ヒカリノアトリエ – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Mr.Children

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the Japanese language through Mr. Children's "Hikari no Atelier," a song that beautifully blends simple, hopeful lyrics with a warm, organic sound. The song's title itself, meaning "Atelier of Light," offers a lovely piece of vocabulary. You can learn how positive and encouraging messages are expressed in Japanese, with metaphors like finding a rainbow after the rain. What makes this song special is its creation by a unique eight-person band, giving it a distinct and celebratory feel that marked Mr. Children's 25th anniversary.

[English]

"A rainbow arches across the sky after the rain"

But it's not that simple

Even this dreamer

Understands that much

A lot of preservatives

I hide them in my heart

It's not always sunny

So that I won't rot even on damp days

For example, out of a million times

There’s a miracle that happens just once

If I keep looking down

I might miss it

Come on

I believe in the rainbow that spans the sky today

Let's keep walking

If I wipe my tears with a lie that's too gentle

The rainbow is already there

"What does it all mean?"

I often think in terms of loss or gain

But if just one person can smile

That is a treasure

Everyone has dark clouds in their hearts

So as not to be swallowed by that darkness

Let's gently illuminate today

The past doesn't disappear

The future can't be read

Anxiety lingers

But if I'm going to change tomorrow, then now

Only now exists here

From far away, beyond the horizon

A pleasant breeze carries that light

And wraps us up

For example, out of a million times

There’s a miracle that happens just once

If I just keep looking straight ahead

Will I be able to meet it?

I believe in the rainbow that spans the sky today

Let's keep walking

If I wipe my tears with a lie that's too gentle

Look, the rainbow is right there

The past doesn't disappear

The future can't be read

Anxiety lingers

But if I'm going to change tomorrow, then now

Only now exists there

Surely

The rainbow is already here

...

[Japanese]

｢雨上がりの空に七色の虹が架かる｣

って そんなに単純じゃない

この夢想家でも

それくらい理解ってる

大量の防腐剤

心の中に忍ばせる

晴れた時ばっかじゃない

湿った日が続いても腐らぬように

たとえば100万回のうち

たった一度ある奇跡

下を向いてばかりいたら

見逃してしまうだろう

さぁ

空に架かる虹を今日も信じ

歩き続けよう

優しすぎる嘘で涙を拭いたら

虹はもうそこにある

｢一体何の意味がある？｣

つい 損か得かで考えてる

でも たった一人でも笑ってくれるなら

それが宝物

誰の胸の中にだって薄暗い雲はある

その闇に飲まれぬように

今日をそっと照らしていこう

過去は消えず

未来は読めず

不安が付きまとう

だけど明日を変えていくんなら 今

今だけがここにある

遥か遠く地平線の奥の方から

心地好い風がそのヒカリ運んで

僕らを包んでいく

たとえば100万回のうち

たった一度ある奇跡

ただひたむきに前見てたら

会えるかな

空に架かる虹を今日も信じ

歩き続けよう

優しすぎる嘘で涙を拭いたら

虹はほらそこに

過去は消えず

未来は読めず

不安が付きまとう

だけど明日を変えていくんなら 今

今だけがそこにある

きっと

虹はもうここにある

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
虹 /niji/ A2	noun - rainbow
夢想家 /musōka/ B1	noun - dreamer
奇跡 /kiseki/ B2	noun - miracle
心 /kokoro/ A2	noun - heart/mind
涙 /namida/ A2	noun - tears
不安 /fuan/ B1	noun - anxiety
未来 /mirai/ A2	noun - future
過去 /kako/ A2	noun - past
空 /sora/ A1	noun - sky
信じる /shinjiru/ B1	verb - to believe
歩く /aruku/ A1	verb - to walk
照らす /terasu/ B2	verb - to illuminate
運ぶ /hakobu/ B1	verb - to carry
宝物 /takaramono/ B2	noun - treasure
闇 /yami/ B2	noun - darkness
風 /kaze/ A1	noun - wind
時 /toki/ A1	noun - time

Key Grammar Structures

• たとえば100万回のうち

  ➔ Use of 'たとえば' (tatoe ba) meaning 'for example' to give an example or scenario.

  ➔

• 心の中に忍ばせる

  ➔ Use of '忍ばせる' (shinobaseru) meaning 'to hide or keep secretly'.

  ➔

• 晴れた時ばっかじゃない

  ➔ 'じゃない' (janai) as a negative form of copula, meaning 'not only' or 'isn't just'.

  ➔

• 過去は消えず

  ➔ 'は' (wa) topic marker, '消えず' (kiezu) indicating 'not disappear' (negative form of 消える).

  ➔

• 未来は読めず

  ➔ 'は' (wa) for topic, '読めず' (yomezu) negative form of '読む' (to read), meaning 'cannot read or predict'.

  ➔

• 明日を変えていくんなら

  ➔ Use of '〜なら' (〜nara) conditional sentence meaning 'if' or 'assuming'.

  ➔

• 今日だけがここにある

  ➔ 'だけが' (dake ga) emphasizes 'only', indicating exclusivity.

  ➔

• 虹はもうそこにある

  ➔ Use of 'は' (wa) topic marker and 'ある' (aru) indicating existence of inanimate objects.

  ➔