It's been a long time since I've engaged with anything related to Hetalia -- it was a huge hyperfixation of mine when I was younger, but I ended up moving on. I don't particularly care anymore. However there is one thing that came out of this series that has stuck with me, and that's Russia's character song, White Flame.
I don't really remember the significance this song has in the context of the series itself but on its own it's a gorgeous 17 minute ballad with four acts representing the four seasons and I have made a point to sit down and listen to it every winter for almost a decade now.
その産声は誰も知らない 深い森の中で
The baby’s first cry was in a deep forest that no one knows,怒りにも似た雷鳴のように ただ純粋に
Like anger that just purely resembled thunder,始まるсудьба
It begins, судьба (destiny)風は問うだろう何処へ向かうと 皮肉な響きで
The wind inquires, “where are you going?” with resounding sarcasm;若さがまだ未知を選べる 健やかな日々
The youth still hadn’t chosen a path in those sound days.何かを求め その行為に溺れるほどに
He decides on something, and he nearly drowns in the act,目覚める自我は 穏やかさとは切り離されてゆく
And thus, his awakened self and his gentle self are separated.солнце,солнце 祈りを
солнце, солнце(the sun), I pray.белое пламя 短い夏にさえ 近づく足音
белое пламя (white flame), even in this brief summer, the sound of footsteps draw nearer.одиночество ざわめく木々に何故 理由を探せずに
одиночество (loneliness), the trees whisper “why?”, searching for a reason.
「まだ僕が何も持っていなかった頃 まだ僕が何も成していなかった頃 純粋な欲望は夢と呼ぶに相応しく 無邪気で幼稚な朗らかさを 確かにあの頃僕は知っていた
“The time when I still didn’t have anything, the time when I still hadn’t become anything; This pure desire that’s worthy of being called a "dream;” This innocent, childlike cheerfulness… surely I knew it at that time.…知っていた?
...Didn’t I?時に思い出して赤面するような 大声を出して打ち消そうとしては それでも尚ほろ苦く甘やかに広がる後悔 それは完全に失ってしまいきれない不思議な輝きを保っている 憎しみに近い嫌悪を感じながら どこかその滑稽さに救いを探しているのだ 愚かさはいつまでたってもつきまとい 未熟であることの証明に 今日も罠を仕掛けてくる ただただ全てを若さのせいにしてしまえたなら この心も幾分平穏を取り戻せるのだろうか 己の辿った道を肯定できるほどの成熟が いつかこの身にも訪れるのだろうか 今はまだ、何もわからない…」
Remembering that time is like an embarrassment, and I let out a loud yell, as if trying to deny it And yet, the bittersweet regret still spreads. That is because I haven’t lost just yet, I’m preserving this mysterious radiance. While I may feel disgust that’s close to hatred, It’s for this reason that I’m searching for salvation somewhere in this farcicality. Forever haunted by this foolishness Today, too, I’ll set traps, as proof of my immaturity. If I just simply blame it all on youth, Will the tranquility of this heart be somewhat restored, I wonder? The affirmation of maturity of having walked on one’s own path, Will it someday visit this body as well, I wonder? Even now, I still don’t understand anything….
どんな事象(こと)にも終わりがあると 当たり前のように
"No matter what the event, there is always an end,” as if it’s that obvious,灰色の空 沈む景色に 背を向けられて
So I turn my back to the gray sky sinking into the scenery.求め疲れた 明日を責めるわけなどないさ
There is no reason to blame tomorrow if I grow weary of searching;時は移ろい 実りもやがてこの手から零れる
Time goes on, and soon the harvest will overflow from these hands.солнце,солнце 祈りを
солнце, солнце, I pray.белое пламя 凍てつく雪原は 全てを飲み込む
белое пламя, I take in all of this frozen snowfield.одиночество 閉じてゆく白銀 心をかさねて
одиночество, once more, this snow-like silver heart is going to close
「生命が眠りにつく季節 長い長い孤独を僕らは耐え抜く 雪の下で凍える存在に耳を澄ましながら どこかに在るはずの気配を想像する それは長年の間に身に付いた無為をやり過ごす方法なのか 特に意味のない独り遊びなのか 別にたいした問題ではない 僕らは突きつけられた運命を 長い時間をかけて受け取り 示し合わせたように途方に暮れた顔をするだけだ 正気を装い 嘆きを閉じ込め いつかそれが真実になってゆく 人生の深淵など興味を持たずとも 仄暗い絶望を胸に飼い 自分なりの答えを見つけてゆくしかないのだから
“In the season when life falls into a slumber, we endure a long, long loneliness. If I listen closely to the frozen existence under the snow, I begin to imagine that there’s some sort of sign of life somewhere. Is that the way to master withstanding the duration of all those years? Is there really any meaning in playing alone? It’s not like that’s really much of a problem. We’ve accepted the fate thrust at us a long time ago. I just wear a perplexed expression, as if I were conspiring. My true self is disguised, my grief is locked up… someday that’s going to become the truth. Even if I have no interest in the abyss of life, my heart still keeps this gloomy despair, Because I have no choice but to find my own answer.ああ… 寒い…
Ah… it’s cold….傾きかけた太陽 瞼に焼きつける 黄昏れには まだ少し早い気がしているよ」
The sun begins to set, burning my eyelids And giving the feeling that twilight is approaching just a little too quickly.”
永遠よりも遥かな日々が 闇に染まるまで
More than eternity, until those faraway days are stained in darkness,孤独な朝を指折り数え 吹き荒ぶ風となれ
I count down the lonely mornings as the wind begins to rage破滅を怖れずに
Without fearing the destruction.
любовь, мечта 溢れる光 追憶の森を抜け
любовь, мечта, (love, dream) overflowing light spills out of the forest of recollection.旅立ちへの手向けに 希望の花を飾る
Adorn the departing traveler with the tribute of a flower of hope.любовь, мечта 過ぎた幻 聞き慣れた慟哭と
любовь, мечта, if you grow used to hearing the lamentations of past illusions,握りしめた花弁は ささやかな抵抗か
Is there a modest resistance in the petals that you tightly grasped?солнце,солнце 祈りを
солнце, солнце, I pray.белое пламя 凍てつく雪原に 彷徨う哀しみ
белое пламя, grief roams in this frozen snowfield,одиночество 閉ざされた白銀 心を潜めて
одиночество, concealing this closed, snow-like silver heart.судьба 美しく 静かな聖域
судьба, this beautiful, quiet sanctuary,судьба 何もかも
судьба, where anything and everything覆い尽くす白い炎
Is completely shrouded in white flames.