Stardom Lyrics in English by King Gnu
人事を尽くす is a memorable Japanese idiom meaning to do everything within one’s power before leaving the outcome to fate. In the song, 人事を尽くし切って今 天命を待つ means “having given it everything, now I’ll await destiny,” giving the determined lyrics a powerful cultural and philosophical nuance.
"Stardom" is a pep talk King Gnu gives to anyone who has kept chasing a dream long after it stopped being fun. It opens by counting the cost: "何度泪を流した?" (how many times did you cry?) and "何度屈辱を飲み込んだ?" (how many times did you swallow humiliation?), all hidden behind a smile you faked with your dreams. The road, the band admits, looks nothing like what you once admired, "'憧れ'とは似ても似つかない" (nothing like the "dream" you longed for), but it is a real road, and other people's dreams keep flowing through it.
The chorus is where it turns into a sprint. "あと一歩 ここからあと一歩" (one more step, just one more step from here) repeats while "ココロが草臥れた足を走らせる" (my heart makes my worn-out legs run). 草臥れた (kutabireta) is a great word to learn: it means worn out, frayed, exhausted, and you will hear it about tired people and old clothes alike. There is a sports feel to the whole thing too, with "最後の笛が吹かれるまで" (until the final whistle blows) and a cheeky line to the goddess of victory, "そろそろこっちを向いて頂戴!" (it's about time you looked my way!).
The ending borrows a classic Japanese proverb: "人事を尽くし切って今 天命を待つだけだって" (I've done everything humanly possible, now I just wait for heaven's will). 人事を尽くして天命を待つ is the idiom, roughly "do your best and leave the rest to fate". Before that comes the line that sticks: "生に涯があったって 名前に涯など無いね" (even if life has an end, a name has none). It is a bit over the top, and that is exactly why it works as a song to run to.
