栄光の架橋 [Eikō No Kakehashi]
ゆず [Yuzu]
Words & Music : 北川悠仁 [KITAGAWA Yūjin]
“Eikō no Kakehashi” is a song by the folk duo “Yuzu,” created as a support song for the 2004 Athens Olympics and also used during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. It is popular as a support song for athletes beyond just the Olympics, with many baseball players and boxers adopting it as their entrance song. The lyrics and melody seem to resonate with the athletes’ spirits.
The arrangement was done by Masataka Matsutōya.
誰にも見せない泪があった 人知れず流した泪があった
dare ni mo misenai namida ga atta hito shirezu nagashita namida ga atta
決して平らな道ではなかった けれど確かに歩んで来た道だ
keshite taira na michi de wa nakatta keredo tashika ni ayunde kita michi da
- 誰（だれ）[dare] : who
- 見せる（みせる）[miseru] : show
- 涙・泪（なみだ）[namida] : tears
- ある [aru] : exist
- 人知れず（ひとしれず）[hitoshirezu] : secretly
- 流す（ながす）[nagasu] : shed
- 決して..ない（けっして..ない）[kesshite..nai] : never
- 平ら（たいら）[taira] : flat
- 道（みち）[michi] : road
- けれど [keredo] : but
- 確かに（たしかに）[tashika ni] : certainly
- 歩む（あゆむ）[ayumu] : walk
- 来る（くる）[kuru] : come
(translation) “There were tears I didn’t show anyone, tears I shed secretly.
The road was never flat, but it is the road I certainly walked.”
“歩む / ayumu” is the same as “歩く / aruku”, but it is often used in contexts referring to life experiences or time passing.
For pop music, it’s a somewhat rare style. The text is calm and serious, reflecting on the past.
あの時想い描いた夢の途中に今も
ano toki omoi egaita yume no tochū ni ima mo
何度も何度もあきらめかけた夢の途中
nando mo nando mo akirame kaketa yume no tochū
- あの [ano] : that
- 時（とき）[toki] : time
- 思い描く（おもいえがく）[omoi egaku] : imagine
- 夢（ゆめ）[yume] : dream
- 途中（とちゅう）[tochū] : on the way
- 今（いま）[ima] : now
- 何度も（なんども）[nando mo] : many times
- あきらめる [akirameru] : give up
- かける [kakeru] : about to
(translation) “Even now, I’m in the middle of the dream I imagined at that time.
In the middle of the dream I was about to give up many times.”
いくつもの日々を越えて 辿り着いた今がある
ikutsu mo no hibi o koete tadoritsuita ima ga aru
だからもう迷わずに進めばいい
dakara mō mayowazu ni susumeba ii
栄光の架橋へと…
eikō no kakehashi e to
- いくつもの [ikutsu mo no] : many
- 日々（ひび）[hibi] : days
- 越える・超える（こえる）[koeru] : cross
- 辿り着く（たどりつく）[tadoritsuku] : reach
- だから [dakara] : so
- もう [mō] : already
- 迷う（まよう）[mayou] : hesitate
- 進む（すすむ）[susumu] : proceed
- いい [ii] : good
- 栄光（えいこう）[eikō] : glory
- 架け橋（かけはし）[kakehashi] : bridge
(translation) “There is a now that I reached by crossing many days.
So, you should proceed without hesitation.
To the bridge of glory…”
悔しくて眠れなかった夜があった
kuyashikute nemurenakatta yoru ga atta
恐くて震えていた夜があった
kowakute furueteita yoru ga atta
- 悔しい（くやしい）[kuyashii] : frustrating
- 眠る（ねむる）[nemuru] : sleep
- 夜（よる）[yoru] : night
- 怖い（こわい）[kowai] : scary
- 震える（ふるえる）[furueru] : tremble
(translation) “There were nights I couldn’t sleep out of frustration.
There were nights I trembled in fear.”
もう駄目だと全てが嫌になって逃げ出そうとした時も
mō dame da to subete ga iya ni natte nigedasu toshita toki mo
想い出せばこうしてたくさんの支えの中で歩いて来た
omoide seba kōshite takusan no sasae no naka de aruite kita
- 駄目（だめ）[dame] : no good
- 全て（すべて）[subete] : everything
- 嫌になる（いやになる）[iya ni naru] : become unpleasant
- 逃げ出す（にげだす）[nigedasu] : run away
- 思い出す（おもいだす）[omoidasu] : recall
- たくさん [takusan] : many
- 支え（ささえ）[sasae] : support
- 中（なか）[naka] : inside
- 歩く（あるく）[aruku] : walk
(translation) “Even when I felt everything was no good and wanted to run away,
I recall that I walked with a lot of support.”
The phrase “もう駄目だ / mō dame da” is often used in desperate situations, like a character shouting in a drama.
The words “たくさん / takusan” and “支え / sasae” are good to remember. “Thanks to the support of many people” is a common humble comment in award speeches, showing true excellence.
悲しみや苦しみの先に それぞれの光がある
kanashimi ya kurushimi no saki ni sorezore no hikari ga aru
さあ行こう 振り返らず走り出せばいい
sā ikou furikaerazu hashiridaseba ii
希望に満ちた空へ…
kibō ni michita sora e
- 悲しみ（かなしみ）[kanashimi] : sadness
- 苦しみ（くるしみ）[kurushimi] : pain
- それぞれ [sorezore] : each
- 光（ひかり）[hikari] : light
- さあ [sā] : come on
- 行く（いく）[iku] : go
- 振り返る（ふりかえる）[furikaeru] : look back
- 走る（はしる）[hashiru] : run
- 希望（きぼう）[kibō] : hope
- 空（そら）[sora] : sky
(translation) “Beyond sadness and pain, there is a light for each of us.
Come on, let’s go. Just run without looking back.
To the sky filled with hope…”
誰にも見せない泪があった 人知れず流した泪があった
dare ni mo misenai namida ga atta hito shirezu nagashita namida ga atta
いくつもの日々を越えて 辿り着いた今がある
ikutsu mo no hibi o koete tadoritsuita ima ga aru
だからもう迷わずに進めばいい
dakara mō mayowazu ni susumeba ii
栄光の架橋へと…
eikō no kakehashi e to
終わらないその旅へと
owaranai sono tabi e to
君の心へ続く架橋へと…
kimi no kokoro e tsuzuku kakehashi e to
- 終わる（おわる）[owaru] : end
- 旅（たび）[tabi] : journey
- 君（きみ）[kimi] : you
- 心（こころ）[kokoro] : heart
- 続く（つづく）[tsuzuku] : continue
(translation) “There were tears I didn’t show anyone, tears I shed secretly.
Crossing many days, I’ve reached the present.
So, you should proceed without hesitation.
To the bridge of glory…
To the unending journey,
To the bridge that continues to your heart…”
In April 2017, a Chinese version of the song “光榮之橋 ” was distributed.
It’s rarely pointed out, but I think it was inspired by Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water.” Initially, when they debuted as a folk duo, they were compared to Simon & Garfunkel. “Eikō no Kakehashi” is more about blood and sweat.
There are many words you can only learn in such contexts. Learning through songs is the best.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment if you have any feedback or questions.
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