今はいいんだよ。 – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: MIMI

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and emotional journey with MIMI's heartfelt song, "今はいいんだよ。" (Ima wa ii n da yo.). This tender ballad, characterized by its beautiful piano melodies and deeply empathetic lyrics, offers a profound message of self-acceptance and comfort. Learning Japanese through this song allows you to grasp nuanced expressions of vulnerability and reassurance, such as "もうさ強がらなくてもいいんだよ" (It's okay not to be strong anymore). Its relatable themes of coping with anxiety and embracing one's true self make it a special piece for language learners to connect with authentic emotional expression in Japanese.

[English]

Morning feels scary, so I can’t get up

Hard work just isn’t my thing

Crying is the only thing I’m good at

Between days like that

I guess I’m a little exhausted

Even the sparkle of the stars feels too heavy

The things I can’t say just keep piling up

Like a lingering gloom

If tomorrow never comes

Then maybe I could finally feel at ease

Even though I’m empty, my heart aches

Today feels unbearably lonely

I still can’t fall asleep

Until I can someday think I’m happy

Just stay the way you are

You don’t have to pretend to be strong any longer

Just one tear from a night in the past

Carry it gently and keep moving forward

That alone is enough for now

One day when you can smile again

If I can sing a song

Even though I have nothing

If I can sing a song

As many as the wounds that make me cry

The night becomes warm

You, just be yourself and laugh

Today feels unbearably lonely

I still can’t fall asleep

Until I can someday think I’m happy

Just stay the way you are

You don’t have to pretend to be strong any longer

Just one tear from a night in the past

Carry it gently and keep moving forward

That alone is enough for now

[Japanese]

朝が怖くって起きられない

努力はそんなに向いてない

泣くことだけが得意になる

そんな日々の挟間で

ちょっとだけ疲れたんだって

星の輝きがしんどいって

言えないことだけ増えてって

鬱むくように

明日が明日が来なければ

そしたらきっと楽になれる

空っぽなのに心が痛むんだ

今日がどうにも寂しくってさ

眠れないままだけどさ

いつか幸せって思えるまで

君は君のままでいてよ

もうさ強がれなくてもいいんだよ

過去の夜の涙ひとつ

それを柔く持って歩いて征く

それだけで今はいいんだよ。

いつか君が笑えるような

歌を歌えるのなら

僕には何も無いけど

歌を歌えるのなら

泣いちゃう傷の数だけ

夜は暖かくなるよ

君はさ君のままで笑って

今日がどうにも寂しくってさ

眠れないままだけどさ

いつか幸せって思えるまで

君は君のままでいてよ

もうさ強がれなくてもいいんだよ

過去の夜の涙ひとつ

それを柔く持って歩いて征く

それだけで今はいいんだよ。

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
怖い (kowai) /ko.wa.i/ A2	adjective - scary, frightening
起きる (okiru) /o.ki.ɾɯ/ A1	verb - to wake up, to get up
努力 (doryoku) /do.ɾʲo.kɯ/ B1	noun - effort, exertion verb - to make an effort
向いてる (muiteru) /mɯi.te.ɾɯ/ B2	verb - to be suited for, to be cut out for
得意 (tokui) /to.kɯ.i/ B1	adjective - good at, skilled in
泣く (naku) /na.kɯ/ A1	verb - to cry
日々 (hibi) /hi.bi/ A2	noun - days, everyday
疲れた (tsukareta) /t͡sɯ.ka.ɾe.ta/ A2	verb - tired, exhausted
星 (hoshi) /ho.ɕi/ A1	noun - star
輝き (kagayaki) /ka.ɡa.ja.ki/ B2	noun - radiance, glitter, brilliance
増える (fueru) /ɸɯ.e.ɾɯ/ A2	verb - to increase, to grow
鬱む (utsumu) /ɯ.t͡sɯ.mɯ/ C1	verb - to be depressed, to brood
楽 (raku) /ɾa.kɯ/ A2	adjective - easy, comfortable
空っぽ (karappo) /ka.ɾap.po/ B1	adjective - empty, vacant
痛む (itamu) /i.ta.mɯ/ A2	verb - to hurt, to ache
寂しい (sabishii) /sa.bi.ɕiː/ A2	adjective - lonely, desolate
幸せ (shiawase) /ɕi.a.wa.se/ A2	adjective - happy, fortunate noun - happiness, good fortune
強がる (tsuyogaru) /t͡sɯ.jo.ɡa.ɾɯ/ B2	verb - to pretend to be strong, to bluff
涙 (namida) /na.mi.da/ A2	noun - tear
柔らか (yawarakai) /ja.wa.ɾa.ka.i/ B1	adjective - soft, tender
笑える (waraeru) /wa.ɾa.e.ɾɯ/ A2	verb - to be able to laugh
傷 (kizu) /ki.zɯ/ A2	noun - wound, injury
暖かい (atatakai) /a.ta.ta.ka.i/ A2	adjective - warm

Key Grammar Structures

• 朝が怖くって起きられない

  ➔ Adjectival inflexion to form adverbials expressing cause or degree

  ➔ The phrase "朝が怖くって" uses the inflexion of "怖い" (scary) into "怖くって" to mean "so scary that" or "because it's scary," acting as an adverbial modifier for the reason behind not being able to wake up.

• 泣くことだけが得意になる

  ➔ Nominalization with こと and contrastive particle が

  ➔ Here, "哭く" (cry) is nominalized as "泣くこと" (the act of crying), with "だけが" (only) emphasizing contrast, meaning only crying becomes something one is good at, implying nothing else.

• ちょっとだけ疲れたんだって

  ➔ Quotative particle って and explanatory んだ

  ➔ The phrase "疲れたんだって" uses "疲れたんだ" (I'm tired) with quotative "って" to report or convey the feeling of being a little worn out, often softening the expression.

• 言えないことだけ増えてって

  ➔ Quotative って and continuing aspect with durative

  ➔ The structure "増えてって" shows the quotative "って" on "増えて" (increasing) to convey the ongoing process of unexpressable things growing, implying accumulation over time.

• 明日が明日が来なければ

  ➔ Conditional structure with potential negation

  ➔ The sentence uses repetitive "明日が明日が" for emphasis, followed by conditional "来なければ" (if does not come), expressing a hypothetical wish that tomorrow doesn't arrive.

• そしたらきっと楽になれる

  ➔ Conditional consequence with potential verb

  ➔ "そしたら" (then/in that case) introduces the result of the previous conditional, with "楽になれる" using potential form indicating ability or likelihood to feel better.

• 空っぽなのに心が痛むんだ

  ➔ Contrastive conjunction のに

  ➔ "空っぽなのに" expresses contradiction, meaning "even though it's empty," contrasting with "心が痛むんだ" (the heart hurts), highlighting emotional pain despite emptiness.

• 眠れないままだけどさ

  ➔ Concessive expression with まま and quotative さ

  ➔ "眠れないままだけど" uses "まま" to indicate continuing in the state of being unable to sleep, with concessive "だけど" (but/though), and casual quotative "さ" for familiarity.

• いつか幸せって思えるまで

  ➔ Quotative って with temporal particle まで

  ➔ "幸せって思える" uses quotative "って" to frame "幸せ" (happiness) as something one can think of, combined with "まで" (until) indicating duration until that realization occurs.

• それだけで今はいいんだよ

  ➔ Emphatic phrase with だけ and explanatory んだよ

  ➔ "それだけで" means "just with that," emphasizing sufficiency, while "いいんだよ" uses explanatory "んだ" and colloquial "よ" to reassure that it's okay right now.