The Lee Shore (CSNY), by David Crosby - Japanese Lyric Translation
I have been listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 1971 live album "4 Way Street" for over half a century, ever since I was in junior high school. Among the tracks, this is one that might sound understated at first glance (or rather, first listen), but it is deeply flavorful and one of my particular favorites. Written and composed by David Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023). The 1969 studio demo version and the outtake version included on the CSNY "Déjà Vu 50th Anniversary" release are also wonderful.
The Lee Shore Lyric Translation
"The Lee Shore" (studio demo) - 1969
Regarding the songwriter David Crosby, I am not particularly well-versed in his personal life (I have only seen CSN live twice, and of course, I have no personal acquaintance with him, haha), but at least from an outsider's perspective, he seemed to live a rather "wild" life. To give just one simple example, he even served time in prison. I (the translator of these lyrics!) might also be a person who has lived a somewhat "wild" life, but I lose completely to him. David Crosby, to sum him up in one word, was (perhaps) a "free spirit" to the core.
He owned a yacht, which I think was a fitting possession for such a "free spirit." The "Wheel gull spin and glide ... you've got no place to hide, 'cause you don't need one" at the beginning of the lyrics, the "you" could be referring to his own boat, his yacht, or perhaps it refers to Crosby himself. Well, in many ways, it is a song that drifts with the atmosphere of a mysterious "free spirit."
In the lyrics, "Down below her graceful side in the turning tide, to watch the sea fish roam, " this "roam" usually means to walk around aimlessly, stroll, wander, or roam, but in that passage of the lyrics, it likely carries the nuance of "swimming freely." Swimming as if "drifting," that is the feeling.
Now, regarding the two YouTube clips below, the audio source is the same. The top one says CSNY, the bottom one says CSN, so which is correct? 1969 was the year CSN released "Crosby, Stills & Nash," and the following year's CSNY "Déjà Vu" release also included tracks where Neil Young did not participate, and I suspect the lead guitar in the audio below is Stephen Stills. I don't hear Neil Young's voice, so I suspect it is CSN.
Note that the translated lyrics include some liberal interpretations (a literal or word-for-word translation would not convey the atmosphere of this song, though that can be said for the translation of most lyrics).
The Lee Shore (studio demo, 1969) written by David Crosby
Original English lyrics https://genius.com/Crosby-stills-nash-and-young-the-lee-shore-lyrics
Seagulls wheel, spin, and glide... you've got no place to hide, 'cause you don't need one (*1)
Down on the lee shore
Shells are scattered on the sand
They wink at me like bright eyes
From the sea
It's like a sunrise
Older than you know
Still lying there, the indifferent waves (*3)
Where they were left long ago (*4)
Woke up this morning
And dove beneath my home floating on the sea
Below her graceful side in the turning tide
To watch the sea fish roam (*5)
That's where I heard this story
From the sailors of the Sandra Marie (*6)
A day's sail from here there is another island
They say it's an uninhabited island, a free place
From here to Venezuela
There's nothing left to see
Except for a hundred thousand islands
Like jewels scattered in the sea (*7)
For you and for me
The sunset brings the scent of dinner
The women call me, saying that story is over now
But perhaps I will see you again, in the next quiet place (*8)
For now, I'll furl the sails (*9)
….. ♫ ….. ♫ ….. ♫ …..
Translator's Notes
*1 "Wheel gull spin and glide ... you've got no place to hide, 'cause you don't need one", Wheel gull spin and glide is a phrase that is difficult to translate (difficult to put into Japanese) from the very beginning.
wheel means "wheel," "rotation," or "to rotate," gull is a seagull (incidentally, there is no specific species of gull called a "wheel gull"), spin is similar to the "wheel" mentioned above, meaning "to rotate" or "rotation," glide means "to slide," "to move smoothly," or "to soar."
While "soar" is an expression often used for airplane flight (like a glider), it also means "a bird flying without moving its spread wings," and although I felt it was a somewhat stiff word, in the lyric translation above, Wheel gull spin and glide was translated as "Seagulls wheel, spin, and glide."
Regarding the 'you' in 'you've got no place to hide, 'cause you don't need one' as for you,
I think it might be a possession fitting for his 'free spirit' nature, but he owned a yacht. The you in the opening line of the lyrics, Wheel gull spin and glide ... you've got no place to hide, 'cause you don't need one could be referring to his own boat, his yacht, or perhaps it's about Crosby himself. Well, it's a song that drifts with a mysterious, 'free spirit' atmosphere, in a way.
*2 Lee shore is a 'shore on the leeward side'. It seems to be a nautical term (technical term related to navigation) and is also on Wikipedia.
*3 careless wave can be 'careless wave' or 'indifferent wave'. I chose the latter for the lyric translation.
*4 forgot, of course it is the past tense of forget, but 'forget' can mean 'to leave behind' or 'to leave by mistake' in addition to 'to fail to remember' or 'cannot recall'.
*5 roam is,
In the lyrics, Down below her graceful side in the turning tide, to watch the sea fish roam, this roam means 'to walk around (aimlessly)', 'to stroll', 'to wander', or 'to roam', but in that passage of the lyrics, it likely has the nuance of 'swimming freely'. It feels like 'drifting' while swimming.
*6 the Sandra Marie, perhaps my research is insufficient, but I cannot clearly identify the meaning. I translated it as 'the Sandra Marie' because I assumed it was the name of a ship.
*7 Flung like some jewels upon the sea .. Flung is likely the past participle of fling. Fling, as a transitive verb, means 'to throw (something) violently' or 'to cast away', so I translated this passage as 'like jewels scattered upon the sea'.
*8 I'll see you, 'again' is not here, but I added 'again' in the liberal translation.
*9 I furl my sails, like the above, 'now' is not here, but I added 'now'. It is a liberal translation.
Well then 🎶
"The Lee Shore" from CSNY's 1971 live album 4 Way Street
Next, with this live version.
Original English lyrics https://genius.com/Crosby-stills-nash-and-young-the-lee-shore-lyrics
Gulls wheel and spin and glide ... you've got no place to hide, 'cause you don't need one (*1)
On the lee shore (*2)
Shells are scattered on the sand
They wink at me like shining eyes
From the sea
It's like a sunrise
Older than you know
It's still lying there, the careless wave (*3)
In the place I forgot long ago (*4)
Woke up this morning
And dived under my home floating on the sea
In the turning tide, under her graceful side
To watch the sea fish roam (*5)
And there I heard this story
From the sailors of the Sandra Marie (*6)
A day's sail from here, there's another island
They say it's an uninhabited island, a free place
From here to Venezuela
There's nothing left to see
Except for a hundred thousand islands
Flung like some jewels upon the sea (*7)
For you and me
The sunset brings the scent of dinner
The women are calling me, saying that story is over
But maybe I'll see you again, in the next quiet place (*8)
Now I furl my sails (*9)
….. ♫ ….. ♫ ….. ♫ …..
Translation notes are in the previous section.
"The Lee Shore" (outtake) from CSNY's "Déjà Vu 50th Anniversary"
To think that such a beautiful song, such a wonderful thing, was not included in the 1970 release. Recorded in 1969.
Original English lyrics https://genius.com/Crosby-stills-nash-and-young-the-lee-shore-lyrics
The seagulls are gliding and circling in the wind ... you had nowhere to hide, did you? Why, you don't even need such a thing in the first place (*1)
Always on the lee shore (*2)
Shells are scattered across the sand
They wink at me like shining eyes
From the sea
It's like a sunrise
Something older than you know
It's still lying there, the indifferent waves (*3)
In the place where it was left behind long ago (*4)
Woke up this morning
And dove under my house floating on the sea
Where the tide changes, beneath that graceful hull
To watch the sea fish swim freely (*5)
There, I heard this story
A story from the sailors of the Sandra Marie (*6)
A day's sail from here, there's another island
They say it's an uninhabited island, a place of freedom
From here to Venezuela
There's nothing left to see
Except for a hundred thousand islands
Like jewels scattered across the sea (*7)
For you and for me
The sunset brings the scent of dinner
The women are calling me, saying that story is over now
But perhaps I'll see you again, in the next quiet place (*8)
For now, I'll furl the sails (*9)
….. ♫ ….. ♫ ….. ♫ …..
Translation notes are in the section before last.
Well then 🎶
Wooden Ships (CSN), by David Crosby - Lyrics Translation
Like The Lee Shore, here is the translation of the lyrics to this song written by David Crosby (included on the 1969 release "Crosby, Stills & Nash").
And finally,
CSN, CSNY Lyrics Translation Link Collection
Below, I have added The Lee Shore, which I translated today.