Kamado Tanjiro no Uta – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• Album: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba OST

Lyrics & Translation

"Kamado Tanjiro no Uta" offers a beautiful window into the heart of the *Demon Slayer* narrative, sung in Japanese. By listening to the delicate yet powerful vocals of Nami Nakagawa set against Go Shiina's orchestral arrangement, you can deeply connect with themes of resilience and sorrow expressed in the original language, making it a special and moving experience.

[English]

Close my eyes and remember

The days gone by from that time

Can't go back, can't return

The deep darkness has spread

Can't go back, can't return

The deep darkness has spread

A gentle sound that makes me want to cry

No matter how painful it gets

Forward, forward, advance, cut off despair

Even if I lose, even if I lose, I have to keep living

No matter how down I get, there's something I must protect

Even if I lose, even if I lose, I have to keep living

No matter how down I get, there's something I must protect

The only choice forced upon me

I resolve to face this fate

Even if I lick mud and struggle

An invisible, thin thread

A gentle sound that makes me want to cry

No matter how frustrating it gets

Forward, forward, face it, cut off despair

Even if hurt, even if hurt, I have to stand up

No matter how down I get, there's something I must protect

There's something I must protect

[Japanese]

目を閉じて　思い出す me wo tojite omoidasu

過ぎ去りし　あの頃の sugisarishi ano koro no

戻れない　帰れない modorenai kaerenai

広がった　深い闇 hirogatta fukai yami

戻れない　帰れない modorenai kaerenai

広がった　深い闇 hirogatta fukai yami

泣きたくなるような　優しい音 nakitakunaru you na yasashii oto

どんなに苦しくても donna ni kurushikutemo

前へ　前へ　進め　絶望断ち mae e mae e susume zetsuboutachi

失っても　失っても　生きていくしかない ushinattemo ushinattemo ikite iku shika nai

どんなにうちのめされても　守るものがある donna ni uchinomesaretemo mamoru mono ga aru

失っても　失っても　生きていくしかない ushinattemo ushinattemo ikite iku shika nai

どんなにうちのめされても　守るものがある donna ni uchinomesaretemo mamoru mono ga aru

我に課す　一択の ware ni kasu ittaku no

運命と　覚悟する unmei to kakugo suru

泥を舐め　足掻いても doro wo name agaitemo

目に見えぬ　細い糸 me ni mienu hosoi ito

泣きたくなるような　優しい音 nakitakunaru you na yasashii oto

どんなに悔しくても donna ni kuyashikutemo

前へ　前へ　向かえ　絶望断ち mae e mae e mukae zetsuboutachi

傷ついても　傷ついても　立ち上がるしかない kizutsuitemo kizutsuitemo tachiagaru shika nai

どんなにうちのめされても　守るものがある donna ni uchinomesaretemo mamoru mono ga aru

守るものがある mamoru mono ga aru

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
目 /me/ A1	noun - eye
思い出す /omoɯdasɯ/ B1	verb - to recall; to remember
戻れない /modore̞na͍i/ B1	verb - cannot return
広がった /hiroɡatta/ B1	verb - spread; expanded
深い /ɸɯka.i/ A2	adjective - deep
闇 /jami/ B1	noun - darkness
優しい /jasɯɕi/ A2	adjective - gentle; kind
音 /oto/ A1	noun - sound
苦しい /kɯɾɯɕiː/ B1	adjective - painful; distressing
前へ /mae e/ A2	adverbial phrase - forward; toward the front
絶望 /dze̞tsɯboː/ B2	noun - despair
失う /ɯɕinaɯ/ B1	verb - to lose; to forfeit
生きていく /ikiteɯiku/ B2	verb - to keep living; to go on living
守る /mamoru/ B1	verb - to protect; to guard
運命 /ɯnmeː/ B2	noun - fate; destiny
覚悟 /kakɯɡo/ C1	noun - resolution; readiness; determination
泥 /doro/ A2	noun - mud
足掻く /aɡa̠kɯ/ C1	verb - to struggle; to thrash about
細い /ho̞soi/ B1	adjective - thin; slender
糸 /ito/ A1	noun - thread; string

Key Grammar Structures

• 戻れない　帰れない

  ➔ Negative form of potential verbs with ない (nai)

  ➔ Expresses the inability to go back, using the negative form of the potential verb.

• 絶望断ち

  ➔ Compound noun with verb stem + ち (chi), expressing cessation or cutting off

  ➔ Uses the verb stem + ち to form a noun indicating the act of cutting off or stopping.

• 守るものがある

  ➔ Existence of a thing or things to protect (structure: noun + が + ある)

  ➔ Expresses that there are things that need to be protected, emphasizing their existence.

• 生きていくしかない

  ➔ Expression of necessity or inevitability (しかない + verb in the plain form)

  ➔ Indicates that there is no other choice but to live on, emphasizing inevitability.

• 向かえ　絶望断ち

  ➔ Imperative or command form of 向かう (mukaou) and 断つ (tatsu)

  ➔ Uses the imperative form to encourage facing or confronting something; in this context, fighting despair.

• 目に見えぬ　細い糸

  ➔ Use of noun + の (possessive or descriptive particle), and 目に見えぬ (not visible to the eye)

  ➔ Combines noun + の to describe an unseen, thin thread, emphasizing its invisibility.