Translation: Can you keep a secret?

This was one of my favorite songs when I was younger. It resurfaced in my life recently and is now the song I put on repeat...

近づきたいよ 君の理想に おとなしくなれない Can you keep a secret? Hit it off like this Hit it off like this, oh baby~ (×4) ここから ずっと 送ってる暗号 君は まだ 解読できてない 伝えよう やめよう このまま隠そう 逃げ切れなくなるまで 信じよう だめだよ まだ疑えそうだもの 近づきたいよ 君の理想に おとなしくなれない Can you keep a secret? 悲しくないよ 君がいるから Can you keep a secret? Can you keep a secret? 近づけないよ 君の理想に すぐには 変われない Can you keep a secret? 悲しくなると 君を呼ぶから Can you keep a secret? Or このまま secret Hit it off like this Hit off like this, oh baby~ (x4) 側にいても 遠回しな表現 探してる 迷宮入りさせたくないなら Won't you come on? かすかな物音 追ってくる movin' shadow 振り切れなくなる影 少しの冒険と 傷付く勇気も あるでしょ 近づきたいよ 君の理想に おとなしくなれない Can you keep a secret? 悲しくないよ 君がいるから Can you keep a secret? Can you keep a secret? 近づけないよ 君の理想に あとには 戻れない Can you keep a secret? おしゃべりじゃないと 証明してよ Can you keep a secret? Or このまま secret [spoken] (Hey, can I take a time out to... tell you somethin'? And say, can you keep it a secret? ‘Cause this guitar is... making me warm... Come on.) 今までずっと 秘密にしてた 誰にもいわないで Can you keep a secret? 悲しくないよ 君がいるから Can you keep a secret? Can you keep a secret? 傷付けないと 約束しても 誰にもわからない Can you keep a secret? 悲しくないよ 君がいるから Can you keep a secret? Or このまま secret Can you keep a secret? (x7)

I really want to live up to your ideals (but) I just can’t be so tame Can you keep a secret? Hit it off like this Hit it off like this, oh baby~ (×4) I’ve been sending signals from here this whole time (Yet) you still can’t pick them up I’ll tell you… I’ll stop… I’ll just keep it hidden like this Until I can no longer escape I’ll believe… No, I can’t… I’m still doubtful… I really want to live up to your ideals (but) I just can’t be so tame Can you keep a secret? I can’t get sad; you’re here, after all Can you keep a secret? Can you keep a secret? I really want to live up to your ideals (but) I can’t change so quickly Can you keep a secret? When sadness hits, I call for you Can you keep a secret? Or maybe it’s better this way: a secret? Hit it off like this Hit off like this, oh baby~ (x4) Even when you’re by my side, I keep looking for words to dance around the truth If you don’t want this to remain a mystery Won’t you come on? A faint sound A movin’ shadow chases after me A shadow I can’t shake off A little bit of daring, and the courage to get hurt You have them, don’t you? I want to get closer to your ideal (but) I can’t be so tame Can you keep a secret? I just won’t get sad, for you’re here Can you keep a secret? Can you keep a secret? I want to get closer to your ideal There’s no going back Can you keep a secret? You say you’re not a gossip? Prove it Can you keep a secret? Or maybe it’s better this way: a secret? [spoken] (Hey, can I take a time out to... tell you somethin'? And say, can you keep it a secret? ‘Cause this guitar is... making me warm... Come on.) Until now, I’ve kept it a secret Don’t tell anyone Can you keep a secret? I can’t get sad; you’re here after all Can you keep a secret? Can you keep a secret? Even if you promise not to hurt me No one will know I won’t get sad, for you’re here after all Can you keep a secret? Or maybe it’s better this way: a secret? Can you keep a secret? (x7)

Meaning

After translating it, the music video is extra bizarre to me. Who is the subject? Is it Utada Hikaru, or is it the robot? I lean towards the latter for most of the video, but then towards the end...

The message is still relatable today.

Translation notes

近づきたいよ 君の理想に
おとなしくなれない

Literally, "I really want to get closer to your ideals / (but) I cannot become obedient / tame (the way you want)."

At first I translate this as "I really want to live up to your ideals", because I think this is more natural for a human to say. Then I slowly change it to, "I really want to get close to your ideal" because that sounds more natural for a robot to say to a human, to become closer to the image of a human. (Or even, a robot to another robot's ideal.)

The "but" that would be natural in English is not explicitly present in Japanese, but I read that it's common in Japanese music to omit it and that it's implied when there breaks in the beat. (the way you want) is also an implicit reading I'm interpreting.

側にいても 遠回しな表現 探してる

Literally, "Even when I'm right next to you, I am searching for a roundabout expression." I reworded to, "I keep looking for words to dance around the truth" since it sounded more poetic.

少しの冒険と 傷付く勇気も
あるでしょ

Literally, "a little bit of adventure, and the courage to get hurt." I rephrased to "a little bit of daring, and the courage to get hurt" since that felt more like what the song was trying to say.

おしゃべりじゃないと 証明してよ

Literally, "If you're not a gossip, then prove it"; but rephrasing to "You say you're not a gossip? Prove it" felt more natural with the previous and following questions of asking, "Can you keep a secret?" over and over.

Vocabulary / kanji

• 理想・りそう ideals
• 暗号・あんごう code, cipher
• 隠す・かくす to hide
• 疑う・うたがう to doubt, distrust, suspect
• 遠回し・とうまわし roundabout (expression), indirect (criticism)
• 迷宮入り・めいきゅういり leaving unresolved, remaining unanswered
• かさか faint, dim, weak
• 物音・ものおとsound, noise
• 追う・おう to chase
  • 追ってくる・おってくる to come to chase
• 振り切る・ふりきる to shake off
• 影・かげ shadow
• 冒険・ぼうけん　adventure
• おしゃべり gossipy person, chatterbox, a gossip
• 証明・しょうめい proof, testimony
• 秘密・ひみつ secret
• 傷付ける to hurt someone's feelings, to wound