Evangelion 3.0 Ending Song – Sakuranagashi

So Hikaru Utada’s singing it and here’s a romanization with translation.  The lines in brackets are in English in the original. BTW, I detest the video.  Honestly. If they didn’t want to put images from the film they could have at least put Hikki on for a bit.  What a waste…

SAKURA NAGASHI

FLOATING or FALLING or FLUTTERING or even DISCARDING CHERRY BLOSSOMS

1. Hiraita bakari no hana ga chiru no o

“kotoshi mo hayai ne” to

zannenso ni mite ita anata wa

totemo kirei datta.

1. When you were looking at the falling flowers which had just blossomed

and you seemed to regret it

as if thinking “So quickly again this year,”

you looked very beautiful.

2. Moshi ima no watashi o mireta nara

do omou desho

anata nashi de ikiteru watashi o.

2. If you had been able to see me now

what would you have thought

of myself living without you?

3. [Everybody finds love
In the end]

4. Anata ga mamotta machi no doko ka de kyo mo hibiku

sukoyaka na ubugoe o kiketa nara

kitto yorokobu desho

watashitachi no tsuzuki no ashioto.

4. If you had been able to hear a baby’s healthy first cry

echoing somewhere in the city you defended

I’m sure you would have rejoiced.

The sound of the footsteps of those who’ll come after us.

5. [Everybody finds love
In the end]

6. Mo nido to aenai nante shinjirarenai

mada nani mo tsutaete inai

mada nani mo tsutaete inai.

6. I can’t believe I’ll never be able to see you again.

I still haven’t told you anything.

I still haven’t told you anything.

7. Hiraita bakari no hana ga chiru no o

mite ita kodachi no yarusenaki kana.

7. I wonder if the tree grove is downhearted

seeing the falling flowers which had just blossomed.

8. Donna ni kowakutatte me o sorasanai yo

subete no owari ni ai ga aru nara.

8. I won’t look away no matter how scary it is

just as long as there is love at the end of it all.

Comments: It’s clear from the 4th stanza on that the song is written with Evangelion in mind.  Speaking broadly the song seems to deal with the sacrifice of the young Eva pilots, comparing them to cherry blossoms (not exactly a new metaphor in Japan).  The song fits perfectly with the franchise and I’m sure it’s being put to good use in the film.  Stanza # 7 is a bit cryptic to me, and I suspect maybe the right translation is “I wonder if the falling flowers which had just blossomed / mean that the tree grove is downhearted.”

Anyway, there is a pun of sorts here, because the word for “downhearted” or “miserable” is literally a compound meaning “there is no current to send you”, and refers to the situation when you’re on a boat but the current is too weak to lead you anywhere.  The “current” here plays on the cherry blossoms hurling down.  I guess in the world of Evangelion the currents that do exist send you to places you do not want to go.

Finally, this is a good sign that Utada’ll come back from her self-imposed exile hiatus sooner rather than later.  The more they protest this isn’t supposed to mean anything, the more it does~

~ by Haloed Bane on November 16, 2012.