A fleeting thing, an omen it was,
The vision I was used to seeing, in the shape of a star;
A little bird that cannot fly, with voice gone dry,
I wished for you from so far away, so far
I’ve been waiting impatiently for the promised day;
what sort of expression will you make when we speak?
On sleepless nights, it’s like I disappear, so small, into the dark
A dream comes to me, of stars, stars in the whole sky
A rainbow held up by stars was taking me to where you are
and I vowed upon a jewel floating in the night — for starry days
Glass breaks, and it scatters
and it’s just a number of wishes; they shine
Yeah, you should be able to make a wish too
Tonight let’s look up at the stars whenever we like
Today, the seventh of July, I’ll be at your side
A rainbow held up by stars is taking me to where you are
and I dream a dream that comes but once a year, slowly,Star Festival story
My wish crosses time to sleep at your side
so I made a vow upon a jewel that floated in the night — for starry days
.
NOTES / INTERPRETATION:
Blue font indicates text originally written in English in the official booklet.
Thoughts. Translating this classic, it felt like rediscovering the song and certainly deepened my appreciation for it. The song is filled with youthful anticipation, the muted heat of a starry sky on a summer night, and larger-than-life daydreams.
The seventh of July is Tanabata in Japan, the Star Festival. It celebrates the one night a year when mythical spouses Orihime and Hikoboshi, who are otherwise separated by the Milky Way, are able to reunite.
I’m not certain why, but when I listen to this song, I imagine that the speaker and ‘you’ have truly never met, that the speaker has only dreamed about them and that they only meet after the song has ended. The speaker wishes for starry days — perhaps for days spent with the person they dream about.
Live, this song is so much fun, with lots of coordinated dancing, jumping, and a line that is always sung by the fans in the audience, a little nod of love and respect towards Alice Nine., who have been playing for us. No matter when this song is played, it feels like the height of summer on a clear night, when it feels possible to jump up and touch the stars.
アリス九號. ★ ALICE NINE.
平成十七年七月七日 ★ heisei juushichinen shichigatsu nanoka
ALICE IN WONDEЯLAND (2005)
花鳥ノ調 (2019 – rearranged ver.)
Lyrics by 将/Shou
Music by ヒロト/HIROTO
Original text translated from Japanese.
Listen on Spotify / Apple Music.
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