Back when Kalafina disbanded, I wrote a series of tribute posts, and opened up an opportunity for people to request my translyrics of any Kalafina song. For whatever reason, I didn’t publish my translyrics of “Hikari Furu” back then, but I stumbled across it in my drafts recently and decided it was a good arrangement after all.
Most of you wouldn’t know, but I did quite a bit of translyricizing back when this blog first started. The reason I stopped isn’t so much that they don’t generate as much traffic, but because I don’t really know what to do with them. Many people who translyricize songs also do covers of them. While I like to sing, I lack the dedication, equipment, and editing expertise to do anything so fancy, and anything I produced in the past were super ghetto. By the way, if anyone reading any of my translyrics happens to be a cover artist, go ahead if you want to use them in a cover (just credit me)!
“Hikari Furu,” the ending of the movie Puella Magi Madoka Magica Part 2: Eternal was requested by Ink. I actually finished with the lyrics two years ago, and did share it with Ink already. We talked about covering it back then, but couldn’t find a Hikaru to fill all the parts, haha. (Contact me if you’re a Hikaru!) It’s one of my favourite Kalafina slow songs, so give the original a listen even if you don’t really care for lyrics!
The original:
Original lyrics (with English translation and romaji) here.
Light Falls
Like falling light
Like songs that drip with the dreams of night
Like that soft sky spreading way up high
Colouring even your cheeks
Flowing down with your tears
Into the distance you could
With your heart
Set flight
Even if those wings are still unsure and new
Towards next day
Towards familiar yesterday
That promise made with a pinky-swear
Miniscule as it may seem
Might even take you somewhere
(And at) the end of time
(I will) make sure we unite
Til I die, let me pray (ardently)
Until we meet on doomsday
In my heart your smile will not decay
Even if I shall vanish like starlight when night starts to die
Under the rising sun, think of me
Anywhere, anytime, I will be here by your side
Fragile and fleeting (mortal lives)
Humankind, is it worth preserving?
(However,) only since you’re here
I start to think
Of saving each poor soul on this earth
So quietly, a prayer delivers by moonlight
So close your eyes, we’re almost there
When the morning strikes
Peace will be in the air
A silent shaft of light
Like falling light
Like songs that drip with the dreams of night
You too are growing bright
Rhyming the last three lines with “-ight” feels kind of cheap, but perhaps I can justify it as a part of the classic Kajiuran flavour.
As usual, I try to stay as faithful to the original lyrics as I can, and any additions and modifications I made are a part of my interpretation of the Madoka film. It’s pretty clear to me that this is a song that conveys Madoka’s blessings and feelings to Homura as she ascends and vanishes, hence the religious imagery. The third movie’s ED, “Kimi no Gin no Niwa” is Homura’s interesting answer to that. Might appear on this blog too, who knows.
I’m fairly happy with how this one turned out, because in terms of flow and line assignment, it may be the best set of translyrics I’ve made. It was a fun little project, so thank you again, Ink!
Any Kalafina fans out there? Madoka fans who interpreted the lyrics differently? I’m always ready to geek out about both subjects, so feel free to share your thoughts!
Always gonna be a fan of these whenever you make ’em Moya 🙂
“Even if I shall vanish like starlight when night starts to die
Under the rising sun, think of me
Anywhere, anytime, I will be here by your side”
I think this verse brought me back the most to what I felt back when I first saw the Madoka film. While the original lyrics (to me at least) sound as if the persona themselves become the light after they depart, I do like the emphasis you gave on the separation itself and how the light is more of a reminder of what was once there, as it does illustrate quite nicely Madoka and Homura relationship. Very nice.
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Thanks the the love~
True, the original would imply more that Madoka becomes the light. I guess I settled into a nice feel and decided to build on what I had! Maybe the original song serves “to bless”, while my Madoka aims “to empower”?
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I never heard this song before, (Yeah I know, shame on me 😂😂) but I’m glad you shared it here! This was a great song to wake up to on this side of the ocean! 😊
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Thanks for giving it a listen, and welcome (kinda) back, Michel!
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Thanks so much, it’s good to be back 😊
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