I Am An Imaginary Living Body

ワタシ空想生命体
Watashi Kuusou Seimeitai

Music, Arrangement, Lyrics: J.A. Seazer (J.A.シーザー)
Chorus: Tokyo Konsei Gasshodan (東京混声合唱団) &
Engeki Jikken-shitsu "Ban'yū Inryoku" (演劇実験室 "万有引力") Theater Laboratory "Universal Gravitation"
I Am An Imaginary Living Body
Translation from Nozomi
        DVD Release (2011)
Darkness, burning, puppets given life
The name given is Human Movement Theory.
The world is controlled by a single being.
The rest is imagined puppetry.
Darkness, freezing, creatures given life
Linked by Human Movement Theory
On nature's stage are units on existence.
Comprised of the imaginary art of life.
Words are born, they meet, then hesitate
Ideas are born, they meet, then become empty.
Oh, where am I and when am I?
Spells, charms, mysteries, prayers, me.
Stage, destiny, magic, mirror.
Full moon. Mysterious and ever-changing.
I am an imaginary life form at my end.
Full moon. Mysterious and ever-changing.
I am an imaginary destined form at my end.
Asking for time. Never resting.
Living on, a hollow form.
Seeking land. No arms, no legs.
Yet I still exist. Formless and transparent.
I let out a faint sigh...
-
I Am An Imaginary Living Body
Translation by Allegoriest
        (animelyrics.com)
Burning darkness, birthed dolls
They call it the theory of the way of man
To manipulate the world, a single existence
The rest are an imaginary puppetry
Subzero darkness, birthed creatures
Subject to the theory of the change of man
On the natural stage is the single origin of existence
Composed of an imaginary work of life
Encounter the birth of words, then doubt
Encounter the birth of knowledge, then manifest
Ah, where is when I am?
incantations, curses, mysteries, prayer and me
Stage, destiny, magic mirror
Full moon! Mysteriously phantasmagoric!!
I am a perishing imaginary living body
Full moon! Mysteriously phantasmagoric!!
I am a perishing imaginary destined body
Wanting time, without repose
Continuing to live as a hollow form
Desiring land, without hands without feet
Continuing to live as myself
A transparent spirit, a faint sigh
hah hah hah hah hah
I Am An Imaginary Living Body
Translation from Central Park Media
        DVD Release (2002)
Darking burning, Puppets given birth
The name given is anthrocentrism
Controlling the world is a single being
The rest is imagined puppetry
Living things given birth
Linked by anthrocentrism
On nature’s stage are teaching units of existence
Becoming imaginary life form craft
Words are born, then meet and then go astray
Ideas are born, then meet and then oblivion
Oh, where am I and when am I?
Spells, charms, mysteries, prayers, and me
The stage of destiny is a magic mirror
Full moon, mysterious, ever-changing
I am an imaginary life form at my end
Full moon, mysterious, ever-changing
I am an imaginary life form at my end
Pursuing time, Never resting
An empty figure living on
Seeking the land, no arms, no legs
Yet I still exist formless and transparent
I let out a faint sigh
-
I Am An Imaginary Living Body
Translation by Yotaka
        (animelyrics.com)
Incandescant darkness, birth of puppets 
Named the theory of human movement
A single existence controls the world, 
All else is imaginary puppet-craft
Sub-zero darkness, birth of living creatures 
Relating to the theory of human movement
The units of existence on the natural stage 
Become an art of imaginary creatures
Words, birth, encounter, and then hesitation 
Knowledge, birth, encounter, and then nothingness 
Oh where and when am I?
Spell, charm, mystery, prayer, myself 
Stage, destiny, sorcery, mirror
Full moon, mysterious and protean, 
I am an imaginary living body come to its end 
Full moon, mysterious and protean, 
I am an imaginary destined body come to its end
Seeking time, without rest 
Living on as a troglodyte
Seeking land, without hands, without feet, 
I continue to exist, transparent, intangible, 
a faint sigh
-
I Am An Imaginary Living Body
Translation by Robert Paige, Yasuyuki
        Sato & Utena Translation Project (1998)
Incandescent darkness and birthed puppets
Are named, anthropoperipherism
Pulling the strings of the world is a single existence
For the others, an imaginary puppet-craft
Subzero darkness and birthed creatures
Correlated, anthropoperipherism
On the natural stage are the units of existence
Comprised of an imaginary creature-craft
Words are born, the encounter, then a hesitation
Knowledge is born, the encounter, then a void
O where am I, when am I
Spell, incantation, mystery, prayer, myself
Stage destiny magic mirror
Full moon, mysterious and transmutable,
I'm an imaginary living body come to its end
Full moon, mysterious and transmutable,
I'm an imaginary destined body come to its end
Seeking time, without rest
Living on, a speleomorph
Seeking land, armless, legless
Still existing I am, transparent, intangible,
a faint sigh...
-
Watashi Kuusou Seimeitai
As Provided by Robert Paige, Yasuyuki
        Sato & Utena Translation Project
Ankoku Shakunetsu Tanjou Ningyou
Nazukerarete Jindousetsu
Sekai Ayatsuru Tanitsu Sonzai
Hoka wa Kuusou Ningyoujutsu
Ankoku Reika Tanjou Seibutsu
Kankeizukerare Jindousetsu
Tennen Butai ni Tangen Sonzai
Naru wa Kuusou Seibutsujutsu
Kotoba Tanjou Deai Soshite Mayoi
Chishiki Tanjou Deai Soshite Utsuro
Aa, Doko yo Koko wa Itsu yo Watashi
Jumon, Majinai, Shinpi, Inori, Watashi
Butai Unmei Majutsu Kagami
Mangetsu Nazo no Hengenjizai
Watashi Hatenaru Kuusou Seimeitai
Mangetsu Nazo no Hengenjizai
Watashi Hatenaru Kuusou Seimeitai
Toki wo Motomete Ansoku Nashi no
Ikitsuzukeru Kuudoukeitai
Tochi wo Motomete Te Naku Ashi Naku
Aritsuzukeru Watashi Toumei Mukei
Kasukani Toiki
Hahhahhahha
ワタシ空想生命体
As Provided by Robert Paige, Yasuyuki
        Sato, & Utena Translation Project
暗黒灼熱 誕生人形
名付けられて人動説
世界あやつる 単一存在
他は空想人形術
暗黒零下 誕生生物
関係づけられ人動説
暗黒零下 誕生生物
関係づけられ人動説
言葉誕生出会いそして迷い
知識誕生出会いそして現ろ
ああ、どこよここはいつよわたし
呪文、まじない、神秘、祈り、わたし
舞台運命魔術鏡
満月 謎の 変幻自在
わたし果てなる空想生命体
満月 謎の 変幻自在
わたし果てなる空想生命体
時を求めて 安息なしの
生きつづける 空洞形態
土地を求めて 手なく足なく
在りつづける ワタシ 透明無形
かすかに吐息
ハッハッハッハ
Translation Notes From Allegoriest:

the theory of the way of man
This song contains my least favourite word TWICE. And writes it TWO DIFFERENT WAYS. I feel it’s worth nothing most the Japanese sites I’ve found don’t have it written different ways, but the booklet does.
人道説 jindousetsu literally means “humanity theory” or “theory of the way of man”
人動説 jindousetsu is closer to “human change theory”  or “human movement theory” and I don’t think either of these have an actual English written translation. This I spent forever and ever and translated it to Anthropocentrism.

The song title writes watashi/me/I weird. It’s “ワタシ” in title and “わたし” in the song. (Sometimes it’s also “私” but that’s not important today. But it’s the other main use, other than  "わたし" usually.) Seazer seems to prefer the hiragana わたし to most, and… Today he did not. I’ve HEARD older electronics used katakana but I haven’t encountered that. I assume it denotes a lack of humanity.

To manipulate the world, a single existence
The rest are an imaginary puppetry
I think this is closer to 
“Only one can pull the strings of the world, the rest simply have dolls” but that’s me adding more things in that aren’t there and inventing context.

舞台運命魔術鏡/Stage, Destiny, Magic Mirror
Is written like it should be closer to a sentence, considering the way the previous line was written, but this is all written kinda like it’s nouns? Anything else I write would be basically pulling it out of my (fabulous) ass.

Wanting land, without hands without feet
I think is like a fish wanting to evolve to a higher form.


Translation Notes From Yokata:

I continue to exist
A thing to note is that the word for "exist" in this section in the original Japanese comes from "aru" which is almost always used for inanimate objects.

Translation Notes From Robert Paige, Yasuyuki Sato, & Utena Translation Project:

given the name Anthropoperipherism
I don't think such a term really exists, but the Japanese "jindousetsu" seems to be a made-up term analogized from "chidousetsu" (heliocentricism) and "tendousetsu" (geocentricism).

Knowledge is born, the encounter, then a void.
The lyrics sheet uses a wrong kanji for "utsuro" (void). That could be intentional, though.

a speleomorph that goes on living
"Speleomorph" is our made-up term for the Japanese "kuudou keitai", which sounds like a technical term.
Revolutionary Girl Utena music by KING Records, US release by Geneon. Content from these releases compiled here by Giovanna for Empty Movement. Fan-translations belong to named creators and reproduced with their permission. Yay!