Song Translation: Jigoku Sensei by Soutaisei Riron
Or, Hell Teacher by The Theory of Relativity.
So yeah, I thought I’d try my hand at some song translation. Song translation is probably not the best place to stretch one’s amateur Japanese skills, but a quick Google search and some assumptions on my part lead me to believe that there’s not much–if anything at all–in the way of translated Soutaisei Riron songs. So, why not?
Jigoku Sensei is one of the band’s few songs that I can more or less grasp easily. The rest of their work is simply far too bizarre for me to even try to understand what Ms. Yakushimaru going on about. This translation won’t be poetic, and it will probably miss out on any possible background nuances. But as far as I know, this is all there is, so I hope I’m at least making something of a worthwhile contribution to all you fans of underexposed Japanese music.
Zalas from encubed helped to clean up a few things in my translation, but if you see anything else that needs tweaking, drop a comment or something.
But first, here’s the transliteration of the song in helpful romaji. The translation will follow on afterwords.
————
Jugyousankan koi no yokan
Kateihoumon wa jigoku no mon
Houkago no koutei de
Kagai jugyou no ai wo shiru
Jukensensou mou makesou
Kayowai haato ga orechaisou
Hoomuruumu no kyoushitsu de
Danjokousai no uwasa ga tobikau
Sensei shiranai koto shiritai no
Mienai mono ga mitai no
Oshiete oshiete oshiete
Nee sensei saikin netsuki warui no
Kanashibari hageshii no
Doushite? Doushite sensei
Seeraa fuku wa sentou fuku
Kurasu taikou no desumacchi
Bousaikunren kekkou de
Metta ni naranai
Chaimu ga naru toki
Sensei iitai kedo ienai no
Kuyashii hodo setsunai no
Sensei sensei tteba sensei
Aa sensei furuneemu de yobanai de
Shita na namae de yonde
Onegai onegai yo sensei
Sensei kikitai koto mada aru yo
Toshishita ja ikenai no?
Kotaete kotaete nee sensei
Sensei sotsugyoushiki chikazuite
Sayonara mo ienai de iya da na
Watashi mada joshikousei de itai yo
————
It’s parents’ visiting day, there’s a premonition of love
The house visits are gates to hell
In the school yard, after class
I learn of extra curricular love
It already looks like I’m going to fail my entrance exams
My poor heart feels as if it’s about to break
During homeroom
Relationship gossip flies around the classroom
Teacher, I want to know things I don’t know
I want to see things I can’t see
Teach me, teach me, teach me
Hey teacher, lately I haven’t been sleeping well
This binding is unbearable
Why is it? Why, teacher?
The sailor uniform is my battle gear
For the death match against the other classes
We practice fire drills
For that alarm
That hardly ever rings
Teacher, I want to say it, but I can’t
It’s painful enough to kill
Teacher, teacher, c’mon teacher
Ah, teacher, don’t call me by my full name
Call me by my first
Please, oh please, teacher
Teacher, there’s still a lot I want to ask
Am I too young for you?
Answer me, answer me, please teacher
Teacher, graduation is drawing close
I don’t want to say farewell, I just can’t
I want to keep on being a high school girl
I’ve noticed you really like this song. And I like it too. :)
Great work!
But about the last line… Because of the “mada” part and hearing “itai” as “ittai,” I assumed she was saying “I want to tell you I’m still a high school girl.” So how does the line literally translate? “The fact that I’m still a high school girl really hurts”?
Yeah, basically.
@wah, 2DT. I think it’s “I want to remain a JK” (de iru -> de itai, not that other itai).
Yeah… that makes sense, actually. I’ll change it.