ヨルシカの『春泥棒(はるどろぼう)』

高架橋(こうかきょう)を抜(ぬ)けたら　雲(くも)の隙間(すきま)に青(あお)が覗(のぞ)いた
最近(さいきん)どうも暑(あつ)いから　ただ風(かぜ)が吹(ふ)くのを待(ま)ってた

木陰(こかげ)に座(すわ)る
何(なに)か頬(ほお)に付(つ)く
見上(みあ)げれば頭上(ずじょう)に咲(さ)いて散(ち)る

はらり、僕(ぼく)らもう息(いき)も忘(わす)れて
瞬(まばた)きさえ億劫(おっくう)
さぁ、今日(きょう)さえ明日過去(あしたかこ)に変(か)わる
ただ風(かぜ)を待(ま)つ
だから僕(ぼく)らもう声(こえ)も忘(わす)れて
さよならさえ億劫(おっくう)
ただ花(はな)が降(ふ)るだけ

晴(は)れり
今(いま)、春吹雪(はるふぶき)

次(つぎ)の日(ひ)も待(ま)ち合(あ)わせ
花見(はなみ)の客(きゃく)も少(すく)なくなった
春(はる)の匂(にお)いはもう止(や)む
今年(ことし)も夏(なつ)が来(く)るのか

高架橋(こうかきょう)を抜(ぬ)けたら　道(みち)の先(さき)に君(きみ)が覗(のぞ)いた
残(のこ)りはどれだけかな
どれだけ春(はる)に会(あ)えるだろう

川沿(かわぞ)いの丘(おか)、木陰(こかげ)に座(すわ)る
また昨日(きのう)と変(か)わらず今日(きょう)も咲(さ)く

花(はな)に、

僕(ぼく)らもう息(いき)も忘(わす)れて
瞬(まばた)きさえ億劫(おっくう)
花散(はなち)らせ今吹(いまふ)くこの嵐(あらし)は
まさに春泥棒(はるどろぼう)
風(かぜ)に今日(きょう)ももう時(とき)が流(なが)れて
立(た)つことさえ億劫(おっくう)
花(はな)の隙間(すきま)に空(そら)、散(ち)れり
まだ、春吹雪(はるふぶき)

今日(きょう)も会(あ)いに行(い)く
木陰(こかげ)に座(すわ)る
溜息(ためいき)を吐(つ)く
花(はな)ももう終(お)わる
明日(あす)も会(あ)いに行(い)く
春(はる)がもう終(お)わる
名残(なごり)るように時間(じかん)が散(ち)っていく

愛(あい)を歌(うた)えば言葉足(ことばた)らず
踏(ふ)む韻(いん)さえ億劫(おっくう)
花開(はなひら)いた今(いま)を言葉如(ことばごと)きが語(かた)れるものか

はらり、僕(ぼく)らもう声(こえ)も忘(わす)れて
瞬(まばた)きさえ億劫(おっくう)
花見(はなみ)は僕(ぼく)らだけ
散(ち)るなまだ、春吹雪(はるふぶき)

あともう少(すこ)しだけ
もう数(かぞ)えられるだけ
あと花二(はなふた)つだけ
もう花一(はなひと)つだけ

ただ葉(は)が残(のこ)るだけ、はらり
今(いま)、春仕舞(はるじま)い

Upon crossing the overpass, I saw the blue sky peeking through the gaps in the clouds.

• 高架橋(こうかきょう) overpass; elevated bridge [Not the most useful word, but it usually represents a large overpass]
• 抜(ぬ)ける  to pass through; to come out; to escape; to go through [The たら indicates “when” or “if”; this could be crossing the bridge or going under (through) it]
• 雲(くも)  clouds
• 隙間(すきま)  gap
• 雲(くも)の隙間(すきま) the gap of clouds
• 青(あお)  blue (sky)
• が (marks “blue” as the actor doing the peeking)
• 覗(のぞ)く to peek; to look into [past tense]

Lately, it's been really hot, so I was just waiting for the wind to blow.

• 最近(さいきん)  lately; recently
• どうも somehow; in some way (used to express dissatisfaction or uncertainty)
• 暑(あつ)い  hot
• から because of that (the heat)
• ただ just
• 風(かぜ)  wind
• 吹(ふ)く  to blow
• 待(ま)つ to wait
  

Sitting in the shade of a tree.

• 木陰(こかげ)  shade of a tree [Note it is 「こ」 rather than 「き」]
• に in (the shade)
• 座(すわ)る  to sit

Something touches my cheek.

• 何(なに)か something
• 頬(ほお)  cheek
• 付(つ)く  to attach; to touch [petals fell from above and landed on the singer’s cheek]

When I look up, flowers are blooming and scattering above me.

• 見上(みあ)げる  to look up
• 頭上(ずじょう)  above one's head
• 咲(さ)いて散(ち)る blooming and falling [the て form shows a progression from blooming to falling]
• 咲(さ)く  to bloom
• 散(ち)る  to fall (flower petals)

With the light fluttering, gently falling petals, we now forget to even breathe (because it is so beautiful)

• はらり with a light flutter; with a rustle; gently
• 僕(ぼく)ら  we; us
• もう already; anymore
• 息(いき)  breath
• 忘(わす)れる  to forget [the て form connects it with what follows]

And even blinking becomes a bother.

It’s too beautiful to even blink. (The petals are so beautiful, blinking would be 勿体無(もったいな)い such a waste)

• 瞬(まばた)き blinking
• 億劫(おっくう)  troublesome; bothersome; too lazy to do; too much work

Come now, even today will turn into the past tomorrow.

• さぁ come on, well then
• 今日(きょう)  today
• さえ even
• 明日(あした)  tomorrow
• 過去(かこ)  past
• に to (indicates what is changed to)
• 変(か)わる  to change; to turn into [The singer may be saying change is inevitable]

I’m just waiting for the wind.

• ただ just; only
• 風(かぜ)  wind
• 待(ま)つ  to wait

That’s why we lost all words

• だから therefore; so
• 声(こえ)  voice
• 忘(わす)れる to forget; to lose [the て form connects it with what follows]

It’s a waste to even say goodbye.

• さよなら goodbye
• さえ even
• 億劫(おっくう)  it’s a waste; troublesome; bothersome; too lazy to do; too much work

It’s raining flowers on a sunny day.

• ただ just; only
• 花(はな)  flower
• 降(ふ)る  to fall (e.g. snow, rain, petals)
• 晴(は)れる  to clear up; to become sunny [晴(は)れり may be a play on the opening onomatopea はらり (the floating flowers); it may also be a play on old Japanese grammar]

Right now, it's a spring blizzard.

• 今(いま)  now
• 春吹雪(はるふぶき) spring snowstorm [The normal word for many flowers falling in the spring is 花吹雪(はなふぶき)]

And the next day, another rendezvous

• 次(つぎ)の日(ひ)  the next day
• 待(ま)ち合(あ)わせ  a rendezvous; an appointment; a meeting

There are fewer people viewing the cherry blossoms.

• 花見(はなみ)  cherry blossom viewing
• 客(きゃく)  guests; visitors
• 少(すく)なくなった  became few; reduced

The scent of spring is about to be gone.

• 春(はる) spring
• 匂(にお)い  scent; smell; the feeling (of spring)
• もう already; soon
• 止(や)む  to stop; to cease

Summer is coming again this year.

• 今年(ことし)  this year
• 夏(なつ)  summer
• 来(く)る to come, to arrive
• のか (could express her slight sadness that summer is coming so soon)

When I crossed the overpass, I could see you peeking down the road.

• 高架橋(こうかきょう) overpass
• 抜(ぬ)ける  to go through
• 道(みち)  road
• 先(さき)  ahead
• 君(きみ)  you
• 覗(のぞ)く  to peek

I wonder how much is left (of spring)?

• 残(のこ)り  remaining
• どれだけ  how much/many
• かな  I wonder

I wonder how much more we can meet spring?

• どれだけ how much; to what extent
• 春(はる)  spring [Here, “spring” is somewhat personified]
• 会(あ)える  to be able to meet; see
• だろう I wonder; it seems like

On the hill by the riverside, sitting in the shade of the trees

• 川沿(かわぞ)い  along the river
• 丘(おか)  hill
• 木陰(こかげ)  shade of a tree
• 座(すわ)る  to sit

Just like yesterday, with the flowers that bloom today

• 昨日(きのう)  yesterday
• 変(か)わらず without change
• 今日(きょう)  today
• 咲(さ)く  to bloom
• 花(はな)  flower
• に to (flower)

We’ve already forgotten to breathe

• 僕(ぼく)ら  we
• もう already
• 息(いき)  breath
• 忘(わす)れる  to forget; to lose (ability to breathe)

Even blinking feels burdensome

• 瞬(まばた)き  blink
• 億劫(おっくう)  troublesome; bothersome; too lazy to do; too much work

The storm which now scatters the flowers,

• 花散(はなち)らす  to scatter flowers
• 今(いま)  now
• 吹(ふ)く  to blow
• 嵐(あらし)  storm

Truly it is the spring thief

• まさに truly
• 春泥棒(はるどろぼう)  spring thief (stealing the remaining spring)

Today too, time flows with the wind,

• 風(かぜ)  wind
• 今日(きょう)も  today as well
• 時(とき)  time
• 流(なが)れる  to flow

Even standing feels burdensome

• 立(た)つ  to stand
• こと matter [makes the 立(た)つ verb into a noun phrase]
• さえ even
• 億劫(おっくう)  troublesome; bothersome; too lazy to do; too much work

Scattered pieces of sky can be seen through the gaps of the flowers.

• 花(はな)  flower
• 隙間(すきま)  gap
• 花(はな)の隙間(すきま) gaps of flowers
• 空(から)  sky
• 散(ち)る  to scatter [The 「れり」 is for the sound rather than meaning. It contrasts against the はれり and はらり]

It is still a spring snowstorm

• まだ still; even still
• 春吹雪(はるふぶき)  spring snow flurry

I'll go again today.

• 今日(きょう)も today also
• 会(あ)う  to meet
• 行(い)く  to go

Sitting in the shade of the trees

• 木陰(こかげ)  shade of a tree
• 座(すわ)る  to sit

Letting out a sigh

• 溜息(ためいき)  sigh
• 吐(は)く  to breathe out

The flowers are about to end

• 花(はな)  flower [this plays on the previous “spring is ending”]
• もう already; soon
• 終(お)わる  to end

I'll go to meet again tomorrow

• 明日(あした)  tomorrow [previously this was “I’ll go today”]
• 会(あ)う  to meet [This could be meeting the flowers, spring, or her boyfriend (who is not really mentioned in the lyrics, but does star in the video]
• 行(い)く  to go

Spring is coming to an end.

• 春(はる)  spring
• 終(お)わる to end

Time is reluctantly scattering away.

• 名残(なのこ)る  to remain; to be left; missing [The meaning could be from 名残惜(なごりお)しい which means “reluctant to part” or “to be sad to leave”]
• ように  in a way that; so that
• 時間(じかん)  time
• 散(ち)っていく  to scatter, to disperse and go away

When I sing of love, words are not enough

• 愛(あい)  love
• 歌(うた)えば  if I sing
• 言葉(ことば)  words
• 足(た)らず  not enough; insufficient

Even rhyming feels burdensome

• 踏(ふ)む  to step on; to tread on [The idiom 韻(いん)を踏(ふ)む means “to rhyme”]
• 韻(いん)  rhyme
• さえ  even; if only
• 億劫(おっくう)  troublesome; bothersome; too lazy to do; too much work

Can mere words describe the present blooming flowers?

• 花(はな)  flower
• 開(ひら)いた  bloomed; opened
• 今(いま)  now
• 言葉(ことば)  words
• 如(ごと)き  mere; the likes of
• 語(かた)れる  to be able to talk about; to be able to express
• ものか  expressing doubt or disbelief

Softly falling, we lost all words

• はらり  rustling sound
• 僕(ぼく)ら  we; us
• もう already; anymore
• 声(こえ)  voice
• 忘(わす)れて  forgetting; having forgotten

Even blinking feels burdensome

• 瞬(まばた)き  blink; twinkle
• 億劫(おっくう)  troublesome; bothersome; too lazy to do; too much work

And now we are the only one’s viewing the cherry blossoms

• 花見(はなみ)  flower viewing; cherry blossom viewing
• 僕(ぼく)ら  we; us
• だけ  only

Don’t scatter away yet, oh spring snowstorm

• 散(ち)る  to scatter; to fall
• な  sentence-ending particle indicating emphasis or assertion
• まだ  still
• 春吹雪(はるふぶき)  spring snowstorm

Just a little bit longer

• あと  remaining; left
• もう  already; anymore
• 少(すこ)しだけ  just a little bit

Only a few are left.

• もう  already; anymore
• 数(かぞ)えられる  can be counted [This line is similar to 数(かぞ)えるほど is an expression similar to “I can count on my hand the times…” which means, there are very few of something.]
• だけ  only

Only two more flowers left

• あと  remaining; left
• 花(はな)  flower
• 二(ふた)つ  two
• だけ  only

Only one flower left.

• もう already; anymore
• 花(はな) flower
• 一(ひと)つ one (counter for objects)
• だけ only

Only leaves remain, falling gently.

• ただ just; only
• 葉(は) leaf
• 残(のこ)る to remain; to be left
• だけ only, just
• はらり rustling sound; soft floating effect

Now, spring has closed for the year.

• 今(いま) now
• 春(はる) spring
• 仕舞(しま)い end; close; conclusion [店仕舞(みせじま)い (closing of the shop for the day (the season) or forever) This is the closing of spring for this year just as the shop closes for the day.]