Sengoku Nadeko (Hanazawa Kana), Bakemonogatari OP4

Okay, for once, I’m going to put some of the notes before the translation because it might be kind of hard to appreciate certain lines without them – there’s some rather clever wordplay here. Skip to the bold title if you really don’t care, but I’d prefer it if you do.

From the third verse:

ちりもつもればやまとなでしこ？
「し」抜きで いや 死ぬ気で！

Chiri mo tsumoreba yamato nadeshiko?
“Shi” nuki de  iya  shinuki de!

If I bring together enough dust, will I get the ideal woman?
Without the “shi” – no, even if it kills me!

“Chiri mo tsumoreba yama” means “a mountain from a pile of dust,” referring to the power of accumulation. The final word, yama (mountain), leads into the expression “yamato nadeshiko,” which refers to the ideal (or “caressable,” to be more literal) woman. “Nadeshiko” is written with the same kanji as “Nadeko,” and the two are only a single syllable apart, explaining “shi nuki de” (without the ’shi’). “Shinuki de,” synonymous, indicates strong resolve to the point of willingness to die.

Another fun fact: the characters for “thousand” and “stone” make up Nadeko’s last name.

Love Circulation
Lyrics: meg rock
Composition / Arrangement: Kousaki Satoru
Vocals: Sengoku Nadeko (Hanazawa Kana)

(One, two! ♪)

But that’s no good.
With that, look,
My heart is evolving
More and more.

“If the relationship disappears once we put it in words,
We should just do away with words.”
I thought that, and I was afraid -
But what’s this? Maybe that’s not quite right..

(more…)