猫になりたい – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Ayano Tsuji
• Album: Tsuji Best

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the gentle sounds of Japanese with Ayano Tsuji's "猫になりたい". This song offers a sweet and simple entry point into the language, expressing the universal desire for love and comfort through the charming metaphor of wanting to be a cat. Discover vocabulary related to emotions, dreams, and everyday life, all wrapped in Tsuji's soothing ukulele melodies.

[English]

With the lights off, we kept talking

A star vanished beyond the glass

Running through the streets, stumbling along

When it all shatters, I’ll only call your name

Near the vast cemetery, this apartment is dimly cloudy

I saw a warm illusion

I want to be a cat

In your arms

Until the lonely night ends

I want to stay here

I want to be a cat

Words are fleeting

So they won’t fade

I’ll leave a mark on them

Closing my eyes, I pictured a secret hideaway

It looked just like a postcard of a Sicilian beach

Walking through the dusty streets, the city hates the season

I’ll discard the artificial comfort

I want to be a cat

In your arms

Until the lonely night ends

I want to stay here

I want to be a cat

Words are fleeting

So they won’t fade

I’ll leave a mark on them

[Japanese]

灯りを消したまま話を続けたら

ガラスの向こう側で星がひとつ消えた

からまわりしながら通りを駆け抜けて

砕けるその時は君の名前だけ呼ぶよ

広すぎる霊園のそばの このアパートは薄ぐもり

暖かい幻を見てた

猫になりたい

君の腕の中

寂しい夜が終わるまで

ここにいたいよ

猫になりたい

言葉ははかない

消えないように

キズつけてあげるよ

目を閉じて浮かべた密やかな逃げ場所は

シチリアの浜辺の絵ハガキとよく似てた

砂ぼこりにまみれて歩く 街は季節を嫌ってる

つくられた安らぎを捨てて

猫になりたい

君の腕の中

寂しい夜が終わるまで

ここにいたいよ

猫になりたい

言葉ははかない

消えないように

キズつけてあげるよ

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
話 はなし (hanashi) A2	noun - story, talk, conversation
消え きえ (kie) A2	verb - to disappear, vanish
星 ほし (hoshi) A1	noun - star
駆け抜け かけぬけ (kakenuke) B1	verb - to run through, dash through
名前 なまえ (namae) A1	noun - name
霊園 れいえん (reien) B2	noun - cemetery
アパート apāto A2	noun - apartment
夜 よる (yoru) A1	noun - night
言葉 ことば (kotoba) A1	noun - word, language
キズ kizu A2	noun - wound, scratch, injury
砂ぼこり 砂ぼこり (sunabokori) B1	noun - sand and dust
街 まち (machi) A1	noun - town, city
季節 きせつ (kisetsu) A2	noun - season
安らぎ やすらぎ (yasuragi) B1	noun - peace, tranquility

Key Grammar Structures

• 灯りを消したまま話を続けたら

  ➔ Conditional 'tara' form

  ➔ The sentence uses the 'tara' form (消したまま話を続けたら) to express a hypothetical situation: 'If I continued talking with the lights off...'. It indicates a condition and its potential result. The 'まま' indicates 'as is' or 'in that state'.

• からまわりしながら通りを駆け抜けて

  ➔ Gerund/Adverbial Clause with 'ながら'

  ➔ The 'ながら' construction (からまわりしながら) indicates that the action of 'winding around' is happening *while* the action of 'running through the street' is also happening. It shows simultaneous actions.

• 砕けるその時は君の名前だけ呼ぶよ

  ➔ Demonstrative Pronoun 'その時'

  ➔ 'その時' (sono toki) means 'at that moment' or 'when that happens'. It specifies the timing of the action 'calling your name'. The 'よ' adds emphasis to the statement.

• 言葉ははかない

  ➔ Descriptive Adjective 'はかない'

  ➔ 'はかない' (hakanai) means 'fleeting', 'transient', or 'ephemeral'. It describes the nature of words – that they don't last.

• キズつけてあげるよ

  ➔ Volitional Form + 'あげる' (giving)

  ➔ 'キズつける' (kizu tsukeru) means 'to wound' or 'to hurt'. The volitional form 'キズつけて' expresses the speaker's intention to do so. Adding 'あげる' implies the speaker is doing it *for* someone, perhaps as a form of affection or to leave a mark. It's a complex nuance.