Quantcast
Channel: chinaSMACK » Chinese Pop Songs
Viewing all 33 articles
Browse latest View live

‘For Whom Did I Come’ by Michelle Lee (Li Xiaoyun)

$
0
0

Michelle Lee aka Li Xiaoyun 01

《我为谁而来》’For Whom Did I Come’ was included in the 25-year-old mainland singer 李霄云 Michelle Lee aka Li Xiaoyun‘s first album All Blue which was released in 2010. Michelle Lee wrote 7 of the 10 songs for that album.

Music Video:

Composer: Li Xiaoyun/Michelle Lee
Lyrics: He Houhua
Singer: Li Xiaoyun/Michelle Lee

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

记忆流成河 我在岸边经过
jì yì liú chéng hé wǒ zài àn biān jīng guò
Memories flow into a river. I pass by on the shore

闭上眼睛 悲欢交错
bì shàng yǎn jīng bēi huān jiāo cuò
Close my eyes. Joy and sorrow intertwine

我的世界从此苍白没有颜色
wǒ de shì jiè cóng cǐ cāng bái méi yǒu yán sè
From now on, my world is pale and colorless

 

爱你很快乐 爱到只剩寂寞
ài nǐ hèn kuài lè ài dào zhǐ shèng jì mò
Loving you was joyful. I loved until nothing was left but loneliness

左边胸口 万般不舍
zuǒ biān xiōng kǒu wàn bān bù shě
The left side of my chest, can never let it go

心跳声音谱成一首悲伤的歌
xīn tiào shēng yīn pǔ chéng yì shǒu bēi shāng de gē
Heartbeats composed into a mournful song

 

CHORUS #1:
我为谁而来 茫茫人海
wǒ wèi shuí ér lái máng máng rén hǎi
For whom did I come, (to) this crowded world

谁来安排 美丽的意外
shuí lái ān pài měi lì de yì wài
Who is here to arrange, the beautiful accident?

直到你离开 才明白
zhí dào nǐ lí kāi cái míng bái
Not until you left did I understand

现在未来 只为爱存在
xiàn zài wèi lái zhǐ wèi ài cún zāi
Today and tomorrow, I exist only for love

 

PRE-CHORUS:
相爱多难得 错误也是对的
xiāng ài duō nán dé cuò wù yě shì duì de
Loving each other is so rare, even the mistakes are right

下个路口 谁在等候
xià gè lù kǒu shuí zài děng hòu
At the next crossing, who is waiting?

忍住眼泪微笑唱着未完的歌
rěn zhù yǎn lèi wēi xiào chàng zhe wèi wán de gē
Hold back the tears, smile and keep singing the unfinished song

 

CHORUS #2:
我为谁而来 茫茫人海
wǒ wèi shuí ér lái máng máng rén hǎi
For whom did I come, (to) this crowded world

谁来安排 美丽的意外
shuí lái ān pái měi lì de yì wài
Who is here to arrange, the beautiful accident?

直到你离开 才明白
zhí dào nǐ lí kāi cái míng bái
Not until you left did I understand

现在未来 我爱故我在
xiàn zài wèi lái wǒ ài gù wǒ zài
Today and tomorrow, I love therefore I am

 

我为谁而来 排山倒海
wǒ wèi shuí ér lái pái shān dǎo hǎi
For whom do I come? Even if the mountain toppled over, and the sea were overturned

不是意外 终于我明白
bú shì yì wài zhōng yú wǒ míng bai
It was not an accident, finally I understand–

就算是悲哀 也不怪 那些伤害
jiù suàn shì bēi āi yě bú guài nà xiē shāng hài
Even if it is sorrowful, I won’t blame those injuries

为爱……
wèi ài
For love…

 

下个路口 谁在等候
xià gè lù kǒu shuí zài děng hòu
At the next crossing, who is waiting?

忍住眼泪微笑唱着未完的歌
rěn zhù yǎn lèi wēi xiào chàng zhe wèi wán de gē
Hold back the tears, smile and keep singing the unfinished song

Michelle Lee aka Li Xiaoyun 02

Michelle Lee aka Li Xiaoyun 03


‘The Wonderful Life’ by Yoga Lin (Lin Youjia)

$
0
0

Yoga Lin 01

美妙生活 ‘The Wonderful Life’ is included in 25-year-old Taiwanese singer 林宥嘉 Yoga Lin aka Lin Youjia’s 2011 album Perfect Life (available on Amazon). Despite being only in his early twenties, Lin has proven his ability to deliver a wide variety of musical performances, and he continues to experiment with new music genres and vocal styles.’The Wonderful Life’ discusses the effect of modernity on interpersonal communication and our attitudes towards life.

Music Video:

Composer: Roger Joseph Manning Jr.
Lyrics: Lin Xi/Albert Leung
Singer: Yoga Lin/Lin Youjia

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

道理好多 不够消息嘴巴多
dào lǐ hǎo duō bú gòu xiāo xi zuǐ ba duō
So many truths/principles, but not as many as messages and mouths

只要热闹不分对错都不错
zhǐ yào rè nào bù fēn duì cuò dōu bú cuò
As long as it’s exciting, it’s alright regardless of right or wrong

朋友好多 不够社交网络多
péng yǒu hǎo duō bú gòu shè jiào wǎng luò duō
So many friends, but not as many as social networks

感情丰富泛滥又神出鬼没
gǎn qíng fēng fù yòu shén chū guǐ mò
Emotions and relationships are abundant, but come and go unpredictably

 

CHORUS #1:

wow 这么美妙的生活
wow zhè me měi hǎo de shēng huó
Wow, what a wonderful life

怎么好意思不活
zěn me hǎo yì si bù huó
How could you not live it?

怎么好意思不快活
zěn me hǎo yì si bú kuài huo
How could you not be happy?

wow 这么奇妙的生活
wow zhè me qí miào de shēng huó
Wow, what a magical life

只怕把甚么错过
zhǐ pà bǎ shén me cuò guò
Fear only missing something

不怕有心情说寂寞
bú pà yǒu xīn qíng shuō jì mò
Fear not saying you’re lonely

 

发明好多 不够新鲜玩意多
fā míng hǎo duō bú gòu xīn xiān wán yi duo
So many inventions, but not as many novelties

有的没的都有 没机会执着
yǒu de méi de dōu yǒu méi jī huì zhí zhuò
I have all sorts of things at hand, but I have no opportunity to hold on to them

新闻好多 不够爆笑材料多
xīn wén hǎo duō bú gòu bào xiào cái liào duō
So much news, but not as many amusements

随便恶搞一下 再恶补洒脱
suí biàn è gǎo yí xià zài è bǔ sǎ tuō
Make fun as you please, then cram for the free and easy-style

 

CHORUS

 

抗议
kàng yì
Protest

我要抗议 没想到抗议甚么
wǒ yào kàng yì méi xiǎng dào kàng yì shén me
I want to protest, but I have no idea of what to protest

我想甚么变甚么就像甚么
wǒ xiǎng shén me biàn shén me jiù xiàng shén me
I want something to become something just like something

比现实更真实
bǐ xiàn shí gèng zhēn shí
is even more real than reality

平庸剪贴 再剪贴到诱惑
píng yōng jiǎn tiē zài jiǎn tiē dào yòu huò
cut and paste and cut and paste the mediocre until it becomes appealing

裸眼看到的美满没话说
luǒ yǎn kàn dào de měi mǎn méi huà shuō
The wonderful seen by the naked eye is indisputable

 

wow 这么美妙的生活
wow zhè me měi miào de shēng huó
Wow what a wonderful life

怎么好意思不活
zěn me hǎo yì si bù huó
How could you not live it?

比快活更快的生活
bì kuài huó gèng kuài de shēng huó
A life happier than happiness
wow 这么美妙的生活
wow zhè me měi miào de shēng huó
Wow what a wonderful life

怎么舍得不去活
zěn me shě de bú qù huó
How could you bear to not live it?

活到每天值得直播
huó dào měi tiān zhí dé zhí bō
Live until every day deserves to be broadcasted live

 

wow 这么美妙的生活
wow zhè me měi miào de shēng huó
Wow what a wonderful life

又怎么好意思不活
yòu zěn me hǎo yì si bù huó
How could you not live it?

美就美在不缺甚么
měi jiù měi zài bù quē shén me
It’s wonderful in that there’s nothing we lack

wow 这么美好的生活
wow zhè me měi hǎo de shēng huó
Wow what a wonderful life

还是要好好的活
hái shì yào hào hào de huó
It should be lived

好就好在不愁寂寞
hǎo jiù hǎo zài bù chóu jì mò
The good thing is there’s no need to worry about loneliness

Yoga Lin 03

Yoga Lin 04

‘Sky’ by Zhang Jie (and Faye Wong)

$
0
0

Zhang Jie 01

‘Sky’ is included in 29-year-old mainland Chinese singer Zhang Jie‘s cover album The Love Songs We Once Encountered, recently released on November 26th, 2012. ‘Sky’ was originally sung by Wang Fei aka Faye Wong.

Music Video:

Composer: Yang Minghuang
Lyrics: Huang Guilan
Singer: Zhang Jie

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

我的天空 为何挂满湿的泪
wǒ de tiān kōng wèi hé guà mǎn shī de lèi
My sky. Why is it covered with tears?

我的天空 为何总灰的脸
wǒ de tiān kòng wèi hé zǒng huì de liǎn
My sky. Why is its face always grey?

飘流在世界的另一边
piāo liú zài shì jiè de lìng yì biān
Drifting on the other side of the world

任寂寞侵犯一遍一遍
rèn jì mò qīn fàn yí biàn yí biàn
Allowing loneliness to invade again and again

天空划着长长的思念
tiān kōng huà zhe cháng cháng de sī niàn
The sky. Pierced by long, long longing

 

你的天空 可有悬着想的云
nǐ de tiān kōng kě yǒu xuán zhè xiǎng de yǔn
Your sky. Does it have clouds hung there that are missing (me)?

你的天空 可会有冷的月
nǐ de tiān kōng ké huì yǒu lěng de yuè
Your sky. Does it have the cold Moon?

放逐在世界的另一边
fàng zhú zài shì jiè de lìng yì biān
Exiled on the other side of the world

任寂寞占据一夜一夜
rèn jì mò zhàn jù yí yè yí y4
Allowing loneliness to occupy night after night

 

天空藏着深深的思念
tiān kōng cáng zhe shēn shēn de sī niàn
The sky. Hiding deep, deep longing

等待在世界的各一边
děng dài zài shì jiè de gè yì biān
Waiting on opposite sides of the world

任寂寞嬉笑一年一年
rèn jì mò xī xiào yì nián yì nián
Allowing loneliness to laugh year after year

天空叠着层层的思念
tiān kōng dié zhe céng céng de sī niàn
The sky. Piled with layers and layers of longing

天空叠着层层的思念
tiān kōng dié zhe céng céng de sī niàn
The sky. Piled with layers and layers of longing

Zhang Jie 2012 album 01

The original version of ‘Sky’ by Wang Fei aka Faye Wong:

Wang Fei aka Faye Wong Sky

‘Red Dust Inn’ by Jay Chou (Zhou Jielun)

$
0
0

'Red Dust Inn' Jay Chou aka Zhou Jielun

红尘客栈 ‘Red Dust Inn’ is included in the Taiwanese Mandopop artist 周杰伦 Zhou Jielun aka Jay Chou‘s latest album Opus 12, which was released on December 28th, 2012. This 中国风”Chinese-style” song is about a swordsman who pursued a reclusive lifestyle with his love but was eventually killed by the enemy.

Official Music Video:


Jay Chou’s performance of ‘Red Dust Inn’ at Jiangsu Satellite TV’s New Year’s Eve Gala on December 31st, 2012:

Composer: Zhou Jielun/Jay Chou
Lyrics: Fang Wenshan/Vincent Fang
Singer: Zhou Jielun/Jay Chou

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

VERSE #1:

天涯 的尽头是风沙
tiān yá de jìn tóu shì fēng shā
The other end of the world is windy and dusty

红尘 的故事叫牵挂
hóng chén de gù shì jiào qiān guā
The story of red dust1 is called having someone in your heart

封刀隐没在寻常人家 东篱下
fēng dào yǐn mò zài xún cháng rén jià dōng lí xià
Hung up my sword and hid myself in the home of an ordinary person, under the eastern fence2

闲云 野鹤 古剎
xián yún yě hè gǔ chà
Floating clouds, wild cranes, old temples3

 
VERSE #2:

快马 在江湖里厮杀
kuài mǎ zài jiāng hú lǐ sī shā
The swift horse, fighting in the chaotic world4

无非 是名跟利放不下
wú fēi shì míng gēn lì fàng bú xià
only because I was unable to let go of fame and fortune

心中有江山的人岂能快意潇洒
xīn zhōng yǒu jiāng shān de rén qǐ néng kuài yì xiāo sǎ
With the country in his heart, how can a man be truly carefree

我只求与你共 华发
wǒ zhǐ qiú yǔ nǐ gòng huā fà
I only wish for our hair to turn gray together

 
CHORUS:

剑出鞘 恩怨了 谁笑
jiàn chū qiào ēn yuàn liǎo shuí xiào
The sword unsheathed, feeling resentment, who is laughing?5

我只求今朝 拥你入 怀抱
wǒ zhǐ qiú jīn zhāo yōng nǐ rù huái bào
I only wish to have you in my arms today

红尘客栈 风似刀 骤雨落 宿命敲
hóng chén kè zhān fēng sì dāo zhòu yǔ luò sù mìng qiāo
Red Dust Inn, the wind cutting like knives, the rain falling, fate knocking

任武林谁领风骚我却 只为你 折腰
rèn wǔ lín shuí lǐng fēng sāo wǒ què zhǐ wèi nǐ zhé yāo
I don’t care who takes the lead in the world of martial arts, I only bend my back for you6

过荒村野桥 寻世外 古道
guò huāng cūn yě qiáo xún shì wài gǔ dào
(We) would pass by the deserted villages and untrodden bridges, (we would) look for the roads not taken

远离人间尘嚣 柳絮飘执子之手逍遥
yuǎn lí rén jiān chén xiāo liǔ xù piāo zhí zǐ zhī shǒu xiāo yáo
Far away from the bustling mortal world, catkins floating in the air, hand in hand, free and unfettered

 
VERSE #3:

檐下 窗棂斜映枝桠
yán xià chuāng líng xié yìng zhī yá
Under the eaves, the twigs slant across the lattice window

与你 席地对座饮茶
yǔ nǐ xí dì duì zuò yǐn chá
We sit on the ground sipping tea

我以工笔画将你牢牢 的记下
wǒ yǐ gōng bǐ huà jiāng nǐ láo láo de jì xià
I use Gongbi painting to etch you in my heart7

提笔 不为风雅
tí bǐ bú wèi fēng yǎ
I put pen to paper, but not for literary pursuits

 
VERSE #4:

灯下 叹红颜近晚霞
dēng xià tàn hóng yán jìn wǎn xiá
Under the light, your blushing face is like the sunset’s glow

我说缘份 一如参禅不说话
wǒ shuō yuán fèn yì rú cān chán bù shuō huà
I remark that chance (comes) is like practicing Zen meditation, without saying a word8

你泪如梨花洒满了纸上的天下
nǐ lèi rú lí huā sǎ mǎn le zhǐ shàng de tiān xià
Your tears like pear blossoms sprinkled across the world on the paper [meaning painting and writing]

爱恨如写意 山水画
ài hèn rú xiě yì shān shuǐ huà
Love and hate are like the Xieyi landscape painting9

 
CHORUS

任武林谁领风骚我却 只为你 折腰
rèn wǔ lín shuí lǐng fēng sāo wǒ què zhǐ wèi nǐ zhé yāo
I don’t care who takes the lead in the world of martial arts, I only bend my back for you

你回眸多娇 我泪中 带笑
nǐ huí móu duō jiāo wǒ lèi zhōng dài xiào
How beautiful you were glancing back, I smiled through tears

酒招旗风中萧萧 剑出鞘 恩怨了
jiǔ zhāo qí fēng zhōng xiāo xiāo jiàn chū qiào ēn yuàn liǎo
The wine inn’s flag fluttered in the wind, the sword unsheathed, feeling resentment

Footnotes:

  1. ^ A figurative term referring to “the world of mortals”.
  2. ^ “Under the eastern fence” is quoted from the poem “Drinking Wine” by Tao Yuanming (365–427) of the Jin Dynasty: “I pluck chrysanthemums under the eastern fence / And serenely I gaze at the southern mountains”. This poem is famous for the pursuit of a reclusive lifestyle.
  3. ^ Images associated with that reclusive lifestyle.
  4. ^ “The swift horse” is a synecdoche. It’s hard to translate the word 江湖 (jiāng hú) “rivers and lakes”——a figurative term often used to refer to a chaotic world of unpredictable changes.
  5. ^ 恩怨 (ēn yuàn) literally means “gratitude and resentment”, but this term often means “resentment”.
  6. ^ 折腰 (zhé yāo) “bend my back, bow” alludes to the anecdote that Tao Yuanming would not “bow like a servant in return for five bushels of grain”.
  7. ^ 工笔 (gōng bǐ) Gongbi is a realistic technique Chinese painting.
  8. ^ “Chance” refers to the possibility of two people encountering each other——in this case, the possibility of meeting one’s soul mate.
  9. ^ 写意 (xiě yì) Xieyi is an interpretive and freely expressive Chinese painting style, the opposite of Gongbi.

Jay Chou in Red Dust Inn, part of his latest album Opus 12.

Jay Chou in Gong Gong with a Headache in his latest album Opus 12.

Jay Chou 2012 album Opus 12

Jay Chou 2012

‘The Song of An Older Artistic Woman’ by Shao Yibei

$
0
0
'The Song of An Artistic Woman' video

The Chinese character reads “marry (a man)”.

《大龄文艺女青年之歌》 ‘The Song of An Older Artistic Woman’ was created by 邵夷贝 Shao Yibei, a Peking University alumni from the class of 2006. This song discusses what kind of men an older “artistic” woman should marry. 大龄 (dà líng) means “older than the average age for marriage”. In China, the average age for a man to have his first marriage is 25.3 years old, and the average age for a woman to have her first marriage is 23.4 years old. This song first became an internet hit in 2009 but drew a lot of attention again at the beginning of 2013 because the female host Zhu Dan sang an adapted version of this song on Hunan Satellite TV‘s New Year’s Eve Gala without Shao Yibei and her record company’s permission.

Music Video:

Composer: Shao Yibei
Lyrics: Shao Yibei
Singer: Shao Yibei

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

呵 呵 这是一首悲伤的歌
hē hē zhè shì yì shǒu bēi shāng de gē
Hehe, this is a sad song

呵 呵 这是一首悲伤的歌
hē hē zhè shì yì shǒu bēi shāng de gē
Hehe, this is a sad song

 
王小姐三十一岁了
wáng xiǎo jiě sān shí yī suì le
Miss Wang is 31

朋友们见到了她
péng yǒu men jiàn dào le tā
When friends meet her

都要问一个问题:
dōu yào wèn yí gè wèn ti
they all ask a question:

你什么时候打算嫁呢?
nǐ shén me shí hou dǎ suàn jià ne
When do you plan to marry (a man)?

 
可是嫁人这一个问题
kě shì jià rén zhè yí gè wèn ti
But the issue of marrying a man

又不是她一个人可以决定的
yòu bú shì tā yí gè rén kě yǐ jué dìng de
cannot be decided by her alone

她问她爸爸
tā wèn tā bà ba
She asked her dad

她问她妈妈
tā wèn tā mā ma
She asked her mom

他们都说你赶紧的
tā men dōu shuō nǐ gǎn jǐn de
They all say: You must hurry up

你看 你看 你看人家那那那那那那那那
nǐ kàn nǐ kàn nǐ kàn rén jiā nèi nèi nèi nèi nèi nèi nèi nèi
Look, look, look at those people like that that that that that that that that [meaning the parents are listing the women they know who have gotten married]

你看 你看 你看看看那那那那
nǐ kàn nǐ kàn nǐ kàn kàn kàn nèi nèi nèi nèi
Look, look, look at those people like that that that that

 
大龄文艺女青年
dà líng wén yì nǚ qīng nián
An older artistic woman

该嫁一个什么样的人呢
gāi jià yí gè shén me yàng de rén ne
What kind of man should she marry?

是不是也该找个搞艺术的
shì bú shì yě gāi zhǎo gè gǎo yì shù de
Should she also find someone who does art?

这样就比较合适呢
zhè yàng jiù bǐ jiǎo hé shì ne
Would that be more suitable?

可是搞艺术的男青年
kě shì gǎo yì shù de nán qīng nián
But the men who do art

有一部分只爱他的艺术
yǒu yí bù fèn zhǐ ài tā de yì shù
Some of them only love their art

还有极少部分搞艺术的男青年
hái yǒu jí shǎo bù fèn gǎo yì shù de nán qīng nián
And a very few men who do art

搞艺术是为了搞姑娘
gǎo yì shù shì wèi le gǎo gū niang
They do art to do girls

搞姑娘又不只搞她一个
gǎo gū niang yòu bù zhǐ gǎo tā yí gè
When they do girls, they don’t do just her alone

嫁给他干什么呢
jià gěi tā gàn shén me ne
So what’s the point of marrying him?

搞姑娘又不只搞她一个
gǎo gū niang yòu bù zhǐ gǎo tā yí gè
When they do girls, they don’t do just her alone

奶奶奶奶奶奶的
něi něi něi něi něi něi de
[expletive, deviated from 奶奶的 (nǎi nǎi de) which means "fuck"] Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

 
呵 呵 这是一首悲伤的歌
hē hē zhè shì yì shǒu bēi shāng de gē
Hehe, this is a sad song

呵 呵 这是一首悲伤的歌
hē hē zhè shì yì shǒu bēi shāng de gē
Hehe, this is a sad song

 
朋友们介绍了好几个
péng yǒu men jiè shào le hǎo jǐ gè
Friends have introduced quite a few men (to her)

有车子房子和孩子的
yǒu chē zi fáng zi hé hái zi de
who have cars, houses, and kids

他们说你该找个有钱的
tā men shuō nǐ gāi zhǎo gè yǒu qián de
They said, “You should find a rich man

让他赞助你搞创作
ràng tā zàn zhù nǐ gǎo chuàng zuò
and let him sponsor your artistic work”

可是大款都不喜欢她
kě shì dà kuǎn dōu bù xǐ huan tā
But no rich man likes her

他们只想娶会做饭的
tā men zhǐ xiǎng qǔ huì zuò fàn de
They just want to marry a woman who knows how to cook

不会做饭的女青年
bú huì zuò fàn de nǚ qīng nián
Young women who don’t know how to cook

只能去当第三者
zhǐ néng qù dāng dì sān zhě
can only go be the third person [extramarital lover]

不会做饭的文艺女青年
bú huì zuō fàn de wén yì nǚ qīng nián
The artistic young women who don’t know how to cook

只能被他们潜规则
zhǐ néng bèi tā men qiǎn guī zé
can only be casting-couched by them

奶奶奶奶奶奶的
něi něi něi něi něi něi de
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

呼~

Hu~

 
这一首歌纯属雷同
zhè yì shǒu gē chún shǔ léi tóng
This song is purely a reflection of reality

如有虚构纯属巧合
rú yǒu xū gòu chún shǔ qiǎo hé
If there is anything fabricated, it’s purely coincidence

请不要自觉对号入座
qǐng bú yào zì jué duì hào rù zuò
Please don’t consciously put yourself in this song

然后发动群众封杀我
rán hòu fā dòng qún zhòng fēng shā wǒ
And then mobilize the masses to censor me

你看 你看 你看她只会做西红柿炒鸡蛋
nǐ kàn nǐ kàn nǐ kàn tā zhǐ huì zuò xī hóng shì chǎo jī dàn
Look, Look, look she only knows how to make fried eggs with tomatoes

你看 你看 还要就着方便面
nǐ kàn nǐ kàn hái yào jiù zhe fāng biàn miàn
Look, look, and she eats it with instant noodles

那是非常的好吃的
nà shì fēi cháng de hǎo chī de
That’s very tasty

mia mia mia mia mia mia mia

[Note: "mia mia mia" is similar with "yum yum" in English.]

那是非常的好吃的
nà shì fēi cháng de hǎo chī de
That’s very tasty

mia mia mia mia mia mia mia

Shao Yibei 01
Shao Yibei 02
Shao Yibei 03

‘Can’t Leave You’ by Huang Qishan and Liu Huan

$
0
0

Huang Qishan 02

《离不开你》 ‘Can’t Leave You’ is the song that brought 44-year-old singer 黄绮珊 Huang Qishan aka Susan Huang to national attention on China’s internet over the past two weeks. Though she entered the music business 27 years ago, Huang Qishan did not become a household name until recently when she appeared on Hunan Satellite TV’s I’m A Singer, a singing competition reality show imported from South Korea’s Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. This singing competition has featured famous artists from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, such as Qi Qin aka Chyi Chin, Paul Wong Koon-Chung aka Huang Guanzhong (former guitarist from the Hong Kong rock band Beyond), Sha Baoliang, Chen Ming, Shang Wenjie aka Laure Shang, and the former members of the pop duet Yu Quan—Chen Yufan, and Hu Haiquan (these two singers also took turns hosting this reality show).

When I’m A Singer debuted on 2013 January 18th, Huang Qishan was the least known singer among the contestants and ranked only No.6 among the seven contestants, but then her name became a hot search term overnight after the show. In the following contest aired on January 25th, she rose to No.2 with a moving performance of Liu Huan‘s ’Can’t Leave You’, the closing sequence of the TV series Snow City that was aired in 1988. She remarked that the song perfectly describes her connection with music. Her performance moved audiences to tears and won the admiration of many singers on Weibo as well. For the February 2nd contest, she paid tribute to Whitney Houston by singing “I’ll Always Love You” (video), and became the champion of the week.

According to her profile on Baidu Baike [Baidu Encyclopedia], Huang Qishan was dubbed “China’s Mariah Carey” and “the No.1 female voice in Asia” though she has released only two albums so far, Only You (2000) and Asia First Female (2009, on Amazon).

Huang Qishan’s performance of “Can’t Leave You” on the nostalgic singing competition reality show I’m A Singer on Hunan Satellite TV:

Composer: Liu Huan
Lyrics: Li Wenqi
Singer: Huang Qishan/Susan Huang

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

VERSE:

你敞开怀抱融化了我
nǐ chǎng kāi huái bào róng huà le wǒ
You opened your arms, melting me

你轻捻指尖揉碎了我
nǐ qīngniǎn zhǐ jiān róu suì le wǒ
You pressed your fingertips together, crumbling me

你鼓动风云卷走了我
nǐ gǔ dòng fēng yún juǎn zǒu le wǒ
You stirred the winds and clouds, rolling me away

你掀起波澜抛弃了我
nǐ xiān qǐ bō lán pāo qì le wǒ
You made waves, abandoning me

 

CHORUS:

我俩 太不公平
wǒ liǎ tài bù gōng píng
Us two, (it’s) so unfair

爱和恨全由你操纵
ài hé hèn quán yóu nǐ cāo zòng
Love and hate, all controlled by you

可今天 我已离不开你
kě jīn tiān wǒ yǐ lí bù kāi nǐ
But today, I can no longer leave you

不管你 爱不爱我
bù guǎn nǐ ài bú ài wǒ
Whether you love me or not

CHORUS

VERSE

CHORUS X4

Huang QIshan 01

Liu Huan might be better known to foreigners as the Chinese man who sang “You and Me”, the official theme song of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, alongside Sarah Brightman. More recently, he was one of the judges on the popular 中国好声音 Voice of China television singing competition.

Here’s his performance of “Can’t Leave You”:

Liu Huan

‘Fahai, You Don’t Understand Love’ by Gong Linna

$
0
0

Gong Linna and Laoluo performed 'You Don't Understand Love'.

《法海你不懂爱》 “Fahai, You Don’t Understand Love” is one of the latest songs written by German composer Robert Zollitsch and sung by his Chinese wife, folk singer 龚琳娜 Gong Linna. He is known as 老锣 Lao Luo (literally “Old Ro”) in China, having established himself as an expert in traditional Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan music, influences he incorporates into the contemporary Chinese music he produces, and that his wife sings.

They are perhaps best known for their song 《忐忑》 Tan Te “Disturbed” (video) which became extremely popular several years ago.

Chinese netizens’ reactions to “Fahai You Don’t Understand Love” are mixed. The song is based on the Legend of the White Snake. Fahai was a Buddhist monk who tried to separate a white snake-turned woman Bai Suzhen and her human husband Xu Xian. Gong Linna explained in her blog that this song discusses how to resolve the conundrum of conflicting values on the way to true love with optimism and a sense of humor.

Official Music Video:

Gong Linna’s performance of “Fahai You Don’t Understand Love” at Hunan Satellite TV’s 2013 New Year’s Eve Gala:

Composer: Lao Luo aka Robert Zollitsch
Lyrics: Lao Luo aka Robert Zollitsch
Singer: Gong Linna

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

法海
fǎ hǎi
Fahai

你为什么不同意我们的爱
nǐ wèi shén me bù tóng yì wǒ men de ài
Why don’t you assent to our love

你不想让我们幸福吗 自由自在
nǐ bù xiǎng ràng wǒ men xìng fú ma zì yóu zì zài
Don’t you want us to be happy? (And) carefree?

一生难得真诚的爱
yì shēng nán dè zhēn chéng de ài
In one’s lifetime it’s hard to encounter true love

你想遵循你的道理
nǐ xiǎng zūn xún nǐ de dào lǐ
You want to stick to your principles

你不愿意听我们说
nǐ bú yuàn yì tīng wǒ men shuō
You are not willing to listen to us explain

 
CHORUS:

法海你不懂爱
fǎ hǎi nǐ bù dǒng ài
Fahai, you don’t understand love

雷峰塔会掉下来
léi fēng tǎ huì diào xià lái
Leifeng Pagoda will collapse

法海你不懂爱
fǎ hǎi nǐ bù dǒng ài
Fahai, you don’t understand love

雷峰塔会掉下来
léi fēng tǎ huì diào xià lái
Leifeng Pagoda will collapse

我们在一起
wǒ men zài yì qǐ
We are together

永远不分离
yǒng yuǎn bù fēn lí
[We] will never be apart

法海你真的不懂爱
fǎ hǎi nǐ zhēn de bù dǒng ài
Fahai, you really don’t understand love

 
你说 我们不能一起吧
nǐ shuō wǒ men bù néng yì qǐ ba
You say, we must not be together

但你不了解我
dàn nǐ bù liǎo jiě wǒ
But you don’t know me

一千年 我不停的改变
yì qiān nián wǒ bù tíng de gǎi biàn
A thousand years, I never stopped changing

想努力地做好人
xiǎng nǔ lì dǐ zuò hǎo rén
trying hard to be a good person

我在人间找到我的爱
wǒ zài rén jiān zhǎo dào wǒ de ài
I found my love in the human world

许仙 许仙 我的爱人
xǔ xiān xǔ xiān wǒ de ài rén
Xu Xian, Xu Xian, my love

 
CHORUS

 
为什么
wèi shén me
Why

为什么爱情总是那么难
wèi shén me ài qíng zǒng shì nà me nán
Why is love always so difficult?

请你放我给我自由
qǐng nǐ fàng wǒ gěi wǒ zì yóu
Please set me free, give me freedom

不要分手
bú yào fēn shǒu
[We] don’t want to break up

请让我们在一起
qǐng ràng wǒ men zài yì qǐ
Please let us be together

 
CHORUS

'Fahai You Don't Understand Love' by Gong Linna

Gong Linna and her husband Lao Luo

‘Exaggerated’ by Terry Lin (Lin Zhixuan)

$
0
0

林志炫 Terry Lin aka Lin Zhixuan, ONE take.

While the original 《浮夸》 “Exaggerated” is a Cantonese song by 陈奕迅 Eason Chan aka Chen Yixun, this Mandarin Chinese version came out in 2010 with new lyrics. The singer is 46-year-old Taiwanese singer 林志炫 Terry Lin aka Lin Zhixuan who is most famous for his nice voice and effortless conversions between true tenor and falsetto. Terry Lin’s “Exaggerated” was included in his album ONE take (available for playing and downloading here), which is a live album recorded at the ONE take (Taiwan) Public Television Music Long Live TV Concert. The TV concert was aired on 2011 August 21st.

This song became famous again as Terry Lin championed the popular Hunan Satellite TV show I’m A Singer, a singing competition reality show imported from South Korea’s Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, in the fifth and eighth weeks, ranking No.2 in the sixth week and No. 3 in the seventh week. He promised he would sing “Exaggerated” if he managed to stay on the stage until the eighth week.

Music Videos:


Composer: Jiang Zhiren/C. Y. Kong
Lyrics: Lou Nanwei
Singer: Lin Zhixuan/Terry Lin

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

夜晚星空 你只看见 最亮的那颗
yè wǎn xīng kōng nǐ zhǐ kàn jiàn zuì liàng de nà kē
In the starry night sky, you only see the brightest one

人海中你崇拜话题最多 最红的那个
rén hǎi zhōng nǐ chōng bài huà tí zuì duō zuì hóng de nà gè
In the sea of people, you worship the one with the most stories, the one who’s most popular

谁不觊觎着要站在舞台中央光环只为我闪烁
shuí bù jì yú zhe yào zhàn zài wǔ tái zhōng yāng guāng huán zhǐ wèi wǒ shǎn shuò
Who doesn’t yearn to stand on center stage, the spotlight shining only for me

散场后落幕后谁关心你想什么 谁在乎你做什么
sàn chǎng hòu luò mù hòu shuí guān xīn nǐ xiǎng shén me  shuí zài hū nǐ zuò shén me
After the show’s over and the curtains come down, who cares what you think, who cares what you do?

夸张不是罪过 能满足空洞乏味的生活
kuā zhāng bú shì zuì guò néng mǎn zú kōng dòng fá wèi de shēng huó
Exaggeration is not a sin, it can fill up the empty, boring life

那窥探的眼 那议论的口 消遣了每一次茶余饭后
nà kuī tàn de yǎn nà yì lùn de kǒu xiāo qiǎn le měi yí cì chá yú fàn hòu
The peeping eye, the gossiping mouth, spices up every party conversation

 

CHORUS:
难道非要浮夸吗 无谓是非与真假
nán dào fēi yào fú kuā ma wú wèi shì fēi yǔ zhēn jiǎ
Do we really have to exaggerate? Whether it is right or wrong, true or false

拼排场 包装 比身价 谁说真心话
pīn pái chǎng bāo zhuāng bǐ shēn jià shuí shuō zhēn xīn huà
Competing on ostentation, image, and social status, who utters words from the heart?

谁说真心话 只要画面够惊讶 只要内容够爆炸
shuí shuō zhēn xīn huà zhǐ yào huā miàn gòu jīng yà zhǐ yào nēi róng gòu bào zhà
Who would utter words from the heart? As long as the picture is shocking enough, as long as the story is explosive enough

一张嘴开出了天花 嬉笑怒骂
yì zhāng zuǐ kāi chū le tiān huā xī xiào nù mà
Open the mouth and out come flowers, laughter, and cursing

[Note: The term "flowers" is adapted from the Chinese idiom 天花乱坠 (tiān huā luàn zhuì), which means "(giving such an extravagantly colorful description that) flowers cascade from the sky".]

只能在夜里镜子前 偷偷讲实话
zhǐ néng zài yè lǐ jìng zi qián tōu tōu jiǎng shí huà
And only at night in front of the mirror can we secretively speak the truth

 

你喜欢我 不喜欢我 是你的自由
nǐ xǐ huān wǒ bù xǐ huān wǒ shì nǐ de zì yóu
Whether you like me or dislike me, it’s your freedom

我只是希望在某些时候 抓到你耳朵
wǒ zhǐ shì xī wàng zài mǒu xiē shí hou zhuā dào nǐ ěr duo
I just hope that sometimes I can catch your ear

为音乐梦想唱出第一个音符 从此就没放弃过
wèi yīn yuè mèng xiǎng chàng chū dì yī gè yīn fú cóng cǐ jiù méi fàng qì guò
Since I sang the first note of my music dream, I’ve never given up

主观的 客观的 旁观的拦阻太多 好坏要自己承受
zhǔ guān de kè guān de páng guān de lán zǔ tài duō hǎo huài yào zì jǐ chéng shòu
The subjective and objective obstacles are too many, good or bad must be borne by oneself

所以我要歌颂 让情绪释放在歌声之中
suǒ yǐ wǒ yào gē sòng ràng qíng xù shì fāng zài gē shēng zhī zhōng
So I need to sing, to release my emotions in the midst of a song

选择虽然多 好歌有几首 能够去感动人给些什么
xuǎn zé suī rán duō hǎo gē yǒu jǐ shǒu néng gòu qù gǎn dòng rén gěi xiē shén me
Although there are many options, how many are good songs that can move people and give people something?

 

CHORUS
幸运儿不是我 因为我选择的路很难走
xīng yùn ér bú shì wǒ yīn wèi wǒ xuǎn zé de lù hěn nán zǒu
The lucky guy is not me, because the road I chose is difficult

如果够出色 却不能出头
rú guǒ gòu chū sè què bù néng chū tóu
If I am good enough to stand out, but still can’t stick out

至少也做到没第二个我
zhì shǎo yě zuò dào méi dì èr gè wǒ
At least I can make sure there’s not a second me

难道非要浮夸吗 内心也曾很挣扎
nán dào fēi yào fú kuā ma nèi xīn yě céng hěn zhēng zhá
Do we really have to exaggerate? I too struggled in my heart

一个人努力的时候 有谁看见吗
yí gè rén nǔ lì de shí hou yǒu shuí kàn jiàn ma
When one works hard alone, who sees?

有谁知道吗 唱到思绪都融化 唱到声音也沙哑
yǒu shuí zhī dào ma chàng dào sī xù dōu róng huà chàng dào shēng yīn yě shā yǎ
Who knows? When I sing to the point where my thoughts have melted, and my voice has gone hoarse

说是我着了魔也好 疯了也罢
shuō shì wǒ zháo le mó yě hǎo fēng le yě bà
You can say I’ve been carried away, I’ve gone crazy

若不能挥洒 算什么歌唱的玩家
ruò bù néng huī sǎ suàn shén me gē chàng de wán jiā
If I can’t be carefree, how can I call myself a singer?

看着我正在为你发光
kàn zhe wǒ zhèng zài wèi nǐ fā guāng
Look at me shining for you

合不合胃口 都请欣然接受吧
hé bù hé wèi kǒu dōu qǐng xīn rán jiē shòu ba
Whether it [my song] is to your taste, please accept it graciously

下一刻要为你擦出火花
xià yí kè yào wèi nǐ cā chū huǒ huā
Next moment I’ll sparkle for you

The Essential Terry Lin

Terry Lin on I Am A Singer


‘Sadly, It’s Not You’ by Fish Leong (and Others)

$
0
0

Fish Leong album Silk Road of Love

《可惜不是你》 ‘Sadly, It’s Not You’ was first included in 34-year-old Chinese-Malaysian singer 梁静茹 Fish Leong aka Liang Jingru‘s 2005 album 《丝路》 Silk Road of Love (available on Amazon). This song has been covered by many singers, including the song’s composer 曹轩宾 Cao Xuanbin aka Shane Cao, singer 张杰 Zhang Jie aka Jason Zhang, and singer 尚雯婕 Shang Wenjie aka Laure Shang.

The song should also be familiar to anyone who has watched the popular Chinese dating show Fei Cheng Wu Rao (aka If You Are The One).

Music Video:

Composer: Cao Xuanbin/Shane Cao
Lyrics: Francis Lee/Li Zhuoxiong
Singer: Fish Leong/Liang Jingru

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

这一刻突然觉得好熟悉
zhè yí kè tū rán jué de hǎo shú xi
This very moment suddenly feels so familiar

像昨天今天同时在放映
xiàng zuó tiān jīn tiān tóng shí zài fàng yìng
as if yesterday and today were simultaneously screened

我这一句语气原来好像你
wǒ zhè yí jù yǔ qì yuán lài hǎo xiàng nǐ
The tone of my sentence sounds so much like yours

不就是我们爱过的证据
bú jiù shì wǒ men ài guò de zhèng jù
And isn’t that the evidence of our love?

 
差一点骗了自己骗了你
chà yì diǎn piàn le zì jǐ piàn le nǐ
Almost deceived myself and deceived you

爱与被爱不一定成正比
ài yǔ bèi ài bù yí dìng chéng zhèng bǐ
Loving and being loved are not necessarily positively related

我知道被疼是一种运气
wǒ zhī dào bèi téng shì yì zhǒng yùn qì
I know that being loved is a kind of luck

但我无法完全交出自己
dàn wǒ wú fǎ wán quán jiāo chū zì jǐ
but I couldn’t totally give myself away

 
PRE-CHORUS:

努力为你改变
nǔ lì wèi nǐ gǎi biàn
[I] worked hard to change myself for you

却变不了预留的伏线
qù biàn bù liǎo yù liú de fú xiàn
But couldn’t change the predetermined storyline [couldn't change the tragic ending of our love]

以为在你身边那也算永远
yǐ wéi zài nǐ shēn biān nà yě suàn yǒng yuǎn
I thought that just staying by your side could also be counted as eternity

仿佛还是昨天
fǎng fú hái shì zuó tiān
[It feels] as if it were still yesterday,

可是昨天已非常遥远
kě shì zuó tiān yǐ fēi cháng yáo yuǎn
but yesterday is already so far away

但闭上我双眼我还看得见
dàn bì shàng wǒ shuāng yǎn wǒ hái kàn dé jiàn
though when I close my eyes, I can still see it

 
CHORUS:

可惜不是你陪我到最后
kě xī bú shì nǐ péi wǒ dào zuì hòu
Sadly, it’s not you accompanying me till the end

曾一起走却走失那路口
céng yì qǐ zǒu què zǒu shī nà lù kǒu
We walked together but lost each other at that crossroad

感谢那时你牵过我的手
gǎn xiè nà shí nǐ qiān guò wǒ de shǒu
I thank you for having held my hand

还能感受那温柔
hái néng gǎn shòu nà wēn róu
I can still feel that gentleness

 
那一段我们曾心贴着心
nà yí duàn wǒ men céng xīn tiē zhe xīn
At that time, our hearts were attached to each others

我想我更有权利关心你
wǒ xiǎng wǒ gèng yǒu quán lì guān xīn nǐ
I thought I had more right to care for you

可能你已走进别人风景
kě néng nǐ yǐ zǒu jìn bié rén fēng jǐng
Maybe you have already entered someone else’s world

多希望也有星光的投影
duō xī wàng yě yǒu xīng guāng de tóu yǐng
How I wish I could be projected by the (romantic) starlight too [how I wish I could enter a new relationship too]

 
PRE-CHORUS

 
CHORUS

感谢那时你牵过我的手
gǎn xiè nà shí nǐ qiān guò wǒ de shǒu
I thank you for having held my hand

还能感受那温柔
hái néng gǎn shòu nà wēn róu
I can still feel that tenderness

感谢那时你牵过我的手
gǎn xiè nà shí nǐ qiān guò wǒ de shǒu
I thank you for having held my hand

还能温暖我胸口
hái néng wēn nuǎn wǒ xiōng kǒu
for it can still warm my heart

Composer 曹轩宾 Cao Xuanbin aka Shane Cao performed ‘Sadly, It’s Not You’ when he attended Zhejiang Satellite TV’s singing competition 非同凡响 We Are The Music, which aired on 2011 July 30:

张杰 Zhang Jie aka Jason Zhang and Cao Xuanbin’s performance of ‘Sadly, It’s Not You’ at Zhang Jie’s 2008 concert in Beijing:

尚雯婕 Shang Wenjie aka Laure Shang‘s version on Hunan Satellite’s singing competition reality show I Am A Singer, which aired recently on 2013 February 8t.

‘The Dark Knight’ by JJ Lin feat. Ashin

$
0
0

JJ Lin ft. Ashin "The Dark Knight" 01

林俊杰 JJ Lin aka Lin Junjie is a Singaporean Mandopop singer-songwriter, composer, and actor based in Taiwan. 阿信 Ashin aka 陈信宏 Chen Xinhong is a singer-songwriter, composer and actor who is most famous for being the lead vocalist of the Taiwanese rock band Mayday.

黑暗骑士 ”The Dark Knight” was included in JJ Lin’s 10th album 《因你而在》 Stories Untold which was recently released on 2013 March 13th. The message of the song is to fight depression, suicide, as well as social problems with the power of music. A 30 minute long mini movie with Chinese and English subtitles was made for this song.

“The Dark Knight” Part 1:

“The Dark Knight” Part 2:

Music Video:

Composer: JJ Lin/Lin Junjie
Lyrics: Ashin/A Xin/Chen Xinhong
Singer: JJ Lin ft. Ashin

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

VERSE #1:
黑暗里谁还不睡 黑色的心情和斗篷假面
hēi àn lǐ shuí hái bú shuì hēi sè de xīn qíng he dǒu péng jiǎ miàn
In the darkness who is not sleeping? Black mood, black cape, and black mask

黑夜的黑不是最黑 而在于贪婪找不到底线
hēi yè de hēi bú shì zuì hēi ér zài yú tān rán zhǎo bú dào dǐ xiàn
The darkness of night is not the darkest, but [the darkest is in] greed and having no bottom line

脚下是卑微的街 我孤独站在城市天际线
jiǎo xià shì bēi wēi de jiē wǒ gū dú zhàn zài chéng shì tiān jì xiàn
Beneath my feet are the petty and base streets, while I stand alone on the city’s skyline

别问我恶类或善类 我只是渴望飞的哺乳类
bié wèn wǒ è lèi huò shàn lèi wǒ zhǐ shì kě wāng fēi de bǔ rǔ lèi
Don’t ask me if I am good or evil, I’m just a mammal who longs to fly

 
VERSE #2:

善恶的分界 不是对立面
shàn è de fēn jiè bú shì duì lì miàn
The divide between good and evil is not in them being opposites

而是每个人 那最后纯洁的防线
ér shì měi gè rén nà zuì hòu chún jié de dǐ xiàn
but in everyone’s last honest line of defense

都逃不过考验
dōu táo bú guò kǎo yàn
being unable to endure the crucible [test]

 
CHORUS #1:

有没有一种考验 有没有一次淬炼
yǒu méi yǒu yì zhǒng kǎo yàn yǒu méi yǒu yí cì cuì liàn
Is there a crucible, is there an ordeal

拯救了世界就像 英雄 电影 情节
zhěng jiù le shì jiè jiù xiàng yīng xióng diàn yǐng qíng jiè
that can save the Earth just like the plot of a hero movie?

有没有一种信念 有没有一句誓言
yǒu méi yǒu yì zhǒng xìn niàn yǒu méi yǒu yì jù shì yán
Is there a belief, is there an oath

呼唤黎明的出现 yeah yeah
hū huàn lí míng de chū xiàn yeah yeah
that calls for the break of the dawn? Yeah yeah

呼唤黎明的出现 yeah yeah
hū huàn lí míng de chū xiàn yeah yeah
Calls for the break of dawn yeah yeah

呼唤黎明的出现
hū huàn lí míng de chū xiàn
Calls for the break of dawn

 
VERSE#3:

为什么抓光了贼 多年来更没目击过抢匪
wèi shén me zhuā guāng le zéi duō nián lái gèng méi mù jī guò qiǎng fěi
Why after having caught all the thieves and having for years not seen a robber

而贫穷还是像潮水 淹没了人们生存的尊严
ér pín qióng hái shì xiāng cháo shuǐ yān mò le rén men shēng cún de zūn yán
is poverty still like a flood drowning the dignity of people’s existence?

文明最颠峰某天 人们和蝙蝠却住回洞穴
wén míng zuì diān fēng mǒu tiān rén men he biān fú què zhù huí dòng xuè
One day when civilization reaches its acme, people and bats go back to live in the caves

那罪行再也看不见 都躲在法律和交易后面
nà zuì xíng zài yě kàn bú jiàn dōu duǒ zài fǎ lǜ hé jiāo yì hòu miàn
and crimes are no longer visible, hidden behind the law and business transactions

 
VERSE #4:

善恶的分界 不怕难分辨
shǎn è de fēn jiè bú pà nán fēn biàn
The divide between good and evil, don’t fear it being hard to discern

只怕每个人 都关上双耳和双眼
zhǐ pà měi gè rén dōu guān shàng shuāng ěr he shuāng yǎn
Just fear every single person covering their ears and closing their eyes

都害怕去改变
dōu hài pà qù gǎi biàn
all afraid of change

 
CHORUS #2:

有没有一种改变 有没有一次壮烈
yǒu méi yǒu yì zhǒng gǎi biàn yǒu méi yǒu yí cì zhuàng liè
Is there a kind of change? Is there a kind of heroicism

结局的完美就像 英雄 电影 情节
jié jú de wǎn měi jiù xiàng yīng xióng diàn yǐng qíng jié
where the ending is as perfect as a hero movie?

有没有一种信念 有没有一句誓言
yǒu méi yǒu yì zhǒng xìn niàn yǒu méi yǒu yí jù shì yán
Is there a belief, is there an oath

呼唤黎明的出现 yeah yeah
hū huàn lí míng de chū xiàn yeah yeah
that calls for the break of dawn? yeah yeah

呼唤黎明的出现 yeah yeah
hū huàn lí míng de chū xiàn yeah yeah
calls for the break of dawn yeah yeah

呼唤黎明的出现
hū huàn lí míng de chū xiàn
Calls for the break of dawn

呼唤黎明的出现
hū huàn lí míng de chū xiàn
Calls for the break of dawn

 
VERSE #5:

越来越毒的雨水 越来越多的灾变
yuè lái yuè dú de yǔ shuǐ yuè lái yuè duō de zāi biàn
More and more toxic rain, more and more disasters

越来越远的从前 英雄 电影 情节
yuè lái yuè yuǎn de cóng qián yīng xióng diàn yǐng qíng jié
Further and further away from that hero film of yore

律师和小丑勾结 民代和财团签约
lǜ shī hé xiǎo chǒu gōu jié mìn dài hé cāi tuán qiān yuē
Lawyers collude with crowns, people’s representatives and financial groups sign contracts

善良和罪恶妥协
shàn liáng hé zuì è tuǒ xié
Good and evil compromise

 
VERSE #6:

越来越大的企业 越来越小的公园
yuè lái yuè dà de qǐ yě yuè lái yuè xiǎo de gōng yuán
Bigger and bigger companies, smaller and smaller parks

越来越深的幻灭 英雄 电影 情节
yuè lái yuè shēn de huàn miè yīng xióng diàn yǐng qíng jié
Deeper and deeper disillusionment of the hero film

面具下的人是谁 或者说不管是谁
miàn jù xià de rén shì shuí huò zhě shuō bù guǎn shì shuí
Who is behind the mask? Or perhaps whoever it is

都无法全身而退 yeah yeah
dōu wú fǎ quán shēn ér tuì yeah yeah
He/she is now unable to quit unscathed

都无法全身而退 yeah yeah
dōu wú fǎ quán shēn ér tuì yeah yeah
Unable to quit unscathed yeah yeah

都无法全身而退
dōu wú fǎ quán shēn ér tuì
Unable to quit unscathed

 
VERSE #7:

当我们偷走伤诫 当我们怀抱信念
dāng wǒ men tōu zǒu shāng jiè dāng wǒ men huái bào xìn niàn
When we steal the oracle, when we embrace ideals

当我们亲身扮演 英雄 电影 情节
dāng wǒ men qīn shēn bàn yǎn yīng xióng diàn yǐng qíng jié
When we ourselves play the roles in the hero film

你就是一种信念 你就是一句誓言
nǐ jiù shì yì zhǒng xìn niàn nǐ jiù shì yì zhǒng shì yán
You become the belief, you become the oath

世界正等你出现 yeah yeah
shì jiè zhèng děng nǐ chū xiàn yeah yeah
The world is waiting for you yeah yeah

世界正等你出现 yeah yeah yeah
shì jiè zhèng děng nǐ chū xiàn yeah yeah yeah
The world is waiting for you yeah yeah yeah

JJ Lin ft. Ashin "The Dark Knight" 02

JJ Lin album Stories Untold

‘My Best Love’ by Aska Yang (and Michelle Pan)

$
0
0

Aska Yang aka Yang Zongwei on I Am A Singer

《最爱》 “My Best Love” is the theme song of the 1986 Taiwanese movie 《最爱》 Passion starring 张艾嘉 Sylvia Chang aka Zhang Aijia and 林子祥 George Lam aka Lin Zixiang.

The song was originally sung by Taiwanese singer 潘越云 Michelle Pan aka Pan Yueyun and included in her 1986 album 《旧爱新欢》 New Love/Old Love, but became popular again after 杨宗纬 Aska Yang aka Yang Zongwei sang it on the April 5th semi-finals of the I Am A Singer reality singing competition that’s currently popular on Chinese television. Aska Yang went on to win that episode, with the finals being this Friday.

At time of translation, this song had 62,349 listens on the popular Chinese online music streaming service Xiami, with videos of his performance on popular Chinese video streaming service Youku having as much as 630,925 views, as Chinese netizens went online to re-experience his rendition.

Music Video:

Composer: Jonathan Lee/Li Zongsheng
Lyrics: Zhong Xiaoyang, Zheng Guojiang
Singer: Aska Yang/Yang Zongwei

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

VERSE 1:

红颜若是只为一段情
hóng yán ruò shì zhǐ wèi yí duàn qíng
If a young person is committed to only one relationship

就让一生只为这段情
jiù ràng yì shēng zhǐ wèi zhè duàn qíng
then let the whole life exist for this relationship,

一生只爱一个人
yì shēng zhǐ ài yí gè rén
a whole life of loving one person,

一世只怀一种愁
yí shì zhǐ huái yì zhǒng chóu
a lifetime of embracing only one kind of [romantic] sorrow.

 
VERSE #2:

纤纤小手让你握着
xiān xiān xiǎo shǒu ràng nǐ wò zhe
Allow this delicate hand to be held by you

把它握成你的袖
bǎ tā wò chéng nǐ de xiù
Hold it until it becomes your sleeve [indicating the wish to become inseparable]

纤纤小手让你握着
xiān xiān xiǎo shǒu ràng nǐ wò zhe
Allow the delicate hand to be held by you

解你的愁 你的忧
jiě nǐ de chóu nǐ de yōu
[Let it] unravel your sorrow, your worries

 
REPEAT VERSE #1 & 2

 
啊……啊……
a…a…
Ah…ah…

啊……啊……
a…a…
Ah…ah…

 
CHORUS #1:

自古多余恨的是我
zì gǔ duō yú hèn de shì wǒ
[The romantic,] since ancient times, tend to have plenty of regrets. That’s me.

[Note: "Since ancient times, (the romantic) tend to have plenty of regrets" is probably from a poem in Qing Dynasty novelist 魏子安 Wei Zi'an's 《花月痕》Traces of Flowers and the Moon, 多情自古空余恨,好梦由來最易醒 "The romantic, since ancient times, the romantic tend to have plenty of regrets, good dreams are always easy to wake up from."]

千金换一笑的是我
qiān jīn huàn yí xiào de shì wǒ
A thousand pieces of gold in exchange for one smile. That’s me [meaning I am willing to give a thousand pieces of gold in exchange for your smile].

是是非非恩恩怨怨都是我
shì shì fēi fēi ēn ēn yuàn yuàn dōu shì wǒ
Right and wrong, gratitude and resentment. All is on me [I'm responsible for everything and all emotions.]

 
VERSE 3:

只有那感动的是我
zhǐ yǒu nà gǎn dòng de shì wǒ
The only one who is moved is me

只有那感动的是你
zhǐ yǒu nà gǎn dòng de shì nǐ
The only one who is moved is you

生来为了认识你之后
shēng lái wèi le rèn shí nǐ zhī hòu
I came to this world only to know you

与你分离
yǔ nǐ fēn lí
and then part with you

 
CHORUS #2:

以前忘了告诉你
yǐ qián wàng le gào sù nǐ
In the past, I forgot to tell you

最爱的是你
zuì ài de shì nǐ
The one I love the most is you

现在想起来
xiàn zài xiǎng qǐ lái
Now I think of it

最爱的是你
zuì ài de shì nǐ
The one I love the most is you

 
REPEAT CHORUS #2

 
红颜难免多情
hóng yán nán miǎn duō qíng
Young people are inevitably romantic

你竟和我一样
nǐ jìng hé wǒ yí yàng
I didn’t expect you to be the same as I am

Michelle Pan aka Pan Yueyun’s Version (MP3):

Michelle Pan aka Pan Yueyun 1986 album New Love/Old Love

Sylvia Chang aka Zhang Aijia‘s version (She was the director and leading actress of the movie Passion):

‘Rose-Colored’ by Deserts Chang

$
0
0

Deserts Chang aka Zhang Xuan 01

《玫瑰色的你》 literally means “The Rose-Colored You”, but is translated as “Rose-Colored” and included in Taiwanese singer 张悬 Deserts Chang aka Zhang Xuan‘s 2012 album 《神的游戏》Games We Play (available on Amazon). This song discusses how people deliberately ignore the plights of marginalized groups, such as “Free Tibet” demonstrators, homosexual couples, Malmo protesters, pro-democracy advocates, and anti-nuclear power activists. This song won Deserts Chang the Best Lyricist Award at the 2013 Top Chinese Music Awards on April 14. Besides, she won the Best Producer Award, the Best Singer-Writer Award, and the Committee Chair Award (given by Gao Xiaosong, the Committee Chair of Top Chinese Music Awards).

At time of translation, this song had 377,767 listens on popular Chinese online music streaming service Xiami, with the following official music video generating 82,242 views on popular Chinese video streaming service Youku.

Music Video:

Composer: Jiao Anpu/Zhang Xuan/Deserts Chang
Lyrics: Jiao Anpu/Zhang Xuan/Deserts Chang
Singer: Zhang Xuan/Deserts Chang

[Note: Jiao Anpu is Zhang Xuan's real name.]

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

这一刻你是一个最快乐的人
zhè yí kè nǐ shì yí gè zuì kuài lè de rén
At this moment you are the happiest person

你看见你想看见的,你将它发生
nǐ kàn jiàn nǐ xiǎng kàn jiàn de, nǐ jiāng tā fā shēng
You see what you want to see, you make it happen

因你,我像戴上玫瑰色的眼镜
yīn nǐ, wǒ xiàng dài shàng méi guī sè de yǎn jìng
Because of you, it’s like I’ve put on rose-colored glasses

看见寻常不会有的奇异与欢愉
kàn jiàn xún cháng bú huì yǒu de qí yì yǔ huān yú
Seeing wonders and joys that usually wouldn’t exist

你美而不能思议
nǐ měi ér bù néng sī yì
You are beautiful and incredible

 
这一刻你是一个最天真的人
zhè yí kè nǐ shì yí gè zuì tiān zhēn de rén
At this moment, you are the most naïve person

你手里没有魔笛,只有一支破旧的大旗
nǐ shǒu lǐ méi yǒu mó dí, zhǐ yǒu yí zhì pò jiù de dà qí
You’re not holding a magic flute, but just a raggedy flag

你像丑儿挥舞它 ; 你不怕脏地玩游戏
nǐ xiàng chǒu er huī wǔ tā; nǐ bú pà zàng de wán yóu xì
You’re waving it like a crown; you play games and, unafraid of getting dirty

你看起来累坏了但你没有停
nǐ kàn qǐ lái lèi huài le, dàn nǐ méi yǒu ting
You look exhausted but you have yet to stop

我是那样爱你
wǒ shì nà yàng ài nǐ
I love you so

不肯改的你,玫瑰色的你
bù kěn gǎi de nǐ, méi guī sè de nǐ
The obstinate you, the rose-colored you

 
这一刻你是一个最忧愁的人
zhè yí kè nǐ shì yí gè zuì yōu chóu de rén
At this moment you are the most worried person

你有着多少温柔,才能从不轻言伤心
nǐ yǒu zhè duō shǎo wēn róu, cái léng cóng bù qīng yán shāng xīn
How much tenderness do you possess, to never speak so easily of your sadness?

而你告别所有对幸福的定义
ér nǐ gào bié suǒ yǒu duì xìng fú de dìng yì
And you big farewell to all the definitions of happiness

投身万物中,神的爱恨与空虚
tóu shēn wàn wù zhōng, shén de ài hèn yǔ kōng xū
Plunging into all things on Earth, (are) God’s love, hate, and emptiness

和你一起,只与你一起
yǔ nǐ yì qǐ, zhǐ yǔ nǐ yì qǐ
To be with you, only with you

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

 
你是我生命中最壮丽的记忆
nǐ shì wǒ shēng mìng zhōng zuì zhuàng lì de jì yì
You are the most magnificent memory in my life

我会记得这年代里你做的事情
wǒ huì jì dé zhè nián dài lǐ nǐ zuò de shì qing
I will remember the things you did in this era

你在曾经不仅是你自己
nǐ zài céng jīng bù jǐn shì nǐ zì jǐ
You were not only yourself in the past

你栽出千万花的一生,
nǐ zài chū qiān wàn huā de yì sheng
You planted thousands of flowers in your life

四季中径自盛放也凋零
sì jì zhōng jìng zì shèng fàng yě diāo ling
which bloom and wilt throughout the four seasons

你走出千万人群独行,
nǐ zǒu chū qiān wàn rén qún dú xīng
You walked out of the crowd and proceeded on your own

往柳暗花明山穷水尽去
wǎng liǔ àn huā míng shān qióng shuǐ jìn qū
towards either a bright or dead end

[Note: 柳暗花明 (liǔ àn huā míng) “dense willow trees and bright flowers” is quoted from Lu You (1125-1209)’s poem “Touring Shanxi Village”: “Over numerous mountains and streams, I had my doubts that I could find the road. Then out of the shade of the willows, came bright flowers and another village.” 山穷水尽 (shān qióng shuǐ jìn) literally means “the end of hills and rivers”.]

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

 
让我日夜地唱吧,我深爱着你
ràng wǒ rì yè de chàng ba, wǒ shēn ài zhe nǐ
Let me sing day and night, I love you deeply

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

玫瑰色的你
méi guī sè de nǐ
The rose-colored you

Deserts Chang aka Zhang Xuan 03

Deserts Chang aka Zhang Xuan 02

‘To Youth’ by Faye Wong

$
0
0

So Young director Vicki Zhao aka Zhao Wei

赵薇 Zhao Wei aka Vicki Zhao‘s first movie 《致我们终将逝去的青春》 So Young has been a hit with Chinese audiences and a Chinese box office success, which in turn helped its theme song 《致青春》 “To Youth” by 王菲 Wang Fei aka Faye Wong go viral. At time of translation, this song had 2,103,472 listens on popular Chinese online music streaming service Xiami.

Music Video:

Composer: Dou Peng
Lyrics: Li Qiang
Singer: Faye Wong/Wang Fei

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

他不羁的脸,像天色将晚。
tā bù jī de liǎn, xiàng tiān sè jiāng wǎn
His unruly face, is like the sky at dusk.

她洗过的发,像心中火焰。
tā xǐ guò de fà, xiàng xīn zhōng huǒ yàn
Her washed hair, is like the flame in one’s heart.

短暂的狂欢,以为一生绵延。
duǎn zàn de kuáng huān, yǐ wéi yì shēng mián yán
The momentary carnival, mistaken for forever.

漫长的告别,是青春盛宴。
màn cháng de gào bié, shì qīng chūn shèng yàn
The lengthy farewell, the feast of youth.

 

我冬夜的手,像滚烫的誓言。
wǒ dōng yè de shǒu, xiàng gǔn tàng de shì yán
My hand in the winter night, like a searing promise.

你闪烁的眼,像脆弱的信念。
nǐ shǎn shuò de yǎn, xiàng cuì ruò de xìn niàn.
Your flickering eyes, like the frail conviction.

贪恋的岁月,被无情偿还。
tān liàn de suì yuè, bèi wú qíng cháng huán
The years clung to, ruthlessly paid back.

骄纵的心性,已烟消云散。
jiāo zòng de xīn xìng, yǐ yān xiāo yún sàn
The arrogant and self-indulgent temperament, vanished into thin air.

 

疯了,累了,痛了
fēng le, lèi le, tòng le
Wild, tired, ached

人间喜剧
rén jiān xǐ jù
The human comedy

笑了,叫了,走了
xiào le, jiào le, zhǒu le
Laughed, screamed, gone

青春离奇
qīng chūn lí qí
Youth [is] curious

 

良辰美景奈何天
liáng chén měi jǐng nài hé tiān
Bright the morn, lovely the scene,

为谁辛苦为谁甜。
wèi shuí xīn kǔ wèi shuí tián
For whom to toil? For whom to be sweet?

这年华青涩逝去,
zhè nián huá qīng sè shì qù
The years of youth are gone,

却别有洞天。
què bié yǒu dòng tiān
yet were charming and beautiful.

 

良辰美景奈何天,
liáng chén měi jǐng nài hé tiān,
Bright the morn, lovely the scene,

为谁辛苦为谁甜。
wèi shuí xīn kǔ wèi shuí tián.
For whom to toil? For whom to be sweet?

这年华青涩逝去,
zhè nián huá qīng sè shì qù
The years of youth are gone,

明白了时间。
míng bái le shí jiān
and we understood the nature of time.

 

疯了,累了,痛了
fēng le, lèi le, tòng le
Wild, tired, ached

人间喜剧
rén jiān xǐ jù
The human comedy

笑了,叫了,走了
xiào le, jiào le, zǒu le
Laughed, screamed, gone

青春离奇
qīng chūn lí qí
Youth [is] curious

So Young movie poster

The friendship between Faye Wong and Vicki Zhao has lasted 15 years. On April 9, Vicki Zhao posted this photo along with the theme song’s lyrics to her microblog where she has over 41 million followers, mentioning Faye Wong directly:

@赵薇: Don’t forget to rinse out the bubbles after washing your hair lovea_orglaugh @veggieg [Faye Wong]

Faye Wong promoted 'To Youth' on her Weibo

In response, Faye Wong re-shared the photo to her 13m followers, and added the comment:

@veggieg: Look, what an unruly face ha_org

‘Running Away’ by Zhou Bichang

$
0
0

Zhou Bichang Unlock album cover

“Running Away” is included in 27-year-old mainland singer Zhou Bichang‘s latest album Unlock, released on May 16, 2013. At time of translation, this song has generated 38,355 listens on Xiami.

Music Video:

Composer: Frank Fossey
Lyrics: Ge Dawei
Arrangements: Liang Qiaobo
Singer: Zhou Bichang

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

外头阳光耀眼
wài tóu yáng guāng yào yǎn
Outside the sunshine is shining

相机充饱了电
xiàng jī chōng bǎo le diàn
The camera is fully charged

拒绝咖啡续杯
jù jué kā fēi xù bēi
Rejected the coffee refill

今天适合冒险
jīn tiān shì hé mào xiǎn
Today is good for adventure

这次不需要人陪 只凭直觉
zhè cì bù xū yào rén péi zhǐ píng zhí jué
This time I don’t need company; I will rely on intuition only

 
CHORUS:

Cuz I’m running away

别回头无所谓
bié huí tóu wú suǒ wèi
Don’t turn back, don’t care too much

Cuz I’m running away

单程票一路到明天
dān chéng piào yí lù dào míng tiān
A one-way ticket all the way to tomorrow

 

厌倦一成不变
yàn juàn yì chéng bú biàn
Tired of nothing ever changing

我想做个试验
wǒ xiǎng zuò gè shì yàn
I want to do an experiment

出发不设终点
chū fā bú shè zhōng diǎn
To set off without a destination

我会走到哪边
wǒ huì zǒu dào nǎ biān
Where will I find myself?

这次 不需要排练 不说后悔
zhè cì bù xū yào pái liàn bù shuō hòu huǐ
This time, no rehearsal is needed, and no regrets

 
CHORUS

 
不依赖 勇敢推翻
bù yī lài yǒng gǎn tuī fān
Don’t be dependent, must bravely overthrow

昨日此刻 我的存在
zuó rì cǐ kè wǒ de cún zài
my existence of yesterday this moment

我可以 享受孤单
wǒ kě yǐ xiǎng shòu gū dān
I can enjoy loneliness

因为离开所以期待
yīn wèi lí kāi suǒ yǐ qī dài
Because by leaving, I can look forward to [something new]

这次 不需要人陪 只凭直觉
zhè cì bù xū yào rén péi zhǐ píng zhí jué
This time, I don’t need company; I will rely on my intuition only

 
Cuz I’m running away

别回头无所谓
bié huí tóu wú suǒ wèi
Don’t turn back, don’t care too much

Cuz I’m running away

单程票带我走
dān chéng piào dài wǒ zǒu
One-way ticket, take me away

 
CHORUS

Zhou Bichang 01

Zhou Bichang 02

‘For The Loved’ by René Liu (Liu Ruoying)

$
0
0

Rene Liu 2013 album

《亲爱的路人》 “For the Loved” (or literally “Dear Passersby”) is included in 43-year-old Taiwanese singer 刘若英 René Liu aka Liu Ruoying‘s latest eponymous album, released on May 10th. This song is the ending theme song for the popular TV drama 《姐姐立正向前走》 Drama Go Go Go (or literally Big Sister Marching Forward). At time of translation, this song has generated 993,903 listens on Xiami.

Music Video:

Composer: Mitsutoshi Kimura
Lyrics: Lin Xi (Albert Leung)
Arrangements: Taisuke Sawachika
Singer: René Liu (Liu Ruoying)

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

Text: 亲爱的,我已经大火车站了。。。
Text: Dear, I’ve already arrived at the train station…
最初以为只是路人,没想到变成亲爱的;
At first I thought he was just a passerby, never imagining that he would become my love;

曾经以为最亲爱的,最后原来也只是路人。
Who I once thought was my greatest love, ultimately turned out to be just a passerby.
一个一个笑窝 一段一段泪光
yí gè yí gè xiào wō yí duàn yí duàn lèi guāng
One dimple after another, glistening teardrops again and again,

每一次都以为 是永远的寄托
měi yí cì dōu yǐ wéi shì yǒng yuǎn de jì tuō
every time I thought, you would be the person I could count on forever.

承受不起的伤 来不及痊愈就解脱
chéng shòu bù qǐ de shāng lái bù jí quán yù jiù jiě tuō
Unbearable wounds, we broke up before they even had a chance to heal

我们 已经各得其所
wǒ men yǐ jīng gè dé qí suǒ
We, are now where we should be.

CHORUS #1:
所谓承诺 都要分了手才承认是枷锁
suǒ wèi chéng nuò dōu yào fēn le shǒu cái chéng rèn shì jiā suǒ
The so-called promises, only when we broke up did we admit they were shackles

都是浪漫地蹉跎
suǒ wèi gū fù dōu shì làng màn de cuō tuó
The so-called disappointments, were all romantic wastes of time

所以别问 还差什么 我们没结果
suǒ yǐ bié wèn hái chà shén me wǒ men méi jié guǒ
So don’t ask, what are we lacking, there is nothing [no fruit borne] for us

都结了果 却由他来收获
dōu jié le guǒ quē yóu tā lái shōu huò
The fruit has been borne, but it was he who reaped them.

CHORUS #2:
那时候 年轻得不甘寂寞
nà shí hou nián qīng de bù gān jì mò
Back then, [we were] so young that we were unwilling to be lonely

错把磨练当成折磨
cuò bǎ mó liàn dāng chéng zhé mó
mistook tempering oneself for torture.

对的人终于会来到
duì de rén zhōng yú huì lái dào
The right person will eventually come along

因为 犯的错够多
yīn wèi fān de cuò gòu duō
because we’ve made enough mistakes

总要为 想爱的人不想活
zǒng yào wèi xiǎng ǎi de rén bú xiǎng huó
One must first want to die for the person we want to love

才跟该爱的人生活
cài gēn gāi ài de rén shēng huó
before we can live with the person we should love

来过 走过 是亲爱的路人 成全我
lái guò zǒu guò shì qīn ài de lù rén chéng quán wǒ
Having come, having left, it’s the dear passersby who completed me.

尘埃落定之后 回忆别来挑拨
chén āi luò dìng zhī hòu huí yì bié lái tiǎo bō
After the dust settles, memories don’t come instigate/provoke

何必刻意难过 去证明快乐过
hé bì kè yì nán guò qù zhèng míng kuài lè guò
Why force ourselves to be sad, to prove that we were once happy?

时间改变你我 来不及回看就看破
shí jiān gǎi biàn nǐ wǒ lái bù jí huí kàn jiù kàn pò
Time changed you and me, and we saw through each other before having a chance to look back

洒脱 是必要的执着
sǎ tuō shì bì yào de zhí zhuó
Letting go, is being persistent as needed.

CHORUS #1

CHORUS #2 x2

那时候 只懂得爱谁最多
nà shí hou zhǐ dǒng dé ài shuí zuì duō
Back then, I only knew who to love the most

忘了谁最懂得爱我
wàng le shuí zuì dǒng dé ài wǒ
but forgot who knew the most to love me.

对的人会成为一对
duī de rěn huì chéng wéi yí duì
The right people will eventually be together

因为 再不怕犯错
yīn wèi zài bú pà fàn cuò
because they are no longer afraid of making mistakes

没有错 让最爱的人错过
méi you cuò ràng zuì ài de rén cuò guò
It’s true, only by letting the one you love most pass you by

才知道最后爱什么
cái zhī dào zuì hòu ài shén me
will you know what you ultimate love.

来吧 来吧 让亲爱的路人 珍惜我
lái ba lái ba ràng qīn ài de lù rén zhēn xī wǒ
Come, come, let the dear passers-by cherish me

没有你们爱过 没有我
méi yǒu nǐ men ài guò méi yǒu wǒ
[Because] without you having loved me, there is no me.

[End segment]
Man: 好久不见
Man: It’s been a long time.

Woman: 那我先走了
Woman: So I’ll be going.

Text: 亲爱的,我下午就到家了。
Text: Dear, I’ll be home by the afternoon.

Rene Liu 01

Rene Liu 02


‘I Miss You’ by Sodagreen

$
0
0

'I Miss You' by Sodagreen

《我好想你》’I Miss You’ is included in Taiwanese indie band 苏打绿 Sodagreen‘s eponymous album, released on June 17th. The band’s vocalist 吴青峰 Wu Qingfeng aka Wu Tsing-Fong said he wrote this song five years ago and experienced an emotional meltdown when recording it. This year, this song was chosen to be the theme song of the movie Tiny Times directed by Young-adult Fiction writer Guo Jingming. At time of translation, this song has generated 770,516 listens on Xiami.

Music Video:

Composer:Wu Qingfeng/Wu Tsing-Fong
Lyrics: Wu Qingfeng/Wu Tsing-Fong
Singer: Sodagreen

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

VERSE #1:

开了灯 眼前的模样
kāi le dēng yǎn qián de mú yàng
Turn on the light, the scene in front of the eyes

偌大的房 寂寞的床
nuò dà de fáng jì mò de chuáng
The spacious room, the lonely bed

关了灯 全都一个样
guán le dēng quán dōu yí gè yàng
Turn off the light, it’s all the same

心里的伤 无法分享
xīn lǐ de shāng wú fǎ fēn xiǎng
The wound in the heart, unable to be shared

 
VERSE #2:

生命随年月流去
shēng mìng suí nián yuè liú qù
Life flows away with time

随白发老去
suí bái fà lǎo qù
turns old with gray hair

随着你离去 快乐渺无音讯
suí zhe nǐ lí qù kuài lè miǎo wú yīn xùn
leaves with you, no news of happiness

随往事淡去
suí wǎng shì dàn qù
fades away with the past

随梦境睡去
suí mèng jìng shuì qù
falls asleep with dreams

随麻痹的心逐渐远去
suí má bì de xīn zhú jiàn yuǎn qù
leaves with the numb heart

我好想你 好想你 却不露痕迹
wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ hǎo xiǎng nǐ què bù liú hén jì
I miss you, miss you, but no trace is left

 
CHORUS #1:

我还踮着脚思念
wǒ hái diǎn zhe jiǎo sī niàn
I’m still tiptoeing in missing you

我还任记忆盘旋
wǒ hái rèn jì yì pán xuán
I’m still letting the memories hover/spiral [over me]

我还闭着眼流泪
wǒ hái bì zhe yǎn liú lèi
I’m still shedding tears with my eyes closed

我还装作无所谓
wǒ hái zhuāng zuò wú suǒ wèi
I still pretend not to care

 
CHORUS#2:

我好想你 好想你 却欺骗自己
wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ hǎo xiǎng nǐ què qī piàn zì jǐ
I miss you, miss you, but I deceive myself

 
VERSE #1

 
VERSE #2

 
CHORUS #1

 
CHORUS #2

 
我好想你 好想你 却欺骗自己
wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ hǎo xiǎng nǐ què qī piàn zì jǐ
I miss you, miss you, but I deceive myself

我好想你 好想你 就当作秘密
wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ hǎo xiǎng nǐ jiù dāng zuò mì mì
I miss you, miss you, I’ll just make it a secret

我好想你 好想你 就深藏在心
wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ hǎo xiǎng nǐ jiù shēn cáng zài xīn
I miss you, miss you, so I hide it deep in my heart

Sodagreen 01

Wu Qingfeng

Sodagreen’s vocalist Wu Qingfeng (Wu Tsing-Fong)

‘Speechless Song’ by Sandy Lam (Lin Yilian)

$
0
0

Sandy Lam Gaia

《无言歌》 ‘Speechless Song’ is part of 47-year-old Hong Kong singer 林忆莲 Lin Yilian aka Sandy Lam‘s 2012 album 《盖亚》 Gaia, which was nominated for six awards at the 24th Taiwan Golden Melody Awards. At the July 6th’s awards ceremony, this album eventually won the Best Mandarin Album award while Sandy Lam won the Best Mandarin Female Singer award and co-won the Best Album Producer award with Guangdong singer, songwriter, and music producer Chang Shilei. Chang Shilei also won the Best Musical Arranger award for the song ‘Gaia’.

At time of translation, this song has generated 108,731 listens on Xiami.

Music Video:

If you can’t see the above music video, you can at least hear the song on YouTube here.

Composer: Sandy Lam (Lin Yilian)
Lyrics: Sandy Lam (Lin Yilian) & Francis Li (Li Zhuoxiong)
Arrangements: Chang Shilei
Producers: Sandy Lam (Lin Yilian) & Chang Shilei
Singer: Sandy Lam (Lin Yilian)

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

晚福妈丽亚 夜宿嫉妒
wàn fú mā lì yà yē sū jī dū
Good evening Mother Liya, sleepover jealousy

[Note: This line sounds like 万福玛利亚 耶稣基督 "Hail Mary full of Grace, Jesus Christ".]

世家谋逆 OM MA PE ME HON
shì jiā móu ní OM MA PE ME HON
The aristocratic family conspires against [the state]. Om Mani Padme Hung

[Note: This line sounds like “Sakyamuni Om Mani Padme Hung".]

怜悯我吧 告诉我吧
lián mǐn wǒ ba gào sù wǒ ba
Have pity on me, tell me

生的意义 轮回的契机
shēng de yì yì lún huí de qì jī
the meaning of life, the opportunity for reincarnation.

 
大地之母 敬爱的父
dà dì zhī mǔ jìng ài de fù
Mother Earth, Dear Father

混沌玄黄 KYRIE ELEISON
hún dùn xuán huáng KYRIE ELEISON
Baraka [blessing], Kyrie eleison [Lord, have mercy]

怜悯我吧 告诉我吧
lián mǐn wǒ ba gào sù wǒ ba
Have pity on me, tell me

战争的意义 爱情的政治
zhàn zhēng de yì yì ài qíng de zhèng zhì
the meaning of war, the politics of love.

救救我们的神经
jiù jiù wǒ men de shén jīng
Rescue our nerves

 
救救我们思想里的孽
jiù jiù wǒ men sī xiǎng lǐ de niè
Rescue the sins in our thoughts

REPEAT x1

 
赤道玛利亚 声音沙哑
chì dào mǎ lì yà shēng yīn shā yǎ
Mary on the equator, coarse voice

谁听见她 OM MA PE ME HON
shuí tīng jiàn tā OM MA PE ME HON
Who heard her? Om Mani Padme Hung

怜悯我吧 告诉我吧
lián mǐn wǒ ba gào sù wǒ ba
Have pity on me, tell me

战争的意义 爱情的政治
zhàn zhēng de yì yì ài qíng de zhèng zhì
the meaning of war, the politics of love

 
救救我们的神经
jiù jiù wǒ men de shén jīng
Rescue our nerves

救救我们思想里的孽
jiù jiù wǒ men sī xiǎng lǐ de niè
Rescue the sins in our thoughts

REPEAT x3

 
救救我们的神经
jiù jiù wǒ men de shén jīng
Rescue our nerves

救救我们思想里的孽
jiù jiù wǒ men sī xiǎng lǐ de niè
Rescue the sins in our thoughts

REPEAT x5

Sandy Lam 01

Sandy Lam 02

‘I’m Eating Fried Chicken at People’s Square’ by A Si

$
0
0

'I'm Eating Fried Chicken at People's Square' by A Si

《我在人民广场吃炸鸡》 ‘I’m Eating Fried Chicken at People’s Square’ was included in Shanghainese indie pop artist 阿肆 A Si’s first eponymous album, released on July 4, 2013. Although this song has been popular among Chinese “artistic youth” [hipsters] for some time, it didn’t reach the broader public until Xu Mingming, a contestant of 中国梦之声 (literally China’s Dream Voice) Chinese Idol covered the song on the July 14th episode.

A Si’s record company Modern Sky later pointed out that Xu Mingming performed the song without the company’s permission, and requested that Chinese Idol stop airing her performance in all forms.

At time of translation, A Si’s ‘I’m Eating Fried Chicken at People’s Square’ has generated 227,115 listens on Xiami and 394,927 listens on Douban.

Music Video:

The MP3 version of this song on Xiami has better sound quality.

Composer: A Si
Lyrics: A Si
Singer: A Si

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

VERSE #1:

最近你变得很冷漠
zuì jìn nǐ biàn de hěn lěng mò
Recently you became very cold

让我有些不知所措
ràng wǒ yǒu xiē bù zhī suǒ cuò
which left me not knowing what to do

其实我没期待太多
qí shí wǒ méi qī dài tài duō
Actually I don’t expect too much

你能像从前般爱我
nǐ néng xiàng cóng qián bān ài wǒ
[I just expect that] you can love me like before

只是连约会你都逃脱
zhǐ shì lián yuē huì nǐ dōu táo tuō
But you even ran away from our dates

什么解释都不说
shén me jiě shì dōu bù shuō
without giving any explanation

 
VERSE #2:

不是我不知道
bú shì wǒ bù zhī dào
It’s not that I don’t know

爱情需要煎熬
ài qíng xū yào jiān áo
that love requires endurance

不是我没祈祷
bú shì wǒ méi qǐ dǎo
It’s not that I didn’t pray

(你只是……迟到)
nǐ zhǐ shì…chí dào
(that you were just…late)

 
CHORUS #1:

我在人民广场吃着炸鸡
wǒ zài rén mín guǎng chǎng chī zhe zhà jī
I’m eating fried chicken at People’s Square

而此时此刻你在哪里
ér cǐ shí cǐ kè nǐ zài nǎ lǐ
But at this very moment where are you?

虽然或许你在声东击西
suī rán huò xǔ nǐ zài shēng dōng jī xī
Although perhaps you are “feinting to the east but attacking in the west” [appearing to do one thing while actually aiming at the other]

但疲倦已让我懒得怀疑
dàn pí juàn yǐ ràng wǒ lǎn de huái yí
But exhaustion has made me too lazy to suspect

 
CHORUS #2:

我在人民广场吃着炸鸡
wǒ zài rén mín guǎng chǎng chī zhe zhǎ jī
I’m eating fried chicken at People’s Square

而此时此刻 你在哪里
ér cǐ shí cǐ kè nǐ zài nǎ lǐ
But at this very moment where are you?

 
VERSE #1

 
VERSE #2

 
CHORUS #1

 
CHORUS #2

 
VERSE #2

 
我在人民广场吃着炸鸡
wǒ zài rén mín guǎng chǎng chī zhe zhà jī
I’m eating fried chicken at People’s Square

而此时此刻 你在
ér cǐ shí cǐ kè nǐ zài
But at this very moment you are…

而此时此刻 你在
ér cǐ shí cǐ kè nǐ zài
But at this very moment you are…

而此时此刻 你在
ér cǐ shí cǐ kè nǐ zài
But at this very moment you are…

 
我在人民广场吃着炸鸡
wǒ zài rén mín guǎng chǎng chī zhe zhà jī
I’m eating fried chicken at People’s Square

而此时此刻 你在
ér cǐ shí cǐ kè nǐ zài
But at this very moment you are…

A Si's Weibo

A Si’s Sina Weibo account. Her username is “Fried Chicken Girl A Si”.

A Si

‘Used Guitar’ by Chang Chen-yue (Zhang Zhenyue)

$
0
0

Chang Chen-yue album I'm Ayal Komod

《破吉他》 ‘Used Guitar’ was included in 39-year-old Taiwanese singer-songwriter and guitarist 张震岳 Chang Chen-yue aka Zhang Zhenyue‘s 2013 album 《我是海雅谷慕》 Ayal Komod [literally "I'm Ayal Komod"], released on July 5th. Ayal Komod is Chang Chen-yue’s Amis name. At time of translation, this song has generated 1,000,291 listens on Xiami.

Music Video:



Composer:Chang Chen-yue/Zhang Zhenyue
Lyrics: Chang Chen-yue/Zhang Zhenyue
Singer: Chang Chen-yue/Zhang Zhenyue

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

最好是艳阳天 约在海边
zuì hǎo shì yàn yáng tiān yuē zài hǎi biān
A sunny day would be best, meet by the sea

不散不见
bú sàn bú jiàn
Before seeing each other, we’ll not leave

一定有人爽约
yí dìng yǒu rén shuǎng yuē
There is always someone who fail to show up

喝太多起不来之类
hē tài duō qǐ bù lái zhī lèi
Having drank too much, can’t get up, and the like

理由总是有太多
lǐ yóu zǒng shì yǒu tài duō
The reasons are always too many

时间浪费在上网 游戏之间
shí jiān làng fèi zài shàng wǎng yóu xì zhī jiān
Their time wasted on the Internet, on playing computer games

难得假日星期天
nán dé jià rì xīng qí tiān
A rare holiday or Sunday

何不骑着单车去 看看河岸
hé bù qí zhe dān chē qù kàn kàn hé àn
Why not ride a bike to visit the riverside

夕阳很美 不要再睡
xī yáng hěn měi bú yào zài shuì
The sunset is beautiful, don’t sleep anymore

一阵浪花打来 夏天皮肤特别黝黑
yí zhèn làng huā dǎ lái xià tiān pí fū tè bié yōu hēi
A wave hits, our skin especially tanned in the summer

远方几个辣妹 浓妆艳抹照样戏水
yuǎn fāng jǐ gè là mèi nóng zhuāng yàn mǒ zhào yàng xì shuǐ
In the distance are some hot girls, wearing heavy makeup but still splashing around

漂浮在平静海面
piāo fú zài píng jìng hǎi miàn
Floating on the ocean surface

脑子空空没所谓 一只海龟
nǎo zi kōng kōng méi suǒ wèi yì zhī hǎi guī
Nothing on the mind, carefree like a sea turtle

有点不想回台北
yǒu diǎn bù xiǎng huí tái běi
I suddenly don’t want to go back to Taipei

幻想退休养老要 在花莲 买一块农地
huàn xiǎng tuì xiū yǎng lǎo yào zài huā lián mǎi yí kuài nóng dì
I fantasize about retiring and buying a farm in Hualian

养鸡种田
yǎng jī zhòng tián
to raise chickens and take up farming

 
CHORUS:

任何事都为别人 自己摆在最后面
rèn hé shì dōu wèi bié rén zì jǐ bǎi zài zuì hòu miàn
Anything I do I do for others, putting myself last

来一次远走高飞 再犹豫就会后悔
lái yí cì yuǎn zǒu gāo fēi zài yóu yù jiù huì hòu huǐ
Just escape for once. If you continue to hesitate, you’ll regret it

择期不如就今天 bye bye blue Monday
zé qī bù rú jiù jīn tiān bye bye, blue Monday
Better today than picking a later date, bye bye blue Monday

肩上一把破吉他 流浪到天边
jiān shàng yì bǎ pò jí tā liú làng dào tiān biān
Sling a used guitar over your shoulder, and wander to the ends of the earth

 
CHORUS X2

 
流浪到天边 流浪到天边 再见呀再见
liú làng dào tiān biān liú làng dào tiān biān zài jiàn ya zài jiàn
Wander to the ends of the earth. Wander to the ends of the earth. See you, see you.

Chang Chen-yue 2013 Hongkong Concert poster

Chang Chen-yue at the Spring Wave Music and Art Festival 2013 in Kending

‘Miss Dong’ by Song Dongye (and Zuo Li)

$
0
0

Modern Sky 7

《董小姐》 ‘Miss Dong’ was included in Chinese indie pop record label Modern Sky’s 15th anniversary album, 《摩登天空7》 Modern Sky 7, released on December 27, 2012.

25-year-old Beijing singer-songwriter 宋冬野 Song Dongye said this song is based on a conversation with a female photographer friend who looks vulnerable but has a strong heart due to life experiences that are very different from those of an average person.

Although this indie pop song has been popular among Chinese “artistic youth” [hipsters] for some time, it didn’t reach the broader public until 左立 Zuo Li, a contestant of 快乐男声 Super Boy covered the song on the June 29th episode.

At time of translation, this song has generated 2,744,924 listens on Xiami.

Music Video:

Composer: Song Dongye
Lyrics: Song Dongye
Singer: Song Dongye

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

董小姐 你从没忘记你的微笑
dǒng xiǎo jiě nǐ cóng méi wàng jì nǐ de wēi xiào
Miss Dong, you never forget your smile

就算你和我一样 渴望着衰老
jiù suàn nǐ hé wǒ yí yàng kě wàng zhe shuāi lǎo
Even if you are like me, eager to get old

董小姐 你嘴角向下的时候很美
dǒng xiǎo jiě nǐ zuǐ jiǎo xiàng xià de shí hou hěn měi
Miss Dong, when the corners of your mouth curl down, it’s so beautiful

就像安和桥下 清澈的水
jiù xiàng ān hé qiáo xià qīng chè de shuǐ
just like the clear water under Anhe Bridge

董小姐 我也是个复杂的动物
dǒng xiǎo jiě wǒ yě shì gè fù zá de dòng wù
Miss Dong, I too am a complicated animal

嘴上一句带过 心里却一直重复
zuǐ shàng yí jù dài guò xǐn lǐ què yì zhí chóng fù
saying things only once, but repeating them over and over again in my heart

董小姐 鼓楼的夜晚时间匆匆
dǒng xiǎo jiě gǔ lóu de yè wǎn shí jiān cōng cōng
Miss Dong, that evening near Gulou, time fled

陌生的人 请给我一支兰州
mò shēng de rén qǐng gěi wǒ yì zhī lán zhōu
Stranger, please give me a Lanzhou [cigarette brand]

CHORUS:

所以那些可能都不是真的 董小姐
suǒ yǐ nà xiē kě néng dōu bú shì zhēn de dǒng xiǎo jiě
So probably all those things are not true, Miss Dong

你才不是一个没有故事的女同学
nǐ cái bú shì yí gè méi yǒu gù shì de nǚ tóng xué
You certainly aren’t a female classmate without stories

爱上一匹野马 可我的家里没有草原
ài shàng yì pǐ yě mǎ kě wǒ de jiā lǐ méi yǒu cǎo yuán
Falling in love with a wild horse, but having no grassland in my home

这让我感到绝望 董小姐
zhè ràng wǒ gǎn dào jué wàng dǒng xiǎo jiě
This makes me feel hopeless, Miss Dong

董小姐 你熄灭了烟 说起从前
dǒng xiǎo jiě nǐ xī miè le yān shuō qǐ cóng qián
Miss Dong, you put out a cigarette, and started talking about the past

你说前半生就这样吧 还有明天
nǐ shuō qián bàn shēng jiù zhè yàng ba hái yǒu míng tiān
You said the first half of your life is what it is, there’s always tomorrow.

董小姐 你可知道我说够了再见
dǒng xiǎo jiě nǐ kě zhī dào wǒ shuō gòu le zài jiàn
Miss Dong, you know I’ve said enough “goodbyes”

在五月的早晨 终于丢失了睡眠
zài wǔ yuè de zǎo chén zhōng yú diū shī le shuì mián
On a morning in May, I finally lost sleep

CHORUS

所以那些可能都会是真的 董小姐
suǒ yǐ nà xiē kě néng dōu huì shì zhēn de dǒng xiǎo jiě
So those things may all be true, Miss Dong

谁会不厌其烦的安慰那无知的少年
shuí huì bú yàn qí fán de ān wèi nà wú zhī de shāo nián
Who will tirelessly comfort that ignorant youngster?

我想和你一样 不顾那些所以
wǒ xiǎng hé nǐ yí yàng bú gù nà xiē suǒ yǐ
I want to be like you, ignoring all those things. So,

跟我走吧 董小姐 燥起来吧 董小姐
gēn wǒ zǒu ba dǒng xiǎo jiě zào qǐ lái bā dǒng xiǎo jiě
be with me, Miss Dong. Cheer up, Miss Dong

Song Dongye

Song Dongye

Zuo Li’s cover of “Miss Dong”:


Viewing all 33 articles
Browse latest View live