Psalms for a Nordic God

[Odin]

This is thread I've been thinking about for some time. I am a great devotee of the fine arts. Whether they be a painting, a good book, a fine piece of furniture, a well crafted beer, or even an exceptional anime or manga. Anything that has been crafted with care into something extraordinary. Among the things I love most is music. Over the coarse of my life it has been one of my true joys. I have amassed a library of music covering genres and styles from the four corners of the Earth and would like to share them with you. So from time to time I will post a few examples for you. In keeping with the spirit of the forum I will try to show examples in anime music video (AMV) or other Japanese art forms. However this may not always be possible.

[Odin]

I was originally going to start this thread with one of the more popular J-Rock groups. However recent events have left me in a rather blue mood.

So instead I will start a with piece that more accurately displays my mood. This AMV was shown to me recently by our Tsuzuki at JF. The song is call "Ohne Dich" by the German NDH band, Rammstein. It comes from their 2004 studio album “Reise, Reise” This AMV is timed to clips from the 2002 anime, “Chobits” from CLAMP.

I have included the original German lyrics of this somber number, with a translation into English.

So I present to you Rammstein's Ohne Dich, with video from the anime Chobits
I dedicate this to my beloved Koriander Rose. My one true love.

Ohne Dich
Ich werde in die Tannen gehen (I'm going to go into the fir trees)
Dahin wo ich sie zuletzt gesehen (There where I last saw her)

Doch der Abend wirft ein Tuch aufs Land (But the evening is throwing a cloth upon the land)
und auf die Wege hinterm Waldesrand (and upon the ways behind the edge of the forest)
Und der Wald er steht so schwarz und leer (And the forest it is so black and empty)
Weh mir, oh weh (Woe is me, oh woe)
Und die Vögel singen nicht mehr (And the birds sing no more)

Ohne dich kann ich nicht sein (Without you I cannot be)
Ohne dich (Without you)
Mit dir bin ich auch allein (With you I am alone too)
Ohne dich (Without you)
Ohne dich zähl ich die Stunden ohne dich (Without you I count the hours without you)
Mit dir stehen die Sekunden (With you the seconds stand still)
Lohnen nicht (They aren't worth it)

Auf den Ästen in den Gräben (On the branches in the ditches)
ist es nun still und ohne Leben (it's now silent and without life)
Und das Atmen fällt mir ach so schwer (And breathing becomes oh so hard for me)
Weh mir, oh weh (Woe is me, oh woe)
Und die Vögel singen nicht mehr (And the birds sing no more)

Ohne dich kann ich nicht sein (Without you I cannot be)
Ohne dich (Without you)
Mit dir bin ich auch allein (With you I am alone too)
Ohne dich (Without you)
Ohne dich zähl ich die Stunden ohne dich (Without you I count the hours without you)
Mit dir stehen die Sekunden (With you the seconds stand still)
Lohnen nicht ohne dich (They aren't worth it without you)

[Odin]

I'm am still in a somber mood. At this time in my life I dwell heavily upon the past. So I would like to take you back to a time when, I was still naive to woes in this world. It was then, I began to love a place we know as Japan.

The 1970's were a dark time for much of the world. During this time Europe and North America were in the grips of economic depression. India and Pakistan were at war. The United States was in Vietnam. In Africa, Idi Amin had established his brutal regime in Uganda. In the Middle-East much, like now there was much sorrow. China had not yet recovered from the Cultural Revolution.

However by 1974 Japan was fastest growing economy on Earth. It had become the powerhouse we know today. Its products and technologies were sweeping across the globe. Too its popular culture has began to spread. By 1978, America airwaves began to fill with Japanese music and movies. Also to emerge were the wonderful creations we now know as anime. Japan had truly emerged from the darkness of the Second World War.

The year was 1982. The place was the Bellaire Theater in Fort Worth, Texas. That was when I saw for the fist time, an anime shown upon the silver screen. I was overwhelmed not only by the sight, but by the haunting music. It would be a number of years before I found out who had created that wonderful sound, but I never forgot its effect upon me.

The movie was “Sen-nen joô” know to most as “Queen Millenia”. This is some of the best work ever to be produced by the legendary Leiji Matsumoto. It is the story of Yikino Yayoi, queen of a world at the edge of our solar system, who has resided on Earth for the last 1000 years. In 1999 her world's orbit was bringing it back withing sight, with disastrous implications. She resolves to fight back and defend her beloved Earth. It's all very beautifully done, with the kind of baroque design touches that so often distinguished works based on Matsumoto. The futuristic trappings are all rendered in deep, warm colors and rounded shapes.

Underscoring it all is a rich, evocative music soundtrack by Japanese New Age composer Kitaro. Haunting themes encompass the the beautiful scenes such as one showing the people of La Metalle slowly emerging from their thousand-year sleep and awakening to embrace each other and enjoy the Spring. Kitaro is one of the founding fathers of the New Age Movement, and few can ever match his mastery of the genre. (He is a favored artist of mine, so expect me to post more, from this son of Japan.)

So I would like to present to you from 1982: Kitaro's “Space Queen” with video from the movie “Queen Millenia.”

[Odin]

Well today is Easter. Naturally my mind drifts to thoughts of a more religious matter. I hope no one minds if I post something a little more spiritual.

Anúna is an Irish choral group. Founded in under the nam An Uaithne, a name which describes the three ancient types of Celtic music, Suantraí (lullaby), Geantraí (happy song) and Goltraí (lament). One of the group's primary aims was to explore and redefine this music, and also to perform its own original works and arrangements of medieval and traditional Irish music. An Uaithne became Anúna in 1991, and became closely associated with the Riverdance phenomenon from 1994 until 1996. Many of the singers who received initial training and international exposure through Anúna have gone on to achieve international prominence, including Eimear Quinn who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1996, and no less than four of the soloists who have been featured in Celtic Woman. The choral arrangements are written to accentuate their unique choral sound and to utilise the group's facility to move during performance, as they use neither sheet music not conductor when performing live. Their standard line-up is 14 singers.

The video you are about to see is a live performance given by Anuna at Roppongi Hills Outdoor Arena, Tokyo, December 2005. It was a very cold evening reaching to -4° centigrade. The excerpt that follows contains three songs, sung in three different languages. Middle English, Castellano Antiguo (Old Spanish), and Gaeilge (Irish Gaelic)

The first of the set is “Jerusalem.” A traditional piece from the set of Kilmore carols. This song was reputedly written by an English Catholic priest on the day of his matrydom, in 1601. The chorus is arranged in a style known as heterophony, still practiced today in the western isles of Scotland. The song is voiced usually by 3-4 women in such a way that one part starts, followed shortly by another, then another, finally all voices coming together as one at the end of the verse. With the singers being separated physically as they sing, the effect is true surround sound.

The second movement is “Ríu Ríu” from Cançionero del Upsala. This was written in 1556 by Spanish composer, Mateo Flecha the Elder. It was written in while in Valencia. There he served as director of the chapel choir of the Duke of Calabria.

The third movement of the set is non-relegious. It is a traditional Irish Geantraí or happy song. It is know as “Sí Do Mhaimeo Í” or “The Wealthy Widow”. It is a rather light hearted tune about a young man who merries and older woman for money.

I have provided lyrics for all three pieces in their original language, as well as their English translations.

So I present to you live from Tokyo: Anúna

Jerusalem

{chorus} -> Jerusalem, our happy home : When shall we come to thee? : When shall our sorrows have an end? : Thy joys when shall we see?

{repeat chorus}
They see no one that sent her there. : Their palms spring from the ground. : No tongue can tell, no heart can think. : What joys do there abound.
{repeat chorus}
Forever more the trees perfumed. : And ever more they spring. : And ever more the saints are glad. : And ever more they sing
{repeat chorus}
Fair Magdalene, she hath less moan. : Likewise there she doth sing. : The happy saints in harmony. : Through every street doth ring
{repeat chorus}
Fair Magdalene hath dried her tears. : She'll weep no more to thee. Nor wet the ringlets of her hair : To wash her savior's feet
{repeat chorus}

Ríu Ríu (River, River)

{chorus} -> Ríu, ríu, chíu, la guarda ribera (River, river, the shepherd by the river)
Dios guardó el lobo de nuestra cordera (God guarded our sheep from the wolf)
Dios guardó el lobo de nuestra cordera (God guarded our sheep from the wolf)

{repeat chorus 3x}

El lobo rabioso la quiso morder (The raging wolf tried to bite her)
Mas Dios poderoso la supo defender (But powerful God knew how to defend her)
Quísola hacer que no pudiese pecar (He wanted to make her so that she could not sin)
Ni aun original esta Virgen no tuviera (This Virgin did not even have original sin)

{repeat chorus 2x}

Éste que es nacido es el gran monarca (This one who is born is the great monarch)
Cristo patriarca de carne vestido (Christ the Father made flesh)
Hanos redimido con se hacer chiquito (He has redeemed us by making himself small)
Aunque era infinito, finito se hiciera (Although he was infinite, he made himself finite)

{repeat chorus 2x}

Sí Do Mhaimeo Í (The Wealthy Widow)

{chorus} -> 'Sí do mhaimeo í, 'sí do mhaimeo í (She's your granny, she's your granny)
'Sí do mhaimeo í cailleach an airgid (She's your granny, the hag with the money)
'Sí do mhaimeo í ó Bhail' Iorrais Mhóir í (She's your granny from the town of Iorrais Mór)
'S chuir-feadh sí cóistí 'r bhóithre Chois Fharraige (And she would put coaches on the roads of Cois Farraige)

{repeat chorus}

'bhFeicfeása 'n "steam" 'ga'l siar Tóin Uí Loing' (If you'd see the steam boat going past Tóin Uí Loing')
'S na rothaí gh'l timpeall siar óna ceathrúnaí (And the wheels turning speedily at her flanks)
Caithfeadh sí'n stiúir naoi n-uair'ar a cúl (She'd scatter the store nine times to the rear)
'S ní choinneodh sí siúl le cailleach an airgid (But she never keeps pace with the hag with the money)

{repeat chorus}

'Measann tú 'bpósfa, 'measann tú 'bpósfa (Do you reckon he'd marry, do you reckon he'd marry)
'Measann tú 'bpósfa cailleach an airgid? (Do you reckon he'd marry the hag with the money?)
Tá 's a'm nach 'bpósfa, tá 's a'm nach 'bpósfa (I know he'll not marry, I know he'll not marry)
Mar tá sé ró-óg 'gus dólfadh sé'n t-airgead (Because he's too young and he'll drink the money)

{repeat chorus}

'S gairid go 'bpósfa, 's gairid go 'bpósfa (We'll soon have a wedding, we'll soon have a wedding)
'S gairid go 'bpósfa beirt ar an mbaile seo (We'll soon have a wedding by two in the village)
'S gairid go 'bpósfa, 's gairid go 'bpósfa (We'll soon have a wedding, we'll soon have a wedding)
Séan Shéamais Mhóir agus Máire Ní Chathasaigh (Between Séan Séamais Mór and Máire Ní Chathasaigh)

{repeat chorus}

[Odin]

I am still in a blue mood, however that does not mean that I should force this mood onto others. A couple of days ago, I spoke of my favorite anime, as a child: “Queen Millenia” Now a quarter century later I would speak of a new favorite.

Suzumiya Haruhi no Yūutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) is a television anime series that debuted on Chiba TV in spring of 2006. Since it's first airing it has risen to cult status in Japan and around the world. The anime won the Animation Kobe Award for TV Feature in 2006. At the Sixth Annual Tokyo Anime Awards, the series won the category "Best TV Anime Series," beating competition from the likes of Code Geass and Death Note.

I would remark that it not a show for everybody. The series aired in a bizarre anachronic order, that is confusing for many. The shows also is peppered with a number of rather deep subjects. Subjects like existentialism, omphalos hypothesis, Anthropic principle, theory of relativity, principals of quantum time travel, and obscure pop culture, are par for the course in this otherwise light hearted series.

It is about a first year high school student who, unbeknownst to her, possesses the power to change reality. The story is told from the point of view of Kyon. Kyon enters high school as a first year student and meets a strange girl by the name of Haruhi Suzumiya. During her class introduction, she states that she has no time for normal humans and asks that any time-travelers, aliens, or espers come out and join her. Interested in her, Kyon becomes the first person to solicit a normal conversation from Haruhi. What follows is an almost schizophrenic adventure as Haruhi sets out to make her dreams become a reality.

Haruhi Suzumiya is voiced by Aya Hirano. A multi-talanted seiyū and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan. She won the "Voice Acting Award", a the Sixth Annual Tokyo Anime Awards. Her popularity was confirmed at the first Seiyū Awards, where she won "Best Newcomer (female)", for her role as Haruhi Suzumiya; the same role also won her a nomination as "Best Main Character (female)". At the same awards, she was also nominated for "Best Supporting Character (female)", and earned two nominations for "Best Single" (One of which is a solo, Bōken Desho Desho; the other was a group nomination for the single Hare Hare Yukai) In 2007, she won "Best Voice Actor" at the Tokyo International Anime Fair. She began her career at age 10, and became know for her ability to portray “maturity with a young voice.” She landed her first leading role in “Kiddy Grade” as the voice of Lumière. She has gone on to play many part, such as Konota Izumi of Lucky Star. She is equally skilled in the realm of music. She has 19 singles to her name and two albums. While she often seen playing the guitar, she has an extraordinary talent for the piano and organ.

The music you are about to hear is taken directly from the CD of “Suzumiya Haruhi no Tsumeawase.” The video is taken directly from the scene in show, where this is performed. I have included the original Japanese lyrics, and a English translation.

So I would like to present to you Aya Hirano's “God Knows...” with video from “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.”

God Knows...

kawaita kokoro de kakenukeru (I run past others with a parched heart.)
gomen ne nani mo dekinakute (Sorry, I can't do anything.)
itami wo wakachiau koto sae (You won't even let me)
anata wa yurushite kurenai (Share our pain together.)

muku ni ikiru tame ni furimukazu (To live on without tarnish,)
senaka mukete satteshimau (I face your back and head out without looking back)
on the lonely rail (on the lonely rail)

watashi tsuiteiku yo (I will follow you.)
donna tsurai sekai no yami no naka de sae (No matter how agonizing the world is,)
kitto anata wa kagayaite (You will shine even in its darkest corners.)
koeru mirai no hate (Cross over the end of the future,)
yowasa yue ni tamashii kowasarenu you ni (My weakness will not shatter my spirit.)
my way kasanaru yo (my way is overlapping with yours.)
ima futari ni God bless... (For the two of us, God bless...)

todokete atsuku naru omoi wa (This warming affection that reaches me,)
genjitsu tokashite samayou (It melts my reality and roams my heart.)
aitai kimochi ni riyuu wa nai (I don't need a reason for wanting to meet you,)
anata e afuredasu Lovin' you (Just my overflowing feelings, Lovin' you)

semete utsukushii yume dake wo (For now, let's paint a beautiful dream)
egakinagara oikakeyou (And chase after)
for your lonely heart (for your lonely heart)

yamete uso wa anata rashikunai yo (Stop it, it's not like you to lie.)
me wo mite kore kara no koto wo hanasou (Look at my eyes and let's talk about our future.)
watashi kakugo shiteru (I am prepared,)
kurai mirai datte (Even if the future is bleak,)
tsuyoku natte unmei kaerareru kamo ne (I might be able to change destiny if I become stronger.)
my wish kanaetai noni (But for my wish to come true,)
subete wa God knows... (Everything is God knows...)

anata ga ite watashi ga ite (You are here, I am here.)
hoka no hito wa kieteshimatta (Everyone else has disappeared.)
awai yume no utsukushisa wo egakinagara (While we paint the beauty of this fleeting dream,)
kizuato nazoru (We trace out the lines of our scars.)

dakara watashi tsuiteiku yo (That's why I will follow you.)
donna tsurai sekai no yami no naka de sae (No matter how agonizing the world is,)
kitto anata wa kagayaite (You will shine even in its darkest corners.)
koeru mirai no hate (Cross over the end of the future,)
yowasa yue ni tamashii kowasarenu you ni (My weakness will not shatter my spirit.)
my way kasanaru yo (my way is overlapping with yours.)
ima futari ni God bless... (For the two of us, God bless...)