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Translation in Japanese and Rōmaji of "ghost"

GabrielWayne

後輩
5 Aug 2017
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This may be a complicated translation. The use of this word is to imply an apparition of oneself.
Use the following poem as an example:
"I am a ghost
Trapped in this human host
It will never tell word of what I feel inside
And always in this shell will I hide
For I fear the world will laugh
When I expose my greater half."
(by Gabriel Wayne Long
Copyright © 2006)

Also the song by Birdy "Little Ghost" as reference.

Thanx bunches!
 
This is tough because none of the usual translations seem to hit the bullseye. My guess would be 霊 (rei)

幽霊 (yūrei) would be another option, but I think it feels too much like dead spirit (like a poltergeist) and therefore comes with imagery that would taint the poem.
コースト (gōsuto) katakana translation of ghost, is a well-known word, but doesn't seem to fit the poem.
お化け (obake) is an almost childish word for ghost or any monster, but this too feels very much out of place in the poem.
 
Though if one were to use this as an icon, 霊 looks "cooler" to the American English eye than 魂 :D :D
 
Playing with Google Translate got me this:
魂魄
soul, spirit, ghost, anima, shadow, apparition

Thoughts?

Maybe shadow would be better in the translation.
 
No, more like "I am but a shadow of my former self". Literal translations are so much easier than translating expressions lol :)
 
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