Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe!

Title:                ここがロドスだ、ここで跳べ! | Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe! | Here is Rhodes, Jump Here
Info:                 AKB48 4th Original Album - Koko ga Rhodes da, koko de tobe!
Member(s):        Azuma Rion, Anai Chihiro, Ikoma Rina, Iriyama Anna, Kato Rena, Kodama Haruka, Shinozaki Ayana,                         Shibuya Nagisa, Shiroma Miru, Tani Marika, Fukuoka Seina, Futamura Haruka, Furuhata Nao, Murayama Yuiri,                         Moriyasu Madoka, Yagura Fuuko

長い道程(みちのり)を走り抜け やっと山の麓まで来た　夜明け 前にそびえ立つその夢は 雲がかかる頂に似ている 現実は厳しい 登るのはつらい 思うように行かない あきらめてしまいたくなる 後ろを振り返るなよ 努力したとか… 頑張ったとか… 口にするな 今の自分　見せてみろ！ ここがロドスだ さあ　ここで跳べ！ WOW WOW 月も星もない山道を 闇に怯えながら歩いた　絶望 時に逆風に吹かれたり 強い雨に行く手を阻まれて… 後から来た人に 抜かれてしまった 夢までの地図がない 運のせいだと石を蹴るのか？ 自分で見せるしかない 拗ねてみたって 泣き言言っても 始まらない 過去を捨てて生きてみろ！ ここが舞台だ さあ　ここで跳べ！ WOW WOW 報われるかなんて考えるな 暗闇でジャンプしろ！ 言い訳するその前に まずやってみろ！ ひたむきな力で 後ろを振り返るなよ 努力したとか… 頑張ったとか… 口にするな 今の自分　見せてみろ！ ここがロドスだ さあ　ここで跳べ！ 前を向いて さあ　ここで跳べ！ WOW WOW

nagai michi nori wo hashirinuke yatto yama no fumoto made kita yoake mae ni sobietatsu sono yume wa kumo ga kakaru itadaki ni nite iru genjitsu wa kibishii noboru no wa tsurai omou you ni ikanai akiramete shimaitaku naru ushiro wo furikaeru na yo doryoku shi ta to ka... ganbatta to ka... kuchi ni suru na ima no jibun mise te miro! koko ga RODOSU da saa koko de tobe! WOW WOW tsuki mo hoshi mo nai yama michi wo yami ni obienagara aruita zetsubou toki ni gyakufuu ni fukaretari tsuyoi ame ni iku te wo habamarete... ato kara kita hito ni nukarete shimatta yume made no chizu ga nai un no sei da to ishi wo keru no ka? jibun de miseru shikanai sunete mita tte nakigoto itte mo hajimaranai kako wo sutete ikite miro! koko ga butai da saa koko de tobe! WOW WOW mukuwareru ka nante kangaeru na kurayami de JANPU shiro! iiwake suru sono mae ni mazu yatte miro! hitamuki na chikara de ushiro wo furikaeru na yo doryoku shita to ka... ganbatta to ka... kuchi ni suru na ima no jibun misete miro! koko ga RODOSU da saa koko de tobe! mae wo muite saa koko de tobe! WOW WOW

Going on a very long journey Finally reaching the foothills, at dawn The dreams soaring before you Seem to be engulfed by the clouds Reality is harsh Climbing is tough Things aren’t going as planned And you think of giving up Don’t you turn back Saying you did your best… Or that you tried… Don’t utter these words Prove it now to yourself! Here is Rhodes So jump here! WOW WOW On this moonless, starless mountain road Walking in fear of the dark, in despair At times against the raging headwinds And heavy rain, shielding with your hands Those who came after you Have passed and overtaken you With no map to your dreams Will you kick at the stones and blame fate? You’ll just have to show yourself Even if you nurse your shins And whine Nothing is going to happen Throw the past away and live on! Here is the stage So jump here! WOW WOW Don’t think about whether it will pay off Just make the jump in the dark! Before you make excuses Try it out first! With single-minded determination Don’t you turn back Saying you did your best… Or that you tried… Don’t utter these words Prove it now to yourself! Here is Rhodes So jump here! Face forward And jump here! WOW WOW

AKB48's Koko go Rhodes album features some very interesting songs, not least its titular song, which I'm sure must have made many people scratch their heads when they first heard the title. It doesn't help that the English translation that appears on some official merchandise ("Suppose this to be Rhodos, and leap for us") is not how it's normally translated.

So, allow me to explain. "Koko ga Rhodes da, koko de tobe" is translated from the Latin phrase "hic Rhodus, hic salta". It originates from an ancient Latin version of Aesop's Fables, in a fable entitled "The Boastful Athlete". The story goes that there was this one guy who boasted about his athletic prowess, claiming that he once competed on the Greek island of Rhodes, where he managed to perform an unbelievably long jump. One bystander then said, "hic Rhodus, hic salta" or commonly translated as "Here is Rhodes, jump here!" The Latin phrase is now an (obscure) English proverb meaning something similar to 'walk the talk', though it seems it is mainly used in a political context...? What are you trying to say, Aki-P?

(All kanji/kana and romaji lyrics on this site are taken from Studio48 unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce anything from this site without giving due credit.)