I was asked to translate the lyrics from “Kuroi Uta”, but since lyricist Kikuchi Hana also wrote this in complete katakana, it’s very difficult to make an exact translation. There are a few reasons why I am okay with this:
1) Like poetry, song lyrics need not be completely coherent and they can break from traditional norms of grammar.
2) Simply by using all katakana like this conveys a sense of an old language, or perhaps even the language of gods.
3) Somethings are not meant to be fully understood, but rather felt or experienced. It is what it is and holds no room for explanation. There is a sense of beauty in ambiguity.
So with that said, please note that this is my personal interpretation from the bits that can be understood from the lyrics on the page. There is no official English translation, so it is illogical to claim one interpretation is THE correct meaning; that’s the whole point of interpretation–it cannot be wrong but simply viewed differently from another perspective. In that case, all interpretations are viable.
Therefore, here is my interpretation of the song:
Everything exposed
The song shall meet its doom
Becoming and killing the monster
All stolen away
The music as needles
As I’m reborn again, alone
Spreading my wings I soar with death
Love shall spring from the darkest of white
When or how distantly may it be heard
How sweetly they whisper, the wings of the past
The black flower
Is the voice
With just its shattered eye
The black flower
Is the song
With just its made-up dance
There be purpose
Everything exposed
The song shall freeze over
I shall dance in nightmares that day
With nothing I break away from death
Emerging from a crimson forest
Pregnant with the tainted children of dread
This pitiful memory is ripped away
The black flower
Is the voice
With just its prayer of blood
The black flower
Is the song
With just a day of repentance
All shall disappear
This disaster
Shall wait and fall
For the time it shatters, to dream
As this repeats
We go our separate ways
You shan’t be forgiven, flower of song,
In the final moment
Japanese Kana
アタラセ リ
ハメツアウ タ
ケモノト ナリ トキリ
ウバイサ ル
ハリノシラ ベ
リンネノ ヒト タリ
シト ハバタツアミ
コイ クライシロカラ
イツ オア トオク キコエ
アマイ キロクバネ ササメク
クロイハナ
アノコエガ
コワレタメノ アル ママ
クロイハナ
アノウタガ
ツクリマイツ アル ママ
イミ
アタラセ リ
コオリアウ タ
アクムナ マウ ヒヲ
ムト タチキルシガ
イク アカイモリカラ
イム ベク ケガレ ハラム
ヨワイ アノオモイ ハガレル
クロイハナ
アノコエガ
イノリノチガ アル ママ
クロイハナ
アノウタガ
ザンゲノヒガ アル ママ
キエ
サイヤクア
マチオリル
コワレタトキ ヒト ユメ
クリカエリ
ワカレユキ
ユルサレザル オト ハナ
シウ
Romaji
atarase ri
hametsuau ta
kemonoto nari tokiri
ubaisa ru
harinoshira be
rinneno hito tari
shito habatatsuami
koi kuraishirokara
itsu oa tooku kikoe
amai kirokubane sasameku
kuroihana
anokoega
kowaretameno aru mama
kuroihana
anoutaga
tsukurimaitsu aru mama
imi
atarase ri
kooriau ta
akumuna mau hio
muto tachikirushiga
iku akaimorikara
imu beku kegare haramu
yowai anoomoi hagareru
kuroihana
anokoega
inorinochiga aru mama
kuroihana
anoutaga
zangenohiga aru mama
kie
saiyakua
machioriru
kowaretatoki hito yume
kurikaeri
wakareyuki
yurusarezaru oto hana
shiu