Disclaimer: I know zero Japanese. When I see ‘残酷’, I read ‘cánkù’. This post is based on the generously-licenced work of Wiktionary and others.

Japanese Romaji ADV Translation 11 Miyuki Translation2 ADV Translation 23
残酷な天使のように Zankoku na tenshi no you ni Young boy, like a cruel angel's thesis,
Live up to be a legend...		 Like a cruel angel, Like an angel that has no sense of mercy
少年よ　神話になれ Shonen yo, shinwa ni nare… young boy, become the legend!4 Rise, young boy, to the heavens like a legend…
(short instrumental section)
青い風がいま Aoi kaze ga ima Even though clear blue winds A blue wind is now Cold winds as blue as the sea
胸のドアを叩いても Mune no doa wo tataitemo, Beat on the door of my heart, knocking at the door to your heart, and yet Tear open the door to your heart, I see…
私だけをただ見つめて Watashi dake wo tada mitsumete You just smile, looking straight at me you are merely gazing at me But unknowing you seem, just staring at me
微笑んでるあなた Hohoenderu anata and smiling. Standing there smiling serenely.
そっとふれるもの Sotto fureru mono Too involved in yearning for
Something to hold on		 Something gently touching– Desperate for something to touch…
A moment of kindness like that in a dream…
もとめることに夢中で Motomeru koto ni muchuu de, you're so intent on seeking it out,
運命さえまだ知らない Unmei sae mada shiranai The innocent eyes still know nothing of fate yet. that you can't even see your fate yet, Your innocent eyes, have yet no idea…
Of the path your destiny will follow…
いたいけな瞳 Itaikena hitomi with such innocent eyes.
だけどいつか気付くでしょう Dakedo itsuka kizuku deshou But someday you will notice But someday I think you'll find out But someday you'll become aware of…
その背中には Sono senaka ni wa On those shoulders of yours that what's on your back Everything that you've got behind you…
遥か未来　めざすための Haruka mirai mezasu tame no There are strong wings
To guide you to the far future.		 are wings that are for
heading for the far-off future.		 Your wings are for seeking out a new…
Future that only you can search for.
羽根があること Hane ga aru koto...
残酷な天使のテーゼ Zankoku na tenshi no te-ze A cruel angel's thesis The cruel angel's thesis The cruel angel's thesis bleeds…
through a portal like your pulsing blood.
窓辺からやがて飛び立つ Madobe kara yagate tobitatsu Will someday fly high from the window will soon take flight through the window,
ほとばしる熱いパトスで Hotobashiru atsui patosu de If memories are betrayed by
The overflowing, burning pathos.		 with surging, hot pathos,5
思い出を裏切るなら Omoide wo uragiru nara if you betray your memories. If you should betray the chapel of your memories.
Cruel angel's thesis enters…
through the window of your soul.
この宇宙(そら)を抱いて輝く Kono sora wo daite kagayaku Young boy, shine like a legend, Holding the sky in your arms. Embracing this sky [universe]6 and shining, So, boy, stand tall and embrace the fire of the ledgend.
Embracing the universe like a blazing star!
少年よ　神話になれ Shonen yo, shinwa ni nare young boy, become the legend!
(instrumental:7 opening theme concludes here) (translation concludes here)
ずっと眠ってる Zutto nemutteru The cradle of love that sleeps within me Sleeping for a long time
私の愛の揺りかご Watashi no ai no yurikago in the cradle of my love
あなただけが　夢の使者に Anata dake ga yume no shisha ni There will be a morning that The morning is coming when you alone will be called
呼ばれる朝がくる Yobareru asa ga kuru A servant of dreams will come for you. by a messenger of dreams.
細い首筋を Hosoi kubisuji wo The moonlight shines on your thin neckline. Moonlight reflects off
the nape of your slender neck.
月あかりが映してる Tsukiakari ga utsushiteru
世界中の時を止めて Sekai-ju no toki wo tomete I'd stop time in this world Stopping time all throughout the world
閉じこめたいけど Tojikometai kedo… And lock it away for myself, but… I want to confine them, but…
もしもふたり逢えたことに Moshi mo futari aeta koto ni If there is any meaning
In the fate that pulled us together,		 So if two people being brought together by fate
意味があるなら Imi ga aru nara, has any meaning,8
私はそう　自由を知る Watashi wa, sou, jiyu wo shiru Then I am, yes, the Bible
That teaches you of freedom.		 I think that it is a "bible"
for learning freedom.9
ためのバイブル Tame no Baiburu
残酷な天使のテーゼ Zankoku na tenshi no te-ze A cruel angel's thesis The cruel angel's thesis.
悲しみがそしてはじまる Kanashimi ga soshite hajimaru And then sorrow comes forth The sorrow then begins.
抱きしめた命のかたち Dakishimeta inochi no katachi When the shapes of the dreams you hold in your arms
Come to life within you.		 You held tight to the form of life
その夢に目覚めたとき Sono yume ni mezameta toki when you woke up from that dream.
誰よりも光を放つ Dare yori mo hikari wo hanatsu Young boy, who shines brighter than anyone else, You shine brighter than anyone else.
少年よ　神話になれ Shonen yo, shinwa ni nare Rise to become a legend. Young boy, become the legend!
人は愛をつむぎながら Hito wa ai wo tsumugi nagara People weave together love People create history
while weaving love.
歴史をつくる Rekishi wo tsukuru To create history
女神なんてなれないまま Megami nante narenai mama And so I live on,
Unable to become a goddess…		 Even knowing I'll never be a goddess or anything like that,
私は生きる Watashi wa ikiru… I live on.
残酷な天使のテーゼ Zankoku na tenshi no te-ze A cruel angel's thesis The cruel angel's thesis
窓辺からやがて飛び立つ Madobe kara yagate tobitatsu Will someday fly high from the window will soon take flight through the window,
ほとばしる熱いパトスで Hotobashiru atsui patosu de If memories are betrayed by
The overflowing, burning pathos.		 with surging, hot pathos,
思い出を裏切るなら Omoide wo uragiru nara if you betray your memories.
この宇宙(そら)を抱いて輝く Kono sora wo daite kagayaku Young boy, shine like a legend, Holding the sky in your arms. Embracing this sky [universe] and shining,
少年よ　神話になれ Shonen yo, shinwa ni nare young boy, become the legend!

Footnotes

  1. Cited as the translation found on the U.S. release of Evangelion by ADV. (Source) ↩

  2. A translation by Takayama Miyuki. (Source) ↩

  3. A translation found in various places. (One such source) Based on Miyuki's statements on the above-linked page, I believe, though cannot confirm, that this is an ADV ‘dubtitling’. ↩

  4. Miyuki: The word shinwa actually means ‘myth’ (‘legend’ would be densetsu), but I think it sounds better as ‘legend’. (Editor's note: Wiktionary lists ‘legend’ as a valid translation.) ↩

  5. Miyuki: Atsui (熱い, hot) can also mean ‘intense, passionate’. ↩

  6. Miyuki: Sora (空, sky) is the reading given for the kanji for uchuu (宇宙, universe). ↩

  7. Miyuki: In some versions of this song, there is singing in this part. Unfortunately, I can't tell what they're singing (there's too much overlap). I think the last thing they sing could be ‘ai ga fusei’, which can be roughly translated into ‘Love is a sin (wrongdoing)’. ↩

  8. Miyuki: The kanji used for the a (逢) in aeta (逢えた) is not the normal kanji used in au (会, to meet). It's the first kanji in ouse (逢瀬, encounter, tryst) and has more of a connotation of meeting by fate or being brought together by fate, not just meeting. Interestingly, a dictionary I have gives the meaning of au, when written with this kanji, as ‘to meet (with drama or pathos)’. (Editor's note: This is the definition given by Wiktionary.) ↩

  9. Miyuki: The watashi wa sou is probably watashi wa sou omou. And ‘bible’ in this case isn't referring to the Bible. ‘Bible’ can also mean ‘guide book, how-to book, a book valued for its use as a reference’, like in ‘a handyman's bible’, or ‘a bird-watcher's bible’. ↩