Memento – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: nonoc
• Album: Memento

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the powerful Japanese lyrics of 'Memento' to explore dramatic, emotional vocabulary often used in modern anime songs. The song's theme of holding onto memories and fighting through despair offers a great opportunity to learn phrases related to hope, tragedy, and determination, all set to an intense rock-influenced score.

[English]

In this repeating time

I hold the tragedy that marks it

Let’s start again...

My trembling heart

Senses the sadness to come

Still weak as I am

There’s no escape left

Someday, when this snow

Stops falling

I’ll hold your words

With the resolve to face the pain

Again and again, I’ll knock on the sealed memories of eternity

Knock and knock

For something to melt these frozen tears

That kindness

Again and again, don’t give up on dreaming of tomorrow

Don’t throw it away

May the blocked path

Continue to follow the traces of life

[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

逃げ場はもう無いの

いつかこの雪も

止むなら

傷付く覚悟と

君の言葉握る

何度でも 永久（とわ）を閉じた記憶を

叩いて 叩いて

凍て付いた 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 道は 命の跡が

続きますように

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
繰り返す /kurikaesu/ B1	verb - to repeat
刻む /kizamu/ B2	verb - to carve, to engrave
悲劇 /higeki/ B1	noun - tragedy
震える /furueru/ A2	verb - to tremble, to shake
予感 /yokan/ B2	noun - premonition, presentiment
弱い /yowai/ A2	adjective - weak
逃げ場 /nigeba/ B1	noun - escape, refuge
止む /yamu/ B1	verb - to stop, to cease
覚悟 /kakugo/ B2	noun - resolution, determination
握る /nigiru/ A2	verb - to grasp, to hold
永久 /towa/ B2	noun - eternity, forever
凍て付いた /kote-tsuita/ C1	adjective - frozen, icy
溶かす /tokasu/ B1	verb - to melt, to dissolve
優しさ /yasashisa/ A2	noun - kindness, gentleness
夢見る /yume-miru/ A2	verb - to dream, to envision
塞がれた /fusagaveta/ B2	adjective - blocked, obstructed
跡 /ato/ B1	noun - trace, mark

Key Grammar Structures

• 繰り返す時を

  ➔ Verb‑plain + 時 (when, time of …)

  ➔ The phrase "繰り返す" + "時" means “when (you) repeat”.

• 刻む悲劇を抱いて

  ➔ Verb‑て form + 抱いて (conjunctive / sequential action)

  ➔ The "て" form in "抱いて" links the action to the previous clause, showing simultaneous/next action.

• 震える心は悲しみを予感してる

  ➔ Verb‑ている (progressive / continuing state)

  ➔ In "予感してる", "ている" shows a feeling that continues over time.

• 弱いままの自分

  ➔ まま (as‑is, unchanged state)

  ➔ "弱いまま" means “still weak” or “as weak as before”.

• 逃げ場はもう無いの

  ➔ の (explanatory sentence‑ending particle)

  ➔ The "の" after "無い" adds an explanatory or emotional nuance, like “there’s no escape, you see.”

• いつかこの雪も止むなら

  ➔ なら (conditional “if/when”)

  ➔ "止むなら" means “if (the snow) stops” or “when it stops”.

• 凍て付いた涙溶かすものなら

  ➔ ものなら (hypothetical “if it is something that …”)

  ➔ "ものなら" after a verb phrase creates a hypothetical condition: “if it were something that could melt frozen tears”.

• 何度でも明日を夢見ることを捨てたりしないで

  ➔ こと (nominalizer) and たり (listing actions) + しないで (negative request)

  ➔ "夢見ること" turns the verb into a noun “the act of dreaming”, while "捨てたりしないで" asks not to discard it, using the たり‑form for a gentle negative request.

• 続きますように

  ➔ ますように (wish/hope expression)

  ➔ "続きますように" means “May it continue” or “I hope it will continue”.