Boku and Jelly Translation

Original Japanese | Romanji Reading | English Translation | Translation Annotations

While I've technically already translated half of Minami Kaze to Taiyou, I'm still going to call this the inaugural translation for the new album, ETC Works 2. After all, I've drawn a picture for it, and completed the entire translation!

As for the picture, I know the song conjures up less wintry theme, but I decided to relate it to the climate I'm used to, and not Okinawa. I still included a jelly fish, so I don't feel like it's too out of place.

Boku and Jelly
MONGOL800
Etc Works 2

彷徨う　定め
風に乗って　波に乗って
ゼロのなって　ユラユラ

漂う定め
風に乗って　波に乗って
ゼロになって　ユラユラ

ユラ　ユラ　ユラ　ユラ
ユラ　ユラ　ユラ　ユラ

水面に浮かぶ銀の月
ユラユラと　微笑む

さぁ迷う　ただただ　漂う
さぁ迷う　ただただ

漣踊る　海の月
ユラユラと　見守るの

Boku and Jelly
Mongoru Happyaku
ETC Works 2

Houkou Sadame
Kaze ni notte Nami ni notte
ZERO ni natte YURAYURA

Tadayou sadame
Kaze ni notte Nami ni notte
ZERO ni natte YURAYURA

YURA YURA YURA
YURA YURA YURA

Suimen ni ukabu Gin no Tsuki
YURAYURAto Hohoemu

Saa mayou Tadatada tadayou
Saa mayou Tadatada

Sazanami odoru Umi no tsuki
YURAYURAto Mimamoru no

Me and Jelly
MONGOL800
ETC Works 2

Our (1) fate is to wander,
to ride the wind, to ride the waves,
and to become nothing, swaying from side to side

Our fate is to drift,
to ride the wind, to ride the waves
and become nothing, swaying from side to side (2)

Drifting, drifting, drifting
drifting, drifting, drifting

The silver moon floats on the surface of the water
swaying from side to side, it’s smiling down on us

Well, we’ll be lost, only drifting (3)
well, we’ll be lost

The moon in the sea dances on the ripples
Swaying from side to side, it’ll watch over us.

Translation Annotations:

(1) This entire song is entirely bereft of subjects, so it’s not really clear whose fate it is to wander. That being said, since the song is called “Boku and Jelly” which translates as “Me and the Jellyfish”, I think I can safely assume he is saying we.

(2) Yurayura is an onomatopoeia used for ripples in water, or someone who is sort of drifting. It’s not a very easy word to translate. But, it is supposed to evoke the image of something moving back and forth.

(3) This is a cool twist of words! “only” in Japanese is often said as “tada”. When you say “tadatada” you are emphasizing that it is the only thing (seriously!). The next word, to drift, is pronounced tadayou. So, he played on the sound “tada” to make a cool sentence.