Sayonara Rolling Star Japanese Lyrics and Translation into English

A little gift for everyone, even those who may not know me or my work, or what I do.

I am a huge Katamari fan. I should probably explain, Katamari Damacy is a series of games where the object is very simple: roll a ball, called a katamari (it means 'mass' or 'lump' in Japanese) and collect things on it to make stars and planets. It sounds silly and odd, but it's actually one of the greatest game series ever made. The music always complements the unique visuals perfectly.

It's also a very special game to me, because webbychan -- my mate who passed away in 2007 -- suggested I get the first game when it was released. I will always associate him with 'Sakurairo no Kisetsu', or 'Cherry Blossom Times' as the title was translated.

Many of the songs have a certain 'mono-no-aware', which if you don't know what that is, is a kind of sadness. But it's a very Japanese concept that permeates Japanese culture: it is a sense of sadness of the impermanence of things, but a happiness as well that they were able to be experienced at all. It's often called the 'ah'-ness of things, because it reminds one of sighing in a mixture of happiness and sadness.

Anyway, the third console game, Beautiful Katamari, is one of the funnest of the series, and I dearly love the soundtrack. Pretty much every song on it is brilliant. It also features Matsumoto Iyo, a very famous idol from the 80s, doing a delightful song called 'Boyfriend a Go Go' which is one of my favourites.

But my absolute favourite is 'Sayonara Rolling Star', and recently I was trying to find a translation to show to a friend of mine who didn't speak Japanese but really loved the sound of the song.

The problem is, there isn't one that I could find. It was quite a challenge even to find the lyrics.

And so, even though my talent at translation is lacking, I thought I would supply them to you based on both my own hearing and what I confirmed at the handful of lyrics sites I managed to find with the song on them. I'm fine at understanding Japanese, it's just very difficult to convey that meaning to others, especially when so many things in Japanese have many levels of meaning, and sometimes double meanings that are necessary to understand the full meaning. But I did my best. I've included Japanese, Japanese transliterated, and English lyrics.

I did a few little inside jokes in translation that fans of the series should get, like the Eternal reference and some other things that are in the spirit of the lyrics, since there are references all over them about the game. It's such a beautiful song. Such a beautiful, beautiful song. I hope I have managed to convey its beauty.

I hope you'll all enjoy this. Please do give me a link if you're using these anywhere.

And keep rolling!


サヨナラ ROLLING STAR

どこに転がるか分からない
でも私たち 幸せだった
傷つけてはすりへるような感じ
わだかまり の かたまりね

どうして このまま
進んで いけないんだろう
不思議だね

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
強く まわり 続けよう
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
綺麗な○(まる) にしようね

気持ちが高ぶっては消える
打ち上げ花火のような せつな
毛糸球がほどけていくように
小さくなる この気持ち

いつまで いられる？
つないだ 手が 少しずつ 離れてく

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
それぞれ大きくなって
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
○く転がっていこうね

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
さよならは つらい けど
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
前を 向いて 生きていこう

さみしいよ 改札で 手を振って笑い合う
こらえきれない前に 後ろ 振り向いて 涙

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
小さな○をかいたら
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
大きな○で支えてあげて

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
一番大好きだった
Good to see you. あなたのこと
忘れないよ 絶対に

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
いいかな？
いいよね？
またどこかで...


SAYONARA ROLLING STAR

Doko ni korogaru ka wakaranai
Demo watashitachi shiawase datta
Kizu tsukete wa suriheru you na kanji
Wadakamari no katamari ne

Doushite kono mama
Susunde ikenaindarou fushigi da ne

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Tsuyoku mawari tsudzukeyou
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Kirei na maru ni shiyou ne

Kimochi ga takabutte wa kieru
Uchiage hanabi no you na setsuna
Keitodama ga hodoketeiku you ni
Chiisaku naru kono kimochi

Itsumade irareru?
Tsunaida te ga sukoshizutsu hanareteku

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Sorezore ookiku natte
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Maruku korogatteikou ne

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Sayonara wa tsurai kedo
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Mae wo muite ikiteikou

Samishii yo kaisatsu de te wo futte waraiau
Koraekirenai mae ni ushiro furimuite namida

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Chiisa na maru wo kaitara
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Ooki na maru de sasaete agete

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Ichiban daisuki datta
Good to see you. Anata no koto
Wasurenai yo zettai ni

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Ii ka na?
Ii yo ne?
Mata dokoka de...


SAYONARA ROLLING STAR

I don't know where we're rolling to
But we were happy
This feeling like injuries wearing us down
It's a mass of ill feeling

Why is it this time
We can't seem to keep going
It's so strange

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Keep rolling strongly
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Make a beautiful ball

All that self-confidence vanished
Like fireworks, in a twinkling
Came unwound like a ball of yarn
Feeling smaller

Can you do it eternally?
Our joined hands are little by little coming apart

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Every time you're becoming bigger
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Let's roll

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Goodbye is painful, but
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Live your life looking forward

So lonely at the ticket taker
Waving and smiling
I couldn't stand it
Before I got there, I turned around and cried

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
If you take care of that little ball
Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
You can make it into a big ball

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
I loved you the most
Good to see you.
I will never, ever forget you.

Good to see you. You are my rolling star.
Okay?
Is that okay?
Until we meet again, somewhere...