きらきら
kirakira
The sound of light that can't hold still: きらきら
The picture Tiny points of light that refuse to settle, shivering and jumping from spot to spot. きらきら is many small points of light shivering at once; ぴかぴか is one polished surface throwing back a single smooth flash.
Where the picture shows up in きらきら
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light broken on glass
窓ガラスがきらきら光っています。
mado-garasu ga kirakira hikatte imasu
The window glass is sparkling.
Sunlight shattering into chips on a pane and flicking straight into your eyes
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light riding on water
川の水が朝日にきらきらしています。
kawa no mizu ga asahi ni kirakira shite imasu
The river is glittering in the morning sun.
Every ripple carrying its own scrap of morning sun, the whole surface covered in shaking dots
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light in swinging decorations
クリスマスの飾りがきらきらしていますね。
kurisumasu no kazari ga kirakira shite imasu ne
The Christmas decorations are all sparkly, aren't they.
Bulbs and strips of foil swinging, each swing switching a point of light on and off
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light switched on in the eyes
子どもの目がきらきらしていました。
kodomo no me ga kirakira shite imashita
The child's eyes were shining.
A small white dot planted in the middle of a listening child's dark pupil, quivering there
This is excitement showing up on a face.
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light off a wiped surface
掃除のあと、シンクがきらきらしています。
souji no ato, shinku ga kirakira shite imasu
The sink is gleaming now the cleaning is done.
A stainless sink wiped dry, the ceiling light bouncing back off it in scattered specks
All of it in one picture
Follow the one trembling dot and all five fall into a row. Shattered on a pane it makes a window sparkle; sitting one per ripple it makes a river glitter. Swinging on a wire it blinks a decoration on and off, and planted in a child's pupil it turns into anticipation. Bounced off a wiped-dry sink, it reads as clean.