サザンカ – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: SEKAI NO OWARI

Lyrics & Translation

Learning Japanese through 'Sazanka' by SEKAI NO OWARI offers a beautiful way to connect with the language of encouragement and perseverance. The song's clear and emotive lyrics, which speak of supporting a loved one through their struggles, provide a heartfelt context for learning vocabulary related to dreams, challenges, and emotional support. 'Sazanka' is special because its message is universal, making the Japanese phrases you learn applicable to your own life's journey.

[English]

The sound of the door closing, a mark on the calendar

From the room, I can hear your crying voice

You’ve been chasing your dreams, afraid of running away

When efforts go unrewarded, you start to feel anxious

You’ve been unusually taking it out on me

You cried, thinking it would be sad for your past self if you gave up here

You cried

To you, who is chasing your dreams

Remember, if you stumble

The protagonist of the story is always the one who gets laughed at

I believe it’s not the one who laughs at others

...

You’ve fallen more than anyone, cried more than anyone

But you’ve stood up more than anyone

I know

That you shine the brightest in those moments

To you, who is chasing your dreams

Remember, if you feel like giving up

As long as the protagonist of the story stands up

The story will continue

...

Even though I’m happy, tears overflow

Because I know the path you’ve walked

To you, who is chasing your dreams

Remember, if you stumble

The protagonist of the story is always the one who gets laughed at

Not the one who laughs at others

If it’s you, I’m sure

...

[Japanese]

ドアの閉まる音 カレンダーの印

部屋から聞こえる 君の泣き声

逃げる事の方が怖いと君は夢を追い続けてきた

努力が報われず 不安になって

珍しく僕に当たったりして

ここで諦めたら今までの自分が可哀想だと

君は泣いた

夢を追う君へ

思い出して つまずいたなら

いつだって物語の主人公は笑われる方だ

人を笑う方じゃないと僕は思うんだよ

誰よりも転んで 誰よりも泣いて

誰よりも君は 立ち上がってきた

僕は知ってるよ

誰よりも君が一番輝いてる瞬間を

夢を追う君へ

思い出して くじけそうなら

いつだって物語の主人公が立ち上がる限り

物語は続くんだ

嬉しいのに涙があふれるのは

君が歩んできた道のりを知っているから

夢を追う君へ

思い出して つまずいたなら

いつだって物語の主人公は笑われる方だ

人を笑う方じゃない

君ならきっと

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
夢 /yume/ A2	noun - dream
泣き声 /nakigoe/ B1	noun - crying voice
努力 /doryoku/ B2	noun - effort
不安 /fuan/ B2	noun - anxiety
物語 /monogatari/ B2	noun - story
主人公 /shujinkou/ B2	noun - protagonist
輝く /kagayaku/ B2	verb - to shine
立ち上がる /tachiagaru/ B2	verb - to stand up
道のり /michinori/ B2	noun - journey
嬉しい /ureshii/ A2	adjective - happy
涙 /namida/ A2	noun - tears
思い出す /omoidasu/ B1	verb - to remember
つまずく /tsumazuku/ B1	verb - to stumble
怖い /kowai/ A2	adjective - scary
当たる /ataru/ B1	verb - to hit

Key Grammar Structures

• 君は夢を追い続けてきた

  ➔ て-form of verb + きた indicating an ongoing or cumulative action up to now

  ➔ The て-form + きた expresses a state or action that has been ongoing up to now, emphasizing continuity.

• つまずいたなら

  ➔ If you stumble (past tense of つまずく)

  ➔ The なら form is used to set a conditional clause meaning 'if' or 'when' in the past tense.

• 主人公は笑われる方だ

  ➔ Passive form + 方だ used to indicate preference or tendency

  ➔ The phrase uses a passive form combined with 方だ to express the tendency or inclination of the subject.

• 悲しいのに涙があふれるのは

  ➔ のに expressing contrast or contradiction ('although', 'despite')

  ➔ The particle のに is used to indicate a contrast between two ideas, often translating as 'although' or 'despite'.

• 物語は続くんだ

  ➔ んだ (casual form of のだ) used for explanation or emphasis

  ➔ The んだ suffix is used to provide explanation, emphasis, or clarification in casual speech.