糸電話 – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: なとり

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Natori's "糸電話" (Itodenwa), a beautifully crafted song that serves as the theme for the movie "傲慢と善良." This track offers a compelling opportunity to explore the nuances of Japanese language through its heartfelt lyrics, which delve into themes of fragile connections, unwavering support, and the complexities of human relationships. Learning the Japanese lyrics will allow you to appreciate how Natori uses simple yet profound words to convey deep emotions, making it a truly special listening and learning experience.

[English]

To you, who gave love to my locked heart

Accepting secrets and the past, holding everything inside

Like a fine thread connecting us

That’s surely, like destiny

Clumsy words, like an imperfect love letter

One day, I’ll definitely give it to you

Love takes many forms, after all

It’s just that there were so many things I couldn’t see

Cherish each one, carefully

Turn them all into songs, hey, listen

The days you threw away

Even the closed-off future, I can change it

Even with just one petal’s worth of feelings

I’ll turn them into words and send them back to you

You, who are different from me

There’s a different me from you

Even if the direction of tomorrow we point to is different

I’ll follow you

Like a thin membrane covering us

Everything still seemed like fate to me

A single dried flower without water

If I could just say one thing

Righteousness has always been in the way

Looking for a season like a sparkle

Before love becomes a promise

Hold everything inside

If you still say that’s kindness

If you still call that love

Even feelings in draft form

I’ll turn them into words and send them back to you

Now, as our hands touch, the pain from hurting each other

Couldn’t forget just like that, I couldn’t forgive it

The threads of feelings woven with pain are coming loose

The warmth of the hand I touched

Feels just like a gentle sunlit spot

Petals fall

Because I want to tell you before that

There’s a different you from me

And there’s a different me from you

Staring deep in the eyes

Even if everything has no meaning

Until our hands擦れて, until wounds appear

Until I touch the end of my dreams

In each word I weave

Even if it’s meaningless

Vivid and graceful, remaining beautiful as ever

Surely, it’s okay if our feelings aren’t the same

Let’s keep looking at the same future, always together

...

[Japanese]

鍵をかけた心にひとつ、愛をくれたあなたへ

秘密も過去も受け入れるように、全部を抱えて

細い線で結ばれていたような

あれはきっと、運命に似ていた

綴る言葉も不器用なラブレター

いつか、きっと渡すから

愛の形は人それぞれ

見えないものが多すぎただけなの

大事にしといて、一つひとつ

全部、歌にして ねぇ、聞いて

あなたが捨てた日々が

閉じたはずの未来だって、変えて

花びら一枚の気持ちでも

声にして返すから

私と違うあなた

あなたと違う私がいて

指差した明日の向きが違ってても

ついていくから

薄い膜で覆われていたような

どれもずっと、運命に見えた

水も遣らず、枯れた花のひとひら

何かひとつでも言えたら

正しさがずっと邪魔をしている

きらめきのような季節を探している

恋が約束になる前に

全部、受け止めて

まだ、それを優しさだと言うなら

まだ、それを愛と呼べるなら

下書きのままの気持ちでも

声にして返すから

今、手と手が触れ合うことを 傷つけた痛みを

このまま、忘れていくことを許せなかった

痛みで編まれた思いの糸がほつれていく

触れた手の温もりが

優しい陽だまりみたいだ

花びらが落ちる

それまでに伝えたいから

きっと私と違うあなた

あなたと違う私がいて

瞳の奥で見つめている

すべてに意味がなくても

手と手が擦れて、傷がつくまで

夢の果てに触れるまで

紡ぐ言葉の一つひとつに

たとえ、意味がなくたって

鮮やかでいて嫋やかでいて、美しいままで

きっとね、思いは同じじゃなくていい

ずっと、同じ未来を見ていようよ

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
愛 (ai) /aɪ/ A2	noun - love
心 (kokoro) /kɔkɔɾɔ/ A2	noun - heart, mind
秘密 (himitsu) /çimitsu/ B1	noun - secret
過去 (kako) /kako/ B1	noun - past
運命 (unmei) /ɯnmeː/ B2	noun - fate, destiny
言葉 (kotoba) /kotoba/ A2	noun - word, language
形 (katachi) /katat͡ɕi/ A2	noun - shape, form
未来 (mirai) /miɾai/ A2	noun - future
気持ち (kimochi) /kimot͡ɕi/ A2	noun - feeling, sensation
声 (koe) /koꜜe/ A1	noun - voice
明日 (ashita) /a̠ɕita/ A1	noun - tomorrow
花 (hana) /hana/ A1	noun - flower
季節 (kisetsu) /kiseꜜtsɯ̀/ A2	noun - season
手 (te) /te/ A1	noun - hand
痛み (itami) /itami/ A2	noun - pain
糸 (ito) /ito/ A1	noun - thread, yarn
夢 (yume) /jɯme/ A2	noun - dream
瞳 (hitomi) /hitoꜜmi/ B1	noun - eye, pupil