アポリア – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: ヨルシカ
• Album: Digital Single「アポリア」

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Yorushika's "Aporia," a captivating song that serves as the ending theme for the anime 'Chi.: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite.' Its intricate lyrics, rich with philosophical depth, offer a unique gateway to understanding Japanese poetic expression and nuanced storytelling. You'll not only enjoy its beautiful melody and instrumentation, but also discover how Japanese artists weave complex themes like the boundless pursuit of knowledge into their music, making it an excellent piece for language learners to explore cultural and linguistic nuances.

[English]

I started to draw

You let out a small sigh

The large, rippling beams of light from the window

Bounce off your profile

My body is a gathering of rain

Your fingers are the sunlight filtering through spring trees

The shadows of ink that burst on the paper

Depict our profiles

I had a long dream

We were in a hot air balloon

Someone from a distant country

Would be nice if they mistook it for the moon

When I saw that sea

My soul jumped violently

In a school of white fish

You are captivated

...

I started to draw

You let out a small sigh

The large, rippling lines and hesitant traces

Bounce off your fingertips

I had a long dream

Our hot air balloon is moving

That star and that sky

Would be nice if they were actually paint

When I saw that sea

My soul jumped violently

In the color of the horizon

You are captivated

...

I saw a wide horizon

Our hot air balloon is moving

This dream was the continuation of

The book I read that day

When I saw that sea

My soul jumped violently

Beyond the horizon

We try to know

The school of white fish

You are searching for

...

[Japanese]

描き始めた

あなたは小さく ため息をした

あんなに大きく 波打つ窓の光の束が

あなたの横顔に跳ねている

僕の体は雨の集まり

貴方の指は春の木漏れ日

紙に弾けたインクの影が

僕らの横顔を描写している

長い夢を見た

僕らは気球にいた

遠い国の誰かが

月と見間違ったらいい

あの海を見たら

魂が酷く跳ねた

白い魚の群れに

あなたは見惚れている

描き始めた

あなたは小さく ため息をした

あんなに大きく 波打つ線やためらう跡が

あなたの指先を跳ねている

長い夢を見た

僕らの気球が行く

あの星もあの空も

実はペンキだったらいい

あの海を見たら

魂が酷く跳ねた

水平線の色に

あなたは見惚れている

広い地平を見た

僕らの気球は行く

この夢があの日に読んだ

本の続きだったらいい

あの海を見たら

魂が酷く跳ねた

水平線の先を

僕らは知ろうとする

白い魚の群れを

あなたは探している

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
描く (egaku) /e̞ɡäkɯ/ A2	verb - to draw, to paint, to sketch
ため息 (tameiki) /täme̞ːkʲi/ B1	noun - sigh verb - to sigh
波打つ (namiutsu) /nämiɯt͡sɯ/ B2	verb - to ripple, to undulate, to surge
光 (hikari) /çi̥käɾʲi/ A1	noun - light
横顔 (yokogao) /jo̞ko̞ɡäo̞/ B1	noun - profile (of a face)
雨 (ame) /äme̞/ A1	noun - rain
指 (yubi) /jɯ̟ᵝbʲi/ A1	noun - finger
春 (haru) /häɾɯ/ A1	noun - spring (season)
木漏れ日 (komorebi) /ko̞mo̞ɾe̞bi/ B2	noun - sunlight filtering through trees
インク (inku) /iŋkɯ/ A2	noun - ink
影 (kage) /käɡe̞/ A2	noun - shadow
描写 (byousha) /bʲo̞ːɕä/ B2	noun - description, depiction verb - to describe, to depict
夢 (yume) /jɯme̞/ A1	noun - dream
気球 (kikyuu) /kʲikʲɯː/ B1	noun - balloon (air)
海 (umi) /ɯmi/ A1	noun - sea
魂 (tamashii) /tämäɕiː/ B2	noun - soul, spirit
魚 (sakana) /säkänä/ A1	noun - fish
水平線 (suiheisen) /sɯiçise̞ɴ/ B2	noun - horizon
地平 (chihei) /t͡ɕi̥he̞ː/ B2	noun - horizon
探す (sagasu) /säɡäsɯ/ A2	verb - to search

Key Grammar Structures

• あなたは小さくため息をした

  ➔ Use of the topic particle "は" to indicate the topic of the sentence.

  ➔ The particle "は" marks the topic of the sentence, highlighting what the sentence is about.

• 長い夢を見た

  ➔ Use of the direct object marker "を" to indicate the object of the verb.

  ➔ The particle "を" marks the direct object that the verb acts upon.

• あんなに大きく波打つ線やためらう跡が

  ➔ Use of the adjective "大きく" in the adverbial form to modify the verb.

  ➔ The adverbial form "大きく" enhances how the verb is expressed, indicating the extent or manner of the action.

• あの星もあの空も実はペンキだったらいい

  ➔ Use of the conditional "だったら" to express hypothetical or conjectural situations.

  ➔ "だったら" is a conditional form used to speculate or imagine scenarios as if the situation were different.

• 魂が酷く跳ねた

  ➔ Use of the verb "跳ねた" in the past tense to describe a vivid, dynamic action.

  ➔ "跳ねた" is the past tense of "跳ねる", meaning "to jump" or "to bounce", vividly describing an energetic movement.

• 水平線の色にあなたは見惚れている

  ➔ Use of the noun "色" with the particle "に" to indicate the target or focus of the feeling.

  ➔ The particle "に" specifies the target or focus of the verb "見惚れている" (are captivated), highlighting what the subject is focusing on.