Transparent Airship / 透明飛行船 English Lyrics Translation

ENGLISH


Transparent Airship

I was good at stickball
I was so skilled that I looked down on others
Then one day during lunch break I saw an airship
And fell on my head

The kind school doctor
Praised me for not crying
People I didn't know well wanted to carry me
Even though I could walk just fine

I went back to the classroom where everyone was cleaning up
And I was treated like a hero
Then during afternoon gym class
I realized that my skills had disappeared

What, why?
Did I forget?

And then you
Laughed and laughed at me
In front of everyone, in front of that girl
And to smooth things over
You said that it wasn't a big deal
But it was a big deal to me

I think that life is pretending that you are OK
It's a very important skill
It affects a wide range of things
Just look at how often we put it to use

The majority of people are experts at it
And use it to hide most of their impatience
But though the majority of people are experts at it
Sometimes they slip up

So many small sources of pride
Are born during sleepless nights
And in that common suffering
They take hold of your life

"Normal society" is not OK
It's not like we rolled an unlucky number
If we ever encounter kindness, even if it's an ego-filled sham
We never let it go

Somehow I've made it this far
Helplessly stumbling over rocks
The day that I won't be able to pick myself up again
Has finally come

We depend upon the appearance that we are OK
We can't tell if it's a lie or reality
Was I living a better life
Around the time I saw that airship?

What happened then?
Hey, remember
Hidden alone, you cried in Miyata Park
On the road home, as the sun set
On that day the scary old shrine
Somehow seemed reassuring

You
Laughed and laughed at me
Everyone did, so did that girl
But occasionally you cried for real
But don't worry, I'll help you smile again
No one will even notice
Because you can't really understand other people's business
Pretending to be kind can be real kindness
If you ever encounter it, don't get lost
If you ever find it, never let it go


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JAPANESE


透明飛行船

鉄棒が得意だったけど
よく慣れた技を舐めてかかり
後ろ向きに頭から落ちた
飛行船が見えた昼休み

優しい保健の先生
泣かなかった事褒めてくれて
仲良し度微妙な友達が
步けるのにおぶりたがっていた

掃除中教室に戻って
ヒ一ロ一扱いされた後
午後の体育で気が付いた
得意が苦手になっちゃった

それからどうした
おや忘れちゃったの

君は
精一杯精一杯笑ったでしょう
皆の前あの子の前
取り繕って
誰も気にしない様な事
それでも自分には大ゴト

多分平気なふりは人生で
わりと重要なスキルだと思う
多岐に涉り効果示すので
使用頻度もそれなり

人の多くはその熟練者で
大概の焦燥は隠せるが
人の多くがその熟練者だ
大概はばれていたりもするが

大きく小さなプライドが
眠れない夜を幾つも生み
よくある類いの苦しみに
命掴まれて

大丈夫じゃなくて当然の社会
貧乏クジ引いたわけじゃないんだよ
優しさの真似事のエゴでも
出会うえたら無くさないように

どうにかやってこられたけど
避け様のない石に躓いて
いつもみたいに起き上がれない
そんな日が遂に来た

ずっと平気なふりに賴って
噓か本音か解らなくて
もっと上手に生きていましたか
飛行船が見えた頃の事


あの時どうした
ほら 思い出してよ君は
ひとりこっそり泣いたでしょう
掃り道夕焼け宮田公園で
なんか怖かったお社が
その日は心強かった
もう精一杯 精一杯 笑ったでしょう
皆も あの子も 笑っているでしょう
たまに本気で 泣いているでしょう
大丈夫 もう一回 笑えるでしょう
誰も気にしない様な事
分かち合えやしない他人事
優しさの真似事は優しさ
出会えたら 迷わないように
出会っている 無くさないように


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OPINION

This song is interesting because it blends fantasy with reality. The fantasy is either that the speaker DID see an airship… or perhaps he imagined it. The reality is human relationships in society, how people fake emotions so that they don't get hurt or hurt others. It's a pretty adult topic for a kid to be coming to terms with. When he lost his talent, his friend covered up for him. It hurt the speaker's feelings that his friend laughed at him, causing everyone and the girl he liked to laugh at him too. But in the end, the speaker realized the friend felt bad about laughing… He was just trying to protect his friend's pride. When he realized this, the speaker forgave his friend. What makes this all even more interesting is that this whole song is actually in the voice of the speaker looking back on and interpreting his childgood memories.