I translated some of my favorite Mandarin songs here to share with my foreign friends. I put them here to share those who don't know Mandarin, but like Mandarin songs. :D
梔子花白花瓣 落在我藍色百褶裙上
Petals of cape jasmines fell on my blue pleated skirt
愛你 你輕聲說 我低下頭聞見一陣芬芳
“I love you,” you gently said. I bowed the head and smelled the fragrance.
那個永恆的夜晚 十七歲仲夏 你吻我的那個夜晚
At the night of midsummer, we were 17 years old, and you kissed me.
讓我往後的時光 每當有感嘆 總想起當天的星光
After that, whenever I felt frustrated, I usually thought of the starry night that day.
那時候的愛情 為什麼就能那樣簡單
Why could love be so simple at that time?
而又是為什麼 人年少時 一定要讓深愛的人受傷
Why did we have to hurt the one who we loved so much when we were young?
在這相似的深夜裡 你是否一樣 也在靜靜追悔感傷
At this similar deep night, are you also feeling regretful in silence?
如果當時我們能 不那麼倔強 現在也不那麼遺憾
If we weren’t obstinate then, now we wouldn’t be that regretful.
你都如何回憶我 帶著笑或是很沉默
Do you recall me with smile or silence?
這些年來 有沒有人能讓你不寂寞
These years, is there anyone who makes you feel not lonely?
後來 我總算學會了如何去愛 可惜你早已遠去 消失在人海
Afterwards, I finally learned how to love, but you already left and disappeared among people.
後來 終於在眼淚中明白 有些人 一旦錯過就不在
Afterwards, in tears, I finally realized that some people won’t be with you anymore once you miss them.
寂寞圍繞著電視 垂死堅持 在兩點半消失
Loneliness surrounds the TV
I'm struggling and will disappear at 2:30
多希望有人來陪我 度過末日
I hope someone could be with me to spend the end of the world
空虛敲打著意志 彷彿這時間已靜止
Void keeps knocking my will as if the time already stops
我懷疑人們的生活 有所掩飾
I assume that people's lives have something hidden behind
啊 垂死堅持 啊 已靜止
Ah dying struggling Ah already stop
衝動在瞬間消失 夢被稀釋 不停轉動著手指
Impulses disappear all of a sudden. Dreams have been diluted
Turning the finger incessantly
我幻想美麗的生活 何時開始
When will my imaginary beautiful life start?
時光不經意流逝 像顆在耗費的電池
Time flies incautiously like a dying battery
我感到有點失落 無法抑制
I feel a little upset, can't suppress
啊 垂死堅持 啊 已靜止
Ah dying struggling Ah already stop
啊 垂死堅持 啊 全部消失
Ah dying struggling Ah all disappear
駛過 你眸中的懵懂
Sailing past the innocence of your eyes
不解片刻或不朽
Can't realize the moment or the eternity
駛過 千萬人的床頭
Sailing past tens of millions of bedsides
千萬個夢
Tens of millions of dreams
順著情愫浮游
floating along affections
然若你無畏結果
Though if you are fearless in the result
我便造一座港口
I would build a port
你想留便留
If you feel like mooring, then just moor
重山萬嶺
Sailing through millions of continuous mountains
無論清濁都行舟
No matter if water is clear or not
假借時日無多
If time is limited,
沿途放縱
then just enjoy the journey
過往不究
Forget about the past
願我們滿載一宿好夢
May we carry sweet dreams
歲月嫉雋永如仇
Time is jealous of immortality,
淘選往後的如果
filtering future endings
與你 和我
with you, with me
試過 愛荏苒而朦朧
Have given it a try. Love slipped away and was vague.
與世無爭後陰柔
Becoming tender after stopping involving in love affairs
聽說 隻字片語的厚重
I heard of the heaviness of pieces of words
承諾積滿了污垢
Commitments have been filled with dust
若你遺落
If you lose
遺落此行的初衷
Lose the original intention of this journey
開始惦記結果
You begin to care about our ending
執子之手
I will hold your hands
不用誰掌舵
There's no more need for us to navigate
任緣分流
We just sail with the flow of destiny
十川百海任它遊
After sailing past dozens of rivers and hundreds of seas,
最後還回港口
we will still return to the port
而我 與你 依舊
And you and I, as usual
Someone excellent like me
像我這樣優秀的人
should have lived a shining life.
本該燦爛過一生
How come these twenty more years,
怎麼二十多年到頭來
I've been still floating around?
還在人海裡浮沉
Someone intelligent like me
像我這樣聰明的人
already said good bye to innocence.
早就告別了單純
Why did I still use my pure love
怎麼還是用了一段情
to exchange nasty wounds?
去換一身傷痕
Someone perplexed like me
像我這樣迷茫的人
Someone like me who is looking for something
像我這樣尋找的人
Someone like me who is a nobody
像我這樣碌碌無為的人
How many have you ever seen?
你還見過多少人
Someone ordinary like me
像我這樣庸俗的人
doesn't like to feign depression.
從不喜歡裝深沉
but sometimes when I hear an old song,
怎麼偶爾聽到老歌時
I also fall into deep thoughts.
忽然也恍了神
Someone coward like me
像我這樣懦弱的人
doesn't fight for anything with full energy
凡事都要留幾分
How come I was also willing to
怎麼曾經也會為了誰
sacrifice myself just for someone?
想過奮不顧身
Someone perplexed like me
像我這樣迷茫的人
Someone like me who is looking for something
像我這樣尋找的人
Someone like me who is a nobody
像我這樣碌碌無為的人
How many have you ever seen?
你還見過多少人
Someone lonely like me
像我這樣孤單的人
Someone stupid like me
像我這樣傻的人
Someone like me who isn't satisfied with their mediocrity像我這樣不甘平凡的人
How many people like me are there in the world?
世界上有多少人
Would anyone sympathize with someone inexplicable like me?
像我這樣莫名其妙的人 會不會有人心疼
Afterwards, I heard that you got married to whom you used to be with even though you didn't really like him.
後來聽說你嫁給了習慣 即使你並不是真的那麼喜歡
I felt heartache because you sacrificed yourself to live up to all of your family's and friends' expectations.
我很心疼你委屈自己 成全所有親朋好友的眼光和期盼
I knew that you were reluctant. You were aggressive just to protect yourself.
知道你打從心裡不願意 為了保護自己 所以拼命攻擊
You couldn't feign kindness any more and I realized that it was a drama without payment.
當時的善良如今演不下去 我才明白這是一齣沒有酬勞的戲
Have you gone? I can't ask you to stay if you decide to leave.
走了嗎 你想走我不能留
Have you gone? If yes, then don't come back again.
走了嗎 走了就不要回頭
I was just reluctant. I was just not willing to admit.
我只是不情願 我只是不願承認
Have you gone? I can't ask you to stay if you decide to leave.
走了嗎 你想走我不能留
Have you gone? If yes, then don't come back again.
走了嗎 走了就不要回頭
I just couldn't get accustomed. I just couldn't stand it.
我只是不習慣 我只是不能承擔
I still remember our last fight. We hated each other but cried tears of remorse.
還記得我們最後的絕裂 憎恨著彼此 卻有捨不得的眼淚
I couldn't walk away, but couldn't stay either.
我走也不是 留也不行
Till today, I still don't understand. Why did we break up then? Have you gone?
直到今天還是不懂 當初為何要分開 走了嗎
