Retranslation Redux

Though the omission of information due to spacing issues isn’t as drastic as the loss that occurred in the retranslation of Adventure of Link, a retranslation of The Legend of Zelda reveals mistranslations and a number of dialogue boxes that were translated differently, their hints replaced or outright erased. No wonder the game was so hard!

Resources:

The Legend of Zelda Script Dump (J)
The Legend of Zelda Script Dump (U)

The text in this document is organized like so:

Original English Script Japanese Script GlitterBerri’s Translation
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
MANY YEARS AGO PRINCE
DARKNESS “GANNON” STOLE
ONE OF THE TRIFORCE WITH
POWER. PRINCESS ZELDA
HAD ONE OF THE TRIFORCE
WITH WISDOM. SHE DIVIDED
IT INTO ” 8 “UNITS TO HIDE
IT FROM ” GANNON ” BEFORE
SHE WAS CAPTURED.
GO FIND THE ” 8 “UNITS
” LINK ” TO SAVE HER.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
MANY YEARS AGO PRINCE
DARKNESS “GANNON” STOLE
ONE OF THE TRIFORCE WITH
POWER. PRINCESS ZELDA
HAD ONE OF THE TRIFORCE
WITH WISDOM. SHE DIVIDED
IT INTO ” 8 “UNITS TO HIDE
IT FROM ” GANNON ” BEFORE
SHE WAS CAPTURED.
GO FIND THE ” 8 “UNITS
” LINK ” TO SAVE HER.
N/A

A quick translation of the item list that scrolls in the intro. Again, listen for the difference in the quality of the music in comparison to the NES version.

HEART ハート Heart
CONTAINER HEART イノチ ノ ウツワ Life Container
FAIRY ヨウセイ Fairy
CLOCK トケイ Clock
RUPY ルピー Rupee
5 RUPIES 5 ルピー 5 Rupees
LIFE POTION イノチノミズ アオ Water of Life – Blue
2ND POTION イノチノミズ アカ Water of Life – Red
LETTER テガミ Letter
FOOD エサ Food
SWORD ソード Sword
WHITE SWORD ホワイト ソード White Sword
MAGICAL SWORD マジカル ソード Magical Sword
MAGICAL SHIELD マジカル シールド Magical Shield
BOOMERANG ブーメラン Boomerang
MAGICAL BOOMERANG マジカル ブーメラン Magical Boomerang
BOMB バクダン Bomb
BOW ユミ Bow
ARROW Arrow
SILVER ARROW ギン ノ ヤ Silver Arrow
BLUE CANDLE ロウソク アオ Candle – Blue
RED CANDLE ロウソク アカ Candle – Red
BLUE RING ユビワ アオ Ring – Blue
RED RING ユビワ アカ Ring – Red
POWER BRACELET パワーブレスレット Power Bracelet
RECORDER フエ Whistle
RAFT イカダ Raft
STEPLADDER ハシゴ Ladder
MAGICAL ROD マジカル ロッド Magical Rod
BIBLE バイブル Bible
KEY キー Key
MAGICAL KEY マジカル キー Magical Key
MAP チズ Map
COMPASS コンパス Compass
TRIFORCE カクサレタ チエノ ”トライフォース “ Hidden “Triforce” of Wisdom
PLEASE
LOOK UP
THE MANUAL
FOR DETAILS.
くわしい
ことは
本をみて
下さい。
Please look at
the manual
for more
details.
IT’S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! TAKE THIS ヒトリデハキケンジャ
コレヲ サズケヨウ
It’s dangerous to go alone.
I shall grant you this.
MASTER USING IT AND YOU CAN HAVE THIS ツカイコナセルナラ
コレヲ サズケヨウ
If you can master it
I shall grant you this.
TAKE ANY ROAD YOU WANT スキナミチヲユケ Take the path you like.
SECRET IS IN THE TREE AT THE DEAD-END. ユキドマリノキニハ
ヒミツガアル
There is a secret in the
tree at the dead end.
LET’S PLAY MONEY MAKING GAME オカネヲフヤス
ゲームヲスルカイ
Will you play the
money-making game?
PAY ME FOR THE DOOR REPAIR CHARGE ドアノシュウリダイヲ
モラウゾ
I’ll take the cost
of the door repairs.
SHOW THIS TO THE OLD WOMAN コレヲ オバアサンニ
ミセテゴラン
Show this to the
old woman.
MEET THE OLD MAN AT THE GRAVE ハカバノジイサンニアエ Meet the old man
at the graveyard.
BUY MEDICINE BEFORE YOU GO クスリヲカッテユキナサイ You must buy medicine before you go.
PAY ME AND I’LL TALK. タダデハ
ハナセナイヨ
I can’t talk
for free.
THIS AIN’T ENOUGH TO TALK コレデハ イエナイネ I can’t say anything with this.
GO UP,UP, THE MOUNTAIN AHEAD コノサキノ ヤマヲ
ウエヘ ウエヘ ト ユケ
Go up and up the
mountain ahead.
GO NORTH,WEST,SOUTH, WEST TO THE FOREST OF MAZE マヨイノモリヲ キタ
ニシ ミナミ ニシ ヘ
Go north, west, south, and
west in the Lost Woods.
BOY, YOU’RE RICH アンタオカネモチダネ You’re rich, aren’t you.
BUY SOMETHIN’ WILL YA ナンカコウテクレヤ Buy somethin’, please.
BOY, THIS IS REALLY EXPENSIVE! コレハネウチモノデッセ This is expensive stuff.
TAKE ANY ONE YOU WANT スキナ ホウヲ
サズケヨウ
I shall grant you
whichever you prefer.
IT’S A SECRET TO EVERYBODY ミンナニ ナイショダヨ It’s a secret to everyone.
GRUMBLE,GRUMBLE.. ブツ ブツ ... Grumble, grumble…

The sound of a rumbling stomach. This supposedly confused players. I’d probably replace it with “My stomach’s grumbling” or something a little less likely to be mixed up with noises of frustration were I the one doing the localization.

EASTMOST PENNINSULA IS THE SECRET オカネガナクナレバ 
ヤ ハ ツカエナイ
Once your money disappears
you won’t be able to use arrows.

Perhaps the person responsible for localization decided the player would soon figure out the information the original message conveyed on their own without having it spelled out for them.

DODONGO DISLIKES SMOKE ドドンゴ ハ ケムリ
ヲ キラウ
Dodongos hate
smoke.
DID YOU GET THE SWORD FROM THE OLD MAN ?
TOP OF THE WATERFALL
タキノウエノジイサンニ
ケンヲ モラッタカイ
Did you get the sword from the
old man at the top of the waterfall?
WALK INTO THE WATERFALL タキ ノ ナカ ニ
ハイレ
Enter the waterfall.
SECRET POWER IS SAID TO BE IN THE ARROW オトニヨワイ イキモノ
ガイル
There is a creature that
is weak against sound.

The original hint was replaced due to the Pols Voice enemy in the NES version no longer being susceptible to a noise from the microphone included with the Famicom Disk System, the console that saw the game’s first release.

DIGDOGGER HATES CERTAIN KIND OF SOUND デグドガニハ キライ
ナ オトガ アル
There’s a sound that
Digdogger hates.
I BET YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE MORE BOMBS バクダンヲ モット
モチタイジャロウ
You want to carry
more bombs, right?
IF YOU GO IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ARROW ヤジルシノ サキノ
ミチヘ ユケバ...
If you take the path
beyond the arrow…
LEAVE YOUR LIFE OR MONEY オカネカ イノチヲ
オイテユケ
Leave your money
or your life.
THERE ARE SECRETS WHERE FAIRIES DON’T LIVE ヨウセイノスマヌイズミ
ニハ ヒミツガアル
There’s a secret in the spring
where no fairies live.
AIM AT THE EYES OF GOHMA ゴーマ ノ メヲネラエ Aim for Gohma’s eye.
SOUTH OF ARROW MARK HIDES A SECRET ミズウミノ キタ ニハ
ヒミツガ アル
There is a secret
north of the lake.

Completely different. Not sure why.

THERE’S A SECRET IN THE TIP OF THE NOSE メガネイワ ハ シヘノ
イリグチ
Spectacle Rock is the
entrance to death.

There is a correctly translated English equivalent for this message, but it doesn’t line up with this one. The Japanese version of the game has no message equivalent to the official English translation here.

SPECTACLE ROCK IS AN ENTRANCE TO DEATH デスマウンテンデ ヤヲ
サガセ
Search for an arrow
on Death Mountain.

There is no English equivalent for this Japanese message, and the official English translation belongs with the message above.

10TH ENEMY HAS THE BOMB ライオンノカギヲサガセ Search for the lion key.

The Lion Key signifies the Magical Key, which has a head resembling a lion.

ONES WHO DOES NOT HAVE TRIFORCE CAN’T GO IN トライフォースヲ モタ
ヌモノハ トオセナイ
Those without the Triforce
cannot pass.
PATRA HAS THE MAP イチバンウエ ノ サカ
イメヲ コワセ
Break the topmost
barrier.

Which barrier does this refer to?

GO TO THE NEXT ROOM トナリノヘヤヘ ユケ Go to the next room.
EYES OF SKULL HAS A SECRET アカイユビワヲ ミツケ
タカイ
Did you find
the red ring?

Another message translated differently.

THANKS LINK, YOU’RE THE HERO OF HYRULE アリガトウ リンク アナタハ
ハイラル ノ エイユウデス
Thank you, Link. You are
the hero of Hyrule.
FINALLY, PEACE RETURNS TO HYRULE. コウシテ ハイラル ニ ヘイワガ モドッタ Thus, peace has returned to Hyrule.
THIS ENDS THE STORY. コレデ コノ モノガタリ ハ オワリデス This ends the story.
YOU ARE GREAT. YOU ARE GREAT. N/A
YOU HAVE AN AMAZING
WISDOM AND POWER.
YOU HAVE AN AMAZING
WISDOM AND POWER.
N/A
END OF “THE LEGEND OF ZELDA 1” ゼルダノデンセツ 1 ” オワリ “ The Legend of Zelda 1 – “End”

Adventure of Link Retranslation ->

This Post Has 26 Comments

  1. Broken Link to the past

    Thanks for this. 🙂

    Did you make a mistake for the items at the begining ?
    The “bible” was translated to “magic book” I guess in the US version and European version as well.

  2. Broken Link to the past

    Thanks for this. 🙂

    Did you make a mistake for the items at the begining ?
    The “bible” was translated to “magic book” I guess in the US version and European version as well.

  3. BRNDN

    I think that a better translation for “エサ” would be “Bait” since that’s what it’s used for.

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  4. BRNDN

    I think that a better translation for “エサ” would be “Bait” since that’s what it’s used for.

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  5. Killer Bob

    Yes, it was “Book of Magic” in the NES version.

  6. Killer Bob

    Yes, it was “Book of Magic” in the NES version.

  7. Johnny Golgotha

    “Rupees” should be translated as “Rubies”, they’re gems not indian coins

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  8. Johnny Golgotha

    “Rupees” should be translated as “Rubies”, they’re gems not indian coins

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

  9. Anonymous

    You are wrong about ブツブツ. It is grumbling, as in complaining, as well as rumbling stomach.

  10. Anonymous

    You are wrong about ブツブツ. It is grumbling, as in complaining, as well as rumbling stomach.

  11. Gigi

    Very Cool!!!! This was a fun read. Funny how the translator used American slang ,’ya,’ ‘boy’ and so on, but still wrote pidgin english. Perhaps it was due to pixel space constraints.

  12. Gigi

    Very Cool!!!! This was a fun read. Funny how the translator used American slang ,’ya,’ ‘boy’ and so on, but still wrote pidgin english. Perhaps it was due to pixel space constraints.

  13. Brayden

    Where are download links for Zelda I/II translations?

  14. Brayden

    Where are download links for Zelda I/II translations?

Comments are closed.