schwarzweiß ~霧の向こうに繋がる世界~
[Black & White ~World Linked Beyond the Mist~]

Managed to find a scan of the booklet for this one. I love when that happens. It's especially important for this song because many of the words are not pronounced as written. Some are simply written in Japanese and pronounced as the English equivalent, but others are written and sung with completely different meanings.

Note particularly the three different kanji read as ゆめ (dream) at the beginning of the last stanza in each verse: 幻像, 幻夢, and 幻想. All three have related meanings and use the 幻 (roughtly 'phantom') kanji, but vary the specifics with 像 (image), 夢 (dream), and 想 (thought).

There's also some German in the opening and closing that I once found lyrics for somewhere but forgot to note down, and I don't know enough German to matter even if I could find them again. The only word I can make out is Schwarzweiß (black and white), and that only because it's in the album name.

This extended version of the song was released on an album, in which it was preceded by two others that lead into it, and all three act as movements in a larger whole. The first two verses serve as completions of Weiß~幻想への誘い~ and Schwarz~そして少女は森の中~. The final verse relates more directly to the game, particularly given that Edge, Ash, and Iris are three of the major characters.

At heart, this song is about the triumph of resolve over adversity. Mist blocks the way, misleads the traveler, and isolates what should be united, but in the end, bonds cleave through it, the strength of determination shakes it off, and the light of hope blows it away.


Vocals:
Lyrics, Composition, Arrangement:
霜月はるか
Revo
Haruka Shimotsuki
Japanese Romanization Translation
Intro ~13 seconds
光が欲しくて暗闇に手を伸ばす
目醒めを待っていたのは見知らぬ世界
Hikari ga hoshikute kurayami ni te wo nobasu
Mezame wo matte ita no wa mishiranu sekai
Wanting light, we stretch our hands out in the darkness
What awaited an awakening was an unfamiliar world
――そして胸に揺らめく誰かの笑顔を
抱いたままに彷徨いながらも
進む男は行く手を遮る霧を
薙ぎ払う絆憶い出す・・・・・・
——soshite mune ni yurameku dare ka no egao wo
Daita mama ni samayoi nagara mo
Susumu otoko wa yukute wo saegiru kiri wo
Nagiharau kizuna omoidasu......
——and a man, who pushes on
With someone's flickering smile held in his heart
Even as he wanders, remembers the bonds
To cleave through the mist blocking his way......
家路の幻像1を描き
 空を越える物語
黒い宵2…白い息3…彼は詩う
無垢な蕾の愛娘4へと・・・・・・
Ieji no yume1 wo egaki
 sora wo koeru monogatari
Kuroi NAITO2... shiroi BURIIJI3... kare wa utau
Muku na tsubomi no ARISU4 e to......
A tale of going beyond the sky,
 painting a vision1 of the road home.
Black night2... white breath3... he sings
To the pure flowerbud Alice, his beloved daughter4......
Interlude ~8 seconds
想いを込めても言葉は時に無力で
行動した者だけが真実を掴む
Omoi wo komete mo kotoba wa toki ni muryoku de
Koudou shita mono dake ga shinjitsu wo tsukamu
Even said with feeling, words are sometimes powerless,
And only those who take action will seize the truth.
――かくて胸に煌めく少女の決意は
櫂を手繰り彼方へ漕ぎ出し
虚像を映し相手を惑わす霧を
振り払う強さ手に入れる・・・・・・
——kakute mune ni kirameku shoujo no ketsui wa
Kai wo taguri kanata e kogidashi
Gyozou wo utsushi aite wo madowasu kiri wo
Furiharau tsuyosa te ni ireru......
——thus a girl with determination gleaming in her heart
Strokes the oars and starts rowing across,
And gains the strength to shake off the mist
That misleads its quarry with false images......
迷いの幻夢5を抜ける扉6
 探す物語
黒い蟲7…白い霧8…彼女は挑む
無慈悲な森の悪意9へと・・・・・・
Mayoi no yume5 wo nukeru DOA6 wo
 sagasu monogatari
Kuroi WAAM7... shiroi MISTO8... kanojo wa idomu
Mujihi na mori no MARISU9 e to......
A tale of seeking out the door6
 to escape misleading phantasms5.
Black worms7... white mist8... she challenges
The malice9 of the merciless forest......
Interlude ~1 minute
出会いの数だけ…繋がる冒険譚10・・・
一陣の風11に乗って…箱庭12に届くだろう・・・
出会えるよ何時か…嗚呼…孤独13じゃないから・・・
困難な途でも…今日が最低でも…
 笑うならきっと・・・・・・
Deai no kazu dake... tsunagaru SUTOORII10...
GASUTO11 ni notte... ATORIE12 ni todoku darou...
Deaeru yo itsuka... aa... hitori13 ja nai kara...
Konnan na michi demo... kyou ga saitei demo...
 warau nara kitto......
As many as our meetings... linked tales of adventure10...
Will ride the gusts11... and reach the atelier12...
We'll be able to meet, someday... aah... for we're not alone13...
Though the road be hard... though today be the worst...
 if we smile then surely......
――やがて胸に旗めく冒険者達14の願いは
翼を広げて世界を廻り
散らばる希望を集め全てを隔てる霧を
吹き払う光解き放つ・・・・・・
——yagate mune ni hatameku karera14 no negai wa
Tsubasa hirogete sekai wo meguri
Chirabaru kibou wo atsume subete wo hedateru kiri wo
Fukiharau hikari tokihanatsu......
——and soon, the wish fluttering in the adventurers'14 hearts
Will spread its wings, travel the world,
Gather up scattered hope, and radiate a light
To blow away the mist that isolates everything......
白夜の幻想15のような
 永遠を紡ぐ物語
黒い刃16…白い灰17…運命18は還える
女神19の瞳の虹彩20へと・・・・・・
Byakuya no yume15 no you na
 towa wo tsumugu monogatari
Kuroi EJJI16... shiroi ASSHU17... boku18 wa kaeru
Kimi19 no hitomi no IRISU20 e to......
A tale of weaving eternity
 like fantastic dreams15 of the midnight sun.
Black edge16... white ash17... destiny brings me18 home
To the iris20 in your divine19 eyes......
Closing ~19 seconds, cuts off abruptly

1 The kanji 幻像 (genzou, vision) are sung as ゆめ (yume, dream).

2 The kanji 宵 (yoi, late evening / early night) is sung as ナイト (NAITO, night).

3 The kanji 息 (iki, breath) is sung as ブリージ (BURIIJI, breathe).

4 The kanji 愛娘 (manamusume, beloved daughter) are sung as アリス (ARISU, Alice). Also noteworthy is that Weiß similarly compares the (there unnamed) girl to a pure flower.

5 The kanji 幻夢 (genmu, phantasm) are sung as ゆめ (yume, dream).

6 The kanji 扉 (tobira, door) is sung as ドア (DOA, door).

7 The kanji 蟲 (mushi, a general term for creepy-crawly critters) is sung as ワーム (WAAMU, worm).

8 The kanji 霧 (kiri, mist) is sung as ミスト (MISUTO, mist).

9 The kanji 悪意 (akui, malice) are sung as マリス (MARISU, malice).

10 The kanji 冒険譚 (boukentan, tales of adventure) are sung as ストーリー (SUTOURII, stories).

11 The kanji 一陣の風 (ichijin no kaze, gust of wind) are sung as ガスト (GASUTO, gust). Also note that the game was developed and (in Japan) published by Gust.

12 The kanji 箱庭 (hakoniwa, miniature garden) are sung as アトリエ (ATORIE, atelier). Surely I don't need to point out the name of the series.

13 The kanji 孤独 (kodoku, loneliness, isolation) are sung as ひとり (hitori, alone, one person).

14 The phrase 冒険者達の (boukensha-tachi no, adventurers') is sung as かれらの (kare-ra no, their).

15 The kanji 幻想 (gensou, fantasy) are sung as ゆめ (yume, dream).

16 The kanji 刃 (yaiba, blade edge) is sung as エッジ (EJJI, edge), which is also the name of a character in the game.

17 The kanji 灰 (hai, ash) is sung as アッシュ (ASSHU, ash), which is also the name of a character in the game.

18 The kanji 運命 (unmei, destiny) are sung as 僕 (boku, I/me, usually masculine).

19 The kanji 女神 (megami, goddess) are sung as きみ (kimi, you).

20 The kanji 虹彩 (kousai, iris (of the eye)) are sung as イリス (IRISU, iris), which is also the name of a character in the game.

This is easily the largest number of footnotes I've ever put on a single song.


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