A Song More Beautiful Than a Declaration of Love
Looking back, even twenty years ago, I already showed the heart and habits of a loner.
I had friends, but not many. Whenever I joined them outside, I could not last long before quietly slipping back home. If my parents took me to a relative’s house, I would cry to go home — even in the middle of the night. Adults called me a homebody. Friends found me hard to play with.
As for me, I preferred sitting on the porch, wondering to myself:
Why does the sky curve?
Why does the moon follow us?
And where, exactly, is the end of the rainbow?
Back then, capturing my heart was simple. All you had to do was say, “I know where the end of the rainbow is.”
I would have come running, eyes wide with wonder and curiosity.
—
As time went by, the little child who spent hours daydreaming on the porch grew into an adult who understood:
the sky is not actually curved,
the moon does not really walk,
and a rainbow is just a phenomenon of scattered sunlight.
I was no longer curious about the secrets of the sky. Yet, for a time, I still found myself sitting alone on the porch, lost in thought:
When I was little, I used to run around the yard chasing nothing at all, and I was happy. Now, I run around chasing happiness — so why am I so exhausted? What am I actually looking for?
Back then, it would have been so easy to win me over. All someone had to say was, “I know how to make you happy.”
I would have come running, eyes glowing, heart full of joy.
—
Because no one ever said those words, I set out to find that happiness on my own.
Until one day, I came across a song whose lyrics reminded me of the innocent questions I asked as a child. Translated, the title reads: “I Know Where the Rainbow Has Fallen.”
A few translated lines stopped me in my tracks:
“I have known for a long time that there’s nothing there. Of course, you have to see it for yourself to believe it. I’m willing to go with you.
It’s like this. It’s like this.
I like it, even if we get more lost. If you row, I’ll hear it.
Under the moonlight, oh… I’ll let my skin darken. I want to resemble a boatman from the past…”
— Jannabi, I Know Where The Rainbow Has Fallen
From that moment on, I considered this song more beautiful than any declaration of love.
—
One day, during our daily walk, a good friend shared a moment with me to reflect on those lyrics.
My friend said, “The line ‘I’ll let my skin darken under the moonlight’ is so deeply poetic. Moonlight is not hot; it can not burn your skin. But this person is willing to stand beneath it for so long that their skin turns dark.”
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It is beautiful, isn’t it?
That interpretation stayed with me for a long time. It is true — only a pure, unconditional love could make someone willing to let themselves burn under the moonlight, simply to accompany someone else on a journey with an uncertain destination.
Ah, how beautiful such a love is, I thought.
And the question returned to me: In this short life, will I ever find a love that pure and beautiful?
—
Then, it struck me: I had been overlooking something all along.
A love that pure was already mine. It had been inside me all this time.
It was me — who kept walking even when exhausted.
It was me — who kept reassuring myself that everything would be alright, even when the path ahead seemed endless.
It was me — who weathered life’s storms until it felt as though my skin had darkened under the moonlight.
That tender love had been within me all along. For so long. I had just forgotten.
When I realized this, I wanted to wrap my arms around myself and whisper:
“It must have been so hard, but you held on. You made it through. You did your absolute best. If you can get through today, tomorrow will be fine. Thank you for holding on and fighting this far.”
In an instant, that love swelled, filling me with a deep, comforting warmth.
—
Slowly, I also realized there was another love I had been receiving all along — one I had often taken for granted.
My parents, who never questioned why their child preferred quiet reflection over playing outside. Instead of forcing me out, they gave me books.
Even as I grew into adulthood, still stumbling as I chased my dreams, they never belittled me. When I had to leave home to pursue the happiness I longed for, they simply said, “Let us know when you arrive.”
My two siblings, who were always a safe harbor when life got tough, always ready to pick me up or drop me off whenever I came home.
And the kind souls I met along the way.
Their warmth helped me see that…
Ultimately, the love we receive enables us to love more deeply. And what could be more beautiful than a love that supports you unconditionally?
—
I hope that — to all the wonderful people I have e met on my journey, and to the dear friends reading this little reflection — may your days be filled with abundant love.
May your hearts be filled with gentleness and warmth.
May sincere love always accompany you and find its way to you.
Just like the title of that Jannabi song released last year: MAY TENDERNESS BE WITH YOU!
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Music Video: Jannabi — I Knew Where the Rainbow Has Falling
Note: 15th of July 2026
