蝶々結び – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Aimer
• Album: daydream

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical world of Aimer's '蝶々結び' (Choucho Musubi), a heartwarming ballad that weaves the gentle act of tying a bow into a profound metaphor for human connection. Learning Japanese with this song offers a unique insight into cultural expressions of love and partnership through its deeply poetic lyrics and Aimer's captivating, soulful vocals. Its simple yet profound imagery makes it a perfect entry point for understanding emotional depth in Japanese music and language.

[English]

Make a circle with one hand

Hold it tight

With the other hand, go behind that circle

And spin around

Put it into the pocket made in between

Wait for it to come out

Come pick it up when it appears

Pull together with a "Ready, go!"

At first, it looks somehow

Even if it's a clumsy shape

Pull with the same amount of strength

...

Sleep is big, knots are tight

I want you to tie it tight enough, just as it should be

Your arms are here, memories are far away

I want you to leave them behind, I want you to

...

Even if you pull with one side, it will come undone

Breaking what you've made is

Much easier, after all

But just as it's easy to undo, you see

When untying, you have to do it properly, too

Same way, yeah

I understand, but if only I could

Pull together with a "Ready, go!"

So it won't come apart

I pray with all my might

For my wings, which have spread too wide

I get confused

The wings are big, knots are tight

I want you to tie it as tightly as it should be

Dreams are here, memories are far away

It’s better when you notice they’re there

Don’t pull silently, okay?

Don’t turn into an awkward butterfly

Thinking you tied it, but actually untying it

Thinking you loosened it, but you’ve actually tightened it

...

In this vast blue world

Among countless scattered things

Two people chose separate threads

And pulled them close to each other

We didn’t just get tied, we tied ourselves

We pulled with a "Ready, go!" together

So we wouldn’t become too big or too small

We put all our strength into it

In this vast blue world

Among countless scattered things

Two people chose separate threads

And pulled them close to each other

We didn’t just get tied, we tied ourselves

We pulled with a "Ready, go!" together

So we wouldn’t become too big or too small

We put all our strength into it

...

[Japanese]

片っぽで丸を作って

しっかり持ってて

もう片っぽでその丸の後ろを

ぐるっと回って

間にできたポッケに入って

出て来るの待ってて

出てきたところを迎えにきて

「せーの」で引っぱって

はじめはなんとも

情けない形だとしても

同じだけ力を込めて

羽根は大きく 結び目は固く

なるようにきつく結んでいてほしいの

腕はここに 思い出は遠くに

置いておいてほしい ほしいの

片っぽでも引っ張ちゃえば

ほどけちゃうけど

作ったもの壊すのは

遥かに簡単だけど

だけどほどく時も そう ちゃんと

同じようにね

分かってるよ でもできたらね

「せーの」で引っ張って

ほどけやしないように

と願って力込めては

広げすぎた羽根に

戸惑う

羽根は大きく 結び目は固く

なるようにきつく結んでいてほしいの

夢はここに 思い出は遠くに

気づけばそこにあるくらいがいい

黙って引っ張ったりしないでよ

不格好な蝶にしないでよ

結んだつもりが ほどいていたり

緩めたつもりが 締めていたり

この蒼くて広い世界に

無数に散らばった中から

別々に二人選んだ糸を

お互いたぐり寄せ合ったんだ

結ばれたんじゃなく結んだんだ

二人で 「せーの」 で引っ張ったんだ

大きくも 小さくもなりすぎないように

力を込めたんだ

この蒼くて広い世界に

無数に散らばった中から

別々に二人選んだ糸を

お互いたぐり寄せ合ったんだ

結ばれたんじゃなく結んだんだ

二人で 「せーの」 で引っ張ったんだ

大きくも 小さくもなりすぎないように

力を込めたんだ

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
丸 /まる/ A2	noun - circle
羽根 /はね/ B1	noun - feather
結び目 /むすびめ/ B2	noun - knot
力 /ちから/ A2	noun - power/strength
思い出 /おもいで/ B1	noun - memory
世界 /せかい/ A1	noun - world
引っ張る /ひっぱる/ B2	verb - to pull
壊す /こわす/ B2	verb - to break
簡単 /かんたん/ A2	adjective - easy
夢 /ゆめ/ A1	noun - dream
戸惑う /とまどう/ B2	verb - to be confused
結ぶ /むすぶ/ B1	verb - to tie/connect
固い /かたい/ B1	adjective - hard/firm
遠く /とおく/ A2	adverb - far away
選ぶ /えらぶ/ B1	verb - to choose
散らばる /ちらばる/ B2	verb - to scatter

Key Grammar Structures

• しっかり持ってて

  ➔ Te-form + て (te) indicates a sequential or connective action, here implying 'Hold firmly and continue'.

  ➔ The て form is used to connect verbs in a sequence or to soften commands or requests.

• なるようにきつく結んでいてほしいの

  ➔ Volitional form + てほしい (te hoshii) expresses a desire or wish for someone to perform the action.

  ➔ The てほしい structure is used to politely express a desire for someone else to do something.

• 結び目は固く

  ➔ The adjective 固い (katai) is used to describe the noun 結び目 (musubime), meaning 'knot,' with the particle は as the topic marker.

  ➔ The adjective 固い (kettai) is used to describe something that is firm or tough, emphasizing the 'knot' being secure.

• 気づけばそこにあるくらいがいい

  ➔ 気づけば (kizukeba) is the conditional form of 気づく (to notice), meaning 'if you notice', and くらい (kurai) indicates approximation or degree, meaning 'about the same as'.

  ➔ The conditional form 気づけば indicates 'if you notice', and くらい suggests an approximate or desirable level or state.

• お互いたぐり寄せ合ったんだ

  ➔ お互い (otagai) means 'mutually' or 'each other', and たぐり寄せ合った (taguriyoseatta) is the past tense of the compound verb たぐり寄せ合う, meaning 'to draw close to each other'.

  ➔ お互い indicates mutual or reciprocal action, and たぐり寄せ合う is a verb meaning 'to draw close or pull towards each other'.

• 結ばれたんじゃなく結んだんだ

  ➔ 結ばれたんじゃなく (musubaretnjanaku) uses passive past + じゃなく (janaku) to mean 'not being tied', while 結んだんだ (musunda n da) is the plain past form of 結ぶ, meaning 'tied' or 'bound'.

  ➔ The phrase 結ばれたんじゃなく expresses a passive voice meaning 'was not tied', contrasting with 結んだ (tied or bound) in active voice.