モラトリアム – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Omoinotake
• Album: Ammolite

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the evocative world of Omoinotake's “Moratorium,” a beautifully melancholic song that served as the theme for the anime film "Twittering Birds Never Fly." Its heartfelt lyrics and piano-driven melody offer a profound emotional landscape, making it an excellent piece for language learners to explore nuanced Japanese expressions of longing, attachment, and the desire to hold onto fleeting moments. Through its poignant narrative and rich vocabulary, you can gain a deeper understanding of emotional depth in Japanese songwriting.

[English]

People passing by reflected in puddles

Faded traffic signals remain red

Streetlamp speakers feel broken

All I sing are lies, over and over

Your lonely smile and sweet breath

Hidden feelings behind distant eyes

Like droplets trickling at the window

...

If this sky suddenly falls silent, you

Will return to the place you're meant to go

And take flight, I suppose

Inside this birdcage, with you, forever

Locked away

Still unable to fly, quietly dozing

...

Lovers leaning close, sharing an umbrella

They share everything, I close my eyes

Flashing turn signals

As if in a rush

Choosing the misty road on this night

Back to back, with time layered between us

And gentle lies on our tongues

Only fueling dreams that ache inside

If I say this voice out loud, I would

Stop the rain that’s wetting you

And forever, in this birdcage with you

Unable to fly, just staying

...

Hiding in the sound of rain, just us two, whispering

Don’t stare outside the window, keep your heart here

If this sky falls silent, you

Will take flight to the place you’re meant to go

And stay in this birdcage with you, forever

Unable to fly, just remaining

Only this, an unpaintable tomorrow

Past that cannot be returned, closing our eyes

And in this birdcage with you, forever

Two only in this world, seeking each other

...

Inside the birdcage, in drowsy quiet

...

[Japanese]

行き交う人々 水溜りに映る

ぼやけた信号 赤色のままで

街路灯のスピーカー 壊れたように

嘘ばかり 何度も歌ってる

淋しそうな笑みも 甘い呼吸も

遠い目の奥に秘めた想いも

窓辺を滴る 雫のようで

この空が鳴き止んでしまえば君は

帰るべき場所へ

飛び立ってしまうのだろう

君とこのまま 鳥籠の中で 永遠

閉じ込められて

飛べないままで 微睡みの中

寄り添う恋人 陽溜まりの傘を

分け合う姿 僕は目を閉じる

瞬いたウィンカー

急かされるように

靄がかる道を 選んだ夜

背中合わせのまま 重ねた時間も

口に含んでいる 優しい嘘も

夢ばかりをただ 疼かせるだけ

この声を口にしてしまえば君を

濡らしてる雨は 降り止んでしまうのだろう

君とこのまま 鳥籠の中で 永遠 閉じ込められて

飛べないままで

雨音に隠れて二人 密やかな囀りを

窓の外見つめないで 心 ここにおいて

この空が鳴き止んでしまえば君は

帰るべき場所へ 飛び立ってしまうのだろう

君とこのまま 鳥籠の中で 永遠 閉じ込められて

飛べないままで

今はただ描けない明日も

戻れない過去も 二人目を閉じて

君とこのまま 鳥籠の中で 永遠 閉じ込められて

世界に二人だけ 求め合うまま

鳥籠の中 微睡の中

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
人々(hitobito) /hito bito/ A2	noun - people
水溜り(mizutamari) /mizɯ tamari/ B1	noun - puddle
信号(shingō) /ʃingoː/ A2	noun - traffic light, signal
街路灯(gairoto) /ɡairoto/ B2	noun - street light
嘘(uso) /ɯso/ A2	noun - lie
笑み(emi) /emi/ B2	noun - smile
呼吸(kokyū) /kokʲɯː/ B1	noun - breath, respiration
想い(omoi) /omoi/ A2	noun - thought, feeling
窓辺(madobe) /madobe/ B1	noun - windowside, by the window
雫(shizuku) /ʃizɯkɯ/ B2	noun - drop (of liquid)
場所(basho) /baʃo/ A2	noun - place
鳥籠(torikago) /toɾikaɡo/ B2	noun - birdcage
永遠(eien) /eːen/ B1	noun - eternity, forever
恋人(koibito) /koibito/ A2	noun - lover, sweetheart
陽溜まり(hidamari) /hidamari/ B2	noun - sunny spot

Key Grammar Structures

• If the sky stops crying, you will probably return to the place you should go.

  ➔ Conditional clause using "if" + present tense verb, indicating a hypothetical or future situation.

  ➔ The "if" clause introduces a condition, and the main clause (using "will") indicates the probable outcome.

• 閉じ込められて

  ➔ Te-form of a verb with られて indicating passive or the state of being confined.

  ➔ This constructs the passive form, emphasizing the state of being confined or trapped.

• ただ 疼かせるだけ

  ➔ Just (only) + verb in the causal form "疼かせる" to express causing pain or longing.

  ➔ This phrase emphasizes that the action only causes longing or pain without resolution.

• 世界に二人だけ

  ➔ Phrase using に (to/at) with だけ (only) to specify exclusivity in the world.

  ➔ This phrase indicates that only the two people exist in the world, highlighting their exclusivity.

• この空が鳴き止んでしまえば

  ➔ Conditional form of "鳴き止む" (to stop crying) + ば (if/when), indicating a hypothetical situation.

  ➔ The "ば" form creates a hypothetical condition, meaning "if" the sky stops crying.