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Maki Otsuki · One Piece · One Piece ED 1
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chiisana koro ni wa takara no chizu ga
Back when I was small, a treasure map
'Small time at-topic, treasure of map [subj].' 小さな頃 = 'childhood' (literally 'small time'). 宝の地図 perfectly suits the One Piece pirate setting.
Memories is the One Piece ED 1 (1999) by Maki Otsuki. The opening 'treasure map of childhood' became one of the most beloved lyrics in anime — it captured the show's sense of innocent adventure for an entire generation.
atama no naka ni ukande ite
would float in my head,
'Head of inside in float-being.' 頭の中に浮かぶ ('to float in one's head') is the standard idiom for 'to come to mind / occur to one'.
itsudemo sagashita kiseki no basho o
I always searched for the place of miracles,
'Anytime searched miracle of place [obj].' いつでも探した modifies 場所 — 'a place I always searched for'. キセキ in katakana for visual effect.
shiranai dareka ni makenai yo ni
so as not to lose to some stranger.
'Unknown someone to lose-not so-that.' よに is the casual collapse of ように — 'so that (X) doesn't happen'. The implied rival is anyone else who might find the treasure first.
ima de wa
Now,
'Now at-topic.' 今では emphasises change — 'now (in contrast to before)'.
hokori darake no mainichi
my days are caked in dust.
'Dust covered-in of every-day.' 〜だらけ attaches to nouns to mean 'covered in / full of (X)'. The dust image suggests neglect — the treasure map is gathering dust.
itsu no hi ka subete no
Someday, the flow of all
'Some-day-ever all of.' いつの日か is more literary than いつか — 'one of these days, surely'.
toki ni mi o makaseru dake
I just surrender myself to time.
'Time to body [obj] entrust only.' 身を委せる = 'to surrender oneself' — fixed idiom. The line laments adult resignation to the flow of time.
moshimo sekai ga kawaru no nara
If, by some chance, the world were to change,
'If-ever world [subj] change if-the-case.' もしも is the emphatic of もし; のなら is the explanatory conditional 'if it's the case that'.
nani mo shiranai koro no watashi ni
to the me from when I knew nothing,
'Anything-not knowing time of me to.' 何も知らない頃の私 = 'the me from a time when I knew nothing' — a famously poignant phrase.
tsurete itte omoide ga iro asenai you ni
take me back, so that the memories don't fade.
'Take-go-and, memories [subj] don't-fade so-that.' 色あせる ('to fade in colour') from 色 (colour) + 褪せる (fade). 〜ないように expresses purpose 'so that not'.
chiisana koro kara uta o utatte
Ever since I was small, I'd sing songs,
'Small time from, song [obj] singing.' 唄う uses kanji 唄 (specifically vocal singing) instead of 歌う (more general). Slightly literary.
yumemiru kokoro atatameteta
warming a dreaming heart.
'Dream-see heart was-warming.' 夢見る心 = 'a heart that dreams' (relative clause modifying 心). 〜ててた = 〜ていた contracted twice.
minna de mane shita himitsu no merodii
The secret melody we all imitated together,
'All-together imitated secret of melody.' みんなで真似した — relative clause modifying メロディー.
kondo wa jouzu ni kikoeru you ni
may it sound skilful this time around.
'This-time [topic] skilfully be-heard so-that.' Sentence-final 〜ように doubles as a wish ('may it...').
ima de wa
Now,
'Now at-topic.' 今では emphasises change — 'now (in contrast to before)'.
tame iki tsuite bakari de
doing nothing but sighing,
'Sigh letting-out only-with.' ため息をつく = 'to heave a sigh'. 〜てばかり = 'doing nothing but X'.
dare mo mada hontou no
and no one yet has truly
'Anybody-not yet real of.' Sentence trails into v18. 本当の modifies the next verse's 夢.
yume sae tsukamenai mama
can't even grasp their own real dream.
'Dream even can't-grasp state.' さえ + negative = 'not even (X)'. 〜ないまま = 'still in the state of not (X-ing)'.
moshimo jidai ga modoru no nara
If, by some chance, time were to roll back,
'If-ever era [subj] return if-the-case.' Mirror of v9 with 時代 ('era') replacing 世界.
namida o shitta koro no watashi ni
to the me from when I first knew tears,
'Tears [obj] came-to-know time of me to.' Mirror of v10 — replacing '何も知らない' (knowing nothing) with '涙を知った' (knowing tears for the first time). The age of innocence vs. the age of first heartbreak.
tsurete itte setsunasa ga oitsukanai you ni
take me back, so that the ache doesn't catch up.
'Take-go-and, ache [subj] doesn't-catch-up so-that.' 追いつく is 追う (chase) + 着く (reach) — to catch up. Imagery: the speaker outruns sorrow by returning to a younger self.
moshimo sekai ga kawaru no nara
If, by some chance, the world were to change,
'If-ever world [subj] change if-the-case.' もしも is the emphatic of もし; のなら is the explanatory conditional 'if it's the case that'.
nani mo shiranai koro no watashi ni
to the me from when I knew nothing,
'Anything-not knowing time of me to.' 何も知らない頃の私 = 'the me from a time when I knew nothing' — a famously poignant phrase.
tsurete itte omoide ga iro asenai you ni
take me back, so that the memories don't fade.
'Take-go-and, memories [subj] don't-fade so-that.' 色あせる ('to fade in colour') from 色 (colour) + 褪せる (fade). 〜ないように expresses purpose 'so that not'.
tsurete itte setsunasa ga oitsukanai you ni
take me back, so that the ache doesn't catch up.
'Take-go-and, ache [subj] doesn't-catch-up so-that.' 追いつく is 追う (chase) + 着く (reach) — to catch up. Imagery: the speaker outruns sorrow by returning to a younger self.