君の名は希望 (Kimi No Na Wa Kibo) – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 乃木坂46 (Nogizaka46), 井上和 (Inoue Nagi), 中西アルノ (Nakanishi Aruno)

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the heartfelt message of hope and connection in Nogizaka46's "Kimi no Na wa Kibo." This touching J-pop ballad offers a beautiful opportunity to explore themes of identity and relationships while learning Japanese through its evocative lyrics.

[English]

This is Nakanishi Aruno from Nogizaka46.

This is Inoue Nagi from Nogizaka46.

This song is

a song that our seniors in Nogizaka46

carefully sang and passed down to us,

so today we also want to deliver this song to everyone with care.

I think we’d like to share it with you all.

Now, please listen.

“Kimi No Na Wa Kibo” (Your Name is Hope)

The first time I became aware of you was

around June of last year, when you changed into your summer clothes.

I ignored a ball that rolled over,

until I picked it up.

You were looking over here, waiting for me.

Like an invisible person, that’s what I was called.

You noticed my existence.

A ray of light shone through a gap in the thick clouds,

and on the ground, I finally had a clear shadow.

I had gotten used to being alone,

but this world, which I had been rejecting, is beautiful.

I never thought I could miss someone this much.

That I could even exist like this.

I couldn’t have imagined it.

The future is always

a place of new flutters and encounters.

I just now learned that your name is “Hope.”

I deliberately looked at you from a distance.

But sometimes, I lost sight of you.

For 24 hours, my heart felt empty,

and I couldn’t live

on my own anymore.

It feels better to be near you than to be alone.

I felt happiness by your side.

Even when I hide among crowds of people,

no one will tell me the meaning of life.

I looked down at my feet, getting soaked in the rain of sadness.

And there, on the earth, I was definitely there.

My heart aches so much.

So this is what it feels like to be in love.

It’s sparkling and shining.

Even today,

our footprints continue on.

I just now learned that your name is “Hope.”

Even if you don’t turn to look at me,

I won’t forget your smile.

I’ll believe that you’re always there,

and keep walking straight ahead.

I don’t understand anything at all,

not even about myself.

Let’s listen to the true cry of our hearts.

Come on!

I never thought I could miss someone this much.

That I could even exist like this.

I couldn’t have imagined it.

The future is always

a place of new flutters and encounters.

I just now learned that your name is “Hope.”

Hope is…

Tomorrow’s sky.

WOW WOW WOW

[Japanese]

乃木坂46 の 中 西 アルノ です

乃木坂46 の 井 上 和 です

この 楽 曲 は

乃木坂 46 の 先 輩 方 が

大 切 に 歌 え 継 い で 来 て くだ さ った 楽 曲 なので

今日は 私 た ち も この 楽 曲 を

大 切 に 皆 様 に お 届 け した い な と思います

それでは 聴 いてください

「君 の 名 は 希望」

僕が君を初めて意識したのは

去年の6月　夏の服に着替えた頃

転がって来たボールを無視してたら

僕が拾うまで

こっちを見て待っていた

透明人間　そう呼ばれてた

僕の存在（そんざい）気づいてくれたんだ

厚い雲の隙間に光が射して

グラウンドの上　僕にちゃんと影ができた

いつの日からか孤独に慣れていたけど

僕が拒否してたこの世界は美しい

こんなに誰かを恋しくなる

自分がいたなんて

想像もできなかったこと

未来はいつだって

新たなときめきと出会いの場

君の名前は“希望”と今　知った

わざと遠い場所から君を眺めた

だけど時々　その姿を見失った

２４時間　心が空っぽで

僕は一人では

生きられなくなったんだ

孤独より居心地がいい

愛のそばでしあわせを感じた

人の群れに逃げ込み紛れてても

人生の意味を　誰も教えてくれないだろう

悲しみの雨　打たれて足下を見た

土のその上にそう確かに僕はいた

こんなに心が切なくなる

恋ってあるんだね

キラキラと輝いている

同（おんな）じ今日だって

僕らの足跡は続いてる

君の名前は“希望”と今　知った

もし君が振り向かなくても

その微笑みを僕は忘れない

どんな時も君がいることを

信じて　まっすぐ歩いて行こう

何にもわかっていないんだ

自分のことなんて

真実の叫びを聞こう

さあ

こんなに誰かを恋しくなる

自分がいたなんて

想像もできなかったこと

未来はいつだって

新たなときめきと出会いの場

君の名前は“希望”と今　知った

希望とは

明日の空

WOW WOW WOW

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
希望 (kibo) /ki.bo/ B1	noun - hope
恋 (koi) /koi/ B1	noun - love, romantic love
未来 (mirai) /mi.ɾai/ B1	noun - future
存在 (sonzai) /son.zai/ B2	noun - existence
想像 (souzou) /so.u.zo.u/ B2	noun - imagination verb - to imagine
輝く (kagayaku) /ka.ga.ja.ku/ B1	verb - to shine, sparkle
感じる (kanjiru) /kan.zi.ɾu/ B1	verb - to feel
拒否 (kyohi) /kjo.hi/ B2	noun - rejection, refusal verb - to reject, refuse
孤独 (kodoku) /ko.do.ku/ B1	noun - loneliness, solitude
切 (setsu) /set.su/ B2	adjective - painful, heartbreaking
歩く (aruku) /a.ɾu.ku/ A2	verb - to walk
見失う (mishinau) /mi.ʃi.na.u/ B1	verb - to lose sight of
群れ (mure) /mu.ɾe/ B1	noun - flock, crowd
意味 (imi) /i.mi/ B1	noun - meaning
叫び (sakebi) /sa.ke.bi/ B1	noun - shout, cry
真実 (shinjitsu) /ʃin.zi.t͡su/ B2	noun - truth

Key Grammar Structures

• 乃木坂46 の 先 輩 方 が 大 切 に 歌 え 継 い で 来 て くだ さ った 楽 曲 なので

  ➔ Potential form + 継ぐ (tsugu) + てくる (te kuru) + くださる (kudasaru) + った (tta) + なので (nanode)

  ➔ **歌え (utae)** is the potential form of 歌う (utau), meaning 'can sing'. **継いでくる (tsuide kuru)** means 'to have continued coming' (from the past until now). **くださる (kudasaru)** is an honorific verb meaning 'to give (to me/us)'. **った (tta)** is the past form ending, added for emphasis and politeness, creating くださった (kudasatta). **なので (nanode)** means 'because; therefore'. This entire phrase means 'Because it is a song that our seniors in Nogizaka46 have been carefully singing and passing down to us...'

• 僕が君を初めて意識したのは

  ➔ Topic marker は (wa) with embedded clause

  ➔ The sentence structure uses the topic marker **は (wa)** to indicate what the sentence is about. The clause before は (wa), '僕が君を初めて意識した (boku ga kimi o hajimete ishiki shita)' is an embedded clause acting as a noun phrase. It translates to 'The first time I became aware of you' and the entire sentence means 'The first time I became aware of you was...'

• 転がって来たボールを無視してたら

  ➔ てくる (te kuru) - Action coming towards, Conditional たら (tara)

  ➔ **転がって来た (korogatte kita)**, 'came rolling' uses the verb 転がる (korogaru, to roll) in its て (te) form followed by くる (kuru, to come), showing the rolling action coming towards the speaker. **たら (tara)** is the conditional form, meaning 'if', 'when', or 'after'. So, the whole sentence translates to 'If I ignored the rolling ball that came towards me...'

• 透明人間　そう呼ばれてた

  ➔ Passive voice (呼ばれてた - yobareteta)

  ➔ **呼ばれてた (yobareteta)** is the past progressive passive form of the verb 呼ぶ (yobu, to call). The passive form shows that the speaker was called 'invisible person' (透明人間 toumei ningen) by others. The entire phrase translates to 'Invisible person. I was called that.'

• いつの日からか孤独に慣れていたけど

  ➔ Conditional form (けど - kedo)

  ➔ **けど(kedo)** indicates a contrast or concession. 'I was used to being lonely from some day' *but* (the following phrase will contrast or qualify this).

• こんなに誰かを恋しくなる自分がいたなんて

  ➔ ていた (te ita) - Past progressive state; なんて (nante) - Expressing surprise/emotion

  ➔ **恋しくなる (koishiku naru)** means 'to become longing/yearning'. **恋しくなっている (koishiku natte iru)** would indicate the continuous action of becoming longing. Adding **いた (ita)** gives the past progressive state, indicating that it was a state that was happening in the past. **なんて (nante)** expresses surprise or disbelief. The speaker is surprised that they had a self that could long for someone this much.

• わざと遠い場所から君を眺めた

  ➔ Transitive verb + を (o) particle

  ➔ **眺めた (nagame ta)**, past tense of 眺める(nagameru, to gaze at) is a transitive verb requiring an object. The object, 君(kimi, you), is marked with the particle **を (o)**. 'I gazed at you from a deliberately far place.'