烏 – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 米津玄師

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the nuances of the Japanese language through Kenshi Yonezu's 'Karasu.' This song is an excellent study in metaphorical vocabulary and emotional expression, allowing learners to understand how natural imagery is used to convey complex, somber human feelings in contemporary Japanese music.

[English]

In the manga worlds I watched as a child,

Protecting and saving someone was always what mattered most.

I talked a big game without knowing my own immaturity,

And I still remember the darkness of the blood that dripped.

Each time we learned the names of the stars, we grew older,

And one by one, our secrets became things we couldn't share.

The more I wished and grew stronger, the more I feared falling asleep.

Hey, what can you see?

For now, let's go somewhere where we can't hear anyone's voice.

Tucking away the signed messages in a desk, we head toward the clear blue sky.

Today, we simply become a single, dreamy crow,

Tracing this path once more, bathed in the light.

Suddenly, I found an old cassette in the back of the storage room;

The name written on it had faded into a dull blur.

The photos still left on my mobile phone,

For some reason, were almost all of just the sky.

That girl who used to hate people now has a child of her own.

And the friend who shared my same dreams ended up broken inside.

Without even a chance to say goodbye, that person was gone.

Hey, what can you see from there?

From the manga worlds I saw as a child,

I learned what it meant to live for someone else.

I can't put it into words well, but the reason I was born...

Wasn't for the sake of someone else.

Let's scatter the confetti, aiming for that empty seat.

In the park turned to vacant land, we stay until the sun goes down.

I talked a big game without knowing my own immaturity,

And I still remember the darkness of the blood that dripped.

For now, let's go somewhere where we can't hear anyone's voice.

Tucking away the signed messages in a desk, we head toward the clear blue sky.

Today, we simply become a single, dreamy crow,

Tracing the dust-covered alleyways once again.

...

[Japanese]

子供のころに見ていた漫画の世界はいつも

誰かを守って救うことが何より大切だった

自分の幼さも知らず大口叩きまくって

滴った血の黒さをまだ憶えてる

星の名前を知るたび僕らは大人になった

誰にも渡せない秘密が一つずつ増えていった

願うだけ強くなるたび眠るのが怖くなった

なあ お前には何が見える？

今だけは誰の声も聞こえない場所へ行こう

寄せ書きもそっと机にしまって澄み渡る青い方へ

僕らは今日ただ一羽の夢見がちな烏になって

光を受けて続くこの道を辿り直していく

不意に物置の奥から見つけた古いカセット

直書きされていた名前が燻んで消えかけていた

携帯電話の中にまだ残ってた写真は

何故かその殆ど空ばかりだった

人が嫌いなあの子に気付けば子供ができた

同じ夢を見てたあいつは心を壊していった

さよならも言えないままあの人はいなくなった

なあ そこからは何が見える？

子供のころに見た漫画の世界から

誰かの為に生きることを教わった

上手く言えないけど僕が生まれたのは

誰かの為じゃなかったんだ

紙吹雪を散らそうあの空席を目掛けて

更地になった公園でひたすら日が暮れるまで

自分の幼さも知らず大口叩きまくって

滴った血の黒さをまだ憶えてる

今だけは誰の声も聞こえない場所へ行こう

寄せ書きもそっと机にしまって澄み渡る青い方へ

僕らは今日ただ一羽の夢見がちな烏になって

埃まみれで続く路地裏を辿り直していく

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
子供 kodomo N5	noun - child
守る mamoru N4	verb - to protect
救う sukuu N3	verb - to save
幼さ osanasa N2	noun - immaturity
滴る shitataru N1	verb - to drip
秘密 himitsu N4	noun - secret
願う negau N4	verb - to wish
澄み渡る sumiwataru N2	verb - to be clear and serene
烏 karasu N3	noun - crow
辿る tadoru N2	verb - to follow
燻む kusumu N1	verb - to become dull
壊れる kowareru N4	verb - to be broken
紙吹雪 kamifubuki N2	noun - confetti
更地 sarachi N2	noun - vacant land
埃 hokori N3	noun - dust

Key Grammar Structures

• 子供のころに見ていた漫画の世界はいつも

  ➔ V-te-ita (Past progressive/habitual)

  ➔ "見ていた" indicates a habitual action or state that continued over a period in the past.

• 誰にも渡せない秘密が一つずつ増えていった

  ➔ V-te-iku (Gradual change into the future)

  ➔ "増えていった" shows that the secret gradually increased as time passed.

• 願うだけ強くなるたび眠るのが怖くなった

  ➔ V-ru-tabi (Whenever/Every time)

  ➔ "〜たび" implies that every time something happens, the result (getting scared) occurs.

• 今だけは誰の声も聞こえない場所へ行こう

  ➔ Volitional form (Let's)

  ➔ "行こう" is the volitional form expressing an invitation or a strong personal decision.

• 僕らは今日ただ一羽の夢見がちな烏になって

  ➔ Noun-ni naru (Become)

  ➔ "〜になって" indicates a change of state, turning into something else.

• 直書きされていた名前が燻んで消えかけていた

  ➔ V-kakeru (In the middle of / almost)

  ➔ "消えかけていた" means it was in the middle of disappearing, or starting to fade away.

• さよならも言えないままあの人はいなくなった

  ➔ V-nai mama (Without doing ~)

  ➔ "言えないまま" indicates a state where an action (saying goodbye) was not performed.

• 誰かの為に生きることを教わった

  ➔ Passive Voice (教わった)

  ➔ "教わった" is the passive form meaning "to be taught by someone."