SONG INFO Album: Gentou (2023) Track 02
Your head is the capital, and you disappear from there. Being forgotten. Leaving the capital. A grass boat departs from a beautiful garden. It leaves just as the Heike fled from the capital.
都落ち Miyakoochi
Leaving the Capital*
song by Yorushika (n-buna, suis)
Lyrics: 花咲くや 赤ら引く頬に さざなみ寄るは海 貴方は水際一人微笑むだけ 今、思い出に僕は都落ち Flowers bloom upon your rosy red cheeks2 The wavelets go out to sea3 Alone at the water’s edge, you’re only smiling And now, in my memories, I am leaving the capital 鼻歌、綺麗だね 明日には往くんだぜ 海猫が鳴いたね 鳥でも泣くんだね The humming, isn’t it beautiful? I’m heading off tomorrow The gulls have cried out I guess even birds cry 心なし乾いたら別れの時間だぜ 夏風揉まれて貴方に浅い影 Once we find our hearts have gone dry, it’ll be time to say goodbye Blown about by the summer breeze, a pale shadow covers you さらり花咲くや あから引く頬に さざなみ、夜は海 貴方は水際一人手を振るだけ 今、思い出に僕は都落ち Smoothly the flowers bloom upon your bright red cheeks The wavelets go out to the sea at night Alone at the water’s edge, you’re only waving your hand And now, in my memories, I am leaving the capital 朝焼け、綺麗だね 舟はもう発つんだぜ 海猫が鳴いたね 貴方も泣くんだね The morning glow, isn’t it beautiful? The ship is already departing The seagulls have cried out And you cry along with them 人里離れて鳴る音は向かい波 飛ぶ鳥は遠くへ明日から向こうまで Echoing in the middle of nowhere is the sound of incoming waves4 The birds soar into the distance, from tomorrow to far beyond 水に落ち流れやがて憂き 貴方に焦がれる舟は海 惜しみ書く指は思う丈ばかり 散る思い出は波か都落ち Falling into the water and being swept away, the sorrow soon sets in The ship that longs for you is out at sea My fingers write of regret with everything they have My scattering memories are like waves or fleeing the capital 都離れて舟進む 水は流れて時もまた 僕は貴方の思い出に ただの記憶に Onward the boat sails, far from the capital The water flows, and with it, time as well I am inside your memories Only in a mere memory 恋ふらくはあから引く頬の 寄せ消ゆ波の花 貴方は水際一人微笑むだけ 今、思い出に僕は My yearning is the ebbing and flowing seafoam That blooms upon your bright red cheeks Alone at the water’s edge, you’re just smiling And now, in my memories, I am… さらり花咲くや あから引く頬に さざなみ、夜は海 貴方は水際一人手を振るだけ 今、左様なら 僕は都落ち Smoothly the flowers bloom upon your bright red cheeks The wavelets go out to the sea at night Alone at the water’s edge, you’re only waving your hand Now, this is farewell, I am leaving the capital
Notes: * About the title: This song is inspired by a poem from the 万葉集 Man’yōshū. Book 2, Poem 116 by Princess Tajima. She was married to Prince Takechi, and once her secret affair with her half-brother Prince Hozumi became known by the public, it was met with disapproval, leading her to write a poem: [Poem translation from here] “Because of the slanderous tongues, The busy mouths abroad, Now I cross the morning river I have never crossed in my life before.” The word 都落ち Miyakoochi originates from the Tale of the Heike, which is also referenced by the song. 2 赤ら引く akarahiku is a makurakotoba (“pillow words” that cushion the following noun and allude to old poems) usually attached to “color” and “skin”, meaning to be tinged with red. It is also spelled differently as あから引く in parts of the song, which could possibly be 明ら引く meaning shining brightly, or 吾から引く meaning “pull away from me” 3 さざ波 sazanami, meaning wavelets, is a makurakotoba and is often attached to 寄る (approach) and 夜 (night). Both are read as “yoru” and both words are used in the song as wordplay. 4 According to n-buna and suis, the lyrics include the names of places. The line with 鳴る音 naru oto (echoing sound) is sung as “naruto” and references the 鳴門海峡 Naruto Strait. The following line says 飛ぶ鳥 “tobu tori” (flying birds), which is makurakotoba for 飛鳥 Asuka, one of Japan’s former capitals. In the same line is 明日から asu kara (from tomorrow), which contains “asuka”, again referring to the location of the same name. (Only the previously mentioned ones have been confirmed by n-buna and suis. The following are speculation.) In addition to these, さざ波 “sazanami” is makurakotoba for 大津 Ootsu, and 花咲くや “hana saku ya” possibly alludes to the Naniwazu poem and 難波 Naniwa (modern-day Osaka).
SONG INFO Album: Gentou (2023) Track 02
Your head is the capital, and you disappear from there. Being forgotten. Leaving the capital. A grass boat departs from a beautiful garden. It leaves just as the Heike fled from the capital.
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