Shuuen no Solitude
終焉のソリチュード Solitude of Demise Ichigo Hitofuri | Horohorodori | Souen Aika
美しい刃に見惚れ Utsukushii yaiba ni mihore Mesmerized by this beautiful blade,
呼吸をすることも忘れ Kokyuu wo suru koto mo wasure I forget to breathe.
貴方のそばにいるほどに Anata no sobani iru hodo ni The more I remain by your side,
失ったものを嘆いた Ushinatta mono wo nageita The more I lament the thing I’ve lost.
今宵月は静かなれど Koyoi tsuki wa shizuka naredo Tonight, the moon is as silent as water
私の心はざわめく Watashi no kokoro wa zawameku Yet my heart is turbulent.
影は二つ幻でも Kage wa futatsu maboroshi demo Two figures, even if they are just illusions
さあ踊りましょう Saa odorimashou Come, let’s dance.
記憶とともに焼け落ちた Kioku to tomoni yake ochita Burnt away like my memories,
貴方への思いは灰になる Anata e no omoi wa hai ni naru My thoughts of (feelings for) you have turned to ash.
物語はいつの日にか Monogatari wa itsu no hi ni ka This story will one day
終わりを迎えるのでしょう Owari wo mukaeru no deshou End, won’t it?
私の刀身に咲いた Watashi no toushin ni saita On my sword body
いびつな華は散り逝くさだめ Ibitsu na hana wa chiri yuku sadame Blooms twisted flowers destined to wilt away.
愛してとつぶやいても Aishite to tsubu yaite mo Even if I whisper words of love,
貴方に届くはずなく Anata ni todoku wa zunaku They’ll never reach you.
二つの影は消え去って Futatsu no kage wa kie satte The two figures fade and disappear
二日月は雲隠れにし Mikazuki wa kumogaku renishi The crescent moon is hidden behind clouds
何処にもいけない私は Doko ni mo ikenai watashi wa Not knowing where I belong,
次の夜を待ち続けている Tsugi no yoru wo machi tsuzukete iru I continue to await the next night.
今宵月は静謐なれど Koyoi tsuki wa seihitsu naredo Tonight, the moon is incomparably quiet
私の心を揺さぶる Watashi no kokoro wo yusaburu Causing my heart to waver
愛はいつもここにあると Ai wa itsumo koko ni aru to Love has existed here all this time
呟いていた Tsubuyaiteita I mutter
孤独を紛らわすように Kodoku wo magirawasu youni Like wanting to drive away this loneliness,
灰になったものをすくっても Hai ni natta mono wo sukuttemo Even if I scoop up this thing that has turned to ash
物語を閉じる音は Monogatari wo tojiru oto wa The sound of a story ending
遠く悲しみをたたえ Tooku kanashimi wo tatae Is distant and filled with grief.
貴方の刀身に映る Anata no toushin ni utsuru On your sword body shines
あの日の記憶の欠片たちが Ano hi no kioku no kakera tachi ga The fragments of memories from that day.
繋いでと語りかける Tsunai deto katari kakeru The story they weave
続きを聞かせてほしい Tsudzuki wo kikasete hoshii I hope you’ll continue to hear me out.
美しく醜いこの世界で Utsukushiku minikui kono sekai de In this beautiful yet hideous world
記憶とともに焼け落ちた Kioku to tomoni yake ochita Burnt away like my memories,
貴方への思いは灰になる Anata e no omoi wa hai ni naru My thoughts of you have turned to ash.
物語はいつの日にか Monogatari wa itsu no hi ni ka This story will one day
終わりを迎えるのでしょう Owari wo mukaeru no deshou End, won’t it?
私の刀身に咲いた Watashi no toushin ni saita On my sword body
いびつな華は散り逝くさだめ Ibitsu na hana wa chiri yuku sadame
Blooms twisted flowers, destined to wilt away.
愛してとつぶやいたら Aishite to tsubu yaitara If I whisper words of love,
貴方に届くでしょうか Anata ni todoku deshouka Will they reach you?
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Translation Credit: @namikala Shuuen no Solitude
"Welcome home. I was waiting for you."
In the translation credit, the author implies that the song is about Mikazuki Munechika in a “I don’t remember you, but I remember that I loved you” trope. And I have to agree.
Ichigo Hitofuri, if you don’t know, is a sword that was owned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Toyotomi had a wife named Nene, and Mikazuki Munechika was gifted to her by Toyotomi. Since both husband and wife owned swords, these swords are considered “spousal swords.” However, Tokugawa torched Osaka Castle and burned with Toyotomi was Ichigo Hitofuri.
He was separated from Mikazuki because Mikazuki was taken by the Miyoshi clan then gifted to Tokugawa Hidetada after Nene died.
In the game and also the Hanamaru anime, he suffers from amnesia. Unable to remember more than burning at Osaka Castle, it’s like a part of him had been lost in that fire, too. This includes the memory of his time with Mikazuki as spousal swords. They rarely interact in-game or even in the anime, nor does any type of official media acknowledge that they are spousal swords. Which breaks my heart.
From a relationship standpoint, Ichigo does seem to recognize Mikazuki in the song, even mentioning the crescent moon and his beautiful blade. He wonders if Mikazuki will be receptive to his yearning, hence his questioning of “will my words reach you?” The amnesia is kicking his ass and his love life. Whether Mikazuki is receptive or not about Ichigo’s advances is either unknown or known based on how you interpret "Akatsuki no Shizuku," Mikazuki’s image song from Hyakka Kenran. It’s anachronistic as I’ll elaborate in the future but the lyrics are undeniable.
In order to make Ichigo’s situation worse, his constant ask of “will you hear the words I say” or “this story will end, won’t it” may be an indicator that whoever he is talking to is not listening or not willing to continue what used to be. He seems to try to scoop up the ashes of his former burnt body as if trying to make himself whole again, which again alludes to the fact he had lost a part of him due to the fire. “On your sword body shines, the fragments of memories from that day.” Mikazuki and Ichigo parted ways at the burning of Osaka Castle. Not only did he lose himself, he lost Mikazuki in the process.
Therefore, Ichigo’s demise is the solitude he experiences through lost memories and his lingering love for Mikazuki.
I credit this song for exposing me to one of my now favorite utaite, Horohorodori. PolyphonicBranch does such an amazing job choosing the perfect artist for his songs, often choosing someone that almost sounds like the character it's representing. That may not always be the case, but in this one, I hear a little bit of Ichigo in Horohorodori’s voice.
This song is always on repeat and I think I experience withdrawal every day that I don't listen to it. I absolutely love the electric guitar at the beginning, mostly because of how contrasting it is to Ichigo’s demure-seeming character. It exemplifies the turmoil in his heart. What I also love about the song is the bassline. And the fact that the song is in minor key.
Thank you for reading!
