Children who cry in confusion, an grown-up who mocks them for it And my baby Santa Claus, who’s surprisingly short The sad envoy of good will
Not one person reaches out to the depths of his loneliness A pedestrian paradise. No way you could sled there Am I in my right mind, trying to cross? Do I pun it up and say, ”The red oni’s here*****”?
I won’t even mention why I got here late Your timid sincerity elicits pity There’s love under all the permafrost What do you get in exchange for toys? My Old Friend, have a bright red holly berry to amuse yourself with C’mon, take it
There’s a strange man watering the desert ”Look—I’m not just out of songs praising the gods, but also words to scorn them with” Said the man to the snow at the end of the millenium
You wait around for letters from the world’s good boys and girls No one’s around to guard the fire in your hearth There’s love beneath all the permafrost What do you get in exchange for toys? My Old Friend, have a bright red holly berry to amuse yourself with C’mon, take it
Blast the best sound system in the imperial capital The skyscrapers are perfume bottles scenting the night Snow at the end of the millenium! Ah, you had a dream you were flying through the Tokyo skies
You wait around for letters from the world’s good boys and girls No one’s around to guard the fire in your hearth One day, even the permafrost will melt away In exchange for toys, the city goes under My Old Friend, have a bright red holly berry to amuse yourself with
A quiet dinner in a hotel in some unfamiliar town A young lady of the night asks if you want to hang out There’s love on the other side of your cold pillow You hear the evening breeze off in the distance, brush your teeth My Old Friend, have a bright red holly berry to amuse yourself with C’mon, take it
tomadoi ni naku kodomora to azawarau otona to koibito wa santa kuro-su igai to se wa hikui kanashige na zen’i no shisa yo
aitsu no kodoku no fukasa ni daremo te wo nobasanai hokousha tengoku soko wa sori nante muri yokogirou to suru nante ki wa tashika kai? ”akai oni ga kita yo” to sharete miru ka
okurete koko ni kita sono wake sae iwanai kiyowa na sono magokoro wa aware wo sasou eikyuu toudo no soko ni ai ga aru omocha to hikikae ni nani wo morau? My Old Friend, nagusami ni makka na hiiragi no mi wo hitotsu douzo saa, douzo
sabaku ni mizu wo maku nante okashi na otoko sa ”goran, kamigami wo matsuri-ageta uta mo, otoshimeru kotoba mo ima wa tsukita.” sennen kimatsu no yuki ni hitori-gochita
kimi ga matsu no wa sekai no ii ko no tegami kimi no danro no hi wo mamoru hito wa inai eikyuu toudo no soko ni ai ga aru omocha to hikikae ni nani wo morau? My Old Friend, nagusami ni makka na hiiragi no mi wo hitotsu douzo saa, douzo
teito zuiichi no saundo shisutemu hibikasete matenrou wa yoru ni kaoru kesshoubin sennen kimatsu no yuki! aa, toukyou no sora wo tobu yume wo mita yo
kimi ga matsu no wa sekai no ii ko no tegami kimi no danro no hi wo mamoru hito wa inai kono eikyuu toudo mo tokeru hi ga kuru omocha to hikikae ni toshi ga shizumu My Old Friend, nagusami ni makka na hiiragi no mi wo hitotsu douzo
shiranai machi no hoteru de shizuka ni shokuji asobanai ka to shoujo no shoufu ga sasou tsumetai makura no ura ni ai ga aru yokaze wo tooku kiku ha wo migaku My Old Friend, nagusami ni makka na hiiragi no mi wo hitotsu douzo saa, douzo
Translator’s note: Red is the most common color for oni (ogres) that are chased out of the house on the Japanese holiday, Setsubun. You can read more about it here.
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