Also check out: Kafka Fuura’s take on Usami 227. They’ve been at this for much longer than I have, and even helped me figure out some things about both Usami 05 and Usami 227. Big thanks to them!
An RD-Sounds double feature once again. I’m not sure if the Usami 227 version somehow fits into the overarching Project Tetra narrative as I haven’t had the time to make a deep dive into it, but I’ve been aware of the Usami 05 version’s existence for some time.
On that note, I was under the impression that there was some vague consensus that 宇佐見０５ possibly referred to Renko – ０５, Rei-Go, Ren-Ko… Its narrative also really reminded me of the descriptions of the Secret Sealing Club’s world in the future, a scientific utopia with little to worry about that’s actually completely soulless even if you just scratch the surface. I took it mostly at face value, assuming that whoever the natural-born narrator was (probably a human from that future) perceived Renko (who is inhumanly inquisitive and can tell you the time and place just by looking at the stars) as an anomaly because of how amazing she was, and was coming to terms with it.
…So what’s the wordplay with 227? Frankly, I couldn’t figure it out, but Tetra’s booklet makes it apparent that Usami 227 is Sumireko and that our main narrator this time is a bona fide android. Both of the Usamis are rebellious and questioning to a fault, but Sumireko seems to get the short end of the stick here – the lyrics of 227 are a lot more confrontational, and the two voices—the Machine and the Synthetic—are very much at odds with one another. There’s also certainly some absurdity in the android calling itself “natural-born,” but I think it went over my head because I don’t know how to explain it. Maybe the android is just an allegory for how cold and lethargic people have become in that world. It was certainly one of the implications in ZUN’s Music Collection stories.
But RD is hard, so maybe I’m also in over my head.
In any case…
Title: 汎用合成クラスメイト : 宇佐見05号
Translated title: General-Purpose Synthetic Classmate: Usami No. 05
Original track: 科学世紀の少年少女 (Boys and Girls of the Age of Science)
Artist/Circle: 凋叶棕 (Diao Ye Zong)
Album: 東方compilation CD 萃星霜 (Touhou Compilation CD Gathering of Years)
Arrangement: RD-Sounds
Lyrics: RD-Sounds
Vocals: めらみぽっぷ (Meramipop), nayuta
いつから彼女はそうだろう
どこか皆から浮いている
それもそのはず だって彼女
合成のクラスメイトなのさ
I wonder how long she has been that way?
For some reason she doesn’t quite fit in with the rest.
But I suppose that should come as no surprise—
For she is a synthetic classmate, after all.
一目じゃ誰にも分からない
歪な科学の申し子よ
低まるバース·レイトの中
ついに叩かれたかその扉
At a glance, you’d never be able to tell
But she’s the twisted brainchild of science.
Amidst declining birth rates,
Is that the solution we’ve opted for at last?
どれほど隠しおおせても
僕には全部お見通し
それもそのはず だって彼女
人並みに外れたその頭脳
No matter how good she might be at hiding it,
I can see right through it all.
But I suppose that should come as no surprise—
For her intellect is far beyond the average.
その表情ひとつとっても 何もかもを知りたいようで
世界の端から端までの その向こうへと向けている
Look at any one of her expressions, and you’ll realize just how unquenchable her thirst for knowledge is.
From one end of the world all the way to the other—she’s set on something even further beyond.
何もかも変わらぬ日常に (1)
全て曖昧な認識に
君というその存在だけが異質な合成品で (2)
In these lives that we spend in blissful ignorance
With only a vague understanding of everything around us
You alone stand out, a synthetic, fake being.
“天然”の僕達に (3)
どれほどいっても馴染めない
僕らと同じにはなれない
君だけが独りぼっち
No matter how much you may try,
You will never be one of us born of nature.
You cannot ever become like us.
Always all alone you are doomed be.
月日は次第にめぐって
それでも彼女は馴染まない
それもそのはず だって彼女
合成のクラスメートだから
Days turned to months as time marched on,
And yet she still does not quite fit in.
But I suppose that should come as no surprise—
For she is a synthetic classmate.
誰をも必要としない
瑕疵を抱えたその心
だから声をかけたとして
合成の笑顔で笑うだけ
Her heart must bear a fatal flaw
That makes it so that she has no need for anyone else.
Which is why, even if you tried to talk to her
All you’d get in response is a synthetic smile.
差のあることは悪徳と
僕ら何一つ均整で
それだというに だって彼女
その意図のわからぬ能力偏差 (4)
To stand out from others is a fault,
Which is why we all strive for perfect uniformity.
But even then, there must some deviation in that girl’s specs
The point of which I could never hope to understand.
そうだ自分のいるその意味 世界に探そうとするのは
何もかもが決められている以上に“意味”などはあるのかい—？
Tell me now, what “meaning” is there in searching the world
For the meaning of one’s existence in a world where everything is predetermined?
全て平穏な日常に
疑うことなど何もない
君というその存在だけがただ全て掻き乱す
In these lives that we spend in undisturbed peace,
Where we have no reason to doubt in anything,
You alone stand out, longing to stir up everything there is to.
“天然”の僕達は (5)
何もかもを恐れはしない
僕らと何が違うのだろう
君だけが独りぼっち
Those of us born of nature
Have absolutely nothing to fear.
What is so different about you from us?
Always all alone you are doomed be.
君は想う 君は問う
それが合成の心のせいで
何もかもを疑わず 生きていくこともできない
You ponder on, you inquire more,
And it must all be the fault of your synthetic heart.
You can’t even live your life without placing doubt in everything.
どこまでも どこまでも
君はどうなってしまうのだろう
そんなにも不確かな幸せの理由に縋るようで
Stubbornly you go, stubbornly you go,
But whatever will happen to you
If you continue to cling to such a fickle idea of happiness?
なんでもないよな日常に
僕らは何も変えられない
君というその存在だけが全てを壊していく
In these lives that we spend uneventfully
Where we have not even the power to exact any change
You alone stand out, tearing everything down.
“天然”の僕らより (6)
天然らしい顔をしてる (7)
あるいは全てが逆しまでも
君はずっと独りぼっち—？
Compared to those of us born of nature,
Your expression looks far more genuine to me.
Could we have had it the wrong way around all along?
Are you truly doomed to be all alone?
—桜の下で笑う君。
その笑顔を見るとき、僕は—。
本当の合成品は—。 (8)
もしかしたら僕らの方と、そんな風に思うのだろうか？
…One day you’ll smile beneath those cherry blossoms.
And should I see your smile then, I must wonder…
If a thought along these lines would occur to me…
That, just perhaps, the ones who were really fake have been us all along?
Title: シン・汎用合成クラスメイト : 宇佐見227号
Translated title: Neo-General-Purpose Synthetic Classmate: Usami No. 227
Original track: 科学世紀の少年少女 (Boys and Girls of the Age of Science)
Artist/Circle: 凋叶棕 (Diao Ye Zong)
Album: △ (Tetra)
Arrangement: RD-Sounds
Lyrics: RD-Sounds
Vocals: めらみぽっぷ (Meramipop), nayuta
いっから彼女はそうだろう
どこか皆から浮いている
それもそのはずだって彼女
合成のクラスメイトなのさ
I wonder how long she has been that way?
For some reason she doesn’t quite fit in with the rest.
But I suppose that should come as no surprise—
For she is a synthetic classmate, after all.
誰にも隠そうとしない
歪な科学の申し子よ
低まるバース・レイトの中
ついに叩かれたかその扉
She doesn’t even try to hide it from anyone,
The twisted brainchild of science that she is.
Amidst declining birth rates,
Is that the solution we’ve opted for at last?
どれほど普通で居ようと
僕には全部お見通し
それもそのはずだって彼女
けして隠し切れぬその仕草
No matter how normal she might try to act,
I can see right through it all.
But I suppose that should come as no surprise—
For she could never conceal those gestures if she wanted to.
その表情ひとつとっても 何もかもを突き放して
世界の端から端までの そのどこにもいられないー！
Look at any one of her expressions, and you’ll realize just how detached she is.
From one end of the world all the way to the other—there is no place she can call her own!
何もかも変わらぬ日常に
全て曖昧な認識に
君というその存在だけが異質な合成品で (9)
In these lives that we spend in blissful unchangeability
With only a vague understanding of everything around us
You alone stand out, a synthetic, fake being.
天然の僕達に (10)
どれほどいっても馴染めない
僕らと同しにはなれない
君だけが独りぼっち
No matter how much you may try,
You will never be one of us born of nature.
You cannot ever become like us.
Always all alone you are doomed be.
いっから私はこうだろう
きっと皆から浮いている
それもそうよね だって私
合成のクラスメイトだから
I wonder how long have I been this way?
It’s no secret that I don’t fit in with the rest.
But that should come as a given—
For I am a synthetic classmate, after all.
けれども何も問題ない
それがどうでも関係ない
私が私であること
それが何より大切だから
But I don’t really see a problem with that.
It doesn’t really concern me at all.
So long as I can stay who I truly am,
That’s the only thing that matters to me.
差のあることは悪徳と
そんな押し付けはお断り
それだというに だって彼ら
鏡を覗こうともしないの?
To stand out from others is a fault?
I’ll agree to no such pressure, thank you very much.
And with that in mind, look at them all,
When’s the last time they looked in the mirror?
そうだ!私のいるこの意味世界に探そうとすること
何もかもが与えられている以上に大いに意味があるー！
I’ll tell you now! There is a point to me searching the world for the meaning of my own existence,
For everything has meaning to it, far beyond what that may have been predetermined!
全て平穏な日常に
疑うことなど何もない
だからこそありったけの全部 疑ってかき乱す
In those lives that you spend in undisturbed peace,
There is no reason to doubt in anything,
Which is exactly why I’ll doubt it all and stir up everything there is to.
天然の彼らより (11)
私は恐れも感じない
彼らと何もかも違うなら
私だけが独りぼっち
Compared to those born of nature,
I feel no fear.
If everything about us is so fundamentally different,
Always all alone I am doomed be.
“合成”は想フー (12)(13)
You ponder on, “Synthetic”—
“機械”は問ウー (14)
You inquire more about me, “Machine”—
それは合成の心のせいで
何もかもを疑わず生きていくこともできない
And it must all be the fault of your synthetic heart.
the way it’s meant to be lived.
You can’t even live your life
without doubting.
どこまでもどこまでも
それでどうなってしまうのだろう?
辿り着くその明日は幸せだとさえ限らないのに
Stubbornly you go, stubbornly you go,
But whatever will happen to you
When there is no guarantee that the future you strive to reach will be a happy one?
いつまで彼女はこうだろう?
きっと何かの手違いさ
それもそのはすだって彼女
幸せの意味さえ知らぬなら
I wonder how long she will be this way?
Surely this is all some sort of mistake.
But I suppose that should come as no surprise—
If she still does not even know the true meaning of happiness.
きっと本当の仲間は
数えるほどしか残ってない
世界の何処かまっててよね
きっと探し当てて見せるから
I’m sure that no matter how hard I tried to look here,
I could count my remaining true friends on the fingers of one hand.
So wait for me if you’re still out there, somewhere in this world,
I’ll make sure to find you, wherever you may be!
ああ
なんでもないよな日常は
僕らはなにも変えたくない
君というその存在だけが全てのエラーとなる
A-ah!
In these lives that we spend uneventfully
We have not the slightest wish to change a thing,
Yet you alone stand out, a terrible error in every conceivable way.
天然にさよならを (15)
幼き日の終わりはそこに
私の世界を見つけるまで
今はずっと独りぼっち?!ああ!
I bid farewell to you born of nature,
As the days of my youth near their end.
Until I’ve found a world of my own where I can belong,
I wonder, am I doomed to be all alone? A-ah!
ーー遠い誰かに笑う君。
ーーどこも見つめずに笑うキミ
けして交わらぬ行く末
…You smile, looking at someone far away.
…You smile, looking at nothing at all.
No doubt, our paths shall never cross again.
本物の笑顔はさあどちら?
きっと聞くまでもないことだろうーー
Now, which of our smiles is the genuine one?
I must wonder if there’s even any need to even ask…
(1) 何もかも変わらぬ (unchanging; where nothing changes) is sung as 何もかもわからぬ (ignorant; not knowing [about] anything)
(2) 合成品 (synthetic [thing]) is sung as 作り物 (fake, fabrication)
(3) 天然 (nature, natural) is sung as ナチュラる・ボーン (“natural-born”)
(4) 能力偏差 (a deviation in [her] faculties) is sung as パラメータ (“parameters”, specs)
(5) 天然 (nature, natural) is sung as ナチュラる・ボーン (“natural-born”)
(6) 天然 (nature, natural) is sung as ナチュラる・ボーン (“natural-born”)
(7) 天然らしい (natural, of nature) is sung as 本物らしい (genuine)
(8) 合成品 (synthetic [thing]) is sung as 作り物 (fake, fabrication)
(9) 合成品 (synthetic [thing]) is sung as 作り物 (fake, fabrication)
(10) 天然 (nature, natural) is sung as ナチュラる・ボーン (“natural-born”)
(11) 天然 (nature, natural) is sung as ナチュラる・ボーン (“natural-born”)
(12) 合成 (the synthetic) is sung as 君 (you)
(13) The classical/archaic 想フ (omofu) is sung as 想ウ (omou). The symbolic significance of writing it this way could be that the Machine represents old, traditional systems, and the old way of doing things. Credit where credit is due: Kafka figured this one out.
(14) 機械 (the machine) is sung as 君 (you)
(15) 天然 (nature, natural) is sung as ナチュラる・ボーン (“natural-born”)
NaokiP's Translations 