ひこうき雲 [Hikōkigumo]
荒井由美 [ARAI Yumi]
Words & Music : 荒井由美 [ARAI Yumi]
“Vapor Trail (Hikoukigumo)” is a song by Yumi Arai (now known as Yumi Matsutoya or Yuming), released in 1973. It is the title track of her first album.
The arrangement was a collaborative effort with Caramel Mama (later renamed “Tin Pan Alley“), a band consisting of Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, Tatsuo Hayashi, and Masataka Matsutoya. The fact that so many composers who would later become famous gathered at this time is noteworthy. Yumi Arai herself debuted as a composer at 17, and this song was originally intended to be offered to another singer.
In 2013, it was chosen as the theme song for Studio Ghibli’s animated film “The Wind Rises web” (風立ちぬ / Kaze Tachinu). The story is based on the life of aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, and Hayao Miyazaki commented, “There’s no song that fits the theme song as well as this one.” The song “Vapor Trail” aligns perfectly with the world of the movie.
The lyrics were inspired by Arai’s experience of having a classmate with muscular dystrophy who passed away a few years later.
白い坂道が 空まで続いていた
shiroi sakamichi ga sora made tsuzuiteita
ゆらゆらかげろうが あの子を包む
yurayura kagerō ga ano ko o tsutsumu
- 白い（しろい） [shiroi] : white
- 坂道（さかみち） [sakamichi] : slope
- 空（そら） [sora] : sky
- 続く（つづく） [tsuzuku] : continue
- ゆらゆら [yurayura] : swaying (onomatopoeia)
- かげろう（かげろう） [kagerō] : heat haze
- あの [ano] : that
- 子（こ） [ko] : child
- 包む（つつむ） [tsutsumu] : envelop
(translation) “The white slope continued to the sky.
The swaying heat haze envelops that child.”
誰も気づかず ただひとり
dare mo kizukazu tada hitori
あの子は 昇っていく
ano ko wa nobotte iku
何もおそれない そして舞い上がる
nani mo osorenai soshite maiagaru
- 誰も（だれも） [dare mo] : nobody
- 気づく（きづく） [kizuku] : notice
- ひとり [hitori] : alone
- のぼる（のぼる） [noboru] : rise
- 何も（なにも） [nani mo] : nothing
- 恐れる（おそれる） [osoreru] : fear
- そして [soshite] : and
- 舞い上がる（まいあがる） [maiagaru] : soar
(translation) “Unnoticed by anyone, all alone,
that child ascends,
fearing nothing, and soars.”
The concept of the deceased ascending to the sky exists in many cultures. The phrase “to rise to the sky” is often used without religious connotations. Please refer to “Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o.”
空に 憧れて 空を かけてゆく
sora ni akogarete sora o kakete yuku
あの子の命は ひこうき雲
ano ko no inochi wa hikōkigumo
- 憧れる（あこがれる） [akogaru] : long for
- かける [kakeru] : run through
- 命（いのち） [inochi] : life
- 飛行機（ひこうき） [hikōki] : airplane
- 雲（くも） [kumo] : cloud
(translation) “Longing for the sky, running through it,
that child’s life is a vapor trail.”
The original Japanese title is “ひこうき雲 / Hikōki Gumo.” The use of hiragana instead of kanji gives a gentle and familiar impression. It might be because of the memory of “that child” from elementary school days.
高いあの窓で あの子は死ぬ前も
takai ano mado de ano ko wa shinu mae mo
空を見ていたの 今はわからない
sora o miteita no ima wa wakaranai
- 高い（たかい） [takai] : high
- 窓（まど） [mado] : window
- 死ぬ（しぬ） [shinu] : die
- 前（まえ） [mae] : before
- 見る（みる） [miru] : look
- 今（いま） [ima] : now
- わからない [wakaranai] : not know
(translation) “Before dying, even from that high window,
that child looked at the sky. Now, I don’t know.”
Japanese people often talk about what the deceased are doing in heaven. Is this a common belief worldwide?
ほかの人には わからない
hoka no hito ni wa wakaranai
あまりにも 若すぎたと
amari ni mo wakasugita to
ただ思うだけ けれどしあわせ
tada omou dake keredo shiawase
- ほか [hoka] : other
- 人（ひと） [hito] : person
- わかる [wakaru] : understand
- あまりにも [amari ni mo] : too
- 若い（わかい） [wakai] : young
- 思う（おもう） [omou] : think
- しあわせ [shiawase] : happiness
(translation) “Other people don’t understand.
They just think he was too young. But happy.”
I wonder what “happy” really means.
空に 憧れて 空を かけてゆく
sora ni akogarete sora o kakete yuku
あの子の命は ひこうき雲
ano ko no inochi wa hikōki gumo
At the time when folk music was at its peak, Arai’s work, influenced by Procol Harum and Michel Polnareff, was met with great impact.
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