Memento – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: nonoc

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of Japanese music with nonoc's "Memento," an emotionally rich song that acts as the second season ending theme for the popular anime *Re:ZERO*. Learning the language through this track allows you to connect deeply with the anime's themes of repeated tragedy and perseverance, as the artist's passionate delivery captures complex feelings that are central to the show's narrative.

[English]

A tragedy that marks the repeating time

Holding it close, let's start again

...

My trembling heart senses the sadness coming

With my weak self, there’s no escape anymore

If someday this snow stops...

Holding onto the resolve to get hurt and your words

Knocking, knocking on the memories of closed doors countless times

If there's something that can melt these frozen tears, it’s that kindness

Don't ever throw away dreaming of tomorrow, no matter how many times

May the blocked path continue with traces of life

...

Lighting a faint hope

Deeply descending into the silence of darkness

To that nostalgic smile floating in the distance

My chest begins to ache, as if crying out

Even now, forever, hiding the unhealed sin

So dear, why? The more precious it is, the more I want to forget

With an innocent and unchanged heart forever

That powerless day is still frozen, waiting endlessly

...

The past, present, and future

Surely everything will meet

Even the distant parts of myself, here

Knocking on the memories of closed doors countless times…

Dreaming of tomorrow countless times…

Knocking, knocking on the memories of closed doors countless times

If there's something that can melt these frozen tears, it’s that kindness

Don't ever throw away dreaming of tomorrow, no matter how many times

May the blocked path continue with traces of life

...

No matter how many tragedies I surpass, repeating, repeating

I come back again, I come back again, still weak

Searching, searching only for true hope

Shattering, shattering until everything turns to zero

No matter how many tragedies I surpass, repeating, repeating

Searching, searching only for true hope

...

[Japanese]

繰り返す時を 刻む悲劇を

抱いてまた 始めよう

震える心は 悲しみを予感してる

弱いままの自分 逃げ場はもうないの

いつかこの雪も 止むなら...

傷つく覚悟と 君の言葉 握る

何度でもドアを 閉じた記憶を 叩いて 叩いて

凍てついた涙 溶かすものなら その優しさ

何度でも明日を 夢見ることを 捨てたりしないで

塞がれた道が 命の跡が 続きますように

かすかな希望を 灯して

静寂の闇を 深く降りゆく

彼方に浮かんだ 懐かしいその笑顔に

胸は軋み出す 泣き叫んでるように

いつまでも今も 癒えない罪を 遠ざけて隠した

愛しくて どうして？ 大切なほど 忘れたくて

いつまでも何も 変わらぬ無垢で 幼い心は

力なきあの日 凍えたままで ずっと待っている

過去も現在も未来も

きっとすべては出会う

離れ離れの自分も ここで

何度でもドアを 閉じた記憶を...

何度でも明日を 夢見ることを...

何度でもドアを 閉じた記憶を 叩いて 叩いて

凍てついた涙 溶かすものなら その優しさ

何度でも明日を 夢見ることを 捨てたりしないで

塞がれた道が 命の跡が 続きますように

繰り返す 繰り返す 悲劇をいくつ越えても

また戻る また戻る 弱いままの自分

探してる 探してる 本当の希望だけを

砕かれる 砕かれる すべてがゼロになるまで

繰り返す 繰り返す 悲劇をいくつ越えても

探してる 探してる 本当の希望だけを

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
刻む /kiʋamu/ B2	verb - to carve, engrave, or mark
抱いて /dakai̯te/ B1	verb - to hold, embrace
震える /t̠͋ɾ̥̞im͋eɾ̥̞u/ B1	verb - to tremble, shake
予感 /jo̞ɡa̠ɴ/ C1	noun - premonition, presentiment
逃げ場 /nigeʟo̞/ B2	noun - escape, refuge
覚悟 /ka̠k͂o̞ɡo̞/ C1	noun - resolution, determination
叩いて /tata̠i̯te/ A2	verb - to knock, hit
溶かす /t͜o̞ɰ͂aka̠su/ B1	verb - to melt, dissolve
優しさ /j͂u̟ːɕisa̠/ A2	noun - kindness, gentleness
夢見る /j͜u̟meɰ͜ɯɾ̥̞u/ B1	verb - to dream, envision
塞がれた /sɛga̠ɾ̥̞e̞ta̠/ B2	adjective - blocked, obstructed
跡 /a̠to̞/ A2	noun - trace, mark
灯して /t͜o̞ɰ͂ɕi̥te/ B1	verb - to light, kindle
静寂 /ʃi̥ːʑaku̟/ C1	noun - silence, stillness
軋み /k͜i̥ʑami/ C2	noun - creak, groan
遠ざけて /t͜o̞ːza̠k͂e̞te/ B2	verb - to distance, keep away
無垢 /mu̟ɡ͂u̟/ C1	adjective - innocent, pure
砕かれる /ɰ͜ɯd͡ʑaka̠ɾ̥̞e̞/ B2	verb - to be shattered, broken

Key Grammar Structures

• 繰り返す時を 刻む悲劇を 抱いてまた 始めよう

  ➔ Object marker 'を'; te-form '抱いて' linking to '始めよう'; volitional form '〜よう' for a suggestion/intent

  ➔ Here the direct object is marked with 'を' (on '時を') and the sequence uses the te-form '抱いて' to connect to the volitional '始めよう'.

• 震える心は 悲しみを予感してる

  ➔ Progressive aspect with '〜ている'; '予感する' as a compound verb; subject/topic marked by 'は'

  ➔ The line uses the progressive '〜ている' to show a continuing feeling, and the verb '予感する' means to anticipate or forefeel.

• いつかこの雪も 止むなら...

  ➔ Conditional 'なら' after verb in dictionary form; conditional clauses imply 'if' or 'in case'

  ➔ The line uses the conditional 'なら' after the verb '止む' to imply a hypothetical future condition: 'if this snow would stop someday'.

• 何度でもドアを 閉じた記憶を 叩いて 叩いて

  ➔ Object marker 'を' on 'ドアを' and repeated te-form '叩いて' for emphasis; adverbial '何度でも' means 'any number of times'

  ➔ The line marks the door as the object ('を') and repeats the te-form '叩いて' to create a rhythmic emphasis of knocking down memories.

• 凍てついた涙 溶かすものなら その優しさ

  ➔ Noun + なら conditional after plain form; 'ものなら' meaning 'if it is something that could …'

  ➔ Nominal + なら sets a hypothetical condition: 'if it’s something that would melt'.

• 何度でも明日を 夢見ることを 捨てたりしないで

  ➔ Nominalization 'こと' with object marker 'を'; '〜たりしないで' shows prohibition with optional verb pairing ('〜たり…たり')

  ➔ The line uses 'ことを' to turn 'dreaming of tomorrow' into a noun phrase as the object, and '捨てたりしないで' combines the 'たり…たり' pattern with a negative command.

• 塞がれた道が 命の跡が 続きますように

  ➔ Passive past '塞がれた' describing a blocked path; 'ますように' expresses a wish or hope

  ➔ The sentence uses passive '塞がれた' to describe a blocked path and ends with the wishful 'ますように' to express hope that life’s trace continues.

• かすかな希望を 灯して 静寂の闇を 深く降りゆく

  ➔ Te-form '灯して' connects actions; '深く' is an adverb; '降りゆく' uses 'ゆく' as an auxiliary to indicate continued movement toward the future

  ➔ 灯して links the act of lighting a little hope with the onward motion; 深く modifies 降りゆく, and ゆく implies ongoing progression toward the future.

• 繰り返す 繰り返す 悲劇をいくつ越えても

  ➔ Concessive 'ても' after 'いくつ越えて' indicating 'no matter how many times', and repetition of '繰り返す' for emphasis

  ➔ The line uses ても to express a 'no matter how many times' idea, while repeating 繰り返す for emphasis on repetition.