今日のひとことEnglish

「ただ君に愛してるっていいたくて電話したんだ」

数々のすばらしい楽曲をこの世に送り出しているスティービー・ワンダーですが、その中でも、シンプルな歌詞にあふれんばかりの想いがこめられているこの曲は、彼の代表作のひとつ。新年でもない、ヴァレンタインでもない、なにも特別な日じゃないけれど、I just called to say I love you, And I mean it from the bottom of my heart.「ただ君に愛してるっていいたくて電話したんだ。心の底から本当にそう思うんだ。」メロディもすてきですが、歌詞を理解するとますます心にじわーっときます。

I Just Called To Say I Love You
by Stevie Wonder

No New Year’s Day to celebrate
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
No first of spring
No song to sing
In fact here’s just another ordinary day

No April rain
No flowers bloom
No wedding Saturday within the month of June
But what it is, is something true
Made up of these three words that I must say to you

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

No summer’s high
No warm July
No harvest moon to light one tender August night
No autumn breeze
No falling leaves
Not even time for birds to fly to southern skies

No Libra sun
No Halloween
No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring
But what it is, though old so new
To fill your heart like no three words could ever do

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care, I do
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care, I do
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart,
of my heart

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care, I do
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart,
baby of my heart

「私が歌う歌は月の光の歌」

暑い日が続きますが、月夜で涼んでみましょう。グレンミラー作曲の「ムーンライトセレナーデ」はのちにミッチェル・パリッシュにより歌詞がかかれ、ジャズのスタンダートナンバーとして広く知られています。そもそもセレナーデとは、ヨーロッパ中世にさかのぼり、親しい相手や恋人のために夕方屋外で演奏される音楽でした。I stand at the gate and the song that I sing is of moonlight.「門にたたずみ、私が歌うその歌は、月の光の歌」。名だたるシンガーがこぞってカバーしています。お気に入りの一曲を見つけ、夏の夜をロマンチックに過ごしてみてください。

Moonlight Serenade
by Glenn Miller
lyrics by Mitchell Parish

I stand at your gate and the song that I sing is of moonlight
I stand and I wait for the touch of your hand in the June night
The roses are sighing a Moonlight Serenade.

The stars are aglow and tonight how their light sets me dreaming.
My love, do you know that your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?
I bring you and I sing you a Moonlight Serenade

Let us stray till break of day in love’s valley of dreams.
Just you and I, a summer sky, a heavenly breeze kissin’ the trees.

So don’t let me wait, come to me tenderly in the June night.
I stand at your gate and I sing you a song in the moonlight
A love song, my darling, a Moonlight Serenade.