When will the bird in the cage come out?
Surrounded and encircled, within the cage
Just wishing to someday escape
The promise we once made
The day ends without fulfillment
At the hour of demons, when crows fly about
The play begins
Encircling these wishes that will never come true
Circle you
When will the bird in the cage come out?
Still imprisoned, bound by chains
Just gazing at the dawning sky
Looking up at the moon alone
Crouching, huddled in the cage
Just wishing to someday escape
Now memories grow dim
This consciousness fading away
Voices repeating at the edge of darkness
The endless play
Where do these impossible wishes go?
Circle you
When will the bird in the cage come out?
Still imprisoned, bound by chains
Just looking up at the dawning sky
Searching for the moon alone
Circle you
The bird in the cage
Circle you
Dreaming of dancing in the twilight sky
After undoing the chains around its neck
Circle you
The bird in the cage
Circle you
Who stands behind you now?
- "かごめ" (Kagome) - The title refers to a traditional Japanese children's game. Players form a circle around a blindfolded person, walk around them singing the song, and the person must guess who stands behind them when the song ends.
- "逢魔ヶ刻" (Ōmagatoki) - Literally "the hour of meeting demons," this refers to twilight or dusk in Japanese folklore. It's considered a supernatural time when the boundary between the human and spirit world is thinnest.
- "うしろのしょうめん、だぁれ" ("Who stands behind you?") - This is the traditional ending phrase of the Kagome game. When singing it, children stop walking and the blindfolded person must guess who is directly behind them.
Romaji:
Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa itsu itsu deyaru no deshō
Kakoi kako ware kago no naka
Itsu zo deraren tada negau
Katsute kawashita yakusoku o
Hatasenu mama ni hi wa kureru
Karasu tobi kau ōma ga koku ni
Hajimaru tawamure
Keshite kanawanu omoi kakoite
Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa itsu itsu deyaru no deshō
Kusari tsunagare torawareta mama
Akeyuku sora tada nagame
Hitori tsuki aogu
Kogomi kagamite kago no naka
Itsu zo deraren tada negau
Mohaya omokage oboro-ge ni
Usure kieyuku kono ishiki
Kurayami no fuchi kurikaesu koe
Owaranu tawamure
Keshite kanawanu omoi izuko e
Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa itsu itsu deyaru no deshō
Kusari tsunagare torawareta mama
Akeyuku sora tada miage
Hitori tsuki sagasu
Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa itsu itsu deyaru no deshō
Kubi ni makareta kusari o toite
Tasogare no semaru sora o odoru
Yume miteta
Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa
Kagome Kagome
かごめかごめ
かごのなかのとりは いついつ出やるのでしょう
囲い囲われ かごのなか
いつぞ出られん ただ願う
かつて交わした 約束を
果たせぬままに 日は暮れる
烏飛び交う 逢魔ヶ刻に
はじまる戯れ
けして叶わぬ 想い囲いて
かごめかごめ
かごのなかのとりは いついつ出やるのでしょう
鎖繋がれ 囚われたまま
明けゆく空 ただ眺め ひとり月仰ぐ
屈み屈みて かごのなか
いつぞ出られん ただ願う
もはや面影 おぼろげに
薄れ消えゆく この意識
暗闇の淵 繰り返す声
終わらぬ戯れ
けして叶わぬ 想いいずこへ
かごめかごめ
かごのなかのとりは いついつ出やるのでしょう
鎖繋がれ 囚われたまま
明けゆく空 ただ見上げ ひとり月探す
かごめかごめ
かごのなかのとりは
かごめかごめ いついつ出やる
首に巻かれた 鎖を解いて
黄昏の迫る空を 踊る 夢見てた
かごめかごめ
かごのなかのとりは
かごめかごめ いついつ出やる
うしろのしょうめん、だぁれ。