[Translyrics] “Sprinter” and Kara no Kyoukai: Paradox Spiral

Finally, here’s the Kalafina-sung ED of Kara no Kyoukai: Mujun Rasen/ Spiral Paradox – my favourite Kalafina song for the longest time. All four of Kalafina’s members at the time got to showcase their unique voices in juicy, layered harmonies. I do regret to say that I feel like my translyrics haven’t done it justice though. It’s not like the original lyrics were that deep or anything, but translating it into English while still going for loose rhyming (looser than usual too) felt kind of forced this time around. Anyways, I will stop criticizing my translyrics for now and let you judge for yourself.

The rest of the series:

• [Translyrics] “Oblivious” and Kara no Kyoukai: An Overlooking View
• [Translyrics] “You Turn It into Light” and Kara no Kyoukai: Murder Inspection (Pt. 1)
• [Translyrics] “Wound” and Kara no Kyoukai: Lingering Sensation of Pain
• [Translyrics] “ARIA” and Kara no Kyoukai: The Hollow Shrine

Sprinter

I met you late last night

In a dream never more impossible

For that cause, I just might

In one second, hack down an infinitude

I’m calling – for your sake

I’ll stand guard each night to keep you safe

Synthetic human hands

Reach out to embrace you weakly

Even as they know they’re damned

All there is we’re capable of doing in this life

Is to live another day

Until we screech our throats dry

We’ll carry on this pointless screaming – that’s all there is to it

Is it reaching you? Am I reaching you?

The sweetness of this gloom

Shatter it into a thousand pieces as you break from its clasp

And gallantly make your way through

I’m calling, if I can

With this crackling anthem of mine

Turn your face towards the sky

Then surely I’ll know that life up to this point

Is not a lie

katidihara ikata tadiha

ata imiya adeiha

The naked truth comes bursting free

It overflows and clogs even this plastic heart

Until I gasp just to breathe between every heartbeat

Moving with speed surpassing light

(Towards the vanishing yesterday, I wave my hand

(Eclipsing even the glaring desert sun

Now let’s kick time aside

And break into one free spree

Sprinter

On this street without you

I wave my battered flag against the wind

From now on for my good

I’ll conquer my path and leave my tracks as proof

Of existing here at the limit of the earth

It’s you I want to meet

It’s you I love like this

It’s you I want to meet

It’s you I’ll always miss

I’m calling, my proof

Of having existed in this world

Is sealed by one look

Your eyes are the archive for my soul

I’m calling, in spite

Defying the spiral circling in

Us mortals who fight

And fade with our violent sobs and screams

Have sung once of our fear

Have lived once right here

I’m calling your name

Esta iviya

Notes:

• Obviously, for those who watched the film, this song features Tomoe – our guy of the episode. The song has more rock-like elements than the typical Kalafina song of the period, which has to do with Tomoe’s angst and is why I found this song particularly difficult to translyricize nicely. Will keep practicing though – I’m finding that I really like translyrics.
• There’s a lot of context to this song. It tells of breaking free and reaching out to love someone before fading away, and *SPOILERS: makes references to being a synthetic human and escaping from a spiral. I didn’t really change that while translating, and even added a few more synthetic human references here and there.
• And of course, as the ED of a film called Paradox Spiral, the lyrics are paradoxical, which I wanted to capture. Dreaming an impossible dream, hacking down eternity in a split second, being synthetic but human at the same time… I like how the song suggests that brute force and willpower is what hacks the paradox – Tomoe’s approach in his attempt to escape his designed life. Without having any strategy, Tomoe just runs, and “sprinter” encapsulates that.

Kajiurago credits go to canta-per-met – the best English fansite for Yuki Kajiura and her singers. If you like this song or Kalafina in general, I highly recommend moment mimura‘s compilation of live performances of the song. Kalafina’s lives are breathtaking. I seriously want to go to one, especially since this year is their 10th anniversary.