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鱼 (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”

-       http://www.en8848.com.cn/fanyi/sx/gsc/152178.html

-       http://www.shigez.com/gs/30.html

《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.