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I'm trying to understand the following three lines from a song:

ただ会いたくて 声も無くしそうで
でも会えなくて 夢さえ恨んだ
日々薄れてく 記憶を手探りで 感触をただ愛した

Each line is progressively difficult to understand. I can read the words but can't make sense of it. No translation I've found makes sense.

In the first line it says something like "I seemed to lose even my voice from just wanting to meet you." I don't get how wanting to meet someone would cause someone to lose their voice. Is this a metaphor?

The second line says something like, "But I couldn't meet you so I hated dreams." I don't see the connection. Another metaphor, or is this one of those cases where the native Japanese is able to easily fill in the blanks?

The third line is the weirdest one of all.

Can anyone make sense of this?

The complete song lyrics are here.

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  • No. See translation here.
    – Amanda S
    Jun 29, 2011 at 1:04
  • I found that already. That part of the translation turns into broken English and doesn't make sense, so I can tell that the translator didn't understand it either. He translated it as "Only wanting to meet Seemed to lose my voice too But can’t meet Even regretted my dreams The days fade Fumbling the memory Only loving the feeling"
    – language hacker
    Jun 29, 2011 at 1:06

4 Answers 4

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First of all this isn't a translation, just an explanation, so excuse the result not sounding pretty:

ただ会いたくて 声も無くしそうで

"I wanted to meet you so much that I felt I might lose my voice,"

でも会えなくて 夢さえ恨んだ

"But unable to (meet you), I (ended up) hating even my dreams." (I would guess this hating dreams would refer to hating dreaming about being together in the future again which is contrary to reality - as if the dreams were spiting her)

日々薄れてく 記憶を手探りで 感触をただ愛した

The days grow thin (metaphorically as in their meaning, happiness etc. each day is less fulfilling than before - also "dim" works as well - better probably), and searching through my memories (てさぐり means to search as if groping with hands in the dark), I felt love for even the slightest touch (ただ before a verb adds emphasis, hence the "even the slightest" - and as the metaphor is linked with で this would mean that she felt strong feelings of love through just finding a memory (presumably of them two together).

Hopefully that clears up a little of what you want to know. If you have any specific questions, comment? I'm not sure if the metaphors here intrinsically have anything to do with the Japanese language itself though.

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  • I have a question about the first part. Why would wanting to meet someone cause a person to feel that they would lose their voice?
    – language hacker
    Jun 29, 2011 at 1:21
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    @language hacker - When you're under stress your throat can often dry up - (at least it's happened to me) add in crying with the dehydration and you can (possibly) lose your voice. I think it's in its nature "metaphorical" but it has basis in reality.
    – Kafka Fuura
    Jun 29, 2011 at 1:54
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    @Kafka - Great write up. One thing I don't agree is the part about "日々薄れてく 記憶": I think that translates to "my memories grow thin day by day." Less artistic while more idiomatic.
    – ento
    Jun 29, 2011 at 16:56
  • @ento it's always a challenge in song lyrics to determine whether a preceding phrase is a modifier (Rentaikei) or a sentence ending (Shuushikei) because modern Japanese doesn't distinguish between them - but I agree that that works well too. I originally just saw the space and separated them in my head. >.> - I think both make since, and if you consider the "dim" meaning it's still about searching around in the dark (for memories that aren't as easy to find/see anymore).
    – Kafka Fuura
    Jun 29, 2011 at 17:15
  • I don't understand "felt love for even the slightest touch." I can sort of understand "felt love from even the slightest touch." What do you mean?
    – language hacker
    Jun 29, 2011 at 20:14
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Now I hurt so bad, I can't speak But not meeting you, even dreams torture me. Days grow dim, struggling to remember, I just loved that feeling.

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  • Why would he love the feeling of struggling to remember, or are you referring to something else?
    – language hacker
    Jun 29, 2011 at 1:19
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    記憶 are memories (of their love) he is fumbling or searching for. He loved the sensation of being in love or being together.
    – スコット
    Jun 29, 2011 at 1:27
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Maybe the pain is all he has of her, so he revels in it. If he loses the pain, he has nothing, so he enjoys at least that. I think we have all been in that spot. >.<

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Sadly, I'm unable to reply to comments, but I can post an answer.

I have a question about the first part. Why would wanting to meet someone cause a person to feel that they would lose their voice?
～language hacker

It's like saying, "when we met, you took my breath away," or "my heart skipped a beat." But the lyrics literally say the singer was left speechless.

my memories grow thin day by day.
～ento

I agree. The singer is forgetting the actual memories of the person, but still remembers the feeling (being held, caressed, perhaps kissed). I interpret 手探りで感触をただ愛した, I only loved feeling felt, to mean the singer realizes (or is now telling us) that it was the feeling they loved more than the person. Please understand feeling as tactile stimulation.

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