Beautiful

Title: Beautiful World
Artist: Utada Hikaru
Language: Japanese



Standing in front of the mirror, you find you cannot look yourself in the eyes. Every time you try to glance up, you are assaulted by glaring failures, chains of anxiety, and half-covered scars. Overwhelmed, you cast your eyes down once again and fret over everything you've tried and planned to do, but have not been able to.

Tears lining your eyes, you turn to walk away, but are stopped by a firm yet soothing voice. "Why can't you look at yourself? Don't you like yourself?"

Unable to speak, you turn so as not to face her. Slipping her hand into yours, she whispers reassuringly, "No matter what it is, give everything a try. Even if you get hurt, it's a valuable experience." 


Clutching onto her hand tightly, you warily turn back around toward the mirror. You lift your head slowly, but to your surprise the deformities that formerly filled the mirror are gone. Now, all you see is yourself wearing a most shocked expression and your new friend looking pleased. She gently removes her hand from yours and slips her entire arm around you waist, "You don't know yet, just how beautiful you are."

(Inspired by Scotia Rambo)

***

All words in italics are taken from DarkMirage's English translation of the song, found here. To purchase this song, click here.

"Ask Yourself"

Title: Vra Jou
Artist: Face of Change
Language: Afrikaans (Language of Southern Africa particularly Namibia and South Africa)


Desperation. Underneath the riffs and vocals and man-made thunder, desperation is what it's about. Desperation, pain, chaos and uncertainty.

There's a losing of oneself in all of the layering. Guitar, drum, bass. Family issues, work issues, intrapersonal issues. It all clumps together, burying you until you can't even see the sky anymore.

You try to climb your way out, but there's just too much. Inevitably, you begin to accept that there's no way out. But before you do, something calls to you. Sympathetic yet aggressive, it asks if this is really what's best. Giving up. Submitting to the chaos and the pain. Letting it consume you.

It's compelling. Very compelling. But the pain is crippling. If you continue to fight against it, how do you know you will ever get out? But if you submit to it, then an end to it all is absolute.

"I don't know what to do!" You scream to the voice.
But it's only answer is, "Ask yourself.

***

You can download this and two other songs from Face of Change's upcoming album for free here.

Namas

Title: Namas
Artist: Gepe
Language: Spanish



Part I: Verse 1

Let me enter
And don’t say anything
Don’t say anything more
And don’t say anything

Subtext: I know what you think about us being together. I know that you think we wouldn't last. I wouldn't last. But please put all those doubts aside and just let me in.

But upon entering
We’ll be close
And I won’t let go
Of your hand

But upon entering
We’ll be closer still
With hand in hand
I’ll squeeze more tightly

Subtext: If you let me in--into your heart, into your head, into your soul--I will stay close to you eternally. I will hold your hand and never let go.

Part 2: Chorus 1

And if I have nothing to say
And if I have nothing to sing
In order to lose time like this,
Whether or not that is settled,
This is settled now.
And if I have nothing to say
And if I have nothing to sing
In order to lose time like this
Whether or not that is settled
This is settled now.

Subtext: And even though I cannot always express it, I want to lose time with you. Whether or not you see that, I need you to know that I love you. And you cannot change that.

Part 3: Verse 2

Let me enter
And don't say anything
Don't say anything more
And don't say anything

Subtext: So please open your heart, and do not doubt me.

Part 4: Chorus 2

And if I have nothing to regret
And if I have nothing to ponder
In order to lose time like this
Whether or not that is settled
This is settled now.
And if I have nothing to regret
And if I have nothing to ponder
In order to lose time like this
Whether or not that is settled
This is settled now.

Subtext: And even if I cannot shed all of my burdens, in order to be eternally with you, you must accept that my love for you is immovable. My love is set in stone.

Conclusion: I love you despite what you think.

***

The original lyrics can be found here. I created the English translation (so please forgive any errors) with much help from this site. You can purchase this song online here or through the iTunes music store.

Fantasy

Title: Fantasy
Artist: Elisete
Language: Hebrew
{To listen to this song, click here.}

Watching the road from her sixth story apartment, Chastity feels empty. Though a month has past, Pele's words still ring in her ears: "I can't stay here anymore, Chassi. I love you--you know I love you--but this place is just too small. There's not enough here for me anymore."

Clutching the envelope that smells of Pele's perfume, she strains to find something pleasant to think about. Anything to stop the tears from coming! But in utter revolt, her brain conjures only images of Pele.

Their day at the lake.

Their impromptu forest adventures.



And, of course, the first day they met.



In one deep breath, she closes her eyes and rips open the envelope. She opens her eyes warily, expectant of another life-changing declaration--this time through a card, but instead she finds that the envelope is filled with pictures.

As she gingerly removes the first image, she notices something written on the back. Flipping the photograph, she is greeted by Pele's beautifully hasty handwriting:

Chassi,
I saw an old woman selling raspberries on the street in a town nearby. They reminded me of the time we made raspberry cocktails and roamed until sunrise.

Despite herself, Chastity laughs aloud at the memory. When they were just below the state of drunken immobility, they tottered out of the apartment building twirling and giggling down the road until Celino found them and, with a struggle, drove them back home.

Somewhat eager, she retrieves the next photograph. One hand reflexively grazes her back, as she flips it over:

People here ask me about my tattoo, and I always laugh and tell them that I got it because someone wanted to spite me.

Chastity smirks at the thought of their nearly identical butterfly tattoos. It was her impromptu plan to prove to Pele that she had a good pain threshold. Of course, that was a lie, and she cried like a five-year-old through most of the ordeal; but she forced herself to sit through it until the last "e" in Pele was etched over the design.

As a consolation offering, Pele got an identical tattoo with "Chassi" etched over the art.

When she views the next picture, memories bombard her. She flips it over cautiously, afraid the words will bring back the tears:

There's an open field at the edge of town. I've explored it with some friends, but some nights, I just want to stay out there forever--falling asleep in a blanket of grass. It wouldn't be the same , though, without you.

Chasity feels her eyes brimming as she recalls the many nights the two of them spent lying in fields and watching the stars. The day before Pele declared she was leaving, they slept outside. Counting clouds until sunset and stars until midnight.

When she pulls out the last photograph, she is slightly surprised. Because it is Pele--beautiful as always, but less vibrant than she recalls. The back contains more words than any of the other photos:

I know what you said, and I know what I said, but, Chassi, I still love you, and I can't live totally cut off from you, like this. I'm not asking you to leave, because I know you can't; but I am asking you to not give up on me. I love this big city. I love this life. But it'll never be complete without you.

One day, I'll find a place small enough for you and big enough for me with a nice open field for us to explore and we can live there until we're old and gray. But until I do, don't lose hope in me--in us.

Love forever,
Pele

Through her tears, Chastity smiles. She was planning to wait all along.

***

All photographs are the intellectual property of Clara (AKA bippla). To view more of her work, click here.

***

Unfortunately this song is not yet available for purchase; however, you may sample and buy Elisete's other songs by clicking here.