Maaya Sakamoto – Triangler
Oh my god! It’s finally here! The Holy Grail! The first song that Maaya and her former mentor Yoko Kanno have worked together on in almost half a decade!
Triangler is the first opening song for Macross Frontier. Lyrics translation and fanboying after the break.
Triangler
Maaya Sakamoto
kimi wa dare to kisu wo suru
watashi soretomo ano ko
kimi wa dare to kisu wo suru
hoshi wo meguru yo junjou
yowamushi nakimushi tsurete
mada ikun da to omou watashi
aisuru yori motomeru yori
utagau hou ga zutto tayasui jibun ga kuyashii
itai yo
mikata dakedo aishitenai toka
mamoru dakedo soba ni irenai toka
nigai niritsuhaihan
imasugu tacchimi-
unmei naraba tsunagasete
kimi wa dare to kisu wo suru
watashi soretomo ano ko
kokoro yurasu kotoba yori
musekinin ni daite genkai
mousou wo sabaku okite
ushiro kara keriagetara
mukidashi no koi ni yoroketa
kokyuu dake de seiippai
mukae ni kite oboreteru kara
itai yo
maemuki na uso ma ni ukeru nowa
waratteru koe segamenai kara
mirai moteamashita
imasugu hold me
risei nante oshitaoshite
kimi wa dare to kisu wo suru
watashi soretomo ano ko
namida marude yakutatazu
hoshi wo kakeru yo junjou
kimi wa dare to kisu wo suru
kimi wa dare to kisu wo suru
watashi soretomo ano ko
tatta hitotsu inochi wo tate ni
ima furikazasu kanshou
Triangler
Maaya Sakamoto
Who will you kiss?
Me, or that girl?
Who will you kiss?
Orbit the stars, my pure feelings.
Together with my weak and crybaby selves,
I think I’ll continue walking on.
I seldom love, and I seldom wish,
I often choose to doubt, and for that I hate myself.
It hurts.
Like how we are friends but you don’t love me,
Or how I can’t be with people I’m protecting.
Those bitter contradictions.
Touch me now.
If it’s fate, then let me be with you.
Who will you kiss?
Me, or that girl?
More than your seductive words,
Your irresponsibility engulfs me, and I’m at my limit.
The laws that govern my fantasies,
When I gave them a kick from the back,
I tripped and fell over the passion evolved.
Breathing alone takes up all my strength.
Come for me, I am drowning.
It hurts.
Taking an optimistic lie for the truth hurts.
For there isn’t a taunting voice egging me on,
The future has become too much for me to bear.
Hold me now.
Overcome your rationality.
Who will you kiss?
Me, or that girl?
These tears are close to worthless,
Chase the stars, my pure feelings.
Who will you kiss?
Who will you kiss?
Me, or that girl?
I use my one and only life as my shield,
And now I brandish my painful sentimentality.
This song is a marked return to Yoko Kanno’s faster pace. The lyrics, credited to Gabriela Robin (one of Yoko’s pseudonyms), is quite noticeably different from Maaya’s other recent songs. While most songs in general are clear and elaborate in their messages, Yoko’s lyrics tend to be highly condensed and open to (mis)interpretations, which makes translation difficult.
The prevalent grammar contractions present quite an obfuscated challenge, and the systematic omission of overt pronouns in Japanese certainly doesn’t help either. Hopefully I got the crucial meanings right… Do comment.
I hope this song is a sign of more to come, because Maaya and Yoko are just meant to be. As a Maaya fanboy holding IDS membership, I approve of this release. That said, my favourite Maaya songs are still the ones from her Nikopachi singles collection.
And oh yeah, I think Macross Frontier is great too.
You can purchase the single from Amazon or CDJapan. First press is sold out though. (I have one of them.)
April 24th, 2008 at 1:33 am
This really snuck up on me… I was so surprised to see it was released.
I loved the Macross Frontier opening and the full version now is even more loveliness XD
April 24th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Even though I am not a huge Yoko Kanno / Maaya Sakamoto fan, I can tell this is “them” just by listening to the tune. (Also, for some reason, this song brings me back to the end of the 90′s and the early 2000′s. Not sure why).
And I have nothing to complain about Macross Frontier so far; it has been very solid and very entertaining.
Thanks for the lyrics.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:47 am
I like Macross Frontier. This song not so much. But Yoko Kanno and Maaya Sakamoto are very talented indeed.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:07 am
> I seldom love, and I seldom wish,
> I often choose to doubt, and for that I hate myself.
aisuru /yori/ … utagau hou ga … tayasui =
Rather than loving, I often choose to doubt
> mikata dakedo aishitenai toka
> mamoru dakedo soba ni irenai toka
I think this the girl quoting her object of affection:
It hurts
when you say that we’re friends but not lovers
when you say that you’ll protect me but can’t be by my side
> kokoro yurasu kotoba yori
> musekinin ni daite genkai
Remember that daku has sexual connotations:
Rather than melting my heart with words,
I don’t care, just hold me tight – I’m at my limit.
> maemuki na uso ma ni ukeru nowa
> waratteru koe segamenai kara
These two lines are a statement, nowa here refers to the second line:
I took an optimistic lie as truth
because there was no laughing voice nagging at me
–
On another note, I’m waiting for the Macross F OST instead of getting the Triangler, hopefully it will contain the other vocal tracks and thus be a better value for money proposition :)
April 24th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I Love Maaya Sakomoto VOice! and Macross Great that Yoko Kanno worked together with her on the song ^^
April 25th, 2008 at 3:40 am
Yup, definitely one of the better Maaya Sakamoto songs in a while. Her recent works have been rather lackluster compared to when she was working with Yoko Kanno.
Now, back to looping it, until Sheryl Nome’s singles come out.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Awesome song, I loved it the first time I heard it. I’ve been a big Maaya and Kanno fan since the beginning as well. Thanks for the translations!
April 26th, 2008 at 6:55 am
great song overall.
It was scary at first to hear though because the 5 notes before the main part of the song, is the exact same five notes played in Melissa in Full Metal Alchemist and when I was listening, I was like, “WOA I TOTALLY KNOW THIS”
I love Yoko and her works so it was a great song.
April 26th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Its an ok song. Somehow I dont think it goes with the rest of the show that is Macross Frontier. But to each his own I guess.
April 26th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Maaya looks hideous in the PV.
Trackback from
Maaya Sakamoto TriangularApril 27th, 2008 at 12:24 am
[...] Dark Mirage Maaya Sakmoto new CD triangular the song used for the Opening to Macross F is out I really wish I [...]
April 27th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Lian, I didn’t want to say, but yeah… the years have not been kind to her, she’s aged remarkably considering she’s my age.
April 27th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I am new to this, but CDJapan sells R2 CDs doesn’t it? Will it play in Singapore? Thanks.
April 27th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Fuu… this is awesome. *plays the video again*
Off topic: where did you get these random icons from? I know they come in at least 100×100, but I have no idea where to find them. @_@
April 27th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I adored Yoko Kanno’s musical score for Vision of Escaflowne. I liked Maaya Sakamoto’s songs for the anime, Yakusoku wa Iranai and Yubiwa. Unfortunately, his latest work with Yoko Kanno, Triangler (right?), I just find it too high pitched. I can’t just finish listening to this song. Maybe because I don’t watch Macross that’s why I don’t like this song that much. But I still believe Maaya Sakamoto and Yoko Kanno are talented artists.
April 27th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I learned that you hate L’Arc~en~Ciel. Why is that so?
April 28th, 2008 at 2:01 am
hmm…very good song indeed….
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:37 am
Not bad. Cheerful and upbeat. But song didn’t struck a chord at all and far from it since this sounds somewhat generic just like those musume girls songs. There are much better Yoko Kanno songs. I’m not big on pieces of details just the overall aesthetics of the song.
BRING IT ON MAAYA FANS!!!!! I AM READYYYYYYYYYY!!!
May 4th, 2008 at 3:27 am
No comment about Triangler besides that it’s yet another geometric shape name for a song. Maaya+Kanno yields a large % of geometry-based song titles for some reason.
Do have comment: been listening to her stuff a lot lately and it’s a bit of a rediscovery. While I still maintain Shounen Alice is her best album ever, Nikopachi is probably a close second with Lucy.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
meh. youtube vid doesn’t work anymore.
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Thank you for the translation. I tried reading another version and it didn’t make sense at all. Great job!