be has soon reached lyrical milestone by its imagery and lyricism in depicting the arrival of spring and emotional landscape of leaving for another place. The main character gets to find some kind of closure about the past and make a step forward.
「いい日旅立ち」は、過去に整理をつけ、当てのない未来へ踏み出そうとする、そんな主人公の姿を描いています。春の訪れと旅立ちの情景を抒情的に描いた歌謡曲の金字塔ですね。

Winter passes and spring is on its way when you look up the sky and throw your past plans and anticipations away. You used to have people around, with whom you shared your dreams and memories. You are alone now and determined to step forward on your own.

季節は確実に巡り、芽吹きを感じさせている。そんな時、過去の計画や期待やらを空に投げかけます。過去の夢を分かち合った人たちは、今はもうここにいない。つまり、自分は一人で歩まなければならない、そう決意するのです。

It feels like you have lost your home. Well then, you just can leave the past behind and start to make memories. Though your outlook seems as fickle as going somewhere else, you still have some confidence in what future will bring. You just seek something that would warm you heart.

自分には帰るところがないようにも思える。ならば、その思い出をこれから作っていこうという決意を込めて、過去に別れを告げる。あてのなさは、「日本のどこか」というほど頼りないものであっても、心のどこかで未来を確信している。求めるのは心を暖めるような原風景。

It’s no easy translating these sentiments, or nostalgia, in a way that the lyricism speaks to readers of another language. It’s still a universal human tendency to use songs to think of days that used to be.

こうした日本情緒を英語の語感にのせて訳すのは非常に難しく感じます。しかし、歌の力によって原風景を心に浮かべるとことは普遍的なものと感じられもするのではないでしょうか。

Days That Used To Be

When snow starts to melt
With spring thaw on its way
I call out for the northern sky
To bring back all dreams lost in time
I feel warm inside
With all those gone crossing my mind
All I can do is just set out all by myself

Ah, somewhere on this land, not across the sea,
There must be someone ready to meet me

No better day for leaving
For a sunset I saw
On the back of my dear mom
All those songs will stay in my mind

Fishing at the rocky beach is a small boy
Going home through the green plume grassland
From here my memories are to made
Leaving a good bye message on the sand

Ah, somewhere on this land, not across the sea,
There must be someone ready to meet me

No better day for leaving
For cotton-wool clouds I saw
What I learned from my dad
All those songs will stay in my mind

Ah, somewhere on this land, not across the sea,
There must be someone ready to meet me

No better day for leaving
For happiness
What I loved to sing
All those songs will stay in my mind

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