Teo Torriatte (let us cling together)

Words and music by Brian May

Highest Japanese Chart Position: 49 (10 weeks on chart)

When I'm gone no need to wonder
If I ever think of you
The same moon shines
The same wind blows for both of us
And time is but a paper moon
Be not gone

Though I'm gone it's just as though
I hold the flower that touches you
A new life grows
The blossom knows there's no one else
Could warm my heart as much as you
Be not gone

Let us cling together as the years go by
Oh my love my love
In the quiet of the night
Let our candle always burn
Let us never lose the lessons we have learned

Teo toriatte konomama iko
Aisuruhito yo
Shizukana yoi ni
Hikario tomoshi
Itoshiki oshieo idaki

Hear my song still think of me
The way you've come to think of me
The nights grow long
But dreams live on
Just close your pretty eyes
And you can be with me
Dream on

Teo toriatte konomama iko
Aisuruhito yo
Shizukana yoi ni
Hikario tomoshi
Itoshiki oshieo idaki

When I'm gone they'll say we were all fools
And we don't understand
Oh be strong don't turn your heart
We're all you're all we're all for all for always

Let us cling together as the years go by
Oh my love my love
In the quiet of the night
Let our candle always burn
Let us never lose the lessons we have learned

With special thanks to our Japanese friend and interpreter Chika Kujiraoka for the translation:

Te is Japanese for the word hand. O is the partical that indicates the object. Toru means to take. Toriate is the form of the verb that means please take. More polite would be toiatekudasai. The phrase means please take my hand.

A literal word-for-word translation would be as follows:

Teo: hand/hands [doesn't distinguish between number]
toriatte: hold
konomama: as it is
iko: go

Aisuruhito: to a loved one
yo: dear

Shizukana: silent
yoi: night/dusk
ni: in/at

Hikario: light/lamp
tomoshi: turn on; connected with fire [very poetic expresion]

Itoshiki: lovely
oshieo: a word from God/instructions/something given by a respected or highly educated person or persons [a very religious word]
idaki: keep/have

Note that the Japanese consider toriatte as the correct spelling!