DEAREST - Which translation is more accurate?
 

http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27171

I really would love to know which version of the translation, in your eyes, is more accurate, closer to the original.
I know it's hard because the original language can be interpreted in so many ways.

I think the translation of Masa might be a bit more accurate, because he really translated the lyrics by word.
Personally I like the one of Ryuichi better, because it's more emotional and doesn't sound as "choppy" as Masa's.

But both translations are correct. It's really only a matter of which one you like better. :yes

Thanks so much for your opinion.

Yes, I really noticed that the second translation is a bit more emotional. It's just hard to decide if you want something that is "correct" or something that is "touching".

Ugh...so hard... :(

honestly... i like masa's more... the 2nd one seems like... idk... it has mistakes in its english... and even tho i'm not a native english speaker it annoys the hell out of me :3

^ Actually, the English in the second one is close to perfect. Masa's translation sounds really, really awkward and has a lot of grammatical mistakes.

The second one sounds better and conveys the (supposed) meaning better in english. A full translation of a song isn't about translating each and every word correctly, but rather conveying the meaning in a way so that the intended readers of the translation can have the same experience more or less to the extent possible that a person reading the original text gets. A translator always has to make certain choices when translating a full text and there's really no such thing as very precise translation of a piece of poetry unless the languages in question share very close cultural and historical bonds and the languages are pretty similar as well. This is certainly not the case with japanese and english.

@tom: since when is "I want for that smile
To remain with me always" correct english?

^ I said "close to perfect." The only thing wrong with that sentence is the "for" since the phrase "want for" is used in a different context. It's really only a small mistake that any native English speaker could make. I could point out many, many more things in masa's translation that don't make sense.

I agree with Petit. This is one of my pet peeves actually, lol. The point of translating a poem or lyrics isn't to translate exactly what is written word for word; it's to capture the overall spirit of the original words. In that case, the second translation is better.

In my personal opinion I prefer masa's translations the most because to me they has that Ayuish vibe which I like. Other translations are just too... I don't know, but I just don't like them as much. It's fun to read how others has translated Ayu's songs but I will always prefer masa's. And it's not just about Dearest, it's about every song she has released so far. :)