This song superimposes the concepts of “wabi” (the aesthetic of imperfection), “sabi” (the aesthetic of impermanence), “wabishii” (miserable), “sabishii” (lonely), “machiwabiru” (waiting impatienty), “machi” (town), “sabireru” (decline), and so on.
Japanese | Karaoke | English |
まちわび まちさび | machiwabi machisabi | Desolate Town, Collapsed Town |
だんだん 駅前はもう だんだん わびしくても だんだん さびれてもでも だんだん においのあるまち |
dandan ekimae wa mou dandan wabishikute mo dandan sabirete mo demo dandan nioi no aru machi |
Bit by bit, shops around the station Bit by bit, so run-down Bit by bit, declining Bit by bit, a town with a scent |
どんどん 店じまいにつき どんどん 売りつくしセール どんどん とりこわされて どんどん 砂ぼこりのまち あとかたもなく あとかたもなく |
dondon misejimai ni tsuki dondon uritsukushi seeru dondon torikowasarete dondon sunabokori no machi atokata mo naku atokata mo naku |
More and more, closing up shop More and more, selling it all off More and more, being torn down More and more, a dust-cloud town Without a trace Without a trace |
あの店この店 あとかたもなく ねむたいデブ猫 どこいったの |
ano mise kono mise atokata mo naku nemutai debu neko doko itta no |
That shop, this shop Without a trace That sleepy, fat cat Where has it gone? |
あの道この道 あとかたもなく しつこい野良犬 どこいったの |
ano michi kono michi atokata mo naku shitsukoi yarou inu doko itta no |
That street, this street Without a trace That pesky, no-good dog Where has it gone? |
あの人この人 あとかたもなく いやしいカラスも どこいったの |
ano hito kono hito atokata mo naku iyashii karasu mo doko itta no |
That person, this person Without a trace The nasty crow, too Where has it gone? |
さんざん なじまない空に さんざん わりこんできて さんざん ちぐはぐなビル さんざん ほうりのないまち |
sanzan najimanai sora ni sanzan warikonde kite sanzan chiguhagu na biru sanzan houri no nai machi |
Harshly, unfamiliar sky Harshly, interrupting Harshly, out-of-place buildings Harshly, a town with no law |
ぜんぜん 駅前はもう ぜんぜん わびしいほど ぜんぜん さびしいほどに ぜんぜん においのないまち |
zenzen ekimae wa mou zenzen wabishii hodo zenzen sabishii hodo ni zenzen nioi no nai machi |
Completely, the shops around the station Completely, so run-down Completely, so lonely Completely, a town with no scent |
あとかたもなく あとかたもなく あとかたもなく あとかたもなく |
atokata mo naku atokata mo naku atokata mo naku atokata mo naku |
Without a trace Without a trace Without a trace Without a trace |