[ JAPANESE ORIGINAL TEXT (1991) ]
Ryuu no kuchi yori umareshi mono
ten takaku maiagari
yami to hikari wo kakage
nemuri no chi ni saranaru yakusoku wo motarasan.
Tsuki wa hateshinaki hikari ni tsutsumare
haha naru daichi ni ooinaru megumi to
jihi wo ataen.
Saredo tsukanoma no kyuusoku nari.
Sono tsuki wa mizukara no hikari wo motomete
saranaru tabi ni michibikaren.
Onaji chi wo hiku mono hitori wa tsuki ni
hitori wa haha naru hosi ni
Toki no nagare ga sonomonotachi wo hikihanasan.
"Ryuu no kuchi yori umareshi mono" (= one that was born from a dragon's mouth) is not Cecil.
If you read King Giott's lines carefully, you can find it's the "Big Whale" ("Madousen" in Japanese original ver / "Lunar Whale" in FF CHRONICLES.)
[ FF2 U.S. (1991) ]
| Giott: | What?! They've gathered all the crystals!? Now we're finished... Unless the Legend of the Big Whale comes true... |
| Cecil: | Big Whale? |
| Giott: | A huge ship spoken of in the legent. It says, "One to be born from--" |
| Cecil: | The Mysidian legend! |
[ FINAL FANTASY CHRONICLES (2001)]
| Giott: | They have all the Crystals!? Nothing we can do now...unless the Lunar Whale legend comes true. |
| Cecil: | Lunar Whale? |
| Giott: | A huge ship spoken of in a legend. It says, "One born of a dragon-" |
| Cecil: | The Mysidian legend! |
And "Ryuu no kuchi" - In the original ver, it's "a dragon'S MOUTH", not just "a dragon" - means a inland sea in the west of Mysidia.
This text is written in literary style, but I think the grammar is wrong.
"umareSHI mono" means "one THAT WAS born". "umaRURU mono" (= one to be born) fits better than "umareshi mono", doesn't it?
Next, I'll show you the English translated ver. It's familiar for Americans.
Thank you, Raincrystal!! (^o^)
[ "FINAL FANTASY II" U.S. (1991) ]
One to be born
from a dragon
hoisting the light
and the dark
arises high up
in the sky to
the still land...
Veiling the moon with
the light of eternity,
it brings
another promise
to mother earth with
a bounty and mercy.
The moon has just
started to seek for
its own light...
I noticed that all text in the Mysidian Legend wasn't translated. In the Japanese original ver, the last half means:
However it's the short rest.
The moon will start a new journey to seek for its own light.
People of same blood, one will be on the moon,
one will be on the mother planet.
A flow of time will separate them.
(Caution : The above is a literal translation by me.)
In "FF2" U.S. it's only "The moon has just started to seek for its own light."
And In the original, it's the moon that gives blessings to the earth, though it's the Big Whale in this text.
Compare with following text - from the guide book of FF4 Play Station ver published in '97 (in Japan).
[ "FINAL FANTASY IV" GUIDE BOOK (Japan: 1997) ]
Born of a dragon's mouth,
he whom soars high in the heavens,
carrying the darkness & the light,
brings new promises to the sleeping earth.
Sheathed in neverending light,
the moon bestows blessings and favor
upon the mother land.
It's such nice English that I can't make any comments.(^^;)
Hum, this text is much nearer the original than the other English versions are, I think.
But this text doesn't have the last half! (T_T)
Please, someone, translate the last half in this style.....
The text below is from "FINAL FANTASY CHRONICLES" which was come out on 29th June 2001.
It's the latest translation.
Thanks, I.Y. and Syntyche!
[ "FINAL FANTASY CHRONICLES" (2001) ]
One born of a dragon,
bearing darkness and
light, shall rise to
the heavens over the
still land.
Bathing the moon in
eternal light, he brings
a promise to Mother Earth
with bounty and grace.
But someday the moon
shall depart, seeking
its own light. The sons
of moon and Earth shall
then part, divided by
the flow of time.
Yeah! Finally the last half was translated! (^^)
I like the expression "The sons of the Earth and Moon." Of course I like the original one "Onaji chi wo hiku mono" (The people of same blood) too.
But "a dragon" wasn't changed to "a dragon's mouth." *sigh*
And it's still the Big Whale / Lunar Whale that gives grace to the earth.
Regretfuly for you, the Lunarians aren't dragons in Japan. (^^;)
I believe you saw this version already - from FINAL FANTASY IV ADVANCE. (Thank you Aywren!)
[ "FINAL FANTASY IV ADVANCE" (2005) ]
One born of a Dragon,
bearing darkness and light,
shall rise to the heavens
over the still land.
The moon's light eternal
brings a promise to Earth
with bounty and grace.
After brief pause, the moon
travels forth, seeking another
in search of its radiance.
Though all the same blood, one
Earth and one moon, time's march
alone keeps two far apart.
I can say this is the nearest one to the original, among FF games in English.
I show you more foreign languages ver. These are the search result
[ "FINAL FANTASY IV"|"FINAL FANTASY 4"|FF4 Mysidia ]
by Google, Chinese version quoted from White Magic, and Spanish version by Magnus Leshnerr. (Thank you!)
Caution: Netscape 4.x or lower version can't display German ver and French ver.
[ German ]
Er, geboren von einem drachen,
der Licht und Dunkelheit in sich trägt,
wird sich in die Himmel über dem stillen Land erheben.
Den Mond in ein ewiges Licht hüllend,
wird er der Erde, voll Würde und Großmut,
ein Versprechen darbringen.
[ French ]
Né du dragon, il s'envolera aux cieux,
flottant au-dessus de la terre tranquille,
portant ombre et lumière.
Eclairant la lune d'une lumière éternelle,
il apporte une promesse à la Gaïa avec grâce et munificence.
[ Chinese ]
[ Spanish ]
== La leyenda de Mysidia ==
Uno que nacera de un dragon
portando la luz y la oscuridad
se elevara a los cielos
por sobre la tierra firme.
Bañando la luna en luz eterna
traera consigo una nueva promesa a la madre tierra
con gracia y abundancia.
El dia llegara en el que la luna busque su propia luz.
Los hijos de la Tierra y la Luna, separados estarán,
dividos por el flujo del tiempo.
* Spanish version is a PERSONAL translation of FINAL FANTASY CHRONICLES version by Magnus Leshnerr. Thanks so much, Magnus!
