This week, we take a look at an anti-war song, sung by the now disbanded Do As Infinity. This song was introduced to me only thanks to Zoids Genesis, for which it was the only OP song for the entire series. The lyrics are deep in meaning, even if you do not like the genre, for DAI sings about anti-war sentiments, hoping for peace instead.Yotaka no Yume, or the Nighthawk's Dream, sings about a mission in the night. Nighthawk here can refer to a bird of the same name, or the F117 Nighthawk, a stealth fighter plane that achieved fame in the Gulf War. In the song, the reference is to both in different parts, though the general basis is that of the latter. The bird itself is only mentioned in one line.Much like a dream, the mission's process and how it went and ended seems unreal to the singer. The last chorus is used in the anime TV sized version, because it kind of sums up what war is about or brings.I thank AnimeLyrics and LyricWiki for the lyrics and translation. There was, a long time ago, a translation that was very much well done from which I will now derive the main gist of the song from, aside from the translations used in the links mentioned above. Unfortunately, the link has been taken down a long time ago and I do not even remember the author, except that it had a "Word" in it. I thank you for your translation, should you ever read this.夜鷹の夢Do As Infinity夜の闇にまぎれ僕等 低空で飛び続けた月は何も知らず低く エンジンが響いていたそこにどんな人が暮らし 笑い合っているのでしょうそこでどんな夢が生まれ 育まれていたのでしょう地図に示された 名も読めない町今夜も 正義を御旗に生きとしいけるもの全て焼き尽くす紅蓮の炎が真下に流れる予定どおりに機首上げて弾薬庫の蓋閉じて勝利の旋回何も 見ない 何も 聞かず何も 何も 何も 何もまるで祝うように花火 ささやかに打ち上げてる怒り 嘆き 悔やみそして 憎しみを受け止める朝日より早く まぶしい光が突然 ガラスを砕いて生きとしいけるもの全て同じ色 真紅の血が胸から流れる力なく握る操縦桿振り向き叫んでみても誰も答えない月が 遠く 霞み 消える母も 父も 友も 君も生まれた国が違うならこんな砂漠の朝焼け見ずに生きてゆく暁の空に夜鷹がはぐれてもう戻れない流れ星になる生きとしいけるもの全て同じ色 真紅の血で命を 育てるどんな正義をかざしても流れ出る真紅の血を止められはしない夢を 見てた 長い 夢を長い 夢を 長い 夢をYotaka no YumeDo As InfinityYoru no yami ni magireBokura teikuu de tobi tsuduketaTsuki wa nani mo shirazuHikuku ENJIN ga hibiitetaSoko ni donna hito gaKurashi warai atte iru no deshouSoko de donna yume gaUmare hagukumarete ita no deshouChizu ni shimesareta na mo yome nai machiKonyamo seigi wo mihata niIkitoshi ikeru mono subeteYakitsukusu guren no hi gaMashita ni nagareruYotei douri ni kishu ageteDanyakuko no futa tojiteShouri no senkaiNani mo minai nani mo kikazuNani mo nani mo nani mo nani moMarude iwau you niHanabi sasayaka ni uchiageteruIkari nageki kuyamiSoshite nikushimi wo uketomeruAsahi yori hayaku mabushii hikari gaTotsuzen GARASU wo kudaiteIkitoshi ikeru mono subeteOnaji iro shinku no chi gaMune kara nagareruChikara naku nigiru soujuukanFurimuki sakende mitemoDare mo kotae naiTsuki ga tooku kasumi kieruHaha mo chichi mo tomo mo kimi moUmareta kuni ga chigau naraKonna sabaku no asayakeMizu ni ikite yukuAkatsuki no sora ni yotaka gaHagurete mou modore naiNagareboshi ni naruIkitoshi ikeru mono subeteOnaji sora shinku no chi deInochi wo sodateruDonna seigi wo kazashite moNagarederu shinku no chi woTomerare wa shinaiYume wo miteta nagai yume woNagai yume wo nagai yume woNighthawk's DreamDo As InfinityIn the chaos of the nightWe fly low, close to the groundThe moon knows naught of usAs our quiet engine brings us through the night (*1)Over there, what kind of peopleLive and laugh together?Over there, what kind of dreamsAre born and raised?The map shows us a town, a name we can't readTonight once more, we raise our flag of justiceAmong all living thingsA scorching fire flows within (*2)Just as planned, our planes riseThe missile hatches closeAnd we go through a victory loop (*3)Nothing can be seen, nothing can be heard (*4)Nothing at all, nothing at all, nothing at all, nothing at allAs if in celebration of joyThere is modest launch of fireworksThere is anger, grief, and condolenceAnd we then receive the hatred (*5)A blinding light even brighter than the morning sun (*6)Suddenly breaks through the glassAmong all living thingsThe same crimson bloodFlows from their heart (*7)As I grasp the joystick with the last of my strength (*8)I shout out to you (*9)But no one answersThe moon vanishes far into the distance like mist (*10)As does my mother, my father, my friends, and youIf we had been born in a different country (*11)We would never seeThe glow of this desert (*12)The nighthawk in the light of dawnStrays and turns awayBecoming a shooting starAmong all living thingsThe same crimson blood flowsPouring forth lifeNo matter what kind of justice we take upThe flow of blood that followsCan't be stopped (*13)I had a dream, a long dreamA long dream, a long dreamTranslation Notes1. Ok I think it means to say that the engine is quiet, but the accurate translation is "resounding" from both sources. I changed it a little to reflect what it really should be meaning.2. Yeah seriously. I am torn at this part since I have no idea what it means, so I ripped the best one I could think of that talks about this part. The fire here can be referring to the fire of life maybe?3. No shit, it really says "victory loop" here. The hatch is a missile hatch, since this is a plane we are talking about. You can also say it is a bomb bay but meh, the hatch for the bay must still close.4. Ok this part can also be translated in context as, "nothing is seen of us, nothing is heard of us". Up to you to choose whichever, I just made it the most open translation available.5. This part is a little tricky. I forgot what the original translation I read was, but it can be read as "the hatred reached us" or "we received the hatred". Judging by what happens in the next two lines however, I translated it as "receiving".6. Both translations I linked to failed in this part. It is not the morning light that pierces through the glass, but a blinding light that is faster (or brighter) than the morning sun. This is in reference, especially if you read the chorus that immediately follows, to perhaps a bullet piercing through the glass.7. "Mune" here can be translated as "chest", I chose "heart" because it is in that area and sounds better in English.8. Literally, this part said that the singer was grasping the joystick very weakly. Hence I decided to translate it as "last of my strength".9. Here, the singer may also be shouting out to comrades, or whoever else. However, since the F117 is flown by two people, and the way the context is written in the following lines, I chose "you" as the most appropriate translation.10. There is nothing in here that says the moon is like mist, but the main gist of it is how I translated it, and so I took this more appropriate and colorful form.11. Yes this part is translated as is. I think the singer means to say "if we had been born in different countries/worlds", but I decided to leave it as it is. The way it is currently translated, it is likely that the singer meant to say "had we born in the same country" which is different from both of their countries.12. These two lines are compressed and condensed to make it sound like it should in English. The glow of this desert likely refers to the destruction the F117 unleashed, for which it has now received "retribution".13. Again, the translation is a colorful one. The singer means to say here that, no matter what justice you might uphold, the flow of blood that follows in a war will never be stopped, hence a strong reason not to engage in war, since blood will always be shed.The long dream at the end refers to the song itself, a dream that seems unreal, yet is real because the singer is dying, as the Nighthawk crashes. It is a really sad song though not sung that way, but you can feel the emotions Tomiko Van put into the song when you listen to it.Yotaka no Yume is available in my IMEEM for your listening pleasure. I hope it will convince you that, even if war is sometimes the right path, the blood, the destruction, and the sadness it brings, will never be stopped.
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