歌詞: 『時代』。 (Lyrics: "Time")

歌詞があるー！　日本語の先生の好きな歌の歌詞で、僕は先生にもらった。(人生って嬉しいものですね。) 先ずロマ字で書いて、刷り出して、それから段々訳してみよう。

時代
jidai / eons, epochs, time periods, ages....

作詞：中島みゆき 作曲：中島美雪
kashi / lyrics: NAKAJIMA miyuki
sakkyoku / music: NAKAJIMA miyuki



今はこんなに悲しくて　涙も (涸)れ果てて
ima ha konna ni kanashikute namida mo kare hatete
so sad now, tears all dried up—

もう二度と笑顔には　なれそうもないけど
mou nido to egao ni ha naresou mo nai kedo
feels like you'll never smile again (never get used to it?). But:

そんな時代もあったねと　
sonna jidai mo atta ne to
if you can make it through ("when you've lived through that kind of time")
(I'm guessing at a conditional with と. This translation uses と as a quotation marker: "Once, that also happened to me." Seems better, both with the next line and because of ね. I wouldn't have gone there just 'cuz there's no verb.)

いつか話せる日がくるわ
itsuka hanaseru hi ga kuru wa
someday you'll be able to look back on it.
(Someday, you'll be able to speak of it as something that happened to you.)
If this わ is the feminine particle, what do men sing?　ぜ？　ぞ？　よ？

あんな時代もあったねと　きっと笑って話せるわ
anna jidai mo atta ne to kitto waratte hanaseru wa
and after that, no doubt, you'll be able to laugh about it.

だから　今日はくよくよしないで
dakara kyou ha kuyokuyo shinaide
so, don't worry about it today.

今日の風に吹かれましょう
kyou no kaze ni fukaremashou
let's let today's wind blow us where it will.
(That translation changes focus to "let's let the wind blow it away", which probably makes more sense. I think I have 川の流れ on the brain.)

回る回るよ　時代はまわる
mawaru mawaru yo, jidai ha mawaru
they turn and turn, the times—
(The lyrics I'm finding don't use the kanji 回—why?)

喜び悲しみくり返し　
yorokobi kanashimi kurikaeshi
joy and sadness, again and again

今日は別れた恋人たちも
kyou ha wakareta koibitotachi mo
this day, even parted lovers

生まれ変わって　めぐりあうよ
umare kawatte meguriau yo.
are reborn, change, meet again.

まわるまわるよ　時代はまわる
mawaru mawaru yo, jidai ha mawaru
it turns around and around, time.

喜び悲しみくり返し　
yorokobi kanashimi kurikaeshi
joy, sadness, again and again.

今日は別れた恋人たちも
kyou ha wakareta koibitotachi mo
this day, even the weariest travelers

生まれ変わって　めぐりあうよ
umare kawatte meguriau yo.
can be reborn, change, and meet again.

まわるまわるよ　時代はまわる
mawaru mawaru yo, jidai ha mawaru
it turns and turns, time.

別れと出逢いをくり返し
wakare to deai kurikaeshi
being parted and meeting again, again and again.

今日は倒れた旅人たちも　
kyou ha taoreta tabibitotachi mo
today, even the weariest travelers

生まれ変って歩きだすよ
umare kawatte arukidasu yo.
can be reborn, change, walk on.
(That other/better translation carries the metaphor through—travelers who fall down can get up and walk on.)

今日は倒れた旅人たちも　
kyou ha taoreta tabibitotachi mo
this day, even the most exhausted travelers

生まれ変って歩きだすよ
umare kawatte arukidasu yo.
can be born again, change, walk on.


In this recording (which I admit I like a little better), there's an additional verse:

旅を続ける人々は　
tabi o tsuzukeru hitobito ha
those who continue their journey

いつか故郷に出会う日を
itsuka furosato ni deau hi o
someday see home again

たとえ今夜は倒れても　
tatoe konya ha taorete o
even if tonight they're tired

きっと信じてドアを出る
kitto shinjite doa o deru
they'll surely find the door they're hoping for,

たとえ今日は果てしもなく
tatoe kyou ha hateshi mo naku
even if today they've reached their limit;
(hateshi mo naku: have lost sight of the end? cf. 川の流れ.)

冷たい雨が降っていても
tsumetai ame ga futteite mo
even if cold rain falls.

めぐるめぐるよ　
meguru meguru yo
it turns and turns—

時代はめぐる
jidai ha meguru
time turns.

別れと出会いをくり返し
wakare to deai o kurikaeshi
partings and meetings, again and again.

今日は倒れた旅人たちも　
kyou ha taoreta hitobitotachi ha
today, fallen travelers

生まれ変って　
umare kawatte
are reborn, changed,

歩きだすよ
arukidasu yo.
and walk on.

I've heard a few recordings of this now. I like the young ones, when she's winning the award, &c., but there's something about this one that I find more appealing: her voice is a little harder and more belty. 若い時より声が強いと思う。

ところで: I'm making peace with 任せていたい from 川の流れ. Maybe she's saying that it's a state she wants to be in, a kind of person she wants to be: この身を任せていたい, she wants to give herself up to it, not discretely as in 林檎を食べたい, I want to eat the apple, but as a situation or state of mind.