太陽が昇らない世界 – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Aimer
• Album: 太陽が昇らない世界

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of Japanese music with Aimer's powerful song "太陽が昇らない世界" (A World Where the Sun Never Rises). This track offers a unique blend of J-Pop and rock, featuring Aimer's distinctive vocals and emotionally charged delivery. As the theme song for the popular "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc" movie, it's an excellent way to immerse yourself in Japanese cultural references and experience the depth of emotion conveyed through its lyrics and composition. Pay close attention to Aimer's nuanced vocal performance, which adds a profound layer to the song's intense narrative, making it a special piece for language learners to explore. Listen for the vivid imagery in the lyrics and how they connect to the song's dark yet hopeful message.

[English]

The root cause: absolute, unreasonable darkness.

Eerie, splitting the irresistible, monstrous darkness.

Overcome fear, and erase it.

Trembling soul, burn fiercely!

Bitter memories remain in my heart.

Shadows that bind my heart.

Even if I pray with clasped hands,

The infinite black sky is filled with malice.

The rough sound of the tide

Slips past my cheek.

In this piled-up sadness, there is no hesitation.

Just, just look forward and fly!

If I could go back to that day,

If I could have lived without knowing,

Now, the time for fierce battle has come.

Of this world where the sun does not rise,

The root cause: absolute, unreasonable darkness.

Eerie, tear apart the irresistible, monstrous darkness!

[Japanese]

元凶 絶対の理不尽なダークネス

妖々 あらがえない異形の闇を裂き

恐れを越え かき消し

震える魂 熱く熱くなれ

胸に残る 苦い記憶

ココロ縛りつける影

両手合わせ 祈っても

無限の黒空 悪意満ちる

荒々しい潮騒が

頬をすり抜けていく

積もり積もった悲しみに迷いはない

ただ、ただ前を向いて 飛べ

もしあの日に戻れたら

知らないで生きていけたなら

いま 修羅の時がきた

この 太陽が 昇らない 世界の

元凶 絶対の理不尽なダークネス

妖々 あらがえない異形の闇を裂け

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
太陽 /taɪjoʊ/ A1	noun - sun
世界 /sekaɪ/ A1	noun - world
闇 /jami/ A2	noun - darkness, gloom
元凶 /ɡeɴkjoʊ/ B2	noun - root cause, ultimate culprit, prime mover
理不尽 /riːfudʑiɴ/ B2	noun - unreasonableness, irrationality, unfairness adjective - unreasonable, irrational, unfair
恐れ /osore/ B1	noun - fear, dread, apprehension
魂 /tamaɕiː/ B2	noun - soul, spirit, ghost
記憶 /kio̞kɯ/ B1	noun - memory, recollection
ココロ /ko̞ko̞ro̞/ A1	noun - heart, mind, spirit, feelings
影 /kaɡe/ A2	noun - shadow, silhouette, reflection
悪意 /akui/ B2	noun - malice, ill will, evil intent
悲しみ /kanaɕimi/ B1	noun - sadness, sorrow, grief
修羅 /ɕɯra/ C1	noun - asura (a class of belligerent demigods in Buddhism), scene of carnage/conflict, hellish strife
昇る /no̞bo̞rɯ/ B1	verb - to rise, ascend, go up (e.g., sun, mountain)
裂く /sakɯ/ B1	verb - to tear, rip, split, cleave
震える /fɯrɯeru/ B1	verb - to tremble, shiver, shake
祈る /ino̞rɯ/ B1	verb - to pray, to wish (for)
飛ぶ /to̞bɯ/ A2	verb - to fly, to jump, to leap
苦い /niɡai/ B1	adjective - bitter (taste), unpleasant, painful
荒々しい /araːraɕiː/ B2	adjective - rough, wild, violent, fierce

Key Grammar Structures

• 妖々 あらがえない異形の闇を裂き

  ➔ Potential negative (~えない), Conjunctive form (連用形 - ~き)

  ➔ 「あらがえない」 is the potential negative form of 「あらがう」 (to resist), meaning "cannot resist." The 「-え」 indicates potential, and 「-ない」 makes it negative. 「裂き」 is the conjunctive form (連用形) of the verb 「裂く」 (to tear/rend), used to connect the action to the following (implied) phrase or to indicate a sequential action. Here, it conveys 'tearing through the darkness that cannot be resisted.'

• 震える魂 熱く熱くなれ

  ➔ Verb modifying noun (震える魂), Imperative form (なれ)

  ➔ The verb 「震える」 (to tremble) is in its dictionary form, directly modifying the noun 「魂」 (soul), meaning "trembling soul." This is a common way to describe nouns in Japanese. 「熱くなれ」 is the imperative form of 「熱くなる」 (to become hot/passionate), expressing a strong command or encouragement, typically used in more informal or intense contexts like song lyrics.

• ココロ縛りつける影

  ➔ Compound verb with ~つける suffix, Verb modifying noun

  ➔ 「縛りつける」 is a compound verb formed by 「縛る」 (to bind) and the suffix 「つける」. When used as a suffix, 「つける」 adds the nuance of doing something firmly, completely, or attaching something tightly. Here, it means "to bind firmly." The entire phrase 「ココロ縛りつける」 acts as a relative clause modifying 「影」 (shadow), meaning "a shadow that firmly binds the heart."

• 両手合わせ 祈っても

  ➔ ~ても (even if/though), Conjunctive form (連用形 - ~わせ)

  ➔ 「〜ても」 is a common grammatical pattern meaning "even if," "even though," or "no matter how/what." It introduces a concessive clause. 「合わせ」 is the conjunctive form (連用形) of 「合わせる」 (to put together/join). In phrases like 「両手合わせ」, it functions similarly to the te-form, implying a preceding action or state: "joining both hands and..." The overall meaning is "even if I join my hands and pray."

• 荒々しい潮騒が 頬をすり抜けていく

  ➔ ~ていく (expressing movement away, continuation, or gradual change)

  ➔ The pattern 「〜ていく」 attached to the te-form of a verb (here, 「すり抜けて」 from 「すり抜ける」 - to slip through/past) indicates a movement away from the speaker, a process that continues into the future, or a gradual change. In this context, it suggests the rough sound of the tide is passing by or fading away from the cheek, emphasizing a sense of flow or impermanence.

• 積もり積もった悲しみに迷いはない

  ➔ Repetition of verb for emphasis (積もり積もった), Expression ~に迷いはない (no hesitation about/in)

  ➔ 「積もり積もった」 is an example of repeating a verb (積もる - to pile up/accumulate) to emphasize the extent or completeness of the action. It implies a large amount accumulated over time, meaning "piled up and up." 「〜に迷いはない」 is a fixed expression meaning "there is no hesitation/doubt about ~" or "I am resolute about ~." Here, it means there is no hesitation regarding the accumulated sadness.

• もしあの日に戻れたら

  ➔ もし~たら (hypothetical conditional), Potential form (戻れた)

  ➔ 「もし〜たら」 is a common conditional pattern used to express a hypothetical situation or a condition, often with a nuance of "if (something were to happen)." It can also refer to a past event. 「戻れた」 is the past tense of the potential form 「戻れる」 (can return) of the verb 「戻る」 (to return). So, "if I could have returned to that day."

• 知らないで生きていけたなら

  ➔ ~ないで (without doing), Potential form + ~ていく + なら (complex conditional)

  ➔ 「〜ないで」 indicates doing something without performing the action of the preceding verb (here, 「知らないで」 means "without knowing"). 「生きていけた」 combines 「生きる」 (to live) in its te-form + 「いく」 (indicating continuation) + potential form (「いける」 - could go/live) + past tense. The entire phrase 「生きていけたなら」 then forms a hypothetical conditional with 「なら」, implying "if I could have lived on without knowing."

• この 太陽が 昇らない 世界の

  ➔ Negative verb modifying noun (昇らない世界)

  ➔ In Japanese, a verb in its dictionary form (or negative form like 「昇らない」) can directly modify a noun, functioning as a relative clause. Here, 「昇らない」 (does not rise) modifies 「世界」 (world), creating the meaning "a world where the sun does not rise." The particle 「の」 (no) then connects this entire noun phrase to a subsequent (implied) noun, likely 「元凶」 from the next line.