Did you see the weather forecast this week? The mercury is inching up. You know what this means, right? Summer is bustin’ out all over! I love summer and somehow, I associated it with the song “It’s Always a Good Time” by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen (aka the Call Me Maybe girl). I know this song was big a couple of years ago, but I found myself listening to it several times since the temperature started to go up in March. I love the feel-good vibe it brings. Carefree frolicking under the hot Philippine sun!
Today, while I was searching for a nice video, I came across this Japanese blog ย by a girl named Licca-san. She posts her own translations of the lyrics to her favourite songs. Nice! The language geek in me started rejoicing and I went through some of her posts and was glad to find that she had a translation of my summer song ๐ This is a big help to me. For years now, I’ve been “practicing” Nihongo with music and TV and film and this kind of material teaches me “natural” Japanese — how a native speaker would actually translate something in English. I think I need to sign up with ameblo just to thank her for her translations.
It’s Always A Good Time
Japanese translation by Licca
Woah-oh-oh-oh
ใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
Woah-oh-oh-oh
ใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
ใใใใฎๅณๅดใง็ฎ่ฆใใ
้ ญใฎไธญใงใใชใณในใฝใณใฐใๆตใใฆใ
ไปๅค่ธใใซใใใชใๆใไธใใช
ใ ใฃใฆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้ใ ใ
ๆฅฝใชๆใงๅฏใฆ
ใฟใฏใทใผใซ้ฃใณไนใฃใฆ
ใฉใฃใใธ้ฃใใฆใฃใฆใใ
ใใฟใ่ธใใซใใใชใใใใ่กใใ
ใ ใฃใฆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้ใ ใ
ใใฏใใใใใใใฟ
่ตทใใใๅคๆนใ ใฃใ
ใงใๅคงไธๅคซ
ใชใซใใใชใใฃใใฃใฆใใใใ ใ
ใ ใฃใฆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
ใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
ใชใซใใใชใใฃใใฃใฆใใใใ ใ
ใ ใฃใฆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
ใใฐใ ใพใใใผใซใซๆบๅธฏ่ฝใจใใกใใฃใ
้จๅฑใ้ฃใณๅบใใฆATMใซ
ไปๅค่ธใใซใใใชใ ใใๅบใใใใ
ใ ใฃใฆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
ใใฏใใใใใใใฟ
่ตทใใใๅคๆนใ ใฃใ
ใงใๅคงไธๅคซ
ใชใซใใใชใใฃใใฃใฆใใใใ ใ
ใ ใฃใฆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
ใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
ใชใซใใใชใใฃใใฃใฆใใใใ ใ
ใ ใฃใฆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
ใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
ใชใซใใใชใใฃใใฃใฆใใใใ ใ
ใ ใฃใฆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
ใใคใ ใฃใฆใใใใ
ใใฎๆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
ใฉใใงใใใ
ใใใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
ใใคใ ใฃใฆใใใใ
ใใฎๆใใใคใใฎๆฅฝใใๆ้
Here are some of my thoughts about the lyrics:
1. ใใใใฎๅณๅดใง็ฎ่ฆใใ – I think the line “Woke up on the right side of the bed” was taken literally. To wake up on the wrong side of the bed means to wake up in a foul mood and the line above would mean the opposite. The Japanese translation literally meant “woke up on the right side (and not the left side) of the bed.”
2. ้ ญใฎไธญใงใใชใณในใฝใณใฐใๆตใใฆใ – For the life of me, I would not have thought of using “ๆตใใฆใ” for the line “What’s up with this Prince song inside my head?”. But it makes perfect sense. ๐
3. ๆฅฝใชๆใงๅฏใฆ – for “Slept in all my clothes like I didn’t care”, I don’t quite understand why it was translated this way. I would have thought it should go something like ๆใ็ใใพใพๅฏใฆใBut again, as I am not a native speaker, I cannot be 100% sure.
4. ใใฏใใใใใใใฟ, ่ตทใใใๅคๆนใ ใฃใ – This has got to be my favourite line in the song ๐ Good morning and good night, I wake up at twilight. Let’s make it easy: good mornight! ๐
5. ใใฐใ ใพใใใผใซใซๆบๅธฏ่ฝใจใใกใใฃใ – Not the exact translation for “freaked out, dropped my phone in the pool again” but I loved how she used ใใฐใ because it sounds completely natural.
6. ไปๅค่ธใใซใใใชใ ใใๅบใใใใ – For the part that says “Let’s hang out”, I would probably have used ไผใใ and would never have thought of using ๅบใใใใ. Again, brilliant.
I hope she translates more songs — Maroon 5, Usher. I am really enjoying going through all her posts. Maybe I should do something similar too. Like translate Japanese songs to English and maybe, it can also help a native Japanese in his/her English studies. That has actually been in the blogging pipeline and I think I attempted a couple of songs that are now buried somewhere here. Ah well.
In the meantime, enjoy the video and feel the summer vibes!
Youtube: It’s Always ย A Good Time
