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 |