平沢進 -「ルベド（赤化）」

見よ赤色　果てない夕陽の色合いで
ＯＨ　見よ赤色　止まない花の輪唱で　

沈黙は荒涼の庭を守る番人のよう
遠くから聞こえた難関に泣く声に
花は咲いて庭に惜しみなく
黄金の伝言を万全なほどにキミに見せて

饒舌に豊饒の庭で眠る老夫の夢に
生まれたあの日の完全な歌聞こえ
花は枯れて庭に淀みなく
黄金の旋律を旋風のように吹き上げて
見よ赤色　果てない夕陽の色合いで　

ＯＨ　見よ赤色　止まない花の輪唱で
ＯＨ　見よ赤色　果てなく回る輪の上で
ＯＨ　見よ赤色　朽ちない園の色合いで

悠々とたなびく草はキミを象るよう
遠くから届いた断崖に立つ影に
花はそよぎ雨の潤いを呼ぶ

黄金の時は来て
万全なほどにキミに降る
見よ赤色　果てない夕陽の色合いで

ＯＨ　見よ赤色　止まない花の輪唱で
ＯＨ　見よ赤色　果てなく回る輪の上で
ＯＨ　見よ赤色　朽ちない園の色合いで

Hirasawa Susumu - "Rubedo (Sekka)"

Miyo akairo hatenai yuuhi no iroai de
Oh miyo akairo yamanai hana no rinshou de

Chinmoku wa kouryou no niwa o mamoru bannin no you
Tooku kara kikoeta nankan ni naku koe ni
Hana wa saite niwa ni oshimi naku
Ougon no dengon o banzen na hodo ni kimi ni misete

Jouzetsu ni houjou no niwa de nemuru roufu no yume ni
Umareta ano hi no kanzen na uta kikoe
Hana wa karete niwa ni yodomi naku
Ougon no senritsu o senpuu no you ni fukiagete
Miyo akairo hatenai yuuhi no iroai de

Oh miyo akairo yamanai hana no rinshou de
Oh miyo akairo hatenaku mawaru wa no ue de
Oh miyo akairo kuchinai sono no iroai de

Yuuyuuto tanabiku kusa wa kimi o katadoru you
Tooku kara todoita dangai ni tatsu kage ni
Hana wa soyogi ame no uruoi yobu

Ougon no toki wa kite
Banzen na hodo ni kimi ni furu
Miyo akairo hatenai yuuhi no iroai de

Oh miyo akairo yamanai hana no rinshou de
Oh miyo akairo hatenaku mawaru wa no ue de
Oh miyo akairo kuchinai sono no iroai de

Hirasawa Susumu - "Rubedo (Reddening)"

See the color red in the endless hues of the setting sun
Oh, see the color red in the never-ending round the flowers sing

Silence is like a watchman guarding a desolate garden
From faraway comes the sound of a voice weeping by the barrier
In response, flowers bloom freely in the garden
And flawlessly send you a message of gold*

In the dreams of the old man** sleeping in the loquaciously fruitful garden
You hear the perfect song of the day you were born
The flowers in the garden wilt without hesitation***
And blow into the air a melody of gold, like a whirlwind
See the color red in the endless hues of the setting sun

Oh, see the color red in the never-ending round the flowers sing
Oh, see the color red on the endlessly turning wheel
Oh, see the color red in the hues of the indefectible garden

The softly flowing grass seems to take your shape
Unto the shadow that arrived from far away and that now stands on the precipice
The swaying flowers summon the wetness of rain

The time of gold has come
And flawlessly rains down upon you
See the color red in the endless hues of the setting sun

Oh, see the color red in the never-ending round the flowers sing
Oh, see the color red on the endlessly turning wheel
Oh, see the color red in the hues of the indefectible garden


Translation Notes:
* Hirasawa refers to "gold" a lot in his music, and I wonder how much of it relates to the alchemical understanding of it. This site suggests that "gold" is "the divine, creative influence present in all matter" and "the living gold is actually pure consciousness, or pure awareness." That makes a LOT of sense to me in the context of Hirasawa's works generally, but especially here.

** The "old man" is probably the archetype of the "old wise man, which is associated with the yellowing/reddening stages of the Magnum Opus--two stages that are often combined and simply referred to as "rubedo." Hmm.

*** "without hesitation" can also mean "without stagnation" on a more literal level, so I think the image is off flowers falling apart without rotting--they're merely changing form so they can float on the wind as a melody.

- The song has a strange integration of all the senses (except taste). The lyrics tell you to "see" the color red with your eyes first, but then command you to "see" it in music and (later) in the motion of objects, which suggests shows how the "reddening" process has penetrated all levels of the psychological landscape in the song. Similarly, "gold" is then revealed first visually in the flowers, then in song, and finally using the sense of touch as it comes down in a wet rain. If the goal of alchemy is to create a magical stone that will allow base metal to turn into gold, this song suggests the process is completed once you allow your whole self to go through the phases of nigredo, albedo, and rubedo.