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Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Ai Kayano · Sword Art Online · Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld
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ayatsurarete sukuwarete ikasareta
Manipulated, saved, kept alive.
Three voice-stacked passives in te-chain. 操られる = direct passive of 操る (manipulate). 救われる = direct passive of 救う (save). 生かされる = causative-passive of 生きる: 'be made to live'.
The string of passives reflects the Underworld arc's whole theme: every protagonist there is an artificial person whose existence was orchestrated, fought-for, and rescued from outside their own will.
yadotta chiisana hikari sube mo nakushi yabureta tote
A small light dwelt within — even if (we) lost every means and were torn apart —
Dwelt small light, way even lost, torn even-if — とて is the classical/literary 'even if' equivalent of 〜ても.
すべ ('way, means') is a literary noun rarely used in daily speech; とて is bungo-style 'even if'. Together they push the verse into epic-anime register.
mada idomu ishi ga aru kono mi wo
Still — there's the will to challenge — this very body…
Still challenge will (subj) exists, this body (obj) — 挑む is a literary verb 'challenge / take on a fight'.
身 (mi) for 'body / one's self' is more poetic than 体 (karada). 〜の身 / この身 implies sacrificial framing — 'this self of mine, that I'd offer up'.
tatoe gisei wo haratte mo mamoraneba naranu mono
Even if it costs sacrifice — there are things one must protect.
Even-if sacrifice (obj) pay-(te)-even, protect-must-not-be thing — 守らねばならぬ is the classical/bungo equivalent of 守らなければならない.
犠牲を払う ('to pay sacrifice') is a stock collocation. The classical 〜ねばならぬ form is straight out of samurai-drama territory — fits Alicization's swords-and-honor register.
sorezore idaku kesshin no kakugo
Each one bearing — resolve born of determination.
Each-respectively hold-in-heart determination's resolve — 抱く (idaku) is the literary reading; the everyday reading is だく (hug).
覚悟 is a heavy Japanese word: it's not just 'resolve' but 'readiness to face whatever comes, including death'. Common in samurai/warrior contexts and shounen finales: 覚悟しろ! ('be prepared!').
owaru koto ga sadame te mo tada ichido tsuranukou
Even if ending is fated — let's see it through, just once.
End thing (subj) destiny even, just one-time pierce-through-let-do — 貫く (tsuranuku) is 'pierce / see through completely / hold to the end'.
貫く carries connotations of unbroken commitment — 信念を貫く ('hold to one's convictions'), 愛を貫く ('see love through'). The volitional 貫こう is the verb-form of resolve.
zetsubou kara haiagare kibou ni mukete
Crawl back up from despair — directed toward hope.
Despair from crawl-up (imperative), hope toward direct-(te) — 這い上がる = 這う (crawl) + 上がる (rise) = 'climb up by crawling, force one's way upward'.
這い上がる is a powerful image: not just rising, but DRAGGING yourself upward when standing isn't possible. Used for boxers off the canvas, soldiers from foxholes, characters at narrative rock-bottom.
yami no sora wo kirihiraite mirai e
Cutting open the dark sky — toward the future.
Darkness's sky (obj) cut-open-(te), future toward — 切り開く = 切る (cut) + 開く (open) = 'force open by cutting / pioneer, carve a path'.
切り開く literally describes settlers cutting through wilderness; metaphorically, 'pioneering / opening the way'. Pairs with 道を切り開く ('blaze a trail'), 人生を切り開く ('forge one's life').