CLEAR – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 坂本真綾

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Japanese music with Maaya Sakamoto's "CLEAR," the captivating opening theme for "Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card." This song offers a beautiful blend of uplifting melodies and thoughtful lyrics about courage, self-discovery, and embracing the future. By exploring its rich vocabulary and expressions of determination and inner resilience, you can gain deeper insights into Japanese linguistic nuances while enjoying a beloved anime classic. The song's clear pronouncement and relatable themes make it a special and engaging piece for language learners.

[English]

Is the wind, is the bird freer than I am?

If I don't have wings, I'll run to where I want to go.

I can do it, right?

Going, going, going, going on!

...

Imagination is always different.

Everything can't be perfect, but

there's a spring deep in my heart.

No matter how down I get, again

I get filled with something transparent.

What is this feeling, what is this feeling?

It's hot, it's painful, it's ticklish, and I feel like crying.

Is the wind, is the bird freer than I am?

If I don't have wings, I'll run to where I want to go.

I can do it, right?

Going, going, going, going on!

...

Things that other kids have that I don't,

I know it, but I can't help but compare.

I don't want to check the answers anymore.

Even if I'm not the same as everyone, I want to find what I can do.

Dreams, love, I don't really know them well.

What color, what shape, where do they come from?

Praying, wishing, that's not enough to make it come true.

Even if I'm not confident, I'll start now, not someday.

I can do it, right?

Going, going, going, going on!

...

The spring is here, the source that governs me.

No matter what happens, it won't dry up.

Even if I think I've given up, again I get filled with something transparent.

What is this feeling, what is this feeling?

It's hot, it's painful, it's ticklish, and I feel like crying.

Is the wind, is the bird freer than I am?

If I don't have wings, I'll run to where I want to go.

I can do it, right?

Going, going, going, going on!

...

[Japanese]

風って 鳥って 私より自由かな

翼がないなら走ってくわ 行きたいところまで

できるよね

Going, going, going, going on!

想像とはいつも違ってる

なにもかも完璧 とはいかないけど

心の底に泉があるの

どんなに落ち込んでもまた

透明なもので満たされていく

これって これって なんていう気持ちなの

熱くて 痛くて くすぐったくて 涙が出そう

風って 鳥って 私より自由かな

翼がないなら走ってくわ 行きたいところまで

できるよね

Going, going, going, going on!

他の子にあって私にないもの

わかってはいるけど つい比べちゃうよ

答え合わせはもうしたくない

みんなと同じじゃなくても 私にできること見つけたいの

夢って 愛って 本当はよく知らない

どんな色 どんな形 どこからやってくるの

祈って 願って それだけじゃ叶わない

自信がなくても始めるんだ いつかじゃなくて今

できるよね

Going, going, going, going on!

泉がここにあるの 私をつかさどる源が

何があっても涸れたりしない

諦めたつもりでもまた 透明なもので満たされていく

これって これって なんていう気持ちなの

熱くて 痛くて くすぐったくて 涙が出そう

風って 鳥って 私より自由かな

翼がないなら走ってくわ 行きたいところまで

できるよね

Going, going, going, going on!

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
風 /kaze/ A1	noun - wind
鳥 /tori/ A1	noun - bird
自由 /jiyuu/ A2	adjective - free noun - freedom
翼 /tsubasa/ B1	noun - wing
走る /hashiru/ A1	verb - to run
想像 /souzou/ B2	noun - imagination verb - to imagine
心 /kokoro/ A1	noun - heart, mind
泉 /izumi/ B2	noun - spring, fountain
透明 /toumei/ B2	adjective - transparent, clear
気持ち /kimochi/ A2	noun - feeling, sensation
熱い /atsui/ A1	adjective - hot
痛い /itai/ A1	adjective - painful
涙 /namida/ A2	noun - tear
夢 /yume/ A2	noun - dream
愛 /ai/ A2	noun - love

Key Grammar Structures

• 風って 鳥って 私より自由かな

  ➔ Use of って (tte) as a colloquial topic marker or quote particle

  ➔ The particle って (tte) is used to emphasize the topic or to quote something casually.

• 行きたいところまで

  ➔ Phrase indicating 'to the place I want to go' using まで (made) for extent or goal

  ➔ The particle まで (made) defines the limit or destination of an action or movement.

• できるよね

  ➔ Sentence-ending expression with ね (ne) to seek agreement or confirmation

  ➔ The particle ね (ne) at the end of a sentence seeks agreement or confirmation from the listener.

• 心の底に泉があるの

  ➔ Use of に (ni) to indicate location of existence or position

  ➔ The particle に (ni) marks the location where something exists or is located.

• 満たされていく

  ➔ Verb form ていく (teiku) indicating a change or progression happening over time

  ➔ The ていく (teiku) form expresses an action or state that gradually occurs or progresses over time.

• 涙が出そう

  ➔ Use of そう (sou) to express an appearance or an intention to do something based on estimation or emotion

  ➔ The suffix そう (sou) is used to indicate that something appears to be a certain way or that someone is about to do something based on feelings or guesses.

• これって これって なんていう気持ちなの

  ➔ Repetition of って (tte) as a colloquial emphasis for 'this is...' or 'what kind of feeling is this...'

  ➔ The repeated って (tte) emphasizes the speaker's questioning or realization about the feelings or situation.