MIRROR – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: SCANDAL
• Album: MIRROR

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of Japanese rock with SCANDAL's powerful and introspective track, "MIRROR." This song, the title track of their tenth studio album, offers a unique window into the band's evolution and their honest self-reflection. By exploring its lyrics and the band's commentary, you can gain insights into contemporary Japanese rock vocabulary, emotional expression, and cultural nuances. The raw and reflective nature of "MIRROR" makes it an excellent song for language learners to connect with authentic Japanese artistry and expand their understanding of the language through compelling storytelling and powerful music.

[English]

Faintly drifting

Wandering through the pale smoke

Refracting light

White light is reflecting the present

Gently meeting eyes

Accepted and rejected

Clumsy hearts and voices

To the point of helplessness

Fleeting heartbeat, won't stop pounding

I want to be myself

Reaching out quietly

I believe it will keep repeating

When we break through darkness and light

Somewhere, we're crossing paths

On the edge of boundaries, I want to believe so

Reflected in the mirror

The 모습 reflected in the mirror

Scattered all around

Sweet prayers are hit by cold rain

Rejecting a changing world

Holding inside my chest

Beautiful and ugly things

Petals fluttering softly

Almost overflowing

Unfading afterimage, I don't want to forget

Let’s stay this way for now

Waiting for a gentle breeze

Let's face each other now

I believe it will keep repeating

When we break through darkness and light

Somewhere, we're crossing paths

On the edge of boundaries, I want to believe so

Reflected in the mirror

The 모습 reflected in the mirror

[Japanese]

微かに漂う

淡い煙の中を彷徨ってるの

乱反射してる

白い光が今を映し出してる

目と目をそっと合わせて

受け入れては拒んだ

ちぐはぐな心と声

どうしようもないくらい

儚い鼓動 鳴り止まないよう

ありのままいたいの

静かに手を伸ばした

きっと繰り返してゆく

暗闇と光を 抜け出したら

どこかで交差してる

境界線の上 そう信じさせて

鏡に映った

鏡に映った姿で

散らばってる

甘い祈りは冷たい雨に打たれ

変わる世界を跳ね返してく

胸の奥に抱えてる

美しく醜いもの

ちらちらと舞う花びら

もう溢れそうなくらい

消えない残像 忘れたくないの

まだこうしていよう

柔らかい風を待って

向かい合おうよ、今

きっと繰り返してゆく

暗闇と光を 抜け出したら

どこかで交差してる

境界線の上 そう信じさせて

鏡に映った

鏡に映った姿で

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
漂う /ただよう/ B1	verb - to drift or float
光 /ひかり/ A2	noun - light
心 /こころ/ A2	noun - heart or mind
姿 /すがた/ B1	noun - figure or appearance
祈り /いのり/ B2	noun - prayer
雨 /あめ/ A1	noun - rain
世界 /せかい/ A2	noun - world
暗闇 /くらやみ/ B2	noun - darkness
胸 /むね/ A2	noun - chest
花びら /はなびら/ A1	noun - petal
消えない /きえない/ B1	adjective - unfading or unerasable
柔らかい /やわらかい/ B1	adjective - soft
冷たい /つめたい/ B1	adjective - cold
変わる /かわる/ B1	verb - to change
交差する /こうさする/ B2	verb - to intersect or cross
境界線 /きょうかいせん/ C1	noun - boundary or border

Key Grammar Structures

• 受け入れては拒んだ

  ➔ Te-form + は (contrastive topic marker) + past tense verb

  ➔ The te-form of the verb "受け入れる" (to accept) is "受け入れて" and combined with "は" to set a contrast or topic, then a past tense verb "拒んだ" (to refused).

• きっと繰り返してゆく

  ➔ Adverb "きっと" + te-form of "繰り返す" + "ゆく" (to go / will continue)

  ➔ "きっと" is an adverb meaning "surely" or "certainly". The te-form of "繰り返す" (to repeat) is "繰り返して" and "ゆく" indicates continuation or future action, together expressing "will surely continue to repeat."

• 散らばってる

  ➔ Present continuous form of "散らばる" (to scatter / spread)

  ➔ The form "散らばってる" is the contractions of "散らばっている," which is the te-iru form indicating an ongoing state of scattering or spreading.

• 変わる世界を跳ね返してく

  ➔ Verb stem "変わる" (to change) + direct object "世界" + "を" + "跳ね返してく" (te-form + auxiliary "く") indicating ongoing action

  ➔ The verb "変わる" is conjugated to its stem "変わる" and combined with "世界" plus the particle "を" as the direct object. The phrase "跳ね返してく" combines the te-form of "跳ね返す" (to bounce back) with "く" indicating ongoing or repeated action, meaning "keep bouncing back" from a changing world.

• 静かに手を伸ばした

  ➔ Adverb "静かに" + verb "手を伸ばした" (past tense of "手を伸ばす" meaning to stretch out one's hand)

  ➔ The adverb "静かに" means "quietly," and "手を伸ばした" is the past tense form of the verb "手を伸ばす" (to stretch out one's hand), indicating an action performed quietly in the past.

• 鏡に映った姿で

  ➔ Noun "鏡" + particle "に" (indicating location) + "映った" (past tense of "映る" - to be reflected) + noun "姿" + particle "で" (means "as" or "in the form of")

  ➔ The noun "鏡" (mirror) is marked with the particle "に" to indicate the location of reflection. "映った" is the past tense of "映る" (to be reflected), and "姿" (form or appearance) combined with "で" indicates "as" or "in the form of" the reflected image.