今日のひとことEnglish

「この素晴らしき世界」

ルイ・アームストロングが歌って1968年にヒットしたこの名曲のタイトルは、直訳すると「なんてすばらしい世界なんだ」。Whatではじまる感嘆文のとても明快な例です。作曲者のG・ダグラスは、当時のベトナム戦争を嘆き、平和な世界を夢見てこの曲を書いたとのこと。「木々の緑、赤いバラ、青い空にうかぶ白い雲、なんて素晴らしい世界なんだ」あたりまえの風景の中に、しみじみとしあわせを感じさせてくれますね。スローなバラードで、歌詞もわかりやすいので、カラオケレパートリーにもおすすめです！

♪What a Wonderful World
by George David Weiss, George Douglas, Bob Thiele

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you.

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.

What a Wonderful World

「ありのままで」

ディズニーは、ご存知のとおり数々のミュージカル映画を手がけていて、映像もすばらしいですが、音楽もいつも感動的です。現在封切られている「アナと雪の女王」の主題歌は、”Let It Go”「ありのままで」。Letは「〜させる」という意味ですが、抑えられている何かを解き放ち、いかせてやる、というイメージ。たとえば、捕まえた小鳥を放してやるシーンを想像してください。ぜひ映画を見て、このタイトルのイメージを体感してくださいね。

♪Let It Go

by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez
from Frozen

The snow glows white on the mount tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation
And it looks like I’m the queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn’t keep it in,
Heaven knows I’ve tried

Don’t let them in, don’t let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don’t feel
Don’t let them know
Well, now they know

Let it go, let it go
Can’t hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don’t care what they’re going to say
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway

If funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me can’t get to me at all
It’s time to see what I can do
to test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I’m free

Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You’ll never see me cry
Here I’ll stand, and here I’m staying
Let the storm rage on

My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystalizes like an icy blast
I’m never going back, the past is in the past

Let it go, let it go
And I’ll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
that perfect girl is gone
Here I stand, in the light of day
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway