[translation] 捨て猫のロンド(suteneko no RONDO) - DADAROMA

suteneko no RONDO – Rondo of a stray cat

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hora mitsuketa koko wa himitsu no anabasa

Look what I just found, this is a good secret place.

bangohan wa hikarabita EBIFURAIsa

The dinner will be stale fried shrimps

onaka ippai DOBU mizu de nodo wo uruoshi

and I'll wet my throat in this ditch that is full of water.

konya wa doko ni ikou

Where will I go tonight?

kubiwa no tsuita inu ga

A dog with a collar

boku no koto wo waratta

laughed at me

boku kara mireba omae no hou ga

[but] if you see this from my angle

zuibun mijime de kawaisouna no sa

he is the most miserable and pitiable

ame ga furu rojiura de nemuru yoru wa

I don't know why, but I feel a bit lonely

nazedaka sukoshi sabishii kedo (↑↓)

[when I] sleep in this back-alley while the rain falls over

jiyuuna mama shibararezu boku wa ikiru no sa

As I'm free, I'll live without being tied

juutaku no akari wo mitsumete

and look to the light of the houses.

aa

ima kakedasu

Now I start running

tsuki akari dake wo tayori ni

relying only the moonlight

yami ni tokeru

and melting in the darkness

boku wa suteneko no RONDO

My rondo of a stray cat*

katamimi no suteneko wa yase hosori

The stray cat that has only one ear became thin

kega wo shita migiashi wa kusatte kita

and the injury on its right leg got rotten.

kitanai me de boku wo miru ano inu wa

I wonder if that dog who sees me with dirty eyes

atatakai BEDDO de nemutteru no ka na

it's sleeping in a warm bed

ame ga furu rojiura de nemuru yoru wa

Probably, this is the last night

konya ga saigo ni nari sou da (↑↓)

I sleep in this back-alley while the rain falls over.

jiyuuna mama shibararezu boku wa ikite kita

As I'm free, I lived without being tied

juutaku no akari wo mitsumete

and looking to the lights of the houses.

aa

nemuri ni tsuku

I fall asleep

daremo inai rojiura de

in this back-alley where there's no one

kodoku na mama

lonely

suterareta kono rojiura de

abandoned in this alley

saigo ni mita

I rely only the moonlight

tsuki akari dake wo tayori ni (↑↓)

that I saw for the last time

tsumetaku naru

[while I was] becoming cold.

boku wa suteneko no RONDO

My rondo of a stray cat

Translator notes:

(↑↓) these verses were inverted from the original order for the translation sound better in English.

italic parts are adaptations.

* This can be also “Rondo of my stray cat”, maybe sounds weird, but I think this translation is probably closer to ideal. Not sure.