Once more, Chibikko Folk - blog by Hiroshi Ichikura

The lyricist Hiroshi Ichikura, who wrote 'Chibikko Folk' for Maaya's album 'Shounen Alice', has posted a blog entry on his website revisiting the lyrics in light of the recent earthquake and tsunami in north east Japan.

The English lyrics for 'Chibikko Folk' I borrowed from Joonas Kirsi's translation here, and I found the blog through the Japanese fansite 100331 so thank you to them as well.

Note: the Kafka aphorism is no.52 according to Wikipedia.


Once more, Chibikko Folk
Original blog entry here (Japanese)

Closing the book I was reading and putting down the bread I was nibbling, I open the window and notice
that a single feather has fallen on the window board.
Nobody knows where the dreams of children disappeared

（Omitted）

I gently put a blanket over the sleepless nights of children
who live in lands that hate each other and cities that hurt each other.
I’m staying awake.
I’m right here, so don’t worry

Oh ho oh 　Oh ho oh 　Oh ho oh -
I’m watching over you, so don’t worry
Oh ho oh 　Oh ho oh　 Oh ho oh -
I’m by your side, so don’t worry

Kafka once said, “If the whole world fights against you…”
If the whole world ever fought against me,
if that ever happened
I think I would ally myself with the world of my enemy

（Omitted）

Song／Maaya Sakamoto　　Music／Yoko kanno

This is a song that I created after 9.11, just after the subsequent war. It quotes a famous aphorism by Kafka.

In the struggle between yourself and the world, second the world.
Im Kampf zwischen dir und der Welt sekundiere der Welt.

There are various interpretations of these words, and I think that the diversity is a good thing. For example, right now I interpret them in the following way:

Instead of fearing radiation contamination, support the land that suffers the disaster.

Or, like this:

Do not cry for yourself, cry for the world (for others)