Mr.Children brings nostalgia and life’s fleeting moments to life in ‘Ubugoe.’ Kazutoshi Sakurai writes the lyrics, while he and Syoichiro Ishii create the melody. The song opens with a vivid memory of a baseball stadium near a childhood home.
Ubugoe
Mr.Children
Ubugoe Lyrics English Translation by Mr.Children
Kazutoshi Sakurai describes the sound of players’ cheers, comparing them to the morning sun. A key line translates to, ‘Within the blink of an eye, life is born and fades away.’ The narrator reflects on the miracle of being alive, blending memories with the present.
Jikka no soba ni aru shiei no yakyuujouA municipal baseball stadium stands near my childhood home,
Koe ga kikoeruand I can hear the voices
Gyakuten ni waku senshu-ra noof players erupting at a come-from-behind victory.
Yomigaeru shounenkiMy boyhood comes flooding back,
Waraiatta hibi no kiokumemories of days we spent laughing together.
Kodama suru kansei no koe gaThe echoing sounds of their cheers
Asahi mitai ni kagayaiteruare shining bright like the morning sun.
Matataku ma ni sugiru toki no naka deWithin the time that passes in the blink of an eye,
Umarete wa kieteiku inochi no rireeit’s a relay of life being born and then fading away.
Kyou o ikiteru tte kotoThe fact that I’m alive today,
Sore dake de kiseki nan darouthat alone is a miracle, isn’t it?
Kikoeru yoI can hear it,
Atarashii ubugoea newborn’s first cry.
Toki no nagare ni mi o yudane tadayou mo yoiIt’s fine to just drift and surrender to the flow of time,
Toki ni wa sore ni aragatte susumu mo yoiand sometimes it’s just as good to fight it and push forward.
Saigo ni wa unmei ni michibikareteiku ki mo shiteruIn the end, I feel like I’m being led by destiny anyway.
Dekiru dake toumawari shiyouSo let’s take the long way round as much as we can,
Tatta ichido no jinsei narasince we only get this one life to live.
Awatadashii hibi ni kyou o nomikomareToday gets swallowed up by these hectic days,
Naite waratte aishiatte kizutsukeatteas we cry, laugh, love, and hurt one another.
Demo sore de yoi no kamoBut maybe that’s exactly how it should be.
“Sore de koso boku ni fusawashii jinsei” to omoeru yoI can finally feel like “that’s the life that truly suits me,”
Ima naraat least I can now.
Masshiro na kyou toiu iremono niInto this pure white vessel we call today,
Atarashii ibuki o fukikomuI’ll breathe a fresh breath of life.
Kako kara mirai e to tsunagaru inochi no hashigoThe ladder of life connects the past to the future,
Dare mo ga sono hitoriand every single person is a part of it.
Matataku ma ni sugiru toki no naka deWithin the time that passes in the blink of an eye,
Umarete wa kieteiku inochi no rireeit’s a relay of life being born and then fading away.
Kyou o ikiteru tte kotoThe fact that I’m alive today,
Sore dake de kiseki nan darouthat alone is a miracle, isn’t it?
Kikoeru yoI can hear it,
Kikoeru yo itsudatteI can hear it all the time.
Matataku ma ni sugiru toki no naka deWithin the time that passes in the blink of an eye,
Umarete wa kieteiku inochi no rireeit’s a relay of life being born and then fading away.
Kimi ga koko ni iru tte kotoThe fact that you’re right here,
Sore dake de kiseki nan da yothat alone is a miracle, you know?
Kikoeru kaCan you hear it?
Sono mune no ubugoeThe first cry of life within your heart,
Ubugoethat first cry.
Ubugoe Music Video
The translation of ‘Ubugoe’ lyrics mirrors the cycle of life and its fleeting beauty. Mr.Children’s song is a heartfelt reminder to cherish every moment in this Japanese masterpiece.