La Japonaise Lyrics translation Freddie Mercury Montserrat Caballe

[sumomomomomomofan100]

Thanks for making me this movie grandma. I love you!!

[imocchidoro]

@sumomomomomomofan100 Great memories. Can't wait to do it again!! Love you too!!!!!

[odinfromcentr2]

Having watched a fair bit of subtitled anime, Freddie (and Montserrat, for that matter) almost sound like native Japanese speakers, and that's completely ignoring the absolutely stunning vocals. Why the hell have we not heard more about this in the almost 24 years since this album was released?

[Keep83]

fantastic

[moonliver1126]

sugoi!!!! Bogo no Nihonngo de Utawareruto Kandoh shimasune!!! Arigatou, Freddie san!!!!

( Amazing!!! It is impresssing to be sung in our Japanese!!! Thank you, Freddie)

[hayleysherman77]

That was lovely. Thank you xx

[Mikari1216]

日本にはもっと美しい風景も文物もある。フレディが見て美しいと­おもったのは、

この動画にあるようなものではないとおもう。

フレディの鑑賞眼への評価を損ない、誤解を与えるのを心配する。

Japan has more beautiful scenery　and artifacts. The things Freddy's had seen

and felt beautiful were not as in this video, I think.

I worry about to Impairing and misleading about the evaluation of appreciation eyes of Freddie.

[syretta2]

Heavenly so serene and inspiring. Our Divine Freddie Mercury is Music

[baerbel301]

einer der besten songs ever

[laurids2007]

I love it! Freedie is happy for seeing this video! thanks! my favorite music from him! ;)

[Carti1983]

Why did you use the letter L instead of R? It confuses me.

[imocchidoro]

@Carti1983 That sound in Japanese is somewhere between an L and an R. I prefer to use the L.

[tommyloika]

BEAUTIFUL

[valeriemci1]

I LOVE THIS SONG!!! It has so much feeling and so fresh and soulful...

[sydhera]

I'd like know who is the one who can dislike a masterpiece of absolute beauty e poetry like this song... Really... I can't believe how is beautiful... Angels' voice...

[Ctmagnus]

Mercury wrote a gorgeous piece for a gorgeous voice, just splendid

[zombiieboy]

2:31 inuyasha lol

i luv this song so muchh

[Dominaxel]

Today 6/nov/2010, 5 years after the passing away of Minako Honda, the japanese friend of Freddy Mercury, passed away another painful november (24/91)... When he sang "La japonaise", no doubt that Freddy Mercury thought to her, who joined him in the stars. Bian May wrote songs to Minako, the little girl, rock star on 80's, who became a wonderful Opera singer at the end of her life, at 38 years old.

[inca7433]

Freddie the best ever......a rock star singing opera...awesome!!!!

[everfree1998]

Beautiful vid for a beautiful song.

And sorry...is it just me, or does that thing in the background of :33 resemble Brian May?

[imocchidoro]

@everfree1998 Thanks for the comment, and no, it's not just you -- I didn't see "Brian" when I took the pic, but I did notice the resemblance when I was choosing pics for the video. So glad it happened, and that you saw it also. Love you too Brian!

[kingMackson7]

@everfree1998 so funny,I just thought the same thing just a min. ago and ive watched this several times already, maybe a sign of some sort,idk lol.guess I can be superstitious at times.

[lacieduke]

@everfree1998 of course it's Brian--he was the coordinator of the band, and also the brains for arranging so many things--Freddie had the voice, and what a voice--but Brian is a genius

[Chsrles62]

Hi, can anyone tell me what's being whispered at 2:52? I think I heard "hikari" but not the first and third words. And then is Montserrat singing an actual word at 2:55? Thanks!

[imocchidoro]

@Chsrles62 Freddie is whispering the words - Kibo (hope) Hikali (light) and Yume (dream.) Montserrat is singing (oohhh yume ooohh.) I should have included them. Better late than never. Thanks for asking.

[Chsrles62]

@imocchidoro Thanks for the info! I've always been very taken with this song and it's nice to know all the words -- thank you for posting this video with the words and translations.

[slendersail]

@imocchidoro Hikari is not only light, but also Flash (Lightning). The lightbody, or Elf/Fairy. :)

[imocchidoro]

Happy Birthday Freddie!!

[syretta2]

I am so very very ADDICTED to this album. Have to listen everyday no matter what I'm doing.

[abcoen]

When you realise that at the time Freddie wrote this incredibly haunting song he knew he had gone from HIV+ to active AIDS status and his time on earth was now more limited.

He was letting us know he was going forward without fear to a place of peace, beauty and tranquility. His voice had taken on a sweet clarity working in beautiful harmony with Montserrat.He brought out qualities in her voice she didn't know she possessed. And then our beautiful tragic genius was gone.Too soon. Too soon.

[imocchidoro]

@abcoen What a nice testament to our dear Freddie, Thank you.

[abcoen]

@imocchidoro You are very welcome Imocchidoro. I viewed the video on Delilah. Freddie would have absolutely loved it. It strikes a note of familiarity with every cat owner/lover. The photos accompanying your translation of La Japonaise are incrediblely beautiful and lend even more poignancy to the song. Listening to Freddie and Montserrat doing the transliteration is amazing. A very difficult achievement again showing his incredible talent,and the depth of his loss to the world of music.

[imocchidoro]

@abcoen I should really stop reading all these beautiful comments about our dear Freddie, but Kahlil Gibran wrote about joy and sorrow in "The Prophet." He said, "When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight."

[abcoen]

@imocchidoro Each time I look at the photos I absorb something new.The eye cannot capture quickly enough the full content before it passes to the next photo. One in particular though I would like to know the reason for using. Why the photo Sunflowers by Van Gogh? Where does it's meaning fit with the song? Am I missing something in front of my nose?

[imocchidoro]

@abcoen The picture after the "Sunflowers" is the Sompo Insurance building. On the 42nd floor is the Seiji Togo Museum of Art. In that museum is the van Gogh "Sunflowers" When it was purchased by Yasuo Goto of Sampo Insurance at auction, it was a world record price paid ( about 40 million dollars). I was with my grandson in Japan, and is was a quest to find and see the "Sunflowers"

[abcoen]

@imocchidoro Now it makes some sense.Was seeing the Sunflowers partly a lesson in art appreciation for your grandson? What was his age? Tell me please what the little row of coloured packets with white strings are. It seems to me to have been a monumental task undertaken by FM & MC to sing La Japonaise using transliteration and have it turn out just so perfect. Of course only someone who knows both languages can truly judge. I have to do this with Hebrew or I can't keep up!

[imocchidoro]

@abcoen My grandson was 14. We both share an appreciation for exceptional people and things, hence the quest to see the "Sunflowers." Of course we both share a love for Freddie. The little packets hold collections of charms. They are very beautiful and popular in Japan. It is very difficult to use Japanese transliteration and get results such as "La Japonaise", but there is something about opera style music that is beautiful even if one doesn't understand the language.

[abcoen]

@imocchidoro So you are saying that it was an exceptional feat of musical brilliance for FM to write La Japonaise in the first place? With the extremely high difficulty factor? Mike Moran was on piano and I've heard him say that it is like Freddie's hands are on top of his repeating everything"one more time" until perfect to FM's standards. He felt like his fingers would start bleeding sometimes until FM was finally satisfied.I noticed the flags.May I ask are you Japanese American Imocchidoro?

[margje222]

This song makes me really emotional! So beautiful! 

[imocchidoro]

@margje222  These wonderful replies from all the fans of Freddie make me very emotional, thank you.

[syretta2]

Thank You so much

[imocchidoro]

@syretta2 You are very welcome, and thank you for stopping by.

[litvinovm]

0:35 - Brian :)

[imocchidoro]

@litvinovm  :) :) :) ;)

[whitejoker08]

Very Very good job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[imocchidoro]

@whitejoker08 Thank you !!!

[pereirafer]

Really beaultifull music and pictures! Where in Japan is that statue rounded by leaves in a kind of fountain? Does it have a name?

[imocchidoro]

The head statue (sorry, I don't know the name) is at the Open Air Museum in Hakone. It's really beautiful. Many of the pictures were taken there.

Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[claudiuceus]

Sugoiiiiiii

[imocchidoro]

Happy birthday Freddie.

[ryoohki]

beautiful translation, but your romanji is wrong. There are no L sounds in the Japanese Language

[imocchidoro]

I understand there is no L sound in Japanese, When using romaji sometimes that sound is rendered as L or R. As in Licca-chan or Rika-chan.

[latexpiepbeestje]

Unique and beautyfull song, its a true dedication to Japan

[ladyxima]

This song is beautiful, really calming also...

I made the piece with 'rising sun...' my wake up call song =D

[ceidil]

Wonderful song and beautiful pictures! Good job! :)

[elcritico21]

Buen trabajo, gracias esta excelente, que gran canción, ¡¡¡ FANTASTICO !!!

[belltran23]

thank you for the translation! u AWSOME...

[lisachineserooster]

great song!! anyone knows were i can find the cd!! its pretty rare!!!!

[imocchidoro]

You can buy it online.

[lisachineserooster]

lol!! thanks! maybe i,ll try ebay some day!!!

[lisachineserooster]

oh ya!! thanks for the subtitles and the nice video !! that song is very nice!!

[YVONNE241191]

Wonderful idea!!!!!

Great pictures!

great voices!

cool video!!!

[imocchidoro]

Thank you for the very nice comment.

[arianarosie1]

great I wanted to know what the words meant they are beautiful...as Freddie is...

[imocchidoro]

Beautiful song to work with.

[smgoble73]

WOW!! Very nice! Words go great with the pictures!

[Lettadi]

I agree with you. congratulations to whom made it for all of us.

[imocchidoro]

Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[baerbel301]

@smgoble73 great