New Year's Poem 2019

[Anonymoose]

Traditions traditions traditions.

English

Destinies ordained are not man's to change,

But history's chain may he yet disclaim.

As scion joins with stock of withered bark,

So we, defying doom, embrace the Dark.

– From an anachronistic journal, author unknown

Japanese

定められし運命　覆すは人に叶わずとも
A destiny decided　/　is not to be overturned by Man.

定められし歴史 　覆すは人の業と知れ
A history decided　/　can be overturned by Man and His knowledge.

枯れゆく大樹の枝葉　代えられゆく大樹に接ぎて
The foliage of a dying tree　/　grafted to the tree that replaces it.

我　闇を友として　今こそ運命に抗わん
For us　/　with Darkness as our companion　/　the time to meet our fate has come.

German

Des Schicksals Wurzeln reichen tief
Destiny's roots reach deep,

Unerreichbar für der Sterblichen Hand.
Unreachable to the Hands of Man.

Der Baum der Geschichte aber soll erblühen
But the tree of history shall bloom

im Dunkel, das uns wiederfand.
in the Darkness which has rediscovered us.

– Aus "Alte Legenden neu erzählt"
– From "Old Legends Newly Told"

French

Il n'appartient pas à l'Homme de change la destinee,
It does not belong to Man, the changing of destiny,

Mais les maillons de l'Histoire toujours il puet reforger.
But the links (as of a chain) of History can yet be reforged.

Telle la verte pousse naissant sur le tronc candamné,
Like green growth (unexpectedly) sprouting from a doomed trunk,

Nous embrassons les Ténebres pour mieux braver la fatalité.
We embrace the Darkness that we might better brave fate.

– Nouvelles chroniques des temps anciens
– New chronicles of ancient times

Guess at Consolidated Version:
There is no changing fated destiny.
But the reins of history can be guided by the hands of man.
As healthy growth is grafted to a dying tree,
We make an ally of Darkness to escape our fate.

Notes:
Notice that "new chronicles of ancient times" was also used last year.

Guess at meaning:
I assume the comparative words are a hint. As scion is grafted to stem, so we embrace the Dark. "Like a healthy branch grafted to a dying tree do we make an ally of Darkness." Grafting our power to Zodiark may allow us to push back a Light-based disaster, but does that systemically push the symptom to a higher order and force us to confront Zodiark's intentions beyond preventing the end of existence? And is it a double-meaning? Something something grafting a newborn branch of history onto a dying destiny? There's also the idea that this could refer to a deliberate Rejoining but that's super uncomfortable right now, lol.

I'll keep mulling it over and come back after 4.5 (Part 1)

Useless Afterthoughts:
If we really do end up using tree metaphors and time travel, I'm gonna need some help making the perfect "Future Trunks" pun.