【Touhou Lyrics】 Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke

  / lyricalive  

Mokou's theme. ...The sun and the moon exist in an eternal rivalry, chasing each other across the sky, never to be freed from this cycle.

I think the themes of "hope" and "despair" are really key to think about in terms of someone like a phoenix who will always rise again... but will also always fall again... but will also always rise again...

DOWNLOAD ON MY BLOG: http://asa-turney.tumblr.com/lyrics
Touhou Project 08, Imperishable Night
Fujiwara no Mokou: "Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke"
Original music by ZUN.
English lyrics and fandub vocals by me.
Art from the official art book, The Grimoire of Marisa.

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Maybe once, I had a dream… although I can’t remember when.
Now, only a dream… I’m rising every morning just to see it all again.

Clinging on to the cold edge, with overused and broken hands…
Why can’t I let go? That’s just the sort of freedom I will never understand.

So, life without death? It isn’t much worth calling “life.”
But, by the sharp pain still searing through my body, I can feel that I’m alive.

"I don’t want to try anymore.
How much longer does this have to go on? …No.
That’s stupid. I already know the answer to that.
If this is what you want, if this is a trial of guts,
then I have no choice but to rise to the challenge."

Now this maze has two ways through:
One, they call “despair”–
To find what was lost, even knowing
That someday all will be lost again.

This maze has two ways through:
One, they might call “hope”–
To lose what was found, ever knowing
That someday all will be found again.

Reach for the pale moon, the distance only I can reach.
Day followed by night: That moon is like a barrier, impossible to breach.

Flames lighting my way, into a never-ending night:
Night followed by day: This sun will overtake again its stolen ring of light.

(…Because they’re) all that I have left, I’m going to let these feelings burn.
Once those have been quenched, in some way or another they’ll be ready to return.

Burn, blister, and fall, and from the ashes I will rise.
Smoke, leaving its trail, thins nearly into nothing but it never truly dies.

Watch as the world grows, but will I ever grow along?
Each failure shows me yet another way, another reason, to be strong.

What more can I lose? I made a reckless sacrifice…
Now, carry this through– there’s something that I have to do, no matter what the price.