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Hikaru Utada · Kingdom Hearts · Kingdom Hearts Theme (JP)
Tap words in the lyrics for meaning, then use Practice when the verse is in your ears.
Synced lyrics
donna toki datte
No matter what time it is —
'What-kind-of time even.' どんな〜だって is a fixed pattern: 'no matter what (X)'. The line opens the song as an unconditional promise.
Hikari (光, 'Light') is the Japanese theme song of Kingdom Hearts (2002). The English version 'Simple and Clean' became a global gaming anthem; the original Japanese is softer, more intimate — about partnership, not just adventure.
tatta hitori de
all by myself,
'Only one-person with.' たった一人 = 'just one and only' — emphatic 'all alone'.
unmei wasurete
I'd been forgetting fate,
'Fate forgetting.' Te-form chains into the next verse. 運命忘れて (with the を particle dropped colloquially) = 'forgetting fate / putting destiny aside'.
ikite kita noni
and I'd been living that way — yet,
'Living-came although.' 〜てくる as a perfect: 'have come to (do X) up to now'. のに sets up the contrast — 'I'd been managing alone, BUT...'.
totsuzen no hikari no naka me ga sameru
in a sudden burst of light, I open my eyes —
'Sudden of light of inside, eyes [subj] wake.' 目が覚める ('eyes wake') is the standard idiom for waking up. 突然の光 = 'a sudden light' (with の linking adverb to noun).
mayonaka ni
in the middle of the night.
'Midnight at.' 真夜中 = 真 (deep) + 夜中 (middle of night) — the very deepest hour.
shizuka ni deguchi ni tatte
Standing quietly at the exit,
'Quietly exit at standing.' Te-form chains forward. 静かに sets the cinematic mood — the singer poised on a threshold.
kurayami ni hikari o ute
fire light into the darkness!
'Darkness into light [obj] fire!' 撃つ specifically means 'to shoot (a gun, an arrow)'. The bare imperative 撃て gives the line a battle-cry edge — uncharacteristic for an Utada ballad.
imadoki yakusoku nante
These days, things like 'promises' —
'These-days promise things-like.' なんて dismissively introduces 約束 — 'promises and so on'. Sets up the next verse's hesitation.
fuan ni saseru dake kana
do they just make us anxious, I wonder?
'Anxious make-do only I-wonder.' 不安にさせる = causative 'make (someone) anxious'. 〜だけ + かな = 'I wonder if it's just (X)'.
negai o kuchi ni shitai dake sa
I just want to put the wish into words, that's all.
'Wish [obj] mouth into want-to-do only [emph].' 口にする = 'to mention; to put into words'. だけ + さ = 'it's just only X' — defensive softening.
kazoku ni mo shoukai suru yo
I'll introduce you to my family, you know.
'Family to-also introduce [emph].' にも = 'to (the family) too / even'. 紹介する is the suru-verb 'to introduce'.
kitto umaku iku yo
It'll all work out, for sure.
'Surely well-go [emph].' うまくいく is one of Japanese's most useful idioms — '(things) go smoothly / work out'.
donna toki datte
No matter what time it is —
'What-kind-of time even.' どんな〜だって is a fixed pattern: 'no matter what (X)'. The line opens the song as an unconditional promise.
Hikari (光, 'Light') is the Japanese theme song of Kingdom Hearts (2002). The English version 'Simple and Clean' became a global gaming anthem; the original Japanese is softer, more intimate — about partnership, not just adventure.
zutto futari de
the two of us, all along.
'All-along two-people with.' Closes the first chorus — completes the v1 'no matter what time it is' with 'we'll be together'.
donna toki datte
No matter what time it is —
'What-kind-of time even.' どんな〜だって is a fixed pattern: 'no matter what (X)'. The line opens the song as an unconditional promise.
Hikari (光, 'Light') is the Japanese theme song of Kingdom Hearts (2002). The English version 'Simple and Clean' became a global gaming anthem; the original Japanese is softer, more intimate — about partnership, not just adventure.
soba ni iru kara
I'll be by your side, so —
'Near at to-be because.' 側にいる = 'to be near (someone)'. The clause-final から carries the implied promise — 'so don't worry'.
kimi to iu hikari ga watashi o mitsukeru
the light called 'you' will find me
'You called light [subj] me [obj] find.' 君という光 — the noun phrase 'the light that is you'. 〜という is how Japanese names or defines: 'a Y called X'.
君という光 is the song's emotional centre — and the title's grammatical reverse. The light isn't somewhere out there; it's the other person.
mayonaka ni
in the middle of the night.
'Midnight at.' 真夜中 = 真 (deep) + 夜中 (middle of night) — the very deepest hour.
urusai toori ni haitte
Heading into the noisy street,
'Noisy street into entering.' Te-form chains into v18. The image: a quiet inner moment opening onto the loud public world.
unmei no kamen o tore
take off the mask of fate!
'Fate of mask [obj] take-off!' Bare imperative とれ. 仮面をとる is a direct translation of 'remove the mask' — drop the pretense.
sakiyomi no shisugi nante
Things like over-anticipating —
'Reading-ahead of doing-too-much things-like.' 先読み = literally 'reading what comes ahead' — predicting outcomes. The dismissive なんて scoffs at it.
imi no nai koto wa yamete
let's stop with the things that are pointless.
'Meaning of nothing thing [topic] stop.' 意味のない = 'meaningless / pointless'. Te-form 止めて without ください — soft request.
kyou wa oishii mono o tabeyou yo
Today, let's just eat something delicious.
'Today [topic] delicious things [obj] let's-eat [emph].' Volitional + よ adds gentle insistence. The line lands as the song's quiet philosophy: skip the existential dread, share a meal.
This verse is famous — it captures Utada's signature trick of placing a deeply ordinary line ('let's eat something good') against a cosmic backdrop. The mundane act becomes the act of love.
mirai wa zutto saki da yo
The future's still way ahead.
'Future [topic] way-ahead is [emph].' ずっと先 = 'far far ahead'. Implied: don't try to plan it all now.
boku ni mo wakaranai
Even I don't know what comes.
'I to-also don't-know.' 〜にも = 'even to (X)'. The speaker admits to not knowing — paired with 'so let's not worry about planning the future right now'.
kansei sasenaide
Don't try to finish it all,
'Completion don't-make-do.' 完成させる is causative 'to make (X) be completed' — to wrap up. 〜ないで is 'please don't'.
motto yokushite
let's keep making it better.
'More make-good.' 良くする is i-adj 良い + する → 'to make (X) good'. Te-form 良くして acts as a soft request.
wan shiin zutsu totte
Filming one scene at a time —
'One-scene each filming.' ずつ = 'X at a time / X each'. 撮る is the verb specifically for taking photos or filming.
ikeba ii kara
all we have to do is go on like that.
'Go-if good because.' 〜ばいい = 'it's enough to / all (one) needs to do is'. Closes the sentence: '(filming one scene at a time), going like that is fine'.
kimi to iu hikari ga watashi no shinario utsushidasu
the light called 'you' projects my screenplay.
'You called light [subj] my of script project-out.' 映し出す = 映す ('to project') + 出す ('to put out') — to cast onto a screen, vividly.
motto hanasou yo
Let's talk more —
'More let's-talk [emph].' Volitional 話そう (from 話す) + よ — gentle persuasion.
mokuzen no ashita no koto mo
about tomorrow, right around the corner,
'Right-in-front of tomorrow of things-also.' 目前 (literally 'before the eyes') = 'imminent / about to happen'. ことも links to v29 — '(let's talk) about tomorrow's things, too'.
terebi keshite
switch off the TV,
'TV turn-off.' Te-form as soft imperative — '(please) turn off the TV'. The most domestic, intimate image of the song.
watashi no koto dake o mite ite yo
and look at only me.
'Me of things only [obj] keep-watching [emph].' 〜のこと is the standard way to refer to a person in casual speech ('matters concerning X'). 見ていて = 'keep watching' (te-form of continuous 見ている).
donna ni yokutatte
No matter how good (anything) is,
'How-much good-even-if.' 〜たって is the colloquial collapse of 〜ても. 良くたって = 良くても = 'even if it's good'. どんなに stacks 'no matter how'.
shinji kirenai ne
I can't quite bring myself to believe it.
'Believe-cannot-completely [agree].' 〜きれない negates 〜きる ('do completely') → 'cannot do (X) all the way'. The line lands as half-confession, half-shared knowledge.
sonna toki datte
Even at moments like those —
'Such time even.' Variation on v1's どんな時だって — 'even (in moments) like THAT'. The chorus comes back with promise.
soba ni iru kara
I'll be by your side, so —
'Near at to-be because.' 側にいる = 'to be near (someone)'. The clause-final から carries the implied promise — 'so don't worry'.
kimi to iu hikari ga watashi o mitsukeru
the light called 'you' will find me
'You called light [subj] me [obj] find.' 君という光 — the noun phrase 'the light that is you'. 〜という is how Japanese names or defines: 'a Y called X'.
君という光 is the song's emotional centre — and the title's grammatical reverse. The light isn't somewhere out there; it's the other person.
mayonaka ni
in the middle of the night.
'Midnight at.' 真夜中 = 真 (deep) + 夜中 (middle of night) — the very deepest hour.
motto hanasou yo
Let's talk more —
'More let's-talk [emph].' Volitional 話そう (from 話す) + よ — gentle persuasion.
mokuzen no ashita no koto mo
about tomorrow, right around the corner,
'Right-in-front of tomorrow of things-also.' 目前 (literally 'before the eyes') = 'imminent / about to happen'. ことも links to v29 — '(let's talk) about tomorrow's things, too'.
terebi keshite
switch off the TV,
'TV turn-off.' Te-form as soft imperative — '(please) turn off the TV'. The most domestic, intimate image of the song.
watashi no koto dake o mite ite yo
and look at only me.
'Me of things only [obj] keep-watching [emph].' 〜のこと is the standard way to refer to a person in casual speech ('matters concerning X'). 見ていて = 'keep watching' (te-form of continuous 見ている).
motto hanasou yo
Let's talk more —
'More let's-talk [emph].' Volitional 話そう (from 話す) + よ — gentle persuasion.
mokuzen no ashita no koto mo
about tomorrow, right around the corner,
'Right-in-front of tomorrow of things-also.' 目前 (literally 'before the eyes') = 'imminent / about to happen'. ことも links to v29 — '(let's talk) about tomorrow's things, too'.
terebi keshite
switch off the TV,
'TV turn-off.' Te-form as soft imperative — '(please) turn off the TV'. The most domestic, intimate image of the song.
watashi no koto dake o mite ite yo
and look at only me.
'Me of things only [obj] keep-watching [emph].' 〜のこと is the standard way to refer to a person in casual speech ('matters concerning X'). 見ていて = 'keep watching' (te-form of continuous 見ている).
mayonaka ni
in the middle of the night.
'Midnight at.' 真夜中 = 真 (deep) + 夜中 (middle of night) — the very deepest hour.