Sheena Ringo writes lyrics, while Ikkyu Nakajima sings, for ‘Offering Sake’ on Carnival. Uni Inoue composes a gentle beat that supports the narration, the songwriter brings personal gratitude, the artist delivers a steady presence. She asks listeners to stay, He suggests we reflect, the tune stays soft.
The songwriter writes about milky white magnolias, turning toward russet azuki bean red as if pointing, “look there”. After rain stops, the lyrics describe clematis that writh on every side, making you close your senses. A line, “I miss you, still holding thanks”, captures a concrete feeling of gratitude that lingers after goodbye.
Youi sareteita mokuji sonomama kuridasu nihon rettouThe prepared table of contents rolls out across the Japanese islands just like that,
Mokuren ano nyuuhakushokuThose milky white magnolias,
Saa goran are yo to azukiiro eTurning toward that russet ‘azuki bean’ red as if to say, “look there”
Ame ga yande wa tessen moOnce the rain lets up, even the clematis,
Shihoui hiri ni ketatamashiku ugomeku karaWrithing so piercingly and irrationally in every direction,
Gokan rokkan o tojite shimaitaku naru deshouIt’ll make you want to just shut your five senses and your sixth, won’t it?
Maa goran odoroodoroshii chotto shindoiWell, look, it’s eerie and a bit exhausting,
Iya nige ooseru darou kaNo, I wonder if I’ll ever manage to escape.
Aitai desu te watasezu jimai no o-rei mada aruI miss you, and I’ve still got these thanks I never managed to hand over,
Kyuu ni inaku naranaide matte oite ikanaide toTelling you “don’t just disappear, wait, don’t leave me behind,”
Ittemo kikoenai neBut you can’t hear me anymore, can you?
Kyoui atama o motogeru ano chiisana utagai jukkai semete tochuu de kizuketaraThat threat rears its head, those small doubts repeated ten times; if only I’d noticed halfway through,
Mou sukoshi soba ni irareta kanari kitsuiI could’ve stayed by your side a bit longer, but it’s really painful,
Kado ni hoshiteita no darou yoI suppose I’d just left it hanging out in the corner.
Nee zutto hito no guai bakka miteinaiHey, haven’t you spent all your time just watching how everyone else is doing?
Tasha yori jibun o ki ni shite oite kure matte oite ikanaide toPlease look after yourself more than others; “wait, don’t leave me behind,”
Iyoiyo myou na dokuzenFinally, this strange self-righteousness.
Ushoumushou no ai o nomihoshite reikanshou shitaI drank down the love of the faceless masses and felt a sudden chill,
Hikikae ni anata wa inochi o sashidashita sou deshouIn exchange, you offered up your life, didn’t you?
Maa koufuku dattatte itte hoshiiWell, I want you to tell me you were happy,
Aa isso saigo ni motto tsutaetakatta kedo imaAh, I’d rather have told you so much more at the end, but now,
Izen to shite omotteimasu mushiro mae ijou ni daisuki desuI still feel the same; if anything, I love you more than ever,
Looking for the ‘Offering Sake’ lyrics translation? It examines devotion and personal honesty. The songwriter writes in Japanese, offering English notes that preserve the original tone.
