Shadow Dance – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 満島ひかり

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the enchanting world of 満島ひかり's "Shadow Dance," a song that beautifully merges Japanese lyrics with a mesmerizing electronic sound. This track offers a unique opportunity to explore poetic language and vivid imagery, enhanced by subtle musical nuances. Discover how the interplay of memory, mystery, and rhythm creates an unforgettable listening experience.

[English]

...

Unforgettable, the dark, vibrant sea

Fades into the pale pink sky

Synchronized with the pulsing heartbeat

Hiding the memories of the wind and the earth

The shadows of those who took everything are blue

Silencing the time that was ravaged

The river flows up to the sky

And the rain of light pours down

The loop won't stop

With the prayers of August

I bare my vows

If I go mad, the clouds will hide

Where will I go next?

I won't stop the loop

With the dance of August

I dance quietly

And return to my lodging

In the secret forest

The dream that has cooled down is strange

I stare at the circle to confirm

The crowd of people dancing like fish

In the darkness, the woman weaves her thread

The night road that guides the roaring god

The night road that guides the roaring god

Remember, don't be afraid, the moon will come again

In the ink-colored sky that flows like blood

This demon that has stuck to me

The records of the earth and the wind that live on

The loop won't stop

With the prayers of August

I bare my vows

If I go mad, the clouds will hide

Where will I go next?

I won't stop the loop

With the dance of August

I dance quietly

And return to my lodging

In the secret forest

[Japanese]

忘れられない　暗い　鮮やかな海は

はじけるペールピンクの空に

同期する鼓動に

ひそむ原始と風の記憶

うばう奴らの影は青くて

食い荒らされた時をしずめて

流水は天にのぼり

降り注ぐ光の雨

ループを止めない

八月の祈りで

誓いをさらって

狂えば雲がくれ

つぎはどこに

ループをやめない

八月の踊りで

しとしと踊って

宿れもどれ

秘密の森の中に

冷めきった夢がおかしくて

円を睨みつけてたしかめる

魚のように踊る人の群れ

暗がりで女は糸を織り

うなり神みちびく夜の道

うなり神みちびく夜の道

思いだせ　こわくない　再来の月は

血のめぐるようなインクの空に

はりついたこの鬼

生きる原始と風の記録

ループを止めない

八月の祈りで

誓いをさらって

狂えば雲がくれ

つぎはどこに

ループをやめない

八月の踊りで

しとしと踊って

宿れもどれ

秘密の森の中に

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
忘れられない /wasure rarenai/ B1	adjective - unforgettable
鮮やか /azayaka/ B1	adjective - vivid
鼓動 /kodō/ B2	noun - heartbeat
原始 /genshi/ C1	noun - primitive
ループ /rūpu/ B1	noun - loop
誓い /chikai/ B1	noun - vow
狂い /kurai/ B2	verb - to go mad
宿れ /yadore/ B2	verb - to stay
秘密 /himitsu/ B1	noun - secret
森 /mori/ A2	noun - forest
糸 /ito/ A2	noun - thread
織り /ori/ B1	verb - to weave
魚 /saka na/ A1	noun - fish
群れ /mure/ B1	noun - group
暗がり /kuragari/ B2	noun - darkness
女 /onna/ A1	noun - woman
夜 /yoru/ A1	noun - night
道 /michi/ A2	noun - road
再来 /sairai/ B1	noun - next time
血 /chi/ A2	noun - blood
インク /inku/ B1	noun - ink
鬼 /oni/ B2	noun - ogre

Key Grammar Structures

• はじけるペールピンクの空に

  ➔ The use of に indicates the direction or target of an action, often translated as 'into' or 'to'.

  ➔ 'に' marks the target location of a movement or the direction in which something occurs.

• 同期する鼓動に

  ➔ The noun '鼓动' (heartbeat) is connected with 'に' to show the 'to' or 'with' relation indicating synchronization.

  ➔ 'に' shows the target or association of the noun it follows, often indicating the direction or the entity involved in an action.

• 夜の神みちびく夜の道

  ➔ The noun '神' (god/spirit) is used with 'みちびく' (to guide) to form a compound phrase, and '夜の' shows possession or modifier meaning 'night's'.

  ➔ '神' is a noun meaning 'god' or 'spirit', combined with 'みちびく' (to guide), forming a phrase that refers to a guiding divine force.

• しとしと踊って

  ➔ The verb '踊って' is the te-form of '踊る', used here to connect multiple actions or describe an ongoing action.

  ➔ The te-form '踊って' connects verbs, making it possible to describe actions happening sequentially or simultaneously.

• 食い荒らされた時をしずめて

  ➔ The passive voice '荒らされた' indicates that something was disturbed or ravaged by an unspecified agent.

  ➔ The passive form indicates that the subject received the action, emphasizing the effect on the subject.