– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

One of the most important attributes of

origami is once we have studied and

understood the way paper folds and

unfolds, we can apply those patterns to

things that are very different from

paper.

I hope by bringing the tools of

mathematics into my origami design that

I can then fold something that's

beautiful and that's unexpected.

My name is Robert Lang and I'm a

physicist and an origami artist.

Origami is the Japanese name for the art

of folded paper. And most origami is

folded from a single sheet of paper with

no cuts or tears.

I have loved origami my entire life. I

pursued it ever since I was a kid. But

my study was science and engineering. I

worked for NASA doing research on

lasers. But throughout that whole time,

I had been pursuing origami, developing

designs and writing books. So in 2001, I

quit my job to try to make a career out

of origami.

I've worked on a couple of different

folding patterns that were round and

would wrap into a cylindrical geometry

to fit into a rocket.

And I developed an airbag in a car that

inflates from a small folded bundle. So

whenever an engineer creates something

that opens and closes in a controlled

way, they can make use of the folding

patterns of origami.

Over the years, math has allowed me to

realize as an artist shapes and

creations that I couldn't achieve any

other way.

Traditional origami was relatively

simple. The designs would have taken

maybe 20 or 30 steps at most. But today,

origami pieces can be so complicated

that they can have tens, hundreds, maybe

even a thousand steps.

When I'm folding, it's like working with

an old friend. It's like dancing with a

partner whose moves I know that if I

move this way, I know my partner is

going to move that way. And so I explore

the math, develop the equations, solve

the equations, create the folding

pattern, and then I find out what it

looks like. And as often as not, it is

beautiful.

For me, the driving force is that

there's always something new to try, a

new problem, a new subject, a new shape

that I didn't think I was able to create

before, but now I think I know how to

realize it. And each time I solve a

problem, you get this wonderful feeling.

And you want more of those feelings.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
origami /ˌɒrɪˈɡɑːmi/ B2	noun - The Japanese art of folding paper into decorative shapes.
fold /foʊld/ A2	verb - To bend something over on itself so that one part of it covers another. noun - A part of something that has been folded.
paper /ˈpeɪpər/ A1	noun - Material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing, printing, or packaging.
design /dɪˈzaɪn/ B1	noun - A plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or other object before it is built or made. verb - Decide upon the look and functioning of something.
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/ A2	adjective - Pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.
artist /ˈɑːrtɪst/ B1	noun - A person who practices or performs any of the creative arts.
single /ˈsɪŋɡəl/ A1	adjective - Only one; not more than one.
sheet /ʃiːt/ A2	noun - A rectangular piece of paper.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
study /ˈstʌdi/ B1	noun - The devotion of time and attention to the acquisition of knowledge on a subject. verb - Devote time and attention to the acquisition of knowledge about (a subject).
research /rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/ B1	noun - The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. verb - Investigate systematically.
engineer /ˌendʒɪˈnɪər/ B1	noun - A person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or public works.
patterns /ˈpætərnz/ B1	noun - A repeated or regular way in which something happens or is done.
math /mæθ/ A2	noun - The abstract science of number, quantity, and space.
shapes /ʃeɪps/ A1	noun - The external form or outline of someone or something.
complicated /ˈkɒmplɪkeɪtɪd/ B2	adjective - Consisting of many interconnecting parts or elements; intricate.
steps /steps/ A1	noun - An act or instance of walking with one foot and then the other.
friend /frend/ A1	noun - A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.
partner /ˈpɑːrtnər/ B1	noun - A person who takes part in an activity with another person.