Moonlight Densetsu (Sailor Moon Anime OP 1)


Moonlight Densetsu - Sailor Moon Anime Opening 1 - Learn Japanese With Anime Songs. Picture showing Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, the cat Luna, and Tuxedo Mask.

Moonlight Densetsu” is the 1st opening song of the Sailor Moon anime. Listen to its Japanese lyrics, read the words and phrases written in kanji or kana, and study the English translations and Japanese grammar explanations that I have included to help you learn Japanese with anime songs.

The anime song “Moonlight Densetsu” or『ムーンライト伝説』in Japanese is sung by Dali, a J-pop idol group that was active from 1991 to early 1992. The song was released on March 21, 1992, and was used as the opening theme for the first two seasons of Sailor Moon‘s anime adaption.

Sailor Moon Anime Opening 1

Song Title: Moonlight Densetsu
日本語: ムーンライト伝説
ひらがな: むうんらいと でんせつ
Romaji: Muunraito Densetsu
English: Moonlight Legend

Anime: Sailor Moon
日本語: 美少女戦士セーラームーン
ひらがな: びしょうじょ せんし せえらあむうん
Romaji: Bishoujo Senshi Seeraa Muun
English: Beautiful Girl Warrior Sailor Moon

Type: Opening – OP 1

Moonlight Densetsu – DALI

ムーンライト伝説 (Moonlight Densetsu)

(this Youtube video might only be viewable in Japan and available for a limited time)

0. Song Title

ムーンライトむうんらいとmoonlightmuunraito
伝説でんせつlegend
tradition, folklore
densetsu
Song Title – Japanese Words & English Translations

1. Verse 1

Line 1 (from 0:17) – Gomen ne

ゴメンねごめん ねごめん + ね
I’m sorry…
I’m so sorry…
(katakana works like all caps)
gomen ne
sentence-ending particle ね
…, right?
…, don’t you think?
(adds softness and femininity)
ne
ごめん(I’m) sorry
(My) apologies, …
gomen
素直じゃなくてすなお じゃなくて素直 + じゃなくて
(I’m) not upfront but…
(I’m) not honest but …
(te-form indicates conjunction)
sunao ja nakute
じゃなくてじゃない + く + て
(I’m) not (honest) but …
(te-form of じゃない)
ja nakute
じゃなくじゃない + く
(adverbial form of じゃない)
ja naku
じゃないis not
am not, are not, …
(negative form of copula だ)
ja nai
素直じゃない
すなお じゃない
not honest
not frank, not obedient, …
not upfront about one’s feelings
(negative form of 素直)
sunao ja nai
素直
すなお
frank
honest
upfront (about one’s feelings)
obedient, meek, docile, plain, …
sunao
Line 1 – Japanese Words & English Translations

Line 2 (from 0:20) – Yume no

ゆめdream(s)yume
particle の
in (a) dream
in (my) dream(s)
(indicates possession/link)
no
なかin
inside
among, within
center, middle, …
naka
ならif
in case
if it is true that
if so, if that’s the case, …
nara
云えるいえるto be able to say
to be possible to say, …
(potential form of 云う)
ieru
云う
いう
to say
to utter
to declare
to name, to call
iu
Line 2 – Japanese Words & English Translations

Line 3 (from 0:24) – Shikoukairo

思考回路しこう かいろtrain of thought
patterns of thinking
shikou kairo
particle は
topic: 思考回路
(marks topic of sentence)
ha (wa)
ショートしょぉとshort (circuit)
shortstop, s/c, short selling, …
(bypass, impede, hinder, frustrate, …)
shooto
寸前すんぜんjust before
on the verge of
on the brink of
sunzen
ショート寸前
しょぉと すんぜん
on the verge of a short circuit
on the brink of a short circuit
shooto sunzen
Line 3 – Japanese Words & English Translations

Line 4 (from 0:28) – Ima Sugu

今すぐいますぐat once
immediately
right now
ima sugu

いま
now
just now, the present time, …
ima
すぐ
直ぐ
immediately
at once, right away
soon, before long, …
sugu
会いたいあいたい会う + たい
want to meet (you)
want to see (you)
(desiderative form of 会う)
aitai
会う
あう
to meet
to see, to encounter, …
au
sentence-ending particle よ
works like exclamation mark “!”
(adds emphasis and masculinity)
yo
Line 4 – Japanese Words & English Translations

2. Verse 2

Line 5 (from 0:31) – Nakitaku Naru

泣きたくなるなきたく なる泣きたく + なる
feel like crying
want to cry
want to start crying
become to feel like crying
nakitaku naru
なるto become
to result in
to get, to reach
to change into, …
naru
泣きたく
なきたく
泣きたい + く
(averbial form of 泣きたい)
nakitaku
泣きたい
なきたい
want to cry
(desiderative form of 泣く)
nakitai
泣く
なく
to cry
to weeb, to sob, …
naku
ようなよう + な
like
similar to
feels like, feels as if
(I) think (that), (I) have a feeling (that), …
you na
よう
like
similar to
appearing…
looking (like)…
you
connective form of copula 〜だ
(needed before nouns and na-adjectives)
na
Line 5 – Japanese Words & English Translations

(line 6 is in English)

Line 7 (from 0:34) – Denwa Mo

電話でんわphone call
telephone call
telephone, phone
denwa
particle も
phone call too = can’t do
even phone call = can’t do
(marks an inclusive topic)
mo
出来ないできない出来る + ない
not able to do, cannot do
not up to the task
(negative form of 出来る)
dekinai
出来る
できる
to be able to do
to be up to the task, …
dekiru
Line 7 – Japanese Words & English Translations

(line 8 is in English)

Line 9 (from 0:37) – Datte Junjou

だってafter all
because, …
datte
純情じゅんじょうnaivete
innocence
pure heart
junjou
どうしようどう しようWhat to do?
What should I do?
dou shiyou
どうhow
how about
in what way
dou
しようする + 〜よう
Let’s do…!
(volitional form of する)
shiyou
するto do
to carry out, to perform, …
suru
Line 9 – Japanese Words & English Translations

Line 10 (from 0:41) – Haato ha

ハートはあとhearthaato
particle は
topic: ハート
(marks topic of sentence)
ha (wa)
万華鏡まんげきょうkaleidoscopemangekyou
Line 10 – Japanese Words & English Translations

3. Pre-Chorus

Line 11 (from 0:44) – Tsuki no

月の光つき の ひかり月 + の + 光
moonlight
tsuki no hikari

ひかり
light
happiness, hope
ray, beam, glow, illumination, …
hikari
particle の
moon’s light
light of (the) moon
(indicates possession/link: A’s B, B of A)
no

つき
moon
month
tsuki
particle に
got guided by the moonlight
(marks target of passive verb)
ni
導かれみちびかれ導く + 〜れる + ます-stem
got guided and…
got shown the way and…
(stem-form indicates conjunction “and…”)
michibikare
導かれます
みちびかれます
導かれる + 〜ます
get guided (polite)
get show the way (polite)
(passive form of 導きます)
michibikaremasu
導きます
みちびきます
導く + 〜ます
to guide (polite)
to show the way (polite)
(polite form of 導く)
michibikimasu
導かれる
みちびかれる
導く + 〜れる
get guided
am guided
(passive form of 導く)
michibikareru
導く
みちびく
to guide
to lead, to show the way, …
michibiku
Line 11 – Japanese Words & English Translations

4. Chorus

Line 12 (from 0:52) – Nando mo

何度もなんどもmany times
many times over, often
nando mo
巡り合うめぐりあうto meet fortuitously
to meet by chance
to happen across
meguriau
Line 12 – Japanese Words & English Translations

Line 13 (from 0:58) – Seiza no

星座せいざconstellation
star sign, zodiac sign, …
seiza
particle の
star sign’s twinkling
twinkling of star signs
(indicates possession/link: A’s B, B of A)
no
瞬きまたたきtwinkling (of stars)
flickering (of lights)
blink (of eyes), wink, …
matataki
瞬く
またたく
to twinkle (stars)
to flicker
to blink (one’s eyes)
数えかぞえ数える (stem)
(counting and…)
kazoe
数える
かぞえる
to count
to enumerate
kazoeru
Line 13 – Japanese Words & English Translations

Line 14 (from 1:01) – Uranau Koi

占ううらなうto tell someone’s future
to predict (one’s future)
to forecast, to divine, …
uranau
こいlove
romantic love
first romantic feelings
koi
particle の
love’s outcome
outcome of love
whereabouts of love
(indicates possession/link: A’s B, B of A)
no
行方ゆくえoutcome
(one’s) whereabouts
yukue
Line 14 – Japanese Words & English Translations

Line 15 (from 1:05) – Onaji Kuni

同じおなじsame
identical, common (origin), …
onaji
sung:
くにcountry
home (country), …
kuni
written:
地球
ちきゅう
Earth
the globe
chikyuu
particle に
born on the same globe
born in the same country
(marks target place of verb)
ni
生まれたうまれた生まれる + 〜た
was born
were born
(past tense form of 生まれる)
umareta
生まれる
うまれる
to be bornumareru
sentence-ending particle の
falling tone:
confident conclusion
rising tone:
indicates a question
(adds emotional emphasis)
no
Line 15 – Japanese Words & English Translations

Line 16 (from 1:09) – Mirakuru

ミラクルみらくるmiraclemirakuru
ロマンスろまんすromanceromansu
Line 16 – Japanese Words & English Translations

(line 17 – 34 are in the full version of the song)

5. Outro

Line 35 (from 2:41) – Shinjiteiru No

信じているしんじている信じる + 〜ている
am believing
is believing
(present continuous of 信じる)
shinjiteiru
いる
居る
to be (animate)
to exist, to stay, …
iru
信じて
しんじて
信じる + 〜て
Believe…!
Have faith in…!
(te-form of 信じる)
shinjite
信じる
しんじる
to believe
to believe in
to have faith in
to place trust in, …
shinjiru
sentence-ending particle の
falling tone:
confident conclusion
rising tone:
indicates a question
(adds emotional emphasis)
no
Line 35 – Japanese Words & English Translations

Alex

おはよう. I'm Alex. I have started studying Japanese when I was still a high school student and I have been living and working in Japan since 2015. I'm still learning new Japanese phrases and words every day and I thought that publishing them online will be useful for you, too. Hopefully, my study notes and free Japanese lessons will help you to reach the Japanese level you want to have! If you want to practice your Japanese for free follow me on Twitter and/or Instagram.

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