What does this mean: 世の中は いっぱい いっぱい せいいっぱい 人生へこたれんなよ

Question

This is from Midnight Diner and it doesn't seem to match the English subtitle so was curious for a literal meaning and translation of this quote that I got from Japanese subtitle:

世の中は いっぱい いっぱい せいいっぱい 人生へこたれんなよ
Life is one hurdle after another. Don't lose heart.

Answer 1

世の中は いっぱい いっぱい せいいっぱい

seems to be trying to make a rhyme here. So, it may mean more of a figurative manner and 'Life is one hurdle after another' sounds a good translation as an aphorism in my first impression when you encounter a lot of difficulties with a full energy.

• いっぱい literally means 'full'.
• いっぱいいっぱい is a set phrase and normally used to beyond one's control when one has too many things to deal with.
• せいいっぱい literally means "Full energy".
• へこたれる means gives up, so へこたれんなよ means "don't give up" or something like that.

There is a space in lyrics, so it does not explicitly say "いっぱいいっぱい” in a complainant sense and it implies a flavor of the set phrase.

Therefore, it probably implies something like "there are so many things to work on with your full energy to your limit" and "Never give up".

Answer 2

It seems some words are being ommitted, so I'm not even sure what exactly means in Japanese. But I assume, "There is many difficulties in life, and you have to deal with it but try not to defeat".