いきどまり – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 星野源

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Hoshino Gen's evocative Japanese with his single 'Ikidomari' ('Dead End'), a song crafted as the theme for the film *Hiraba no Tsuki*. This track reveals the depth of Japanese lyricism in expressing complex, unresolved feelings about love and loss, highlighted by its raw, piano-driven sound, offering a beautiful, if painful, glimpse into profound human emotion.

[English]

Unforgettable

I now give you a curse

To you

A lie

Just

I won't forget

Your warmth

Awkward

Kindness full of mistakes

If my breath stops

I'll be reborn

I can meet you

A lie

Just

Burning, then fading

Disappearing

A corny

No reunion above the clouds

Farewell

By the window

Illuminated

Heartbeat swayed

The days we can't return to

From the pain

Just gazed at your sleeping face

From within your eyes

Softly, softly

Flowing into the sea

Goodbye

On the way home close together

Hands held

Two at a dead end

Only the moon watched

Gently

The thread unwinds

The curtain closes

Unforgettable

I now give you a curse

To you

I'll take it

Your smile

Awkward

Making mistakes

But still gave me

Kindness

[Japanese]

忘れられぬ

呪いをいま

君にあげる

嘘

ただ

忘れないよ

君の温度

下手な

間違いだらけの優しさも

息が止めば

生まれ変わり

君に逢える

嘘

ただ

燃えて消えて

居なくなるの

ベタな

雲の上の再会もない

別れが

窓辺を

照らした

鼓動揺れた

戻れないあの日々が

痛みの中から

ただ見つめた寝顔が

瞳の中から

はら　はら

海に流れだす

さようなら

寄り添う帰り道で

繋いだ掌

行き止まりの二人を

月だけ見ていた

はらりと

糸は解けゆく

幕は閉じる

忘れられぬ

呪いをいま

君にあげる

持っていくよ

君の笑顔

下手な

間違いながら

それでもくれた

優しさを

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
忘れる /wasureru/ A2	verb - to forget
呪い /noroi/ C1	noun - curse, spell
嘘 /uso/ B1	noun - lie; falsehood
温度 /ondo/ B1	noun - temperature; warmth
優しさ /yasashisa/ B2	noun - kindness; gentleness
息 /iki/ B1	noun - breath
生まれ変わる /umarekawaru/ C1	verb - to be reborn; to be renewed
燃える /moeru/ B2	verb - to burn; to be aflame
消える /kieru/ B1	verb - to disappear; to vanish
雲 /kumo/ A2	noun - cloud
別れ /wakare/ B1	noun - parting; farewell
窓辺 /madobe/ C1	noun - windowside; near the window
鼓動 /kodou/ C1	noun - heartbeat; pulse
痛み /itami/ B1	noun - pain; ache
瞳 /hitomi/ B2	noun - pupil (of the eye); eyes
寄り添う /yorisou/ C1	verb - to snuggle close; to be emotionally close
繋ぐ /tsunagu/ B2	verb - to connect; to join; to link
行き止まり /ikidomari/ C1	noun - dead end; impasse
糸 /ito/ A2	noun - thread; string
幕 /maku/ B2	noun - curtain; act (in theater)

Key Grammar Structures

• 忘れられぬ

  ➔ Potential form (passive voice) of a verb

  ➔ The verb "忘れられる" is the potential form of "忘れる" (to forget). Here, it could be interpreted as 'unable to be forgotten', implying something memorable.

• 君にあげる

  ➔ Indirect object marker + giving verb.

  ➔ "に" (ni) marks the indirect object (to whom) and "あげる" (ageru) means 'to give'. It means 'I will give it to you'.

• 息が止めば

  ➔ Conditional form (hypothetical).

  ➔ "~ば" (-ba) is the conditional form of the verb. Here, "止まる" (tomaru - to stop/be stopped) becomes "止まれば" (tomareba - if it stops/if breath stops).

• 生まれ変わり

  ➔ Noun derived from a verb (gerund/verbal noun).

  ➔ "生まれ変わり" (umarekawari) is a noun meaning 'rebirth' or 'reincarnation'. It's derived from the verb "生まれ変わる" (umarekawaru - to be reborn).

• 燃えて消えて

  ➔ Te-form conjugation and consecutive actions.

  ➔ "燃えて" (moete) and "消えて" (kiete) are te-form conjugations of "燃える" (moeru - to burn) and "消える" (kieru - to disappear), respectively. They describe consecutive actions: burning and disappearing.

• ベタな

  ➔ Adjectival noun + copula (na-adjective).

  ➔ "ベタな" (betana) is a na-adjective. "ベタ" (beta) means 'clichéd' or 'corny'. The "な" (na) is a copula that connects the adjective to the noun it modifies.

• 鼓動揺れた

  ➔ Past tense verb, used to describe a scene

  ➔ "揺れた" (yureta) is the past tense form of "揺れる" (yureru - to sway/shake). Here, it paints a picture of the heart's beat (鼓動 - kodou) swaying, conveying emotion.

• 行き止まりの二人を

  ➔ Relative clause using の.

  ➔ "行き止まりの二人" (ikidomari no futari) is a relative clause. "行き止まり" (ikidomari) means 'dead end'. The の (no) connects the noun phrase "行き止まり" modifying "二人" (futari - the two of them)

• それでもくれた

  ➔ Conjunctive particle + past tense verb

  ➔ The particle "それでも" (sore demo) means 'even so' or 'nevertheless'. It's used here with the past tense verb "くれた" (kureta - gave/had given) to show a contrast or concession, meaning 'even so, you gave'.