Shukufuku no MESIA to Ai no Tou
The Blessed Messiah and the Tower of "Love"

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Official Song Description :

When mankind sought power that surpassed human understanding thus making a mockery of God, they provoked His divine retribution. God contained nine components which made up the world within a single tower, and the world began to head into a gradual demise.
It was then that a Messiah and her dear friends climbed the tower to ask for God's forgiveness. To earn forgiveness, the Messiah must receive the blessed light from the nine components and light the lifespan of the world at the altar.
And so -- the lifespan of the world is connected to the light of a Messiah born every fifteen years.


Translator's note :

While nothing (to my knowledge) has been said of the meaning of the "nine components" within the tower, the number used leads me to wonder whether in fact they are a nod to "Dante's Divine Comedy".

The "atonements" could represent the torments of the "nine circles of Hell" in Dante's Inferno.

If the number nine here is our focus, then while there is certainly "suffering" involved, the main focus is unlikely to be Dante's Purgatorio, which contains the "seven levels of suffering and spiritual growth" based on the simplified interpretation of the seven deadly sins by Pope Gregory I. Then again, it could very well be a part of it.

Alternatively (and my larger belief) is that they represent the "nine spheres of Heaven" in Dante's Paradiso (Paradise) wherein there are not truly nine elements but ten, to represent the nine spheres and also the Empyrean: the abode of God.

In the end of Dante's Divine Comedy, within the Empyrean, Dante finally inexplicably comprehends God's will, his soul connecting with God's love (read CANTO XXXIII). Perhaps this is an explanation for what happens to the Messiah once she is at the altar.

This may also explain why within the lyrics they describe that they are prolonging the life of their "paradise". Maybe it is a combination of all of the above.

And therein lies the reason why I chose to translate in the title (and also within the lyrics of the song), "ai" (when in kana) as "love".

With "ai" expressed only in kana, it leaves the interpretation of its meaning unclear. I think that certainly to the seamstress, the tower would have represented God's love in the form of His blessings, though later in the song the word "ai" is expressed with the kanji to mean "sorrow". Perhaps the meaning is truly both.

Of course, there have been no official statements so this is purely my own speculation, but one I, as the translator, nevertheless wanted to be able to share.

Translated and transliterated by Hikarin

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