~Masterlist~ (Shows all my previous posts, organized)

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Introduction

Hi there, it's Speck here. I decided to write the introduction after publishing 3 entries because I think if I spent all that time with an intro without any actual content on my blog yet that’ll be pretty, well, underwhelming. As the name of the blog implies, this is a blog dedicated to translate classical style modern Chinese songs. These songs are not main stream, even in the international Chinese-speaking communities at present, especially outside mainland China. But my hopes are that my effort is able to bring light to people who don't understand the language but happens to be interested in this part of Chinese popular culture.

I am in no way a linguistic expert, but a mere enthusiast. My command of both English and Chinese is, I hope, enough to make decent translations. (At least then people can understand what the songs are about.) To note, Google and Baidu are my best friends on this matter. 

Many classical themed Chinese songs have rather elaborate and eloquent lyrics, hence increasing the difficulty of translation. Many concepts in Chinese culture and language cannot be translated into English wholesomely

My main goal is to bring out the original meaning of the lyrics as much as possible, whilst trying to make it flow smoothly in English (with rhymes and all). The loss of meaning in translation however, to an extent, is inevitable. But I will do my best within my abilities to minimize that. 

Discussions are welcomed, as I am only an amateur, and I may misunderstand the lyrics, use unsuitable phrases, make grammatical errors etc. If there are any mistakes, do point them out. I won't bite ;)

As for updates... You see, this idea of mine is sort of a one-fine-day-suddenly-feel-like-doing-fun-stuff thing. The big problem is that my semester is starting soon, and I can expect a really, REALLY tight schedule. I don't know if I am able to squeeze much time out. At the moment I am aiming to publish at least one song per month. [It's quite a bit of work; don't even know if thats achievable...] *cross fingers* 

I MAY take requests, but it is VERY tentative, due to aforementioned reasons.

Also, a disclaimer: I don’t claim to own anything regarding to the songs I post on this blog except the pinyin annotations and translations. If there happens to be any violation on copyright or anything of that sort, do let me know.

Once again, thank you for visiting my blog. Even if the translations are useful for just one person, I'd be very happy about that. Hope you enjoy the content put forth!


大家好,我是尘埃。[请放过我的中文,太久没写有些生疏了,求见谅。] 我就简单地介绍这部落格好了。我是古风音乐爱好者,常常苦于身边找不到同好,因为这实在太冷门了(至少在我这里)。偶尔在 Youtube 见一些不谙中文的网民也留言表示喜欢,于是萌生翻译歌词的念头,好让这些有兴趣的网友能较深入理解。我特别喜欢有故事性的古风故事与歌曲的搭配好带感,于是想分享分享。
                                            
文化人、翻译家什么的我都不是,纯粹是古风歌曲爱好者,语文造诣也不是特别高,可能翻错会戳伤各位眼睛(尤其语文能力高的),就请多多包涵。如果我真写错,欢迎多加指点。


谢谢各位抽空光临这个部落格。顺便在此声明:此部落格的歌与歌词都不属于我,我只是打了翻译与拼音。如真有任何版权问题敬请相告。

Friday, February 27, 2015

牽絲戲 (Qiān Sī Xì) – Puppet show



Original uploading site: http://5sing.kugou.com/yc/2732572.html 

作曲/Music:銀臨 (Yin Lin)
編/混//Arrange/Mix:灰原窮 (Hui Yuan Qiong)
作詞/Lyrics:Vagary
演唱/Vocal:銀臨 (Yin Lin)、Aki阿杰 (A Jie)



【背景故事】

余少能視鬼,嘗於雪夜野寺逢一提傀儡翁,鶴髮襤褸,唯持一木偶制作極精,宛如嬌女,繪珠淚盈睫,惹人見憐。

時雲彤雪狂,二人比肩向火,翁自述曰:少時好觀牽絲戲,耽於盤鈴傀儡之技,既年長,其志愈堅,遂以此為業,以物像人自得其樂。奈何漂泊終生,居無所行無侶,所伴唯一傀儡木偶。

翁且言且泣,余溫言釋之,懇其奏盤鈴樂,作牽絲傀儡戲,演劇於三尺紅綿之上,度曲咿嚶­,木偶顧盼神飛,雖妝繪悲容而婉媚絕倫。

曲終,翁抱持木偶,稍作歡容,俄頃恨怒,曰:平生落魄,皆傀儡誤之,天寒,冬衣難置,一貧至此,不如焚,遂忿然投偶入火。吾止而未及,跌足嘆惋。忽見火中木偶婉轉而起,肅拜揖別,姿若生人,繪面淚痕宛然,一笑迸散,沒於篝焰。

火至天明方熄。

翁頓悟,掩面嚎啕,曰:暖矣,孤矣。



Background

I have been able to see ghosts since I was young. There was once I met an old puppeteer in a secluded temple on a snowing night. He had hair white as crane, dressed in tattered clothes, and was holding a delicate wooden puppet that looked like a charming girl with beads of teardrops painted as if brimming from its eyes, garnering the people’s sympathy.

That time the thick clouds were in abundance and the blizzard wild, we sat side by side facing the fire. The puppeteer told me his story: “Since a tender age I have enjoyed watching puppet shows, and obsessed over puppetry. I grew more determined as I aged, and therefore made puppeteering my career, entertaining myself with human-like puppets. However, I ended up wandering around all my life, with neither a place to settle nor a partner to travel with. My only company is this lone puppet.”

He cried as he talked, so I pacified him with warm words, asking him to play his musical instrument (pan ling) and perform a puppet show for me. He made a show out of red cotton strings, one meter tall, attached to the puppet. The song played had hints of sadness within, and the puppet appeared bright and life-like. Even though it is painted a melancholic face, it still displayed unsurpassed grace and charm. 

The performance ended, and the puppeteer held the puppet in his embrace, and he seemed to have lightened up slightly. Out of the blue, he turned hateful and angry, exclaiming: “All my life I have been this pathetic and rundown because of this puppet. On such a cold day I am so poor I can hardly afford winter clothes. I might as well have it burnt!” Furious, he tossed the puppet into the fire. Unable to stop him in time, I fell to the ground and sighed with regret. Unexpectedly, I saw the puppet rose gracefully in the fire, gesturing[1] a farewell, as though a living person, with the traces of tears on her painted face clearly visible. With a smile her form dispersed and disappeared in the caged flame[2].

The fire burnt till dawn broke, and then died off.

The old man suddenly came to his senses, covering his face and bawled, uttering: “It’s so warm, it’s so lonely.”



【歌詞】Lyrics:

[銀臨]

嘲笑誰恃美揚威                          
cháo xiào shéi shì měi yáng wēi

沒了心如何相配
méi le xīn rú hé xiāng pèi

盤鈴聲清脆    帷幕間燈火幽微
pán líng shēng qīng cuì / wéi mù jiān dēng huǒ yōu wēi

我和你 最天生一對
wǒ hé nǐ zuì tiān shēng yí duì


Who are you teasing, for brazen displays fueled by beauty
How can I pair with you, for I lack a heart
The sound of the pan ling[3] clear and melodious; the lights between the curtains shone dimly
We were meant for each other



沒了你才算原罪
méi le nǐ cái suàn yuán zuì

沒了心才好相配
méi le xīn cái hǎo xiāng pèi

你襤褸我彩繪   並肩行過山與水
nǐ làn lǚ wó cǎi huì / bìng jiān xíng guò shān yú shuǐ

你憔悴 我替你明媚
nǐ qiáo cuì wǒ tì nǐ míng mèi


It would be a sin if I lose you
It’s exactly because I lack a heart that I am a good match for you
You in tatters, while I in painted brilliance; side by side we walked through mountains and waters
Though you appear haggard, I will shine for you



是你吻開筆墨   染我眼角珠淚
shì nǐ wěn kāi bǐ mò / rán wǒ yán jiǎo zhū lèi

演離合相遇悲喜為誰
yǎn lí hé xiāng yù bēi xǐ wèi shéi

他們迂回誤會   我卻只由你支配
tā mén yū huí wù huì / wǒ què zhí yóu nǐ zhī pèi

問世間哪有更完美
wèn shì jiān ná yǒu gèng wán měi


You were the one who kissed your brush and pen, and dyed the teardrop at the tail of my eye
For whom do we put on dramas of partings and unions, sadness and happiness?
They will misunderstand, but I will only be in your hands
Is there anything more perfect in this world?



[Aki]

蘭花指捻紅塵似水
lán huā zhǐ niǎn hóng chén sì shuǐ

三尺紅台   萬事入歌吹
sān chǐ hóng tái / wàn shì rù gē chuī

唱別久悲不成悲   
chàng bié jiǔ bēi bù chéng bēi

十分紅處竟成灰
shí fēn hóng chù jìng chéng huī

願誰記得誰   最好的年歲
yuàn shéi jì dé shéi / zuì hǎo de nián suì


With the opera hand pose[4], the water-like mortal world is pinched and twisted between fingers
On the red platform one meter tall[5], having all stories told in songs
Singing farewell, it’s no longer called sadness when sadness prolongs[6]; magnificent red reduced to ash grey
I wish we would all remember, the best years we had together.



[銀臨]

你一牽我舞如飛
nǐ yì qiān wó wǔ rú fēi

你一引我懂進退
nǐ yì yǐn wó dǒng jìn tuì

苦樂都跟隨   舉手投足不違背
kǔ lè dōu gēn suí / jú shǒu tóu zú bù wéi bèi

將謙卑   溫柔成絕對
jiāng qiān bēi / wēn róu chéng jué duì


As you tug the strings you send me dancing in the air
As you lead I know how to go forth and back
In thick and thin I shall follow; be it my arms or legs you move, I will not disobey
Perfecting humility and gentleness



你錯我不肯對   你懵懂我蒙昧
nǐ cuò wǒ bù kěn duì / nǐ méng dǒng wǒ méng mèi

心火怎甘心揚湯止沸
xīn huó zěn gān xīn yáng tāng zhǐ fèi

你枯我不曾萎   你倦我也不敢累
nǐ kū wǒ bù céng wěi / nǐ juàn wó yě bù gǎn lèi

用什麼暖你一千歲
yòng shén mè nuán nǐ yì qiān suì


If you are wrong I refuse to be right; if you are muddled, I am ignorant
How can the fire in my heart be happy to cease to boil
If you wilt I’ll never wither; if you are tired I dare not be fatigued
What can I use to warm you for a thousand years



[Aki]

風雪依稀秋白髮尾
fēng xuě yī xī qiū bái fà wěi

燈火葳蕤   揉皺你眼眉
dēng huǒ wēi ruí / róu zhòu ní yǎn méi

假如你舍一滴淚   
jiǎ rú ní shě yì dī lèi

假如老去我能陪
jiǎ rú lǎo qù wǒ néng péi

煙波裡成灰   也去得完美
yān bō lǐ chéng huī / yě qù dé wán měi


The blizzard vaguely resembles the whitened ends of your hair
The lights shone with lush brilliance, rubbing creases between your brows
If you are willing to give up one single teardrop
If I can be your company when you are old
Even if I am reduced to ash in a stream of smoke[7], I’d be perfectly happy to go.




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:

1.       肃拜 is a gesture of respect performed by women, and is based on traditional rites. Image:
wapbaike.baidu.com/view/958846.htm?uid=4638384E449FF8FBF5F34DFD4D906853&bd_page_type=1&st=1&step=1&net=3&ldr=-1

2.       is a bamboo basket/cage, in the story it is used to contain the fuel for fire to burn.

3.     盤鈴(盘玲)Pan ling is an instrument used for the music accompanying puppet show performances. Pictures: http://baike.baidu.com/view/221141.htmv

4.    (兰)花指 or “orchid flower fingers” is a hand pose that is used to be a masculine gesture. The pose evolved overtime to become feminine, or displayed in opera show performances.

5.       三尺 or 3 feet (Chinese unit) is modernly defined as 1/3 meter, so 3 feet = 1 meter.

6.   萬事入歌吹”,“ 唱別久悲不成悲” I’m not sure if I grasped the meaning of these 2 phrases here correctly, just to note. The translations for these may be incorrect.

7.       I’m not too sure what 葳蕤 means in this context. In ancient writings this adjective is used to illustrate how plants hanging their branches down in clusters.

8.    煙(烟)波, according to Baidu, is used to describe the mist above the surface of the lake, but I’m guessing in this case it means the smoke from the fire. 


Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the pinyin annotations and translations.


EDIT (4/11/2018):- Changes made to translation based on audience input  

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

紅塵 (Hóng chén) - Mortal world





——原創遊戲《欲•黑鳶》ED
——Ending song for original game “Desire Black Kite”[2]


演唱/Vocal:小曲兒 (Xiao Qu’er)
/Lyrics:符綰 (Fu Wan)
/MusicWinky (Winky Shi)
戲腔/後期/和聲//Post-production/harmonizationHITA



袖風染雨 花台下酒共飲
xiù fēng rán yǔ / huā tái xià jiǔ gòng yǐn

青絲風淩 三千愁腸誰系
qīng sī fēng líng / sān qiān chóu cháng shéi xì

把酒東籬 誰見形單隻影
bá jiǔ dōng lí / shéi jiàn xíng dān zhī yǐng

曾憶 與誰共約亭台西
cěng yì / yǔ shéi gòng yuē tíng tái xī


With the air at my sleeves tainted by rain, we toasted each other under the flower platform[3]
As my hair rides the wind, for whom does my guts wrench for and my thoughts tied to?
[Now] holding my cup of wine in the chrysanthemum garden[4], who noticed my lonely shadow
Who was the person in my reminiscence I have invited to meet at pavilion’s west?



烽煙鐵騎   金戈鏗鏘風裡
fēng yān tiě qí / jīn gē kēng qiāng fēng lǐ

春秋幾季   何人把離人憶
chūn qiū jǐ jì / hé rén bǎ lí rén yì

醉別煙雨   回首雲淡風輕
zuì bié yān yǔ / huí shǒu yún dàn fēng qīng

願與  與君共月歸故里
yuàn yǔ / yǔ jūn gòng yuè guī gù lǐ


Smokes of beacon-fire[5], armored cavalry; clangorous noise of the golden dagger-axe[6] heard in the wind
How many springs and autumns have passed, who is there to remember the person who left
In drunkenness I bid the misty rain farewell; as I look back the clouds thin and the breeze is light[7]
I wish, wish I could return to our home village under the moon with you.



一夜難訴盡幾番濃情
yí yè nán sù jìn jǐ fān nóng qíng

曉風未起 看雲卷君向何兮
xiǎo fēng wèi qǐ kàn yún juǎn jūn xiàng hé xī

可曾共滄桑幾許
kě céng gòng cāng sāng jí xǔ

誰側畔輕呢  (不如歸去)
shéi cè pàn qīng né   (bù rú guī qù)


The time of a single night is insufficient to confess to you wholesomely such a strong love[8] of mine
The dawn wind hasn't risen yet, but I wonder where you are heading as I see the clouds roll by
Haven’t we gone through much thick and thin[9] together
To whom did I gently whisper to at my side  (why not let it go[10])



良夜卻似曾與君共飲
liáng yè què sì céng yǔ jūn gòng yǐn

殘月未盡 枕畔可曾留君情
cán yuè wèi jìn  zhěn pàn kě céng liú jūn qíng

盈袖處蘭香已盡
yíng xiù chù lán xiāng yǐ jìn

拂身過紅塵意
fú shēn guò hóng chén yì


A fine night as such, is like that time we drank together,
The fading moon has not disappeared yet; I wonder if your affection ever stayed at my pillow’s side
The fragrance of spearmint within my sleeves have already been exhausted
The will of the mortal world sweeps past me



袖風染雨 花台下酒共飲
xiù fēng rán yǔ / huā tái xià jiǔ gòng yǐn

青絲風淩 三千愁腸誰系
qīng sī fēng líng / sān qiān chóu cháng shéi xì

把酒東籬 誰見形單隻影
bá jiǔ dōng lí / shéi jiàn xíng dān zhī yǐng

曾憶 與誰共約亭台西
cěng yì / yǔ shéi gòng yuē tíng tái xī


With the air at my sleeves tainted by rain, we toasted each other under the flower platform[3]
As my hair rides the wind, for whom does my guts wrench for and my thoughts tied to?
[Now] holding my cup of wine in the chrysanthemum garden[4], who noticed my lonely shadow
Who was the person in my reminiscence I have invited to meet at pavilion’s west?



一夜難訴盡幾番濃情
yí yè nán sù jìn jǐ fān nóng qíng

曉風未起 看雲卷君向何兮
xiǎo fēng wèi qǐ kàn yún juǎn jūn xiàng hé xī

可曾共滄桑幾許
kě céng gòng cāng sāng jí xǔ

誰側畔輕呢  (不如歸去)
shéi cè pàn qīng ní   (bù rú guī qù)


The time of a single night is insufficient to confess to you wholesomely such a strong love[8] of mine
The dawn wind hasn't risen yet, but I wonder where you are heading as I see the clouds roll by
Hadn’t we gone through much thick and thin[9] together
To whom did I gently whisper to at my side  (why not let it go[10])



良夜卻似曾與君共飲
liáng yè què sì céng yǔ jūn gòng yǐn

殘月未盡 枕畔可曾留君情
cán yuè wèi jìn  zhěn pàn kě céng liú jūn qíng

盈袖處蘭香已盡
yíng xiù chù lán xiāng yǐ jìn

拂身過紅塵意
fú shēn guò hóng chén yì


A fine night as such, is like that time we drank together
The fading moon has not disappeared yet; I wonder if your affection ever stayed at my pillow’s side
The fragrance of spearmint within my sleeves have already been exhausted
The will of the mortal world sweeps past me



一夜難訴盡幾番濃情
yí yè nán sù jìn jǐ fān nóng qíng

曉風未起 看雲卷君向何兮
xiǎo fēng wèi qǐ kàn yún juǎn jūn xiàng hé xī

可曾共滄桑幾許
kě céng gòng cāng sāng jí xǔ

誰側畔輕呢  (不如歸去)
shéi cè pàn qīng ní   (bù rú guī qù)


The time of a single night is insufficient to confess to you wholesomely such a strong love[8] of mine
The dawn wind hasn't risen yet, but I wonder where you are heading as I see the clouds roll by
Haven’t we gone through much thick and thin[9] together
To whom did I gently whisper to at my side  (why not let it go[10])



誰曾共飲過幾番濃情
shéi cěng gòng yǐn guò jǐ fān nóng qíng

酒消殘意 與君曰三生共與
jiǔ xiāo cán yì yǔ jūn yuē sān shēng gòng yǔ

滄桑盡處君何去
cāng sāng jìn chù jūn hé qù

拂身過紅塵意
fú shēn guò hóng chén yì


With who have I toasted all this intense love
With wine my remaining thoughts disappeared, I told you I want to spend my three lives[11] with you
But at the end of all the vicissitudes where have you gone to
The will of the mortal world sweeps past me



---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Footnotes:

1. The title 红塵(尘) literally means “red dust”, it’s a Buddhist terminology meaning the mortal world.

2. According to Youtube comments this is apparently a BL game, so we can assume the love interest in this song is a male. Though the pronoun "君" used in the song can be used to address both males and females. 

3. Honestly I have no idea what the 花台 (flower platform) here refers to specifically, and what the scene is supposed to look like. It can be translated to “parterre”, “flower bed”, “flower terrace”, “table for flower vase” etc.  They don’t seem to fit quite right into the lyrics. (I doubt parterres were a thing in ancient China. Plus, to drink under the parterre or flower bed requires one to go underground, which is ridiculous.)

It probably did not mean sitting directly under the platform, but sitting beside a raised platform, however that’s just my guess.

4. The word 东篱 is used in many classical poems, especially by famous poet Tao Yuan Ming(陶渊明)during the Jin Dynasty. It refers to gardens belonging to scholars/cultured people used to plant chrysanthemum flowers.

5. Beacon-fire smoke is the alarm system used in the militaries, where they burn fuel such as wolf dung to produce lots of smoke for communication. The smoke alerts nearby troops of potential danger/approaching enemies.

6. Pictures and more info here if you’re interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagger-axe 

7. 云淡风轻 or “clouds thin and breeze light” kind of brings out the meaning of a peaceful and accepting state of mind, to view things more lightly.

8. There is no English word to describe directly. It doesn’t exactly translate to “love”, but more of an affection arising from close bonds, be it parents, siblings, friends, lovers etc.

9. 沧桑, a short form for 沧海桑田, describing the passing of time on a large scale, accompanied by lots of changes (as in, wide seas turn into fields of mulberry trees). In this context it emphasizes on the many changes/vicissitudes they experienced together.

10. It’s difficult to articulate 不如歸(归)去 means, word by word it is “why not go back”. In essence it indicates a desire to retreat into passivity. It can also be used when urging people to go back home or come back. The pronunciation of this phrase is said to resemble the calls of the cuckoo. Hence, the cuckoo often symbolizes sadness in Chinese literature.

11. Three lives: Past life, present life, future life. It’s based on the concept of reincarnation in Buddhist teachings.



Extra comments:

*I made lots of assumption while translating these lyrics, as they are very poetic in nature and can be vague. In fact, I added most of the pronouns.

*The Chinese lyrics here, unlike my last entry, are written in traditional Chinese writing (because Copy and Paste). In the footnote I have the simplified version of the words in brackets.

*Also unlike my last entry, I have fixed the pinyin to fit how it would actually sound like if the lyrics are read out in a sentence, instead of reading word by word.

For example: = ; = jiǔ
But if the 3rd sounds are side by side, the way it is read should be 把酒 bá jiǔ


Rant: this is a perhaps a tad bit too ambitious for me, these lyrics are harder to translate than the previous song \(@A@)/ anyway hope you at least get the idea of it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than the pinyin annotations and translations.


Monday, February 23, 2015

上邪 (Shàng Yé) - Pledge to Heaven / By Heaven





演唱/Vocal     :小曲儿 (Xiao Qu’er)
作词/Lyrics     :恨醉 (Hen Zui)
作曲/Music     :小曲儿 (Xiao Qu’er)
编曲/Arrange  airs、灰原穷 (Hui Yuan Qiong)
混缩/Mix         Mr(Mr Fish / Mr Yu)

Originally uploaded on: http://5sing.kugou.com/yc/1570039.html 

【文案】
公元二零一二年,陕西西安考古又发现一墓葬,通过墓志铭可判断其为一位将军与一位宗室女子合葬墓,主墓室存放双人合葬棺椁,但合葬棺内却仅有一具男性尸骨。
意外的是,墓志铭上该宗室女子封号与史册记载的一位同时代的和亲公主封号一致。目前不知何故。


Background

In year 2012 A.C., archeologists discovered a tomb in Shanxi province, Xi’an city. According to the epitaph, it could be determined that this was supposed to be a paired burial of a military general and a lady of royal descent. The main burial chamber held the coffin meant for a joint burial, however only the remains of a male was found within.

Surprisingly, the lady recorded on the epitaph shared the same title as a princess who served as a peace-marriage bride around the same era, based on historical records. The details are yet to be fully understood.




【歌词】Lyrics:

你嫁衣如火灼伤了天涯
nǐ jià yī rú huǒ zhuó shāng le tiān yá

从此残阳烙我心上如朱砂
cóng cǐ cán yáng lào wǒ xīn shàng rú zhū shā

都说你眼中开倾世桃花
dōu shuō nǐ yǎn zhōng kāi qīng shì táo huā

却如何一夕桃花雨下
què rú hé yì xī táo huā yǔ xià


Your bridal dress, like a fire, scorched the edges of the skies
From that time on the setting sun burned unto my heart like a vermilion mark
It's already said that peach blossoms bloom in your eyes,
But why do the blossom flowers rain down overnight[2].



问谁能借我回眸一眼
wèn shéi néng jiè wǒ huí móu yì yǎn

去逆流回溯遥迢的流年
qù nì liú huí sù yáo tiáo dè liú nián

循着你为我轻咏的《上邪》
xún zhè nǐ wèi wǒ qīng yǒng de shàng yé

再去见你一面
zài qù jiàn nǐ yí miàn


Who is able to lend me eyes to look into the past[3], I ask
To go against the current of time, to trace back the long foregone years
Following the "Pledge to Heaven" that you gently sung for me
To see you once again.



在那远去的旧年
zài nà yuǎn qù de jiù nián

我笑你轻许了姻缘
wǒ xiào nǐ qīng xǔ le yīn yuán


In the midst of those old years
I laughed, for you had so easily promised me your hand[4]



是你用尽一生吟咏《上邪》
shì nǐ yòng jìn yì shēng yín yǒng shàng yé

而我转身轻负你如花美眷
ér wǒ zhuǎn shēn qīng fù nǐ rú huā měi juàn

那一年的长安飞花满天
nà yì nián de cháng ān fēi huā mǎn tiān

我听见塞外春风泣血
wǒ tīng jiàn sāi wài chūn fēng qì xiě


You were the one who sung the pledge with all your life
While I turned my back, disappointing you so easily; my partner whose beauty matches the flowers
As the floating flowers scattered the skies of Chang An[5] that year,
I heard the breeze of spring from the Northern frontiers[6] crying bloody tears.



轻嗅风中血似酒浓烈
qīng xiù fēng zhōng xiě sì jiǔ nóng liè

耳边兵戈之声吞噬荒野
ěr biān bīng gē zhī shēng tūn shí huāng yě

火光中飞回的雁也呜咽
huǒ guāng zhōng fēi huí de yàn yě wū yè

哭声传去多远
kū shēng chuán qù duō yuǎn


As [I] took a light sniff, the scent of blood in the air was as thick as wine
The sound of war resounding at [my] ears engulfed the barren plains
Even the geese flying back from the lights of the fires were sobbing
How far were the crying voices travelling[7]



那首你诵的《上邪》
nà shǒu nǐ sòng de shàng yé

从此我再听不真切
cóng cǐ wo zài tīng bù zhēn qiè


The "Pledge to Heaven" that you recited
I can no longer vividly hear them



敌不过的哪是似水流年
dí bú guò de nǎ shì sì shuǐ liú nián

江山早已为你我说定了永别
jiāng shān zǎo yǐ wèi nǐ wǒ shuō dìng le yǒng bié

于是你把名字刻入史笺
yú shì nǐ bǎ míng zì kè rù shǐ jiān

换我把你刻在我坟前
huàn nǐ bǎ wǒ kè zài nǐ fén qián


Who said the flowing years are the ones we can't get by
Early on, the rivers and mountains[8] had already decided on our forever goodbye
Hence you carved your name into the scrolls of history
And in return, I shall carve your name at the face of my burial site.



飞花又散落在这个季节
fēi huā yòu sàn luò zài zhè gè jì jié

而你嫁衣比飞花还要艳烈
ér nǐ jià yī bǐ fēi huā hái yào yàn liè

你启唇似又要咏遍《上邪》
nǐ qǐ chún sì yòu yào yǒng biàn shàng yé

说的却是“我愿与君绝”
shuō de què shì wǒ yuàn yǔ jūn jué


The flowers once again scatter down this season
But your bridal dress is far brighter than the flowers
You parted your lips, as if to once again recite the "Pledge to Heaven"
Instead you said "I am willing to end this with you[9]".




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Footnotes:

1.    The title is based on an ancient love poem from the Han dynasty sung by a girl to her lover. More details on the poems below:

Translation for the original “Pledge to Heaven / By Heaven”

《上邪》
上邪!
我欲与君相知,
长命无绝衰。
山无陵,江水为歇,
冬雷震震,夏雨雪,
天地合,
乃敢与君绝!

2.    I’m not too sure what the original intent of the phrase “桃花雨下” is, whether it is describing the flowers raining down, or referring to the rains that often occur seasonally when peach blossoms bloom.

3.    The phrase literally means “I ask who can lend me eyes to glance behind”, but in this context I believe it is meant to mean look back in time.

4.    The original phrase means “so easily promised marriage”, but “promised me your hand” seems to flow better in English.

5.    Xi’an city was named Chang An before the Ming dynasty.

6.    “塞外” is referring to the land beyond the Great Wall, the Northern frontier of the Chinese empire, where many wars against the Northern tribes were fought.

7.    The wording here is a little vague, I’m not too sure if it means “How far could the crying voices travel?”, “How far did the crying voices travel?”, or exclaiming “That was how far the crying voices can travel”.

8.    江山 literally translate to rivers and mountains, but it can mean the landscape or countries/nations.


9. 绝 means end; it could also be translated to leave/part ways.



Disclaimer: I don't own anything regarding to this song other than the pinyin annotations and translations.