サンフェーデッド – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 篠澤 広

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the world of J-pop through the avant-garde sounds of Hiro Shinozawa's “サンフェーデッド” (Sunfaded). This song offers a fantastic opportunity for language learners to engage with complex, poetic lyrics that express a profound story of self-determination. The unconventional musical style makes it a standout track, perfect for those who want to explore a more experimental side of Japanese music while deciphering lyrics filled with conviction and nuanced emotion.

[English]

Oh, I didn't put on any sunscreen.

How such a loud voice would come so close to my skin,

How the light would turn into a ring,

Eventually, I'll remember all of it, like the secret of a bright path.

Ah, when will we meet?

When we meet,

Of the right person for me,

They'll have the right voice for me.

Playful fingertips, eyelashes,

And hair ties remember your figures.

Someone is watching me as I leap into layers of shimmer and darkness.

Don't worry, I won't go back. See?

Anywhere, ah, as many times as I close my eyes, in the direction where the sun shines so brightly.

I say, I forbid.

I learn, I grow fond.

I dance, I am born.

I rely, I judge.

[Japanese]

あ、日焼け止め 塗らないままでいたな

あんなにも大きな声が肌すれすれに来ることも

光は指輪みたいになることも

いずれ全部 明るい道の秘密のように思い出す

Ah 僕たちは いつ出会うだろう？

出会うときは

僕にとって正しい人の

僕にとって正しい声でいる

遊ぶ指先や 睫毛や

髪留めがあなたたちの姿を覚えている

煌きと暗やみの層に躍り入る僕のことを誰かが見てる

安心して 僕は帰らない ほらね

どこでも ah 何度でも目を瞑るほど日が差す方で

僕は言う 僕は禁じる

僕は覚える 僕は懐く

僕は踊る 僕は生れる

僕は縋せる 僕は判断する

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
日焼け止め /hi.ya.ke.do.me/ B1	noun - sunscreen, sunblock
声 /ko.e/ A1	noun - voice, sound (of a human/animal)
光 /hi.ka.ri/ A1	noun - light, gleam, ray
指輪 /yu.bi.wa/ A2	noun - ring (for finger)
秘密 /hi.mi.tsu/ A2	noun - secret
睫毛 /ma.tsu.ge/ B1	noun - eyelashes
髪留め /ka.mi.do.me/ B1	noun - hair tie, hair clip, hair accessory
煌き /ki.ra.me.ki/ B2	noun - glitter, sparkle, gleam, shimmer
暗やみ /ku.ra.ya.mi/ B1	noun - darkness, gloom
層 /soː/ B2	noun - layer, stratum, level
明るい /a.ka.ru.i/ A1	adjective - bright, light, cheerful
正しい /ta.da.shii/ A2	adjective - correct, right, proper
思い出す /o.mo.i.da.su/ A2	verb - to recall, to remember, to recollect
出会う /de.a.u/ A2	verb - to meet (by chance), to encounter
躍り入る /o.do.ri.i.ru/ C1	verb - to leap into, to jump into, to dance into
安心する /an.shin.su.ru/ A2	verb - to feel relieved, to feel at ease, to be secure
瞑る /tsu.bu.ru/ B2	verb - to close (eyes)
禁じる /kin.ji.ru/ B2	verb - to forbid, to prohibit, to ban
懐く /na.tsu.ku/ B2	verb - to become attached to, to take to (a person), to be tamed
生れる /u.ma.re.ru/ A1	verb - to be born, to come into existence

Key Grammar Structures

• あ、日焼け止め 塗らないままでいたな

  ➔ Verb-ないまま（で）いる

  ➔ This structure indicates that an action was *not* performed, and a state of *not doing* it continued or remained. It expresses a sense of leaving something undone or neglecting to do something. "日焼け止めを塗らないままでいた" means "I remained without applying sunscreen" or "I left the sunscreen unapplied". The final 「な」 adds a casual, reflective tone.

• あんなにも大きな声が肌すれすれに来ることも

  ➔ 〜ことも

  ➔ This combines the nominalizer 「こと」 (turning a phrase/clause into a noun) with the particle 「も」 (indicating "also," "even," or "too"). It means "the fact that X also happens" or "even the fact that X happens." It often implies that the mentioned fact is one among several or is notable. The phrase 「〜来ることも」 refers to "the fact that such a loud voice comes so close to my skin, too/even."

• いずれ全部 明るい道の秘密のように思い出す

  ➔ 〜ように

  ➔ 「〜ように」 is used here to indicate resemblance or manner, meaning "as if," "like," or "in such a way that." It often describes how something appears, feels, or is done. "秘密のように思い出す" means "I will remember it *as if* it were a secret of a bright path."

• Ah 僕たちは いつ出会うだろう？

  ➔ 〜だろう？ (question form)

  ➔ 「〜だろう？」 (or 「〜でしょうか」 for polite form) is used to express conjecture, a soft question, or to wonder about something. It's less direct than a simple 「〜ですか？」 and often implies uncertainty or a rhetorical question. When paired with an interrogative word like 「いつ」 (when), it means "I wonder when..." or "When will it probably...?" "いつ出会うだろう？" means "I wonder when we will meet?" or "When will we probably meet?"

• 僕にとって正しい人の

  ➔ 〜にとって

  ➔ This particle phrase indicates a perspective, a viewpoint, or who/what something is "for." It means "for (me/someone)," "from (my/someone's) perspective," or "as far as (me/someone) is concerned." "僕にとって正しい人" means "a person who is right *for me*" or "a person who is correct *from my perspective*."

• 煌きと暗やみの層に躍り入る僕のことを誰かが見てる

  ➔ 〜のこと (with a modifying clause)

  ➔ 「〜のこと」 refers to a person or thing, often used when that person/thing is the object of thought, feeling, or discussion. When preceded by a modifying clause (like 「躍り入る僕」 - "me who leaps into..."), it emphasizes "the matter of that person" or "that person's existence/state." It makes the subject of the previous clause the direct object of the following verb (here, 「見てる」 - watching). "躍り入る僕のことを誰かが見てる" means "Someone is watching *me, who leaps into the layers of brilliance and darkness*."

• どこでも ah 何度でも目を瞑るほど日が差す方で

  ➔ 〜ほど

  ➔ 「〜ほど」 is a particle that indicates degree or extent, meaning "to the extent that," "so much that," or "as much as." It expresses a comparison or the degree to which something occurs. "目を瞑るほど日が差す" means "the sun shines *to the extent that I have to close my eyes*," or "the sun shines *so brightly that I close my eyes*."

• 僕は言う

  ➔ Repetitive 「僕はV」 structure

  ➔ This phrase, repeated eight times consecutively (「僕は言う」, 「僕は禁じる」, etc.), creates a strong, assertive, and rhythmic list of actions or declarations. Grammatically, it highlights the speaker's direct agency and emphasizes each individual action, building a sense of determination or self-assertion. While 「僕は言う」 itself is simple (Subject + Verb), the *repetition* of this structure is the key grammatical/stylistic choice. "僕は言う" means "I say."