About this work

A forgotten phone charger and an emotionally distant lover are measured by the same low percentage. The everyday battery display becomes a playful but weary gauge of the speaker’s heart.

Parallel reading

日本語と英語で読む

Read the Japanese original and its English translation together. On smaller screens, each language follows in sequence.

日本語原文 Japanese original

残り１９％　　高鳥奈緒　　　2023.7.5
　
旅先で携帯の充電器忘れた
　
恋人もつれなくて
　
冷たくてやるせない
　
充電の残量あと１９％
　
私の心の残量もあと１９％
　
心のエネルギーあげたら
　
もっとバロメーター上がるかな

English translation 英訳

AI-assisted English translation. The Japanese original remains authoritative.

On my trip, I forgot my phone charger.

My lover is distant too—

cold, leaving me helpless.

My battery has only 19% remaining.

My heart has only 19% remaining too.

If I gave you some of my heart’s energy,
would the meter rise a little higher?

Open the Japanese-only page

Original wording, author credits, notes and source materials are preserved there.