Kagefumi

Romaji and English translation of the song 影踏み (Kagefumi) from the album DIVISION by the GazettE.

Lyrics originally sung in English are in italics , and words or phrases I felt were implied are in [brackets] in the translation.

I also (usually) put repeats of chorus/verses/stanzas in [brackets] if they’re not written that way in the original lyrics for ease of singing along.

If he writes a word in the lyrics but doesn’t sing it, I put it in light grey to make it easier to skip when singing along.

I usually romajize katakana characters in CAPITALS, and keep punctuation and line spacing as close to the original booklet as possible. If you see me putting spaces before punctuation at the end of a sentence or writing things in mixed-case capitals, that’s because it’s how it was in the booklet.

Any comments I had during the romajization/translation process will be included as footnotes so as not to disturb the flow of the song. They’re not required reading, but Ruki does some pretty nifty things with his lyrics/kanji choices, or sometimes there’s further explanations about words or phrases in there.

Kagefumi: Romaji

Kawaita ashioto hada wo someteku gekkou
Tsumetai anata no te
Hagarenu youni hiketa akatsuki ni
Sono tamerai wo sutete kureru?

Asu wo shinjite yukeru imi wo motome
Doko ka de kowarete shimatta
Nanimo kamo ga yugande miete
Nee mada warae teru?

Dakishimete ite wasurenu youni
Koe mo itsuka todoka naku naru
Maichiru ame ni kiei risou na
Futari no ashioto ga kasanari
Togireru made

Tsuyoku te wo nigitte
Ima wa soredake de ii
Sore ga anata wo shinjite yuku yuiitsu no hikari de

Dakishimete ite wasurenu youni
Koe mo itsuka todoka naku naru
Maichiru ame ni kasamo sasenai
Sonna jibun ga kanashii

Aishiteite ne
Konna ni moroku natte shimatta kokoro mo
Hikari wo mitsume ochiteyuku futari
Yatto kasanatta
Anata no kage to

Wasurenaide ne　kore ga owari janai koto

Shadow Tag¹: Translation

The rasping sound of our footsteps, our skin stained by the moonlight
Your hand is ice-cold
If this should all end without me letting go,
Would you [finally] abandon your hesitation?

We’re looking for a reason to keep believing in the future
But somewhere along the way it all broke down
Now everything looks wrong somehow
Will we really still be able to laugh?

I’ll hold you close so you won’t ever forget
Even if someday my voice can no longer reach you
The sound of our overlapping footsteps
Seem to fade into the pattering of the falling rain
Until we finally stop

Hold my hand tightly
For now, that will be enough
That I still believe in you is the only light I need

I’ll hold you close so you won’t ever forget
Even if someday my voice can no longer reach you
The [thought] makes me so sad,
I can’t even hold my umbrella up against the pattering of the falling rain

Please keep on loving me
Even though my heart has become so fragile

Together, we’ll look towards the light as we continue to fall
Finally, my shadow
Overlapped with yours

Please don’t forget　that this is not the end

影踏み kagefumi refers to a version of the game tag that children play where one person is “it” (the “ogre”), and they have to step on another child’s shadow to turn them into the “ogre” so they’ll be “it.” Basically, tag where you step on someone’s shadow instead of actually having to touch them to make them “it.”