Lyrics Yasumoto Hiroki - The Story of the Butterfly and the Moon

Well? Do you think you’ll be able to sleep? –I guess not, seeing that face. What’ll get you tired?

Oh, right. When you were small, what did you do when you couldn’t sleep?

Someone read a storybook for you? Yeah, I used to sleep during lectures in high school, too.

That’s for a different reason? -laugh- It’s about the same, isn’t it?

Unfortunately, there aren’t any picture books at my place. There aren’t any picture books, but I can tell a story.

Well then, how about “The Story of the Butterfly and the Moon”? I used to listen to it when I couldn’t sleep–do you know it?

You don’t know it… then I’ll tell it for you. If you start to feel sleepy while you’re listening, just go ahead and sleep.

All right, that’s good. I’ll start.

In a certain place, there was a butterfly with very beautiful wings. The other butterflies were drawn by the radiant beauty of the butterfly and gathered, asking for the butterfly’s hand in marriage. However, the butterfly refused every one of them. The butterfly wasn’t interested in anything other than itself. The butterfly probably wasn’t interested in anything less beautiful than it was. And so the butterfly was always alone–when flying in the sky, when drinking necter from flowers, when sleeping at night. The butterfly was alone. But it didn’t feel lonely. It was because it had always been alone. It was always alone and thought of that as obvious, with no need to feel lonely. One day, the butterfly was alone as usual, flying in the sky, drinking necter from flowers, and enjoying its time by itself, but–

That day, it heard a call from somewhere and became interested in the voice as it cried so sadly. The butterfly looked up at the source of the cries. It was the beautifully shining moon crying. The butterfly was never interested in anything other than itself, but at that moment, it couldn’t help but become interested in the beautiful moon. The butterfly asked the moon, “Why are you crying?” The moon answered, “I’m lonely and sad.” But the butterfly didn’t understand the moon’s reason for crying. The butterfly had never felt lonely. It couldn’t understand the moon. From that day, the butterfly was interested in the moon and went to see the moon every night. The butterfly talked much with the moon on its visits. About delicious necter, a river it liked, its wings it loved so much. The moon began to speak to the butterfly and started to feel better. The butterfly also began to look forward to talking with the moon and the time spent the moon became more important than any other.

However, one day, the moon and sun disappeared from the world the butterfly lived in. The butterfly called out for the moon with all its might, but there was no reply. In despair, it looked up to the place the moon used to be and saw the diamond ring that appeared where the sun and moon connected. The moon and sun were now together forever and the moon could never meet with the butterfly again. Looking up at the diamond ring shining in the sky, the butterfly said for the first time, “I’m lonely,” and cried. The butterfly might have fallen in love with the moon. That’s the end of the story. Are you asleep?

What, not yet?

Oh yeah, “diamond ring” is the name of a phenomenon. At the time of a total solar eclipse, there’s a moment when the sun is barely visable from behind the moon. It’s named that because it apparently looks like a shining diamond ring.

A sad ending? You might have thought that, but I think this is a happy ending in some ways. The fact the butterfly ended knowing loneliness was from being with the moon and knowing the happiness of being with someone else. Loneliness is something you feel for the first time after you’re happy enjoying your time with someone else. Without knowing the happiness and joy of being with someone else, you can’t know the sadness of being alone. I think the butterfly first knew the happiness and joy of being with someone else when it met the moon. That’s why I think it can be considered a happy ending.

No, I might just want to think that way. I used to be like the butterfly, not feeling anything for anyone else. I hated relying on other people and being babied and couldn’t expect anyone to do anything. That’s why I thought the ending with the butterfly feeling lonely was stupid. I’m alone, but I’m not lonely–if anything, it was easier to be alone. But, I understand that loneliness now. Because I met the moon like the butterfly did. If I’m the butterfly, then you’re the moon. But I don’t plan to make our future like the ending of this story. I want to head towards a real happy ending with you. But even then, it won’t end with heading towards a happy ending. Life will start after that. Loving you, and you loving me–we’ll always be together. That’s the true meaning of “until death do us part.”

I love you.