ウスバカゲロウ – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: Mr.Children
• Album: 産声

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poetic world of Mr.Children with 'Usubakagero.' This song is a wonderful way to learn sophisticated Japanese metaphors and nuanced vocabulary related to nature and human emotion, offering a deep look into how Japanese lyrics express the beauty of transience.

[English]

(instrumental)

(instrumental)

The sunglasses that were...

Lost, then found.

Without it.

The summer memories we shared.

They faded a little more again.

A treasure that was so close, right beside me.

I let it slip away somewhere.

Drifting far away.

The spark that set everything in motion.

Lost and wandering.

Swelling inside.

Countless regrets.

Layered over your lingering after‑image.

While loneliness...

...holds me down.

In the sunrise that comes at dawn.

Again...

...and...

Caught as it falls.

A thin, pale...

I am now that… the feathered name…

[音楽][歌声]

...appears.

(instrumental)

(instrumental)

I made it in a mug cup.

Poured the soup in.

To stave off hunger.

Only...

There are no complaints about the meal.

Even now I’m still dragging the child within me.

Living…

The scenery you saw—what could it have been?

Without trying to name it.

Oh…

Those days were bright with laughter and color.

They were far too simple.

に

From this tiny button’s difference,

everything fell apart.

It broke.

I want to plug my ears.

Even if I throw words at it, I…

I’m not mistaken.

I have no way to protect the heart I cherish.

Chance…

…comes again and again.

I did it.

…did it.

Now,

I finally understand the feeling.

Why, why…

(instrumental)

I threw away the melody without sound,

the soundless melody,

layered onto your lingering after‑image.

While tasting the tenderness…

ながら愛しさ[歌声][音楽]を

I’m savoring it.

It’s still…

a shining road.

A place…

…to reach.

Even if I can’t…

…make it there today,

the wavering light…

brings joy.

to…

...take flight,

to…

the wind…

...converges,

Life…

shakes and sways,

the sky…

fades into a thin haze.

(instrumental)

.

I am now that… the opening...

…

ສ

(instrumental)

[Japanese]

[音楽]

[音楽]

第[音楽]にして[歌声]たサングラス4

なくし[音楽]て見つか[歌声]

なくて

君[音楽]といた夏の記憶[歌声]が

また[音楽]少ししボんだ。

[音楽]相手こんな風に身近にあった宝物

をどっかに[音楽]ほって

はるかとカる

[音楽]キめきに見れをかけて

失って迷中[音楽]

に膨らん[歌声]だ

いくつもの後悔[音楽]

君の残像に重ねえ

ながら寂さ[歌声][音楽]に

くまってる

やがって[音楽]くる朝やけに

また[音楽][歌声]たこさ

れて

下り捕まる

薄あげ[音楽][歌声]

僕は今それのよ。名の羽たん

[音楽][歌声]

でる。

[音楽]

[音楽]

マグ[音楽]カップに作った

スープを流し込む。

空腹をしのぐ[音楽]

[歌声]だけの

食事で不満[歌声][音楽]はない。

の今だって子供地にたを引きずったまんま

暮らして[歌声]

君から見た[音楽]景色がどんな[歌声]

ものかをせずに

お

笑い[音楽][歌声]色だった日々は

あまりにも簡単[音楽][歌声]

に

この小さなボタ[音楽]

の違いからこなごなに

壊れ[音楽][歌声]た

耳を塞ぎたいような

言葉を[音楽]投げてでも自分は[音楽]

間違っていない

思わき心を守る[音楽]手立てがなくて

チャンス[歌声]

は何度でも

やったっ

てたの

今

思い分かる[音楽]

ことなぜなぜ

[音楽]

ゆくれ[音楽][歌声]に投げ捨てた

音のないメロディを

君の残像に[音楽][歌声]

重ね合わせ

ながら愛しさ[歌声][音楽]を

味わってる

今はまだ

光り道

場所[音楽]

に

たどり着け

[歌声]ないとしても

今日ゆらゆら[音楽][歌声]

と喜命

に[音楽]

飛び立ち[歌声]

たい

風が

合わ

命[音楽]

は揺らしながら

空を

薄かげろ

[音楽]

。

僕は今それのよ。おめい[音楽][歌声]

の開い

ສ

[音楽]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
記憶 kioku N3	noun - memory
宝物 takaramono N3	noun - treasure
後悔 koukai N3	noun - regret
残像 zanzou N2	noun - afterimage
寂しさ sabishisa N3	noun - loneliness
壊れる kowareru N3	verb - to break, to be broken
言葉 kotoba N3	noun - word, language
投げ捨てる nagesuteru N3	verb - to throw away
愛しさ itoshisa N3	noun - love, affection
味わう ajiwau N3	verb - to taste, to savor
光り hikari N4	noun - light
場所 basho N4	noun - place
揺らし yurashi N4	noun - shaking
命 inochi N3	noun - life
薄かげろ usukagero N2	noun - heat haze

Key Grammar Structures

• 君といた夏の記憶がまた少ししボんだ。

  ➔ Past tense, relative clause, particle 'が'

  ➔ The sentence describes a past memory. The particle 'が' marks '夏の記憶' (summer memories) as the subject of the verb 'しボんだ' (faded). The 'が' emphasizes the subject is the thing *experiencing* the fading.

• 失って迷中に膨らん だ

  ➔ Te-form + auxiliary verb, expressing a state resulting from an action

  ➔ The 'て' form of '失って' (losing) connects it to '膨らん だ' (swelled). This indicates that the swelling is a *result* of having lost something. It describes a state of being overwhelmed by loss.

• いくつもの後悔に重ねえながら寂さ にくまってる

  ➔ Gerund/nominalized verb + 'に' + verb, expressing a state of being enveloped by something

  ➔ The phrase 'いくつもの後悔に重ねえながら' (while layering on many regrets) uses the 'に' particle to show that the speaker is *surrounded* or *overwhelmed* by regrets. 'くまってる' (kumatteiru) means 'to be steeped in' or 'to be overwhelmed by'.

• チャンスは何度でもやったっ てたの

  ➔ Past progressive form + colloquial particle 'って'

  ➔ The '～ていた' form ('やっていた') indicates a continuous action in the past. The 'って' particle adds a conversational, almost self-talking tone, suggesting the speaker was repeatedly telling themselves this.