filament – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Yousei Teikoku

Lyrics & Translation

[Japanese]

[English]

あとどれくらい失えば 高鳴る鼓動許される?

How much more must I lose before my pounding heart is allowed?

会いたくて涙

I miss you so much I cry

溢れるよ

It's overflowing

全ては未来を繋ぐ鍵

Everything is the key to connecting the future

崩れる身体に絆感じて

Feeling the bonds in my falling body

もう一度君を守ると誓う

I swear I will protect you once again

亡くす事を恐れても

Even if I'm afraid to lose you

未来はもう還らない

The future can never come back

ただ守る為に生きる

I live only to protect

僕が僕である為に

So I can be myself

...

...

信じ合えると言うのなら ただ一つだけ伝えたい

If you say we can trust each other, there's only one thing I want to tell you

最後まで君を

I will love you until the very end

愛すると

Because everything returns to you

全ては君へと還る為

My heart aches and burns, echoing the feeling

切なくて焦がす胸に響いた

The gentle lie and scream of the filament

優しい嘘と叫びの filament

Even if I'm afraid to lose you

亡くす事を恐れても

The future can never come back

未来はもう還らない

I live only to protect

ただ守る為に生きる

So I can be myself

僕が僕である為に

Myself

...

...

この想いが

If this feeling

許されるなら

can be forgiven

楽園二人築きたかった

I wanted to build a paradise with you

いつでも隣笑いたかった

I always wanted to笑笑next to you

生きてる意味を信じたかった

I wanted to believe in the meaning of living

未来はずっと君へ続いてた

The future was always continuing toward you

惹かれるほど苦しくなる

The more I feel drawn, the more it hurts

...

...

全ては未来を繋ぐ鍵

Everything is the key to connecting the future

崩れる身体に絆感じて

Feeling the bonds in my falling body

もう一度君を守ると誓う

I swear I will protect you once again

亡くす事を恐れても

Even if I'm afraid to lose you

未来はもう還らない

The future can never come back

ただ守る為に生きる

I live only to protect

僕が僕である為に

So I can be myself

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
失う /uɕinau/ B1	verb - to lose, to be deprived of
鼓動 /kodoː/ B2	noun - heartbeat, pulse, pulsation
許す /jɯrɯsɯ/ B1	verb - to allow, to permit; to forgive
未来 /mirai/ A2	noun - future
繋ぐ /t͡sɯnaɡɯ/ B1	verb - to connect, to tie, to link
鍵 /kaɡi/ A2	noun - key; clue, solution
崩れる /kɯzɯrerɯ/ B2	verb - to collapse, to crumble, to fall apart; to break down (e.g., plans)
絆 /kizɯna/ B2	noun - bonds, ties (especially emotional); connection
誓う /t͡ɕikau/ B2	verb - to swear, to vow, to pledge
亡くす /nakɯsɯ/ B2	verb - to lose (a person, something precious/abstract); to die
還る /kaerɯ/ B2	verb - to return (to a former state, original place, or to someone); to revert
守る /mamorɯ/ A2	verb - to protect, to defend; to obey (rules)
生きる /ikirɯ/ A2	verb - to live, to exist
信じる /ɕind͡ʑirɯ/ A2	verb - to believe, to trust
愛する /aisɯrɯ/ B1	verb - to love, to care for
切ない /set͡sɯnai/ B2	adjective - painful, heart-rending, sad, poignant
焦がす /koɡasɯ/ B2	verb - to burn, to scorch; (metaphorical) to yearn intensely, to be consumed by desire/love
響く /çibikɯ/ B1	verb - to echo, to resonate, to reverberate; to affect (emotionally)
フィラメント /ɸira̠me̞nto̞/ C1	noun - filament (a very fine thread or fiber, esp. one found in certain plants or animals, or a fine wire in an electric lamp or vacuum tube)
楽園 /rakɯe̞n/ B2	noun - paradise, eden

Key Grammar Structures

• あとどれくらい失えば 高鳴る鼓動許される?

  ➔ 〜ば (conditional) + 〜れる/られる (passive/potential)

  ➔ `失えば` (ushinaeba): This is the conditional form of the verb `失う` (ushinau, to lose). It means 'if (one) loses'. `許される` (yurusareru): This is the passive form of `許す` (yurusu, to allow/forgive). Here, it also carries a potential nuance, meaning 'can be allowed' or 'can be forgiven'. The combination asks, 'If I lose this much more, can my soaring heart be forgiven?'

• 亡くす事を恐れても 未来はもう還らない

  ➔ 〜ても (even if/though)

  ➔ `恐れても` (osoretemo): This pattern is formed by the te-form of a verb (`恐れる`, osoreru, to fear) followed by `も`. It means 'even if' or 'even though', expressing a concession. The phrase means 'Even if I'm afraid of losing (it/them), the future won't return anymore.'

• ただ守る為に生きる

  ➔ 〜為に (ために) (in order to, for the purpose of)

  ➔ `守る為に` (mamoru tame ni): This phrase consists of a verb in its dictionary form (`守る`, mamoru, to protect) followed by `為に`. It means 'in order to' or 'for the purpose of', indicating the reason or goal of an action. So, 'I live just to protect (it/you).'

• 僕が僕である為に

  ➔ 〜である (formal copula) + 〜為に (for the sake of)

  ➔ `僕が僕である` (boku ga boku de aru): `である` is a more formal or literary form of `だ/です` (to be). Here, `僕が僕である` functions as a clause modifying `為に`, meaning 'for the sake of me being myself' or 'in order for me to be myself.' It emphasizes one's own existence or identity as the reason.

• 信じ合えると言うのなら ただ一つだけ伝えたい

  ➔ 〜と言うのなら (if you say that...) + 〜合える (reciprocal potential)

  ➔ `と言うのなら` (to iu no nara): This combines `と` (quotation particle), `言う` (to say), `の` (nominalizer), and `なら` (conditional 'if'). It means 'if (you/one) say(s) that...' or 'if it's said that...'. `信じ合える` (shinji-aeru): `信じる` (to believe) + `合う` (to do mutually) + `える` (potential form). It means 'can believe in each other' or 'can trust each other mutually.'

• 全ては未来を繋ぐ鍵

  ➔ Clause modifying a noun (連体修飾節)

  ➔ `未来を繋ぐ鍵` (mirai wo tsunagu kagi): `未来を繋ぐ` (to connect the future) is a verbal phrase directly modifying the noun `鍵` (kagi, key). In Japanese, a verb in its dictionary form or a clause can modify a noun, functioning like a relative clause in English (e.g., 'the key *that connects* the future'). This structure is called `連体修飾節`.

• この想いが 許されるなら 楽園二人築きたかった

  ➔ 〜たかった (wanted to, unfulfilled desire) + 〜なら (conditional)

  ➔ `築きたかった` (kizukitakatta): This is the past tense of `〜たい` (tai, want to). It expresses a past desire, often implying that the desire was not fulfilled or is no longer possible, leading to a sense of regret or longing ('I wanted to build... [but couldn't]'). `許されるなら` (yurusareru nara): `許される` (passive form of `許す`, to be allowed) + `なら` (conditional 'if'). It means 'if (this feeling) were allowed.'

• 惹かれるほど苦しくなる

  ➔ 〜ほど (to the extent that) + 〜くなる (become)

  ➔ `惹かれるほど` (hikareru hodo): `惹かれる` (hikareru, to be attracted/drawn) + `ほど`. This pattern means 'to the extent that' or 'so much that', indicating the degree or intensity. `苦しくなる` (kurushiku naru): `苦しい` (kurushii, painful/difficult) + `なる` (naru, to become). It means 'to become painful' or 'to become agonizing'. The more attracted one is, the more painful it becomes.

• もう一度君を守ると誓う

  ➔ 〜と誓う (to swear that...)

  ➔ `守ると誓う` (mamoru to chikau): The particle `と` is used here as a quotation marker, indicating what is being sworn. `誓う` (chikau) means 'to swear' or 'to vow'. So, the phrase means 'to swear that (I will) protect you once more.'