Versuri - p - Pizzicato Five - Poetry Reading By Genqui Numata

			
			
(to a person descending a staircase)

Translator: Rie Iizuka

keitaro: eto kyô wa 

itsumo boku-tachi

guest ga 

irun desukedomo, kyô mo, e...

subarashii guest wo o-mukae 

shite orimasu. 

e... geijutsu-ka no kata desu.

saki hodo utsutteta utsukushii 

kono e toka mo kare no 

sakuhin nan desu ga

idai naru shijin de ari 

shashin-ka de aru 

numata genki san desu.

numata: oss! oss! 

numa-gen desu. 

kyô wa ippen no 

shi wo rôdoku sasete

itadakimasu. 

pizzicato five ni 

sasagemasu. 

kaidan wo kakeoriru hito.

kaidan wo kakeoriru hito yo

hitai ni ase wo nijimase

obiekitte metsuki de

kaidan no ue wo kage no yô ni

suberu hito

haru no chikadô wa hokori no nioi

namanurui kaze ga fukiagete kuru

rhythm wo tamotte

rhythm wo tamotte

tan tan to kaidan wo 

orite ike

naname ni taorekakaru building wo

torinuke

inu wo kettobashi

neko wo kettobashi

kippu uriba made hayaashi da

itsumo

itsumo ashi ga oira no mono to wa

kagiranai

rhythm wo tamochi

rhythm wo tamochi

tamochikirenakunatta toki

soko ni shintai to 

ashi no motsure atta toki

soko ni yawaraka na 

rakka ga aru no da

ashi ga karada wo hanarete

itte shimau no ka wakaranai

sore tomo shinzô hossa no

yô na teishi ga aru no ka wakaranai 

sore wa

wakaranai

rhythm wa shidai ni 

hayakunari

hayakunatta rhythm wa kuchibiru no 

furue to kyômei shihajimeru

itsumo rakka wa

shunkan ni yôi sarete iru no da

ittai ore ra wa

nan nan da?

oira wa ittai

dare nan da?

kansetu wo kishimase

mashi wo haizurimawaru

sakuhin na no ka?

irotsuke wo shita yô na

aozora ni

hibikiwataru koe na no ka?

kihaku na kûkan de

rakka no

sono kasokudo na no ka?

kiete iku hito kage

tôzakaru koe

chikatetsu no koe

rhythm wo tamotte

rhythm wo tamotte

charming ni

elegant ni

shitashiki ashi yo

tooi ashi yo

saa ensoku ni dekakeyô

shizuka na toki ga

sugite yuku

shizuka ni toshi ga

akete yuku

saraba jaa

------------------------------------------------

 keitaro: well, today

as usual we have

a special guest.

a wonderful guest

has agreed to come here today.

he's an artist.

the pictures you saw

on the screen

before are his.

please a big applause

to a great poet

and a great photographer

ladies and gentlemen, mr genqui numata.

numata: hi, y'all.

my name is genqui numata.

tonight i will

read

a poem.

i dedicate this poem

to pizzicato five.

to a person descending a staircase.

hey you, who are descending this staircase

with sweat on your brow

afraid of going down you let your gaze

glide down the stairs like a shadow.

yes, you.

this underpass in springtime smells of dust

and a lukewarm breeze blows by.

keep up your rhythm

keep up your rhythm

and climb down those stairs

as if your life depended on that.

pass by that leaning building

kick the dogs away

kick the cats too

and go fast to the ticket counter.

legs

are sometimes

independent beings.

keep up your rhythm

keep up your rhythm

and when you can't take it anymore

when your body

and your legs have reached their limit

at that time

a soft fall will ensue.

you feel as if

your legs fell off your body

or maybe there's a pause

like a heart attack

but you don't know what it is.

you don't

know.

you gradually

gather up speed

and as you speed up your legs

and your trembling lips start to resonate.

the fall comes at the last moment

and makes it easier.

and you ask yourself

who are we?

who am i

after al?

your joints squeak

am i nothing but

a crawling work of art?

am i nothing but

a voice sounding away

accross this sky

so blue it looks like it's been dyed?

am i nothing but

the speed of

this fall through thin air?

shadow that melts away

voice that dies away

voice from the subway

keep up your rhythm

keep up your rhythm

with grace

with flair

hey you, legs,

hey you, my distant legs

let's go on a stroll

as the silent time goes by

the city silently

opens itself.

goodbye.