ray – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: BUMP OF CHICKEN

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into "ray" by BUMP OF CHICKEN, a quintessential Japanese rock anthem that beautifully intertwines themes of hope, perseverance, and the bittersweet acceptance of loss. By exploring its deeply reflective lyrics, you'll uncover insights into poetic Japanese expressions of emotion and resilience. The song's unique blend of traditional rock with subtle electronic elements, especially in its famous collaboration with Hatsune Miku, makes it a special piece for understanding modern Japanese music and language.

[English]

It seems the parting happened even earlier.

I sealed the sad light away and wore my heels down to the bone.

When I was with you I could see it; now I can’t see it anymore.

I vaguely see a transparent comet, and that’s all I keep looking for.

I kept singing all the time, with melodies that existed only then.

I wasn’t lonely, because I learned how to be truly lonely.

How long, how far—whether it’s normal or abnormal—

Walking is so hard there’s no time even to think about it.

It’s always better to be happy; I’ll mask it and keep laughing.

It’s okay—the pain won’t disappear just because I try to forget.

The road I built with ideals is being overwritten by reality.

Memories stay on that road as a shining trace.

Why did we part? I wonder what it was for.

The sad light stretches my shadow forward, longer.

Sometimes I get a fever; when I have time, I sleep.

Within the dream, once I realize it’s a dream and meet you, let’s start again.

Even in endless darkness far from any clear sky.

If you picture a star, you’re instantly inside a galaxy.

Even if I don’t cry much any more, even if I get new shoes.

It’s okay—the pain won’t disappear just because I try to forget.

There must have been something I wanted to tell.

It’s probably just ordinary, yet it feels this intense.

The parting is linked to the meeting.

That transparent comet never disappears because it’s transparent.

Whether I’m ○, × or △, comparing myself to everyone.

There’s not even a moment to confirm.

Living is the greatest.

Even if I don’t cry much anymore, I’ll keep covering it up and laughing.

It’s okay—the pain won’t disappear just because I try to forget.

It’s okay—at the beginning of this light, you are there.

[Japanese]

お別れしたのはもっと　前の事だったような

悲しい光は封じ込めて　踵すり減らしたんだ

君といた時は見えた　今は見えなくなった

透明な彗星をぼんやりと　でもそれだけ探している

しょっちゅう唄を歌ったよ　その時だけのメロディーを

寂しくなんかなかったよ　ちゃんと寂しくなれたから

いつまでどこまでなんて　正常か異常かなんて

考える暇も無い程　歩くのは大変だ

楽しい方がずっといいよ　ごまかして笑っていくよ

大丈夫だ　あの痛みは　忘れたって消えやしない

理想で作った道を　現実が塗り替えていくよ

思い出はその軌跡の上で　輝きになって残っている

お別れしたのは何で　何のためだったんだろうな

悲しい光が僕の影を　前に長く伸ばしている

時々熱が出るよ　時間がある時眠るよ

夢だと解るその中で　君と会ってからまた行こう

晴天とはほど遠い　終わらない暗闇にも

星を思い浮かべたなら　すぐ銀河の中だ

あまり泣かなくなっても　靴を新しくしても

大丈夫だ　あの痛みは　忘れたって消えやしない

伝えたかった事が　きっとあったんだろうな

恐らくありきたりなんだろうけど　こんなにも

お別れした事は　出会った事と繋がっている

あの透明な彗星は　透明だから無くならない

◯×△どれかなんて　皆と比べてどうかなんて

確かめる間も無い程

生きるのは最高だ

あまり泣かなくなっても　ごまかして笑っていくよ

大丈夫だ　あの痛みは　忘れたって消えやしない

大丈夫だ　この光の始まりには　君がいる

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
別れ wakare N3	noun - farewell, parting
悲しい kanashii N4	adjective - sad, sorrowful
光 hikari N4	noun - light
彗星 suisei N3	noun - comet
唄 uta N4	noun - song
寂しい sabishii N4	adjective - lonely, solitary
歩く aruku N4	verb - to walk
痛み itami N3	noun - pain
理想 risou N3	noun - ideal
現実 genjitsu N3	noun - reality
軌跡 kiseki N3	noun - trace, track
影 kage N4	noun - shadow
眠る nemuru N4	verb - to sleep
銀河 ginga N3	noun - galaxy
確かめる tashikameru N3	verb - to confirm, to verify
最高 saikou N3	adjective - best, highest

Key Grammar Structures

• お別れしたのはもっと 前の事だったような

  ➔ ようだ – ‘seems like’, used to express conjecture or appearance

  ➔ The ending ''ような'' (here contracted to ''ような'') shows that the speaker is **guessing** that the breakup happened earlier.

• 悲しい光は封じ込めて 踵すり減らしたんだ

  ➔ んだ – explanatory/affirmative nuance (colloquial) after past tense

  ➔ The ending ''んだ'' (short for ''のだ'') adds an **explanatory tone**, stressing that the speaker deliberately wore out his heels.

• 君といた時は見えた 今は見えなくなった

  ➔ Vた時 – ‘when (something) happened’; なくなる – ‘to become not / disappear’

  ➔ The clause ''君といた時は'' uses ''Vた時'' to mean **‘when I was with you’**. ''見えなくなった'' combines the negative ''ない'' with ''なる'' to express **‘became invisible / disappeared’**.

• 考える暇も無いほど 歩くのは大変だ

  ➔ ほど – ‘to the extent that / as … as’

  ➔ The pattern ''無いほど'' means **‘so much that there is no …’**; here it emphasizes that there isn’t even time to think.

• 楽しい方がずっといいよ ごまかして笑っていくよ

  ➔ 方が – comparative ‘… is better / more …’

  ➔ The phrase ''楽しい方がずっといい'' uses ''方が'' to compare, meaning **‘being happy is far better’**.

• 大丈夫だ あの痛みは 忘れたって消えやしない

  ➔ Vて(も) – ‘even if …, … (still)’

  ➔ The concessive ''忘れたって'' (colloquial for ''忘れても'') means **‘even if you forget’**, indicating that the pain won’t disappear.

• 夢だと解るその中で 君と会ってからまた行こう

  ➔ Vてから – ‘after doing …, …’ (sequential action)

  ➔ The phrase ''会ってから'' uses ''Vてから'' to indicate that **‘after meeting you, let’s go again’**.

• 星を思い浮かべたなら すぐ銀河の中だ

  ➔ Vたら – conditional ‘if/when … (and then)’

  ➔ The conditional ''思い浮かべたなら'' (literally ‘if you imagine’) uses ''Vたら'' to mean **‘if you picture a star, you’re instantly in a galaxy’**.

• あまり泣かなくなっても 靴を新しくしても

  ➔ Vても – ‘even if …, still …’ (multiple clauses)

  ➔ Both clauses end with ''ても'', showing **concessive** meaning: *even if I don’t cry much* or *even if I get new shoes*, the situation remains.

• 生きるのは最高だ

  ➔ のは – nominalizer + topic marker (what ... is ...)

  ➔ Here ''生きるのは'' turns the verb ''生きる'' into a noun phrase, making it the **topic** of the sentence: **‘Living is the best’**.