翻歌詞～Flip Song Words

Bibi Zhou Bichang - Yu Guantou (Canned Fish) translation

2010-09-07T05:27:00.000-04:00

The music video for this song is a rip-off of Nuit Blanche, an award-winning short film. Like, a blatant shot for shot rip-off. Not even a little bit subtle about it. And yes, it was plagiarism, because the director didn't give any credit for the idea. Why people think they can get away with this sort of thing in the era of the internet is beyond me.

The song isn't a plagiarism of anybody, though.

魚罐頭一樣在平躺	lying flat, like canned fish	yu guantou yiyang zai ping tang
困在濃稠的思念仰望	surrounded by dense nostalgia, looking up	kun zai nongchou de sinian, yangwang
星空空轉	the starry sky idly spins	xingkong kongzhuan
念頭像水母的飄蕩	thoughts floating like jellyfish	niantou xiang shuimu de piaodang
我並不孤單	I don't feel alone at all	wo bing bu gudan
想你才孤單	but when I think of you I feel alone	xiang ni cai gudan
在瀰漫防腐的哀傷	soaking in a preservative sorrow	zai miman fangfu de aishang

*被淹沒一樣不作響	*not making a sound, like being drowned	*bei yanmo yiyang bu zuo xiang
四季就是那四面白牆	the four seasons are just the four white walls	siji jiu shi na mian si bai qiang
唱盤在空轉	the turntable is idly spinning	changpan zai kongzhuan
寂寞是濃霧的暗光	loneliness is a dark light in thick fog	jimo shi nongwu de an'guang
空心磚發燙	a hollow brick burning	kongxing zhuang fatang
胸膛正中央	in the center of my chest	xiongtang zheng zhongyang
那是我真空的地方	that's me, a vacuum	na shi wo, zhenkong de difang

#缺氧	#no oxygen	#que yang
魚失去海洋	the fish lost the sea	yu shiqu haiyang
我失去心臟	I lost my heart	wo shiqu xinzang
要用什麼補償都一樣	what can make up for it? it's all the same	yao yong shenme buchang, dou yiyang
魚罐頭一樣	like a can of fish	yu guantou yi yang
慢慢的被蓋上	slowly covered up by a lid	manman de bei gai shang
不透光	no light entering	bu tou guang

repeat *	repeat *	repeat *

repeat #	repeat #	repeat #

缺氧	no oxygen	que yang
魚失去海洋	the fish lost the sea	yu shiqu haiyang
我失去立場	I lost my place	wo shiqu lichang
我以為不一樣都一樣	I thought it was different, but it's all the same	wo yiwei bu yiyang, dou yiyang
倔強得牽強	stubborn beyond reason	juejiang de qianqiang
慢慢的被風乾	slowly air-dried	manman de bei feng gan
我說謊	I tell lies	wo shuo huang
我說謊	I tell lies	wo shuo huang

Landy Wen Lan - Fatang (Burning) translation 溫嵐－發燙

2010-09-06T03:42:00.000-04:00

A few hilarious notes about the video: Miami is conspicuously lacking in black and Hispanic people. Hmm. And the street signs are clearly from Hawaii. This is like when people ask me to translate something for them and I'm like "Um, that's Japanese."

"Whatever, that's all the same right? What does it mean?"

People always seem to treat "the exotic" as more or less interchangeable... you could also say this extends to the music. Penned by Jay Chou, it has a strong Middle Eastern vibe. So, Middle Eastern Miami Hawaii. In Chinese. Woo!

邁阿密海邊　棕欄的樹叢	Miami beach, clusters of palm trees	Maiami haibian, zonglang de shucong
微熱的南風　微熱的南風	warm southern wind, warm southern wind	weire de nan feng, weire de nan feng
手牽著手　還在　曖眛中摸索	hand in hand, but still fumbling in ambiguity	shou qianzhe shou, hai zai aimei zhong mosuo
街上人群猜不透我們算是什麼	the people on the street can't figure out what we are to each other	jieshang renqun caibuxiu women suanshi shenme
一路沉默　緊閉嘴角	the entire way silent, mouth shut tight	yi lu chenmo, jinbi zuijiao
突然說出　愛我	then suddenly you say you love me	turan shuo chu ai wo

腳底　髮梢	from the soles of my feet to the tips of my hair	jiaodi, fashao
全被不安情緒給籠罩	I'm enveloped by a mood of disturbance	quan bei bu an qingxu gei longzhao
關於耳邊呢喃　已經聽不到	as for the murmur in my ears, I already can't hear it	guanyu erbian ninan, yijing tingbudao
安靜已久心臟　左邊暈眩狂跳	my once peaceful heart is jumping giddily and madly in my left side	anjing yijiu xinzang zuobian yunxuan kuangtiao
邁阿密的下午　誰知道	an afternoon in Miami, who knows?	Maiami de xiawu, shei zhidao?

我感到臉頰一直在　發燙	I feel like my cheeks are constantly burning	wo gandao lianjia yizhi zai fatang
我感到胸膛　小鹿在亂撞	I feel like there's a little deer running around crazily in my chest	wo gandao xiongtang xiao lu zai luanzhuang
濕潤的嘴唇　被你覆蓋說不出話　不出話	my moist lips overlaid by yours can't say a word, not a word	shirun de zuichun bei ni fugai shuo bu chu hua, bu chu hua

我感到臉頰一直在　發燙	I feel like my cheeks are constantly burning	wo gandao lianjia yizhi zai fatang
溫柔從髮稍　一路在擴張	tenderness is extending from the tips of my hair the entire way	wenrou cong fashao yi lu zai kuozhang
曖昧的感覺逐漸蛻變成	the feeling of ambiguity is gradually shed and changed into	aimei de ganjue zhujian tui biancheng
一種愛情的模樣	a romantic style	yi zhong aiqing de moyang

Landy Wen Lan 溫嵐 - D.I.S.C.O. translation

2010-08-30T23:08:00.000-04:00

I got stuck on one part of the rap here, 看好出口. My translation of "come off well" is very vague and tentative. The thing is, as far as I can tell, it means "it is probable that exports will increase." But that makes NO SENSE AT ALL.

This is a cover of a kpop song of the same name by Uhm Jung Hwa. Like all covers between Asian languages, this sends certain fanbrats into fits of Youtube comment apoplexy, and this song is particularly a target for that because the Korean song featured TOP, a member of a boy band, and boy band fandom contains some of the most batshit crazy people on the planet. (Not all of you, but I'm sure those of you who are sane know even better than I do who I'm talking about.) So I'll paint a target on myself by saying I liked Landy's version better. Haters to the left!

I used a pinyin generator and fixed common errors such as "shui2" for "shei2" and "shi2 me" for "shen2 me". Should be alright. I hate doing pinyin by hand. Even using pinyin generators seems like a lot of work. I'm too lazy. XD

＊D.I.S.C.O　歡迎光臨Lan-Disco	＊D.I.S.C.O　welcome to the LAN-DISCO	＊D.I.S.C.O　huānyíng guānglín LAN-DISCO
熱情無休　To The Disco	non-stop passion　TO THE DISCO	rèqíng wúxiū 　TO THE DISCO
D.I.S.C.O　這裡就是Lan-Disco	D.I.S.C.O　this is the LAN-DISCO	D.I.S.C.O　zhèlǐ jiù shì LAN-DISCO
煩惱真空　Let’s Go Disco	free from worries LET'S GO DISCO	fánnǎo zhēnkōng 　LET'S GO DISCO
Magic Disco	MAGIC DISCO	MAGIC DISCO
D.I.S.C.O　To The Disco	D.I.S.C.O TO THE DISCO	D.I.S.C.O TO THE DISCO
D.I.S.C.O　Let’s Go Disco！	D.I.S.C.O LET'S GO DISCO!	D.I.S.C.O LET'S GO DISCO!

穿上最驕傲的行頭	wearing the most audacious outfit	chuānshàng zuì jiāoào de hángtóu
準備席捲全場的所有眼球	getting ready to pull in all the eyes on the dance floor	zhǔnbèi xíjuǎn quán chǎng de suǒyǒu yǎnqiú
燈光正在招手空氣騷動還等什麼	the lights are flashing, the place is jumping, what more am I waiting for?	dēngguāng zhèng zài zhāoshǒu, kōngqì sāodòng, hái děng shénme
快點站出來讓地球的心跳動	I'm gonna come out and make the earth's heart beat	kuàidiǎn zhànchūlái ràng dìqiú de xīn tiào dòng

＃完全釋放電流搖擺身體Beautiful	#completely letting the electricity flow as I move my body, BEAUTIFUL	＃wánquán shìfàng diànliú yáobǎi shēntǐ BEAUTIFUL
真男人吸引了我	real men attract me	zhēn nánrén xīyǐn le wǒ
連笑容都有節奏	even the smiles are to the beat	lián xiàoróng dōu yǒu jiēzòu
快樂無限暢飲消滅悲傷Wonderful	happily indulging myself and extinguishing sorrow, WONDERFUL	kuàilè wúxiàn chàngyǐn xiāomiè bēishāng WONDERFUL
有愛就會有魔力	if there's love there'll be magic	yǒu ài jiù huì yǒu mólì
抱緊抱緊不要害羞＃	embrace, embrace, don't be shy	bàojǐn, bàojǐn, bú yào hàixiū ＃

REPEAT＊	REPEAT *	REPEAT＊

不愛不勇敢的傢伙	guys who don't love and aren't brave	bú ài bú yǒnggǎn de jīahuǒ
舉起雙手驅逐憂愁到外太空	lift your hands and send your troubles to outer space	jǔqǐ shuāng shǒu qūzhú yōuchóu dào wài tàikōng
誰在偷偷看我一舉一動	someone's sneakily watching every move I make	sheí zài tōutōu kàn wǒ yī jǔ yī dòng
怎麼閃躲	how do I dodge him?	zěnme shǎnduǒ?
不如解開細胞盡情享受我就是我	better unleash myself and enjoy myself to the fill, I am who I am	bú rú jiěkāi xìbāo jìnqíng xiǎngshòu, wǒ jiù shì wǒ

REPEAT＃	REPEAT #	REPEAT＃

REPEAT *	REPEAT *	REPEAT *

(Rap)	(Rap)¹	(Rap)
This is how I do it the Landy style AHOO~!!	THIS IS HOW I DO IT, THE LANDY STYLE!	THIS IS HOW I DO IT, THE LANDY STYLE!
把事情想的　那麼那麼太多	thinking about things way way too much	bǎ shìqíng xiǎng de nàme nàme tài duō
只不過　想先看好出口	only think first of coming off well	zhǐbúguò xiǎng xiān kànhǎo chūkǒu
沒有錯　誰沒有架子　誰不怕羞	that's right, who doesn't put on airs, who's not shy	méiyǒu cuò, sheí méiyǒu jiàzǐ, sheí bú pàxiū
but really think about it　我要愛	BUT REALLY THINK ABOUT IT (I want love)	BUT REALLY THINK ABOUT IT　(wǒ yào ài)
你給我機會　給我暗示　給我線索　我還缺什麼	you should give me a chance, give me a hint, give me a clue, what am I still lacking?	nǐ gěi wǒ jīhuì, gěi wǒ ànshì, gěi wǒ xiànsuǒ, wǒ hái quē shénme
D.I.S.C.O.unt 時間不折扣	D.I.S.C.OUNT, time doesn't discount	D.I.S.C.O.unt shíjiān bú zhékòu
我的愛　Let’s Go Disco!	my love, LET'S GO DISCO	wǒ de ài, LET'S GO DISCO

微笑挑逗全場騷動	a teasing smile, the dance floor is jumping	wēixiào tiāodòu, quán chǎng sāodòng
舉手投足揮霍節奏	lifting my hands and moving my feet freely to the beat	jǔ shǒu tóu zú huīhuò jiēzòu
誰能封鎖驚艷直播	who can block this breathtaking performance?	sheí néng fēngsuǒ jīngyàn zhíbō
愛讓人全身充滿魔力攔不住我	love fills people with magic, nothing can stop me	ài ràng rén quánshēn chōngmǎn mólì, lánbúzhù wǒ

REPEAT *	REPEAT *	REPEAT *

1. I had some trouble translating the rap. It seems to jump around from one thought to another and I'm not sure how the English integrates with it, if at all. I will keep thinking about it, but I invite help on translating it. (The ever-popular "It doesn't make much sense in the original language either" answer might be correct. I can think of hundreds of English songs that I can't make head or tail of the lyrics. Other than the rap, the lyrics were fairly easy.)

Six Plus 六甲樂團－ Taike Song 台客Song translation

2010-07-08T21:22:00.000-04:00

This song has a ton of footnotes, which is understandable because it's all about Taiwanese culture, and a lot of Taiwanese culture is fairly obscure, even to people who know something about the Sinosphere and Chinese.

I'm not exactly sure what's going on in the music video. I think they're supposed to be skanking, but it looks like they're doing some kind of black suit and tie Riverdance up there. Nor do I know why they are floating around in the air. It's a bit odd.

Six Plus only ever released one album in 2004, plus a couple of songs on the Smile Pasta soundtrack. Their sound is rap-rock, their lyrics tend to be aggressive, and the content is unmistakeably Taiwanese, especially in this song.

I should explain taike first. Two characters, tai from Taiwan, and ke which means "guest". This term originating as basically a condescending term used for people born in Taiwan by the nationalists who retreated to the island in 1949. To the KMT at that time, everything Taiwanese was backwards, the Taiwanese people hicks and fools who had rolled over under the Japanese occupation. You could compare the term to "redneck".

In recent times, the term taike has been reclaimed as a term of pride (much like "redneck" and other such terms). It's hard to define what "taike" is... it's one of those "know it when you see it" kind of things, much of the time. The examples people typically give are things like riding a moped with plastic slippers on... keeping your cigarettes in your sleeve... drinking Taiwan Beer and chewing betel nut... wearing grungy wifebeaters... You'll notice these are all male things. The female term is taimei.

And of course, speaking Taiwanese (aka Holo aka Hoklo aka Taiwanese Hokkien aka Taiwanese Min Nan aka probably a few other things I've forgotten) instead of Mandarin.

I can't speak Taiwanese or understand it. I would like to learn it sometime but that's a daunting task. Primarily because it has a 3-way distinction between voiced/voiceless unaspirated/voiceless aspirated ([b/p/p^h] if you know IPA) and I cannot, for the life of me, produce voiceless unaspirated at the beginning of a word. Also Taiwanese has very complicated tone sandhi rules, which are the rules governing when tones change to other tones.

Some people don't like calling it Taiwanese, because they feel like this denigrates the other languages spoken on Taiwan, particularly the languages spoken by the aboriginal Taiwanese.

You can't get away from politics in studying anything related to a Chinese language. I didn't have these problems when I took Latin! LOL.

In the pinyin, things in italics are in Taiwanese. I got the romanization of the Taiwanese by using this dictionary, and I have no idea if it's accurate.

異國的文化　一個家的文化	yi4guo2 de wen2hua4, yi4 ge jia1 de wen2hua4	an exotic culture, a family's culture
不是花個幾兩銀子　七載八載	bu2 shi4 hua1 ge ji3 liang1 yin2zi qi1 zai3 ba1 zai3	isn't a place where a couple bucks or a couple years
你就可以馬上被同化	ni3 jiu4 ke3yi3 ma3shang4 bei4 tong2hua4	will result in you being completely assimilated
人說讀萬卷書不如行萬里路	ren2 shuo1 du2 wan4 juan3 bu4 ru2 xing2 wan4 li3 lu4	they say reading a thousand books isn't as good as walking a thousand miles
無論今日身在何處　異在他鄉	wu2lun4 jin1ri4 shen1 zai4 he2chu4, yi4 zai4 ta1xiang1	no matter where you are today, whatever strange and foreign land
但是切記一定要回家	dan4shi4 qie4ji4 yi2ding4 yao4 hui2 jia1	always remember to come home

台客song 不爽	#tai2ke4 SONG, bô sóng	#taike song, not good¹
台客song 甲爽	tai2ke4 SONG, kah sóng	taike song, pretty good
台客song 真爽	tai2ke4 SONG, chin sóng	taike song, really good
台客song 有夠爽	tai2ke4 SONG, ū-kàu sóng	taike song, good enough

美麗的寶島　人間的天堂	mei3li4 de bao3dao3, ren2jian1 de tian1tang2	a beautiful gem of an island², heaven on earth
身為台灣人就應該驕傲	shen1 wei2 tai2wan1ren2 jiu4 ying1gai1 jiao4ao4	as Taiwanese we ought to be proud
我們的國土　我們的家園	wo3men de guo2tu3, wo3men de jia1yuan2	our country, our homeland
何必弄得滿身洋味	he2bi4 nong4 de man3shen1 yang2wei4?	why should should we make ourselves all Western?
你還不惜弄巧成拙	ni3 hai2 bu4 xi1 nong4 qiao3 cheng2 zhuo1	you keep on rushing to outsmart yourself
惹得旁人覺得無味	re3 de pang2ren2 jue2de wu2wei4	so annoying that everyone around thinks you're tasteless
你那一付四不像的模樣	ni3 na4 yi2 fu4 si4bu2xiang4 de mo2yang4	there's nothing about you that goes together
實在令人討厭	shi2zai4 ling3 ren2 tao3yan4	it really disgusts people!

＊台客song　不爽	(tai2ke4 SONG, bô-sóng*)	(taike song, not good)
本是同根生相煎何太急	ben3shi4 tong2gen1sheng1 xiang1jian1 he2 tai4ji2	we share the same roots, so why should we fight³
台客 song　甲爽	(tai2ke4 SONG, kah sóng)	(taike song, pretty good)
你可知道這是我們的文化	ni3 ke3 zhi1dao4 zhe4 shi4 wo3men de wen2hua4	do you understand, this is our culture
台客song　真爽	(tai2ke4 SONG, chin sóng)	(taike song, really good)
有什麼不滿你就大聲講	you3 shen2me bu4 man3 ni3 jiu4 da4sheng4 jiang3	if you're unsatisfied you immediately yell it out
台客song　有夠爽	(tai2ke4 SONG, ū-kàu sóng)	(taike song, good enough)
夜深了趕快回家	ye4 shen1 le, gan3kuai4 hui2 jia1	the night's gotten dark, return home at once

我說那些少數無知	wo3 shuo1 na4 xie1 shao3shu3 wu2zhi1	I'm talking about that ignorant minority
頭殼有問題的ABC	tou2ke2 you3 wen4ti3 de ABC	of ABCs⁴ with something wrong with their heads
搞不懂你們為什麼要跩個二五八萬	gao3bu4dong3 ni3men wei4shen2me yao4 zhuai3 ge er4wu3ba1wan4	I really don't get why y'all gotta swagger around like you've got four aces⁵
一付狗眼看人低	yi2fu4 gou4 yan3 kan4 ren2 di3	looking down on other people like dogs
揹負那些崇洋的文化	bei1fu2 na4 xie1 chong2yang2 de wen2hua4	bearing those foreign cultures on your shoulders
實在已經看不下去	shi2zai4 yi3jing1 kan4 bu4 xia4qu4	I really can't stand to watch you anymore
難道你們甘願做一群　扶不起的阿斗ㄚ	nan2dao4 ni3men gan1yuan4 zuo4 yi4 qun2 fu3bu4qi3 de A1-Dou3 a?	don't tell me y'all are willingly acting like a gang of pathetic morons⁶
講著奇怪的國語　滑稽的台語	jiang3zhe qi2guai4 de guo2yu3, hua2ji de tai2yu3	speaking weird Mandarin and laughable Taiwanese
還有自以為很好的英文	hai2you3 zi4 yi3wei2 hen3hao3 de ying1yu3	but you think your English is great
就想來騙吃騙喝　隨便嚷嚷　唬弄過去	jiu4 xiang3 lai2 pian4chi1pian4he2, sui2bian4 rang3rang3, hu3nong4 guo4qu4	you're an obvious freeloader, always grumbling and doing everything half-assed
已經把耳朵豎起來聽	yi3jing1 ba3 er3duo1 shu4qi3lai2 ting1	you've got your ears perked up to listen
聽的懂得沒來幾句	ting1dedong3 de mei2 lai2 ji3 ju4	but you haven't even understood a few sentences⁷
你那一付四不像的模樣	ni3 na4 yi2fu4 si4bu2xiang4 de mo2yang4	there's nothing about you that goes together
實在令人同情	shi2zai4 ling3 ren2 tong2qing2!	it really makes people feel sorry for you!

repeat # x 2	repeat # x2	repeat # x2

song 不爽　song 甲爽	SONG, bô sóng, SONG, kah sóng	song, not good, song, pretty good
song 真爽　有夠爽	SONG, chin sóng, SONG, ū-kàu sóng	song, really good, song, good enough
song	SONG	song

在外地吃喝拉撒睡	zai4 wai4di4 chi1he1la1sa1shui4	getting all your bodily needs in a foreign country⁸
比不上家鄉的魯肉飯	bi3bu4shang4 jia1xiang1 de lu3rou4fan4	can't compare to a bowl of braised pork rice⁹ in your hometown
配著一瓶清涼又爽口的台灣啤酒	pei2zhe yi4 ping2 qing1liang2 you4 shuang3kou3 de Tâi-ôan bì-luh	paired with a bottle of cold, refreshing Taiwan Beer¹⁰
接著抬頭一看　電視機會傳來一聲耳熟能詳的問候語	jie1zhe tai2 tou2 yi2 kan4 dian4shi4ji3 hui4 chuan2lai2 yi4 sheng1 er3shou2neng2xiang2 de wen4hou4yu3	and looking up at the tv where there comes the familiar sound of the greeting¹¹
朋友順啊	pêng-iú, sūn a!	follow along, my friends¹²

Repeat ＊	Repeat *	Repeat *

台客song　不爽	(tai2ke4 SONG, bô sóng)	(taike song, not good)
少壯不努力老大徒傷悲	shao4zhuang4bu4nu3li4, lao3da4tu2shang1bei1	if you don't work hard when you're young, you'll regret it when you're old¹³
台客song　甲爽	(tai2ke4 SONG, kah sóng)	(taike song, pretty good)
你可知道這是我們的故鄉	ni3 ke3 zhi1dao4 zhe4shi4 wo3men de gu4xiang1	do you understand, this is our homeland
台客song　真爽	(tai2ke4 SONG, chin sóng)	(taike song, really good)
趁現在年輕回頭是岸	chen4 xian4zai4 nian2qing1 hui2tou2 shi4 an1	take advantage of your youth, it's not too late
台客song　有夠爽	(tai2ke4 SONG, ū-kàu sóng)	(taike song, good enough)
同胞們趕快回家	tong2bao1men, gan3kuai4 hui2 jia1	my fellow countrymen, return home at once

異國的文化　一個家的文化	yi4guo2 de wen2hua4, yi4 ge jia1 de wen2hua4	an exotic culture, a family's culture
不是花個幾兩銀子　七載八載	bu2 shi4 hua1 ge ji3 liang1 yin2zi qi1 zai3 ba1 zai3	isn't a place where a couple bucks or a couple years
你就可以馬上被同化	ni3 jiu4 ke3yi3 ma3shang4 bei4 tong2hua4	will result in you being completely assimilated

台客song	tai2ke4 SONG	taike song

1. This is in Taiwanese. Translating this word as "good" isn't really adequate, but it's the only way I know how to keep the same word in all four uses.
2. A probable reference to the Portuguese name "Ilha Formosa", which means "beautiful island".
3. A line from Cao Zhi.
4. The lyrics say "ABG" but that makes no sense. "ABC" is a common slang and works in context; I have searched, but I can't find anything, in Chinese or in English, using ABG to mean any kind of person; all I'm finding is about "arterial blood gas". I really doubt that the singer is dissing arterial blood gas. Errors in English in Chinese lyrics are not at all uncommon. I remember one that had "right" as "rihgt". That was in the CD booklet.
Oh and if you don't know "ABC" originally stands for "American-Born Chinese" but in practice is also used to describe Chinese-Canadians, Chinese-Australian, etc etc. This entire verse could be viewed as a description of the ABC stereotype in Chinese communities.
5. I substitute "four aces" (which most English speakers will recognize as a winning poker hand) for the original, which is a term for a similarly lucky hand in Mahjong.
6. "A-Dou" is the nickname of Liu Shan, the son of Liu Bei. His name has become a word for utterly incapable people who can't succeed even with someone holding their hand all the way. (I would translate "A-Dou" as "Scrappy", both having a meaning like "fighting" and both sounding childlike, which is funny, because Scrappy Doo and A-Dou are similarly held in contempt by most people.)
7. I'm guessing this is because the lyrics use a lot of convoluted grammar and references to literature that an ABC would not necessarily get, plus he's speaking fast. Like I understood maybe... a third?.. before looking at the lyrics.
8. Literally "eating drinking shitting pissing sleeping". LOL.
9. A very simple snack.
10. TAIWAN BEER WOOHOO. Sorry, nostalgia. He pronounces it in Taiwanese instead of Mandarin, and apparently the Taiwanese word for beer is a loanword from English "beer" via Japanese "biiru".
11. Lots of low-end restaurants in Taiwan have tvs. Only instead of being tuned to sports like they would be in the US, they are usually tuned to the news. I don't know why.
12. This line is in Taiwanese. Probably a reference to something that I would know if I spoke Taiwanese. LOL.
13. STAY IN CHINESE SCHOOL, KIDS. Oh this is another idiom btw.

Landy Wen Lan - Wide-Angle Beauty Guangjiao Meinv 廣角美女 translation

2010-07-01T18:11:00.001-04:00

I'll be upfront, there's a few places in this translation where I just don't know what the lyrics mean; I've marked them with footnotes.

By the way, don't miss this clip from Landy's appearance on 100% Entertainment. If you're not familiar with the show, there's a recurrent bit where Show Luo pretends to be an arrogant American-born Chinese choreographer named Dancing King. He teaches a musical guest and his co-host Alien Huang a dance, which is usually actually not a bad dance--the hysterical part is Show Luo's outrageous behavior and hilarious imitation of an American's really bad pronunciation of Chinese. If you can understand Mandarin, you'll be in stitches, but it's pretty funny without it. And this is the song they choreograph to.

天生運動細胞不是很好	I'm not a natural athlete	tiansheng yundong xibao bu shi hen hao
媽媽說女生乖乖坐別活蹦亂跳	Mama said girls should sit nicely, not go frolicking about	mama shuo nvsheng guaiguai zuo, bie huobengluantiao
不喜歡風吹日曬也討厭流汗的感覺	I don't like wind or sun, and I can't stand the feeling of sweating either	bu xihuan feng chui ri shai, ye taoyan liuhan de ganjue
哪裡涼快哪裡一旁加油就好	wherever there's cool temperatures, wherever there's cheering is fine¹	nali liangkuai, nali yipang jiayou jiu hao
起司 PIZZA 麵包可樂薯條漢堡	cheese, pizza, bread, Coke, fries, burgers	qisi, PIZZA, mianbao, kele, shutiao, hanbao
在嘴裡一前一後一左一右開心的搖	that dance happily in all four corners of my mouth	zai zuili yi qian yi hou yi zuo yi you kaixin de yao
朋友說我能讓平凡食物變得很美味	my friends say that I can make even ordinary food taste delicious	pengyou shuo wo neng rang pingfan shiwu bian de hen meiwei
何必斤斤計較尋自己煩惱	why obsess about every ounce and make yourself miserable?	hebi jinjin jijiao, xun ziji fannao?

＊I WANNA…I WANNA…	*I WANNA... I WANNA...	*I WANNA... I WANNA...
I WANNA　想吃多少吃多少	I WANNA eat how much I want to eat	I WANNA xiang chi duoshao, chi duoshao
I WANNA…I WANNA…	I WANNA... I WANNA...	I WANNA... I WANNA...
每個人看見我都會微笑＊	everyone who sees me will smile	meigeren kanjian wo dou hui weixiao

(貴妃駕到)	(Guifei has arrived²)	(Guifei jia dao)

Rap:	Rap:	RAP:
嗯哼~所有男人在我石榴裙下拜倒	mm-hmm~ all the men are wrapped around my fingers³	en-hng~ suoyou nanren zai wo shiliuqun xia baidao
嗯哼~份量不夠的自己就會先落跑	mm-hmm~ if I didn't weigh enough, they'd run away⁴	en-hng~ fenliang bu gou de ziji jiu hui xian luopao
嗯哼~變成林黛玉瘦骨如柴我不要	mm-hmm~ turn into skin and bones like Lin Daiyu? I won't!⁵	en-hng~ biancheng Lin Daiyu shouguruchai, wo bu yao
嗯哼~不用害臊	mm-hmm~ no need to be shy	en-hng~ bu yong haisao
大大方方走出自己的調調	I confidently walk out to my own rhythm	dadafangfang zou chu ziji de diaodiao

照片裡面我特別容易找	it's easy to find me in a photograph	zhaopian limian wo tebie rongyi zhao
她們都喜歡靠近我都圍著我繞	all my girls like to lean on me, it all revolves around me	tamen dou xihuan kaojin wo dou weizhe wo rao
就像是向日葵的花蕊陽光下般閃耀	just like the bud of a sunflower radiating in the sunlight	jiu xiang shi xiangrikui de huarui yangguang xiaban shanyao
廣角鏡頭才能抓住我的曼妙	only a wide-angle lens can capture my beauty	guangjiao jingtou cai neng guazhu wo de manmiao

恰恰　騷莎　探戈　HIPHOP　民族	cha cha, salsa, tango, hiphop, folk dancing	qiaqia, saosha, tange, HIPHOP, minzu wudao
只要音樂一下全身就會開始的搖	as long as there's music my entire body will start to move	zhi yao yinyue yixia quan shen jiu hui kaishi de yao
舞池裡我就化身為一隻性感小野貓	on the dance floor I turn myself into a sexy little wildcat	wuchi li wo jiu hua shen wei yi zhi xinggan xiao yemao
所有人都叫好　都為我尖叫	everyone cheers and screams for me	suoyou ren dou jiaohao, dou wei wo jianjiao

REPEAT＊	Repeat *	REPEAT *

I WANNA…I WANNA…	I WANNA... I WANNA...	I WANNA... I WANNA...
I WANNA 想吃多少吃多少	I WANNA eat how much I want to eat	I WANNA xiang chi duoshao, chi duoshao
I WANNA…I WANNA…	I WANNA... I WANNA...	I WANNA... I WANNA...
天天都要對我自己更好	I wanna be even better to myself every day	tiantian dou yao dui wo ziji geng hao
I WANNA…	I WANNA...	I WANNA

REPEAT RAP	Repeat rap	REPEAT RAP

1. I'm not sure about the latter half of this phrase. Literally: "wherever/cool (as in temperature)/wherever/at the side/'add oil'/then/fine". "Add oil", jia you, of course is the phrase used in Chinese to mean "Go for it!", "Try harder!" etc. You add oil to a lamp and the lamp burns brighter is the imagery. It's the yi bian (at the side) that is throwing me.
2. The "has arrived" here is a verb used for important people, I think, because I've only ever seen it about the emperor. It's not the typical "has arrived" verb.
3. This phrase, "fall down in worship before my pomegranate skirt" has the idiomatic meaning like the English "wrapped around my fingers", specifically for a beautiful woman.
4. The lyrics have luopao written but Landy seems to be pronouncing it laopao. I'm not sure if the written lyrics are wrong or if Landy is just pronouncing it oddly.
5. I would argue that this is not "fat girls vs. thin girls". Lin Daiyu is skinny because she is very ill (and dies young). The singer is saying that she's not going to make herself sick to be thinner than her body is supposed to be. She is not bashing thin girls who are naturally thin.

Amit 阿密特 - Hó Táⁿ Lí Tio̍h Lâi 好膽你就來 Come If You Dare translation

2010-06-28T03:00:00.000-04:00

The best song of the past year! According to the Taiwanese Grammys, the Golden Melody Awards, that is. I quite like it.

I had a lot of help with this translation.

The transliteration into POJ comes from here. I do not take any credit for it.

Rex on Lang-8 helped tons, by translating difficult lines into Mandarin for me and talking with me about my translation. Thanks very much.

攏細你啦　攏細你啦	Lóng sī lí lah. Lóng sī lí lah.	it's all you, it's all you
攏細你害我的面來紅紅	Lóng sī lí hāi góa ê bīn lâi âng-âng	it's all your fault that my face is all red
你的心我的心結結作一伙	Lí ê sim, góa ê sim, kiat-kiat chòe chi̍t-hóe.	if your heart and my heart are tied together
是要打算按怎	Sī beh phah-sǹg án-chóaⁿ.	then what should be done about it?

攏細你啦　攏細你啦	Lóng sī lí lah. Lóng sī lí lah.	it's all you, it's all you
攏細你害我整天在茫茫	Lóng sī lí hāi góa kui-kang teh bâng-bâng.	it's all your fault that I can't sober up all day
你的心我的心現在賣擱假	Lí ê sim, góa ê sim, chit-má mài koh ké	your heart and my heart should stop pretending now

#要討我的愛　好膽你就來	#Beh thó góa ê ài, hó-táⁿ lí tio̍h lâi.	#if you want my love, come if you dare
賣放底心內　怨嘆沒人知	Mài khǹg teh sim-lāi, oàn-thàn bô lâng chai.	don't leave complaints in your heart that no one knows about
思念作風颱　心情三溫暖	Su-liām chòe hong-thai, sim-chêng sam-un-loán.	thoughts swirling like a typhoon, mood like a sauna
其實我攏知　好膽你就來	Kî-si̍t góa lóng chai. Hó-táⁿ lí tio̍h lâi.	actually I know it all, so come if you dare

攏細你啦　攏細你啦	Lóng sī lí lah. Lóng sī lí lah.	it's all you, it's all you
攏細你害我來氣心魯命	Lóng sī lí hāi góa lâi khì-sim ló͘-miā	it's all you taking years off my life
你的心我的心結結作一伙	Lí ê sim, góa ê sim, kiat-kiat chòe chi̍t-hóe.	if your heart and my heart are tied together
是要打算按怎	Sī beh phah-sǹg án-chóaⁿ.	then what should be done about it?

攏細你啦　攏細你啦	Lóng sī lí lah. Lóng sī lí lah.	it's all you, it's all you
攏細你害我整天在火大	Lóng sī lí hāi góa kui-kang teh hóe tōa.	it's all your fault that I'm furious all day
你的心我的心現在賣擱假	Lí ê sim, góa ê sim, chit-má mài koh ké	your heart and my heart should stop pretending now

repeat #	repeat #	repeat #

A-mei 阿妹 as Amit 阿密特 - Hei Chi Hei 黑吃嘿 Black Eats Black translation

2010-06-27T16:58:00.003-04:00

WARNING: This video is not:
1. Work safe for workplaces that frown on BDSM imagery (although no actual nudity).
2. Brain safe for people who don't want to see explicit things being done to tomatoes.
YE BE WARNED.

Part of a series of Golden Melody Award winners! Amei won best album, best artist, and a lot more. I am working with some Taiwanese speakers to translate the song that won best song, so look forward to that, maybe?

你的頭長在哪邊	where's your head?
怎麼不在脖子上面	how come it's not on your neck?
我被你晾了一夜	you left me out to dry for a night
早餐配著你的黑輪	I ate oden with you in the morning

陪你看警匪片　學會以眼還眼	I learned "eye for an eye" watching crime films with you
我不還嘴　是正在　醞釀一舉攻堅	when I don't talk back it's because an attack is brewing
對你的笑藏冷箭	to your smile, hiding cold arrows

你說的　那家店　明明全面禁菸	you said that place obviously forbids smoking
你的宵夜　到底在　哪個家裡解決	so you decided to get your midnight snack there
沾了一頭　菸臭味	enveloped in a cloud of stinking tobacco

＃黑吃黑鬼咬鬼	#black eats black, ghost bites ghost
愛演我陪你演	you like to play, I'll play with you
是哪個妹　又被騙	it's that girl who's the one getting fooled
躺著給你安慰	into lying down to give you comfort
有夠可憐	how pathetic!
我超想見她一面	I so wanna take a look at her
黑吃黑鬼咬鬼	black eats black, ghost bites ghost
愛演我陪你演	you like to play, I'll play with you
是我也想　惦一惦	it's me who wants to have a try
我有多少極限	and find out how many limits I have
你的謊言　是我的飯後消遣	your lies are how I pass the time after dinner
IT'S BULLSHIT	IT'S BULLSHIT

現在是西元幾年	what year is it AD now?
還把劈腿當作表現	we're still treating two-timing as something to show off
愛不愛一念之間	to love or not within an instant
不過就是一句再見	but it's just a goodbye

折磨你　打哈欠　還得陪我上街	tormented by yawns you still go shopping with me
然後半夜　摸著黑　上別條船搞鬼	later, at midnight, you grope in the dark, to do a number on the other girl¹
黑夜白天　都別睡	whether at night or during the day, you won't sleep

你放心　我絕對　永遠笑容滿面	relax, I'm definitely always gonna be smiling ear to ear
找到一天　跟你說　我的耐心有限	but you'll find one day I'm gonna tell you my patience is finite
少在那邊　想挽回	cut it out, you'd better pull back

repeat ＃	REPEAT #

少在那邊	cut it out
你的專業謊言　對我是種表演	your professional lies are a kind of performance to me
少在那邊	cut it out
你的專業眼淚　對我是種笑點	your professional tears are a kind of joke to me
少在那邊	cut it out
你的專業犯罪　對我是種磨練	your professional crimes are a kind of endurance test to me
少在那邊	cut it out
準備滾到一邊	or get ready to get knocked to the side

1. In Chinese, one of the slang for "two-timing" is "having a foot each on two boats". The end of this line is literally "getting on your other boat to make some mischief".

funny old world ain't it

2010-06-24T05:44:00.000-04:00

A while ago I did a translation of "Sha Po Lang" by JS and I mentioned that I was putting "translation" in the titles now because Google thought that would be helpful. As a joke, I wrote "CPOP TRANSLATIONS CPOP TRANSLATIONS CPOP TRANSLATIONS."

I just did a search on Google for "cpop translations", because I wanted to find other websites that were translating cpop. Guess who's little blog is #4? Guess what post it specifically links to?

Yep and yep.

The even funnier thing: The first page also had a link to another page which mentioned a "Sha Po Lang" translation!

Conclusion: Google really likes "Sha Po Lang."

And now, some blatant keyword begging:
Chinese lyrics music translation cpop pinyin ~~Google + Sha Po Lang OTP!~~

Stefanie Sun Yanzi 孫燕姿 - Shenqi (Mystical) 神奇 translation

2010-06-22T04:33:00.001-04:00

就在一瞬間我們兩人眼前	just in a moment before both of our eyes	jiu zi yi shunjian women liang ren yan qian
一道光出現到了另個世界	a light emerges on another world	yi dao guang chu xiandao le ling ge shijie
眉中間有個紅點	in the middle of the forehead, there's a red dot	mei zhongjian you ge hong dian
頭紗遮住臉	a head scarf concealing the face	tousha zhezhu lian

#好像每個人都有特別氣味	#it seems like everyone has a special scent,	#haoxiang meigeren dou you tebie qiwei
聞了才發現那是咖哩作祟	only after a sniff discover that it's curry making trouble	wen le cai faxian na shi gali zuosui
恆河水菩提樹葉	the water of the Ganges, the leaves of the Bodhisattva tree	henghe shui, Puli shu ye
古老的情節	an ancient festival	gulao de qingjie

(時間在倒回 )	(time moves in a circle)	(shijian zai daohui)
我們倆穿著布紗聽著梵樂	we two wear cotton and listen to the Sanskrit music,	womenlia chuanzhe busha, tingzhe fan yue
還想著是幻覺	still thinking it's a fantasy	hai xiangzhe shi huanjue
(奇怪的語言)	(a strange language)	(qiguai de yuyan)
催著我快快起舞	urges me to quickly rise and dance	cuizhe wo kuaikuai qi wu
碎碎念啊念	chanting on and on	suisui nian a nian
啊...	ah....	a...

時空換換換	(space-time shifts shifts shifts)	shikong huan huan huan
分割的畫面	a broken picture	fenge de huamian
輪迴轉轉轉	(samsara spins spins spins)	(lunhui zhuan zhuan zhuan)
有一樣的信念	there is the same belief	you yiyang de xinnian
我的愛從古代和你回來	my love, from ancient times, comes back with you	wo de ai, cong gudai, he ni huilai
時空換換換	(space-time shifts shifts shifts)	(shikong huan huan huan)
你回到過去	you return to the past	ni huidao guoqu
輪迴轉轉轉	(samsara spins spins spins)	(lunhui zhuan zhuan zhuan)
我經歷了悲喜	I go through sorrow and joy	wo jingli le bei xi
好神奇	so mystical	hao shenqi

Repeat from #	Repeat from #	REPEAT FROM #
Repeat chorus	Repeat chorus	REPEAT CHORUS
時空換換換	the time shifts shifts shifts	shikong huan huan huan
輪迴轉轉轉啊...	the wheel spins spins spins, ah	lunhui zhuan zhuan zhuan
時空換換換	the time shifts shifts shifts	shikong huan huan huan
你回到過去	you return to the past	ni huidao guoqu
輪迴轉轉轉	the wheel spins spins spins	lunhui zhuan zhuan zhuan
又回到了這裡	and arrive back here	you huidao le zheli
好神奇	so mystical	hao shenqi

Lisa*Djaati - 烏雲 Wuyun Black Cloud translation

2010-06-19T03:44:00.000-04:00

Pinyin is done by hand and I tend to make typos when I do it that way. I just caught myself making the typo "wuhui" for "wuyun", which doesn't make any sense, but is kind of hilarious, because "wuhui" could be 誤會, which means "to mistake, to misunderstand". Appropriate for a typo!

You can buy this album here. Remember when Taiwanese albums were cheap? I miss those days.

A truly beautiful song.

似乎有另外一個我	there seems to be another me	sihu you lingwai yi ge wo
看我衝向黑色的雨中	watching me rush towards the center of a black rain	kan wo chongxiang heise de yu zhong
人海中呼吸著愛與恨和痛	in a sea of people, breathing love and hate and pain	renhai zhong huxizhe ai yu hen he tong
我偶而會盼望晴空	every so often I'll hope for a clear sky	wo ou'er hui panwang qingkong

忘記我名字那些人	they forgot my name, those people	wangji wo mingzi na xie ren
烏雲下的寂寞誰想看	who would want to look at the lonely under a black cloud?	wuyun xia de jimo shei xiang kan?
我不要回憶它卻放不過我	I don't want to remember but it won't let me go	wo bu yao huiyi ta que fangbuguo wo
我的夢在等著北風	my dream is waiting for the north wind	wo de meng zai dengzhe bei feng

我走的太遠了 x4	I went too far (x4)	wo zou de tai yuan le (x4)

屋頂飛過去的雲朵	the cloud floating past the roof	wuding feiguo qu de yunduo
一眨眼就消失不見了	disappeared in the blink of an eye and couldn't be seen	yi zha yan jiu xiaoshi bu jian le
聽不見聲音但是它吸引我	no sound could be heard, but it attracted me	ting bu jian shengyin danshi ta xiyin wo
因為它代表了我	because it represented me	yinwei ta daibiao le wo

人生路上誰愛我	on the road of life, who loves me?	rensheng lu shang, shei ai wo?
哭不出一滴淚的人是我	a person who can't cry a single tear, that's me	ku bu chu yi di lei de ren shi wo
不要害怕沒有用	don't be afraid, it's useless	bu yao haipa, mei you yong
往前走不回頭	go forward without turning back	wang qian zou bu huitou

喜怒悲歡沒什麼	joys, angers and sorrows (it's nothing)	xinubeihuan (mei shenme)
哭不出一滴淚的人是我	a person who can't cry a single tear, that's me	ku bu chu yi di lei de ren shi wo
永恆流浪沒話說	an eternal nomad (nothing to say)	yongheng liulang (mei hua shuo)
往前走不回頭	go forward without turning back	wang qian zou bu huitou
(repeat entire verse)	(repeat entire verse)	(repeat entire verse)

我走的太遠了 x4	I went too far (x4)	wo zou de tai yuan le (x4)

Kelly Pan Jia Li - Second Life translation

2010-06-19T03:33:00.000-04:00

I still don't know what the dude means by "changing into a second mami". Music is super catchy, lyrics are just meh.

最近很难找到你	it's been hard to find you lately	zui4jin4 hen3 nan2 zhao3dao4 ni3
原来你又去了第二个CITY	and it turns out the whole time you were in a second city	yuan2lai2 ni3 you4 qu4 le di4er4 ge CITY
打电话问你和谁一起	I called to ask you who you were with	da3 dian4hua4 wen4 ni3 he2 shei2 yi4qi3
可是你又转第二个话题	but you just changed to a second subject	ke3shi4 ni3 you4 zhuan3 di4er4 ge hua4ti
我担心我放的是感情	I worry about giving up my affection	wo3 dan1xin1 wo3 fang4 de shi4 gan3qing2
你却玩着第二种游戏	whereas you're playing the second kind of game	ni3 que4 wan2zhe di4er4 zhong4 you2xi4
我最怕爱着唯一的你	I'm so afraid you, the only one I love,	wo3 zui4 pa4 ai4zhe wei2yi1 de ni3
你已经开始第二生命	you've already started a second life	ni3 yi3jing1 kai1shi3 di4er4 sheng1ming4

可以跑东又跑西	you can run to the east or run to the west	keyi pao dong you pao xi
不要说东又说西	but don't try to say east and west at the same time	bu yao shuo dong you shuo xi
是我对你不放心	it's me not trusting you	shi wo dui ni bu fangxin
是你对我不着急	it's you not caring for me	shi ni dui wo bu zhaoji
快要灰了我的心	soon my heart's gonna turn to ash	kuai yao hui le wo de xin
快要忘了你的姓	soon your name's gonna be forgotten	kuai yao wang le ni de xing
如果再不加点劲	if you don't put in any more effort	ruguo zai bu jia dian jing
我就去找第二个你	I'm gonna look for a second you!	wo jiu qu zhao di er ge ni

Talk to me boy	(oh oh)talk to me boy	(OH OH)TALK TO ME BOY
where did you go	(oh oh)where did you go	(OH OH)WHERE DID YOU GO
Just let me know	(oh oh)just let me know	(OH OH)JUST LET ME KNOW
快点告诉我	hurry up and tell me	kuai dian gaosu wo
x2	x2	x2

[男声]	[male voice]	[male voice]
不要怪我说我在逃避	don't blame me or say I'm running away	bu2 yao4 guai4 wo3, shuo1 wo3 zai4 tao2bi4
是我去了第二个CITY	I've gone to a second city	shi4 wo3 qu4le di4er4 ge CITY
不是怕你问我去了哪里	it isn't that I'm afraid of you asking where I've gone	bu2 shi4 pa4 ni3 wen4 wo3 qu4 le na3li
怕你变了第二个MAMI	afraid you've become a second mami	pa4 ni3 bian4 le di4er4 ge MAMI
男生女生总是这样子	boys and girls are always like this	nan2sheng1 nv3sheng1 zong3 shi4 zhe4yang4zi
男生说自由女生说自私	the boy says it's freedom, the girl says it's selfishness	nan2sheng1 shuo1 zi4you2, nv3sheng1 shuo1 zi4si1
虽然你是我的唯一	even though you're my only one	sui1ran2 ni3 shi4 wo3 de wei2yi1
我也想有第二生命	I want to have a second life too	wo3 ye3 xiang3 you3 di4er4 sheng1ming4

最近常常问自己	been asking myself lately	zui4jin4 chang2chang2 wen4 zi4ji3
我们能不能够多一点亲密	can we get intimate enough?	wo3men neng2 bu4 neng2 gou4 duo1 yi4dian3 qin1mi4
打电话问你现在什么心情	calling to ask you how you're feeling now	da3 dian4hua4 wen4 ni3 xian4zai4 shen2me xin1qing1
也是为了大家少点距离	would make the distance less for everyone	ye3shi4 wei4le da4jia1 shao3dian3 qu1li2
我担心我放的是感情	I worry about giving up my affection	wo3 dan1xin1 wo3 fang4 de shi4 gan3qing2
你却玩着第二种游戏	whereas you're playing another kind of game	ni3 que4 wan2zhe di4er4 zhong4 you2xi4
我最怕爱着唯一的你	I'm so afraid that you, the only one I love,	wo3 zui4 pa4 ai4zhe wei2yi1 de ni3
你已经开始第二生命	you've already started another life	ni3 yi3jing1 kai1shi3 di4er4 sheng1ming4

(repeat bridge and chorus)	(repeat bridge and chorus)	(repeat bridge and chorus)

你想要第二种假期	you want a second kind of vacation	ni xiangyao di'er zhong jiaqi
我不要第二场爱情	I don't want a second romance	wo bu yao di'er chang aiqing
你想做第二个自己	you want to be a second self	ni xiang zuo di'er ge ziji
我只想永远做第一	I only want to always be the first	wo zhi xiang yongyuan zuo diyi
你想有第二种空气	you want to have a second kind of air	ni xiang you di'er zhong kongqi
我不要第二场爱情	I don't want a second romance	wo bu yao di'er chang aiqing
你想做第二个自己	you want to be a second self	ni xiang zuo di'er ge ziji
我只想永远做第一	I only want to always be the first	wo zhi xiang yongyuan zuo diyi

David Tao Zhe - Wang Bu Liao (Can't Forget) translation

2010-05-22T01:55:00.003-04:00

I love, love, LOVE the contrast in David's voice in this song during the rap when he goes from saying "BIG STRONG HE-MAN NO NEED WOMAN" to sniffling that women are just so cruel to sensitive guys. It's very subtle, and totally on purpose. Oh David. If I weren't married I'd heart you right up.

This song borrows heavily, musically and lyrically, from a classic 60s song of the same name by Taiwanese singer Carrie Koo Mei. That's probably why David sings that he's going to take us back... all the way back... old school style. XD

Chinese and translation, with some notes, under the cut. The rap has some nice slang in it, if you like learning such things.

Some kind of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind going on in the video. What computer!David says at the end of the video is basically "Do you have an unforgettable love, [yet] is there something you can't recall? Welcome to Unforgettable Love Memory Co."

忘不了忘不了	can't forget, can't forget	wangbuliao, wangbuliao
(I can't get you outta my mind no no yeah yeah)	(I can't get you outta my mind no no yeah yeah)	(I can't get you outta my mind no no yeah yeah)
x4	x4	x4

忘不了　忘不了	can't forget, can't forget	wangbuliao, wangbuliao
忘不了你的錯	can't forget your faults	wangbuliao ni de cuo
忘不了你的好	can't forget your goodness	wangbuliao ni de hao
忘不了雨中的散步	can't forget taking a stroll in the rain	wangbuliao yu zhong de sanbu
也忘不了那風裏的擁抱＊	and can't forget the embrace in that wind	ye wangbuliao na feng li de yongbao

在寂寞的長巷	in a long lonely alley	zai jimo de chang xiang
我們見了最後一面	where we saw each other the last time	women jian le zuihou yi mian
你說散就散	you wanted to break up so we did	ni shuo san jiu san
我也不想再和你爭辯	I don't want to fight with you either	wo ye bu xiang zai he ni zhengbian
誰能阻擋　誰能Move on　Yeah	who's gonna resist? who's gonna move on, yeah?	shei neng zudang? shei neng MOVE ON, YEAH?

＊忘不了你的好	＊can't forget your goodness	wangbuliao ni de hao
忘不了你的淚	can't forget your tears	wangbuliao ni de lei
忘不了你的SMILE	can't forget your smile	wangbuliao ni de SMILE
我以為忘了　可我忘不了　 No No	I thought I could forget, but I can't forget, no no	wo yiwei wangliao, ke wo wangbuliao, NO NO
忘不了你的錯	can't forget your faults	wangbuliao ni de cuo
忘不了你的愛	can't forget your love	wangbuliao ni de ai
(I can't get you outta my mind)	(I can't get you outta my mind)	(I CAN'T GET YOU OUTTA MY MIND)
我都忘不了　怎麼能忘了	I can't forget at all, how can I forget?	wo dou wangbuliao, zenme neng wangliao
(I can't forget you)	(I can't forget you)	(I CAN'T FORGET YOU)

BADABA~　Come on	BADABA~ Come on	BADABA~ COME ON
BADABA~　That's right	BADABA~ That's right	BADABA~ THAT'S RIGHT
BADABA~　Uh Uh　忘不了　忘不了　忘不了	BADABA~ Uh uh, can't forget, can't forget, can't forget	BADABA~ UH UH wangbuliao wangbuliao wangbuliao

＊忘不了　忘不了	can't forget, can't forget	wangbuliao, wangbuliao
忘不了妳的淚	can't forget your tears	wangbuliao ni de lei
忘不了妳的笑	can't forget your smile	wangbuliao ni de xiao
忘不了葉落的惆悵	can't forget the melancholy of the fallen leaves	wangbuliao ye luo de chouchang
也忘不了那花開的煩惱＊	and can't forget the distress of the flowers blooming	ye wangbuliao na huakai de fannao

那寂寞的長巷	in a long lonely alley	na jimo de chang xiang
景色依然就在眼前	the scene is still before my eyes	jingse yiran jiu zai yanqian
情人換又換	lovers change and change again	qingren huan you huan
我已不心酸不再想念	I'm no longer heartbroken nor nostalgic	wo yi bu xinsuan, bu zai xiangnian
時間讓一切都Move on　Yeah Yeah	time makes everything move on, yeah yeah	shijian rang yiqie dou MOVE ON YEAH YEAH

repeat ＊ but last 2 lines change to:	repeat ＊ but last 2 lines change to:	repeat ＊ but last 2 lines change to:
妳早就忘了　是我忘不了	you've long forgotten, it's me who can't forget	ni zao jiu wangliao, shi wo wangbuliao
(I can't forget you)	(I can't forget you)	(I CAN'T FORGET YOU)

BADABA~　Ah Ah, That's right	BADABA~　Ah Ah, That's right	BADABA~ AH AH THAT'S RIGHT
BADABA~　忘不了　忘不了	BADABA~　can't forget, can't forget	BADABA~ wangbuliao wangbuliao
忘不了　忘不了　Come on	can't forget, can't forget, come on	wangbuliao wangbuliao COME ON

RAP：	RAP:	RAP:
什麼都「嗯」什麼都「嗯」	everything unh, everything unh	shen2me dou1 hng, shen2me dou1 hng
什麼都只會「嗯」	everything will only unh	shen2me dou1 zhi3 hui4 hng
你到底要做濫好人	do you really want to be a loser nice guy?[1]	ni3 dao4di3 yao4 zuo4 lan4 hao3 ren2
被她擺佈到什麼時候呢	how long are you gonna let her order you around?	bei4 ta1 bai3bu4dao4 shen2me shi2hou ne?
你不要繼續坐在那裡一直可憐自己	don't just sit there always pitying yourself	ni3 bu2 yao4 ji4xu4 zuo4 zai4 na4li yi4zhi2 ke3lian2 zi4ji3
忘了她　可以的　你是個帶種的男人的	forget her! it's possible! you're a powerful man![2]	wang4le ta1! ke3yi3 de! ni3 shi4 ge dai4zhong3 de nan2ren2 de!
反正妳對我們的愛從不看重	anyway, you women[3] never even consider our love	fan3zheng4, ni3 dui4 wo3men de ai4 cong2 bu2 kan4zhong4
付出那麼多但妳卻都不感動	we invest so much and your heart isn't even touched	fu2chu1 na4me duo1 dan4 ni3 que4 dou1 bu4 gan3dong3
現在隨便妳要怎樣我都不傷痛	you can do whatever you want now, it doesn't hurt me	xian4zai4 sui2bian4 ni3 yao4 zen3yang4, wo3 dou1 bu4 shang1tong3
我忘了我忘了我忘了	I've forgotten! I've forgotten! I've forgotten!	wo3 wang4le, wo3 wang4le, wo3 wang4le
我忘不了	I can't forget...	wo3 wang4bu4liao3...

1. Modern Taiwanese culture has a whole set of lingo around 好人, literally means "good person", but you'll understand when I tell you it's equivalent to the sentiment in "You're a nice guy, but...". IE that you're being dumped because she thinks you're a boring loser but you're not actually offensive. For example, literally "sending a good person card" has the colloquial meaning "dump" because of this.
2. I want to use something slangy to translate 帶種 here, because it's slangy in Chinese. I thought about "you're a macho man" but I can't hear "macho man" without going into the Village People song. 帶種 means... willful, gutsy, bold, fierce, daring. A lot of those in combination with "man" sound kind of camp in English, which is not the connotation in Chinese. Any suggestions?
3. In the first part of this wrap he was using the masculine second person 你. Here he switches to 妳, the feminine, pronounced exactly the same; this is only different in writing. So I translated it as "you women" but it's just "you" and the "you" is specifically addressing a female.

Lisa*Djaati - 最好的朋友 Zuihao de Pengyou Best Friend translation

2010-05-08T19:26:00.003-04:00

4shared is irritating me because the preview always cuts off the end of the song.

In the meantime, use this Box link: http://www.box.net/shared/f4vl51q6oo

談笑間觸碰我的手	laughing and brushing against my hand	tanxiao jian chupeng wo de shou
原來也不代表什麼	it didn't mean anything after all	yuanlai ye bu daibiao sheme
難道我等什麼你來牽我	could it be that when I was waiting for you to come take my hand	nandao wo deng sheme ni lai jian wo
我們只是最好的朋友	we were only best friends?	women zhi shi zuihao de pengyou

壓抑我真實的念頭	stifling my real thoughts	yayi wo zhenshi de niantou
不許有回應的舉動	and not letting out any movement in response	bu xu you huiying de judong
雖然從來沒有真擁抱過	although there's never been a real embrace	suiran conglai meiyou zhen huaibao guo
我卻如此感同身受	I'm actually deeply grateful for that	wo que ruci gantongshenshou

讓我作你最好的朋友	let me be your best friend	rang wo zuo ni zuihao de pengyou
不期待不佔有只想看你快樂	not expecting, not possessing, only wanting to see you happy	bu qidai, bu zhanyou, zhi xiang kan ni kuaile
不會難過就怕變情人更寂寞	[I] won't get upset, I'm only afraid that becoming lovers would be even lonelier	bu hui nanguo, jiu pa bian qingren geng jimo
我愛你這秘密永遠都不說	I love you, the secret will never be spoken	wo ai ni, zhe mimi yongyuan dou bu shuo

(repeat verse 2)	(repeat verse 2)	(repeat verse 2)
(repeat chorus 1)	(repeat chorus 1)	(repeat chorus 1)

當你是我最好的朋友	when you are my best friend	dang ni shi wo zuihao de pengyou
別談愛別承諾其餘無話不說	don't flirt, don't make promises, but say anything else	bie tanai, bie chengnuo, qiyu wuhua bu shuo
你最懂我在口是心非的時候	you understand me most, when words don't match the heart	ni zui dong wo, zai koushixinfei de shihou
還記得用微笑提醒我心痛	and remember to awaken my heartache with a smile	hai jide yong weixiao tixing wo xintong

Stefanie Sun Yanzi - Leave Me Alone translation

2010-04-24T13:59:00.001-04:00

I first translated this song in 2004 (!) and it wasn't a new song then, so blast from the past, yeah.

I can't believe that was six years ago. That was when I had just started to learn Chinese, and already I wanted to translate music.

站在你背后	zhan4 zai4 ni3 bei4hou4	standing behind you
感動又難過	gan3dong4 you4 nan2guo4	I feel regret once again
這個人一開始也愛過	zhe4 ge ren2 yi4 kai1shi3 ye3 ai4guo4	this person loved at the beginning too
不知為什么	bu4 zhi1 wei4shen2me	don't know why
突然間覺得	tu1ran2 jian1 jue2de	it suddenly feels like
沒有你沒有愛最快樂	mei2you3 ni3 mei2you3 ai4 zui4 kuai4le4	not having you, not having love, is happiest
OH OH OH OH OH	OH...	OH...
如果你問我	ru2guo3 ni3 wen4 wo3	if you ask me
想要些什么	"xiang3yao4 xie1 shen2me?"	"what is it that you want?"
我會說我想要風平浪靜	wo3 hui4 shuo1, "wo3 xiang3yao4 feng1ping2 lang4jing4	I'll say, "I want everything to calm down"
慢慢的摸索	man4man4 de mo1suo	slowly fumbling
一天天的過	yi1 tian1tian1 de guo4	going day by day
但是我們想的畢竟不同	dan4shi4 wo3men xiang3 de bi4jing4 bu4tong2	but in the end what we want isn't the same
OH OH OH OH OH	OH...	OH...
想什么　要什么　別問我	xiang3 shen2me... yao4 shen2me... bie2 wen4 wo3	what are you thinking... what do you want... don't ask me
CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE	CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE	CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (x6)	NA NA NA...	NA NA NA...
OH OH OH OH OH	OH...	OH...
想什么　要什么　別問我	xiang3 shen2me... yao4 shen2me... bie2 wen4 wo3,	what are you thinking... what do you want... don't ask me
CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE	CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE	CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE
我不想要誰給我快樂	wo3 bu4 xiang3yao4 shei2 gei3 wo3 kuai4le4	I don't want someone to give me happiness
因為快樂總帶給我不快樂	yin1wei2 kuai4le4 zong3 dai4 gei3 wo3 bu4 kuai4le4	because happiness always brings me unhappiness
我們不是做錯	wo3men bu4 shi4 zuo4cuo4	we're not making a mistake
只是不知所措	zhi3 shi4 bu4zhi1suo3cuo4	it's just that this is awkward
SO PLEASE 這一刻　讓我走	SO PLEASE zhe4 yi2 ke4 rang4 wo3 zou3	SO PLEASE, right now, let me go
CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE	CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE	CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE
LEAVE ME ALONE	LEAVE ME ALONE	LEAVE ME ALONE
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA	NA NA NA...	NA...
COULD YOU PLEASE	COULD YOU PLEASE	COULD YOU PLEASE
COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME GO	COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME GO	COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME GO

蕭亞軒 Elva Hsiao - L.o.V.e translation

2010-04-15T18:56:00.003-04:00

I first translated this song three years ago, but that translation needed serious improvements. "LV" is probably referencing luxury brand "Louis Vuitton", as popular among starlets in Asia as it is elsewhere. The pinyin is from that time; I think I just put the lyrics into a pinyin generator, so they may not be correct.

I can't figure out what she's saying in the spoken part, and there is no official version of it for me to check.

PARTY 不是誰都想去	not everyone wants to go to parties	PARTY bú shì shéi dōu xiǎng qù
在PARIS 才有時尚的真理	the truth of fashion is only in Paris	zài PARIS cái yǒu shí shàng de zhēnlǐ
愛情不是膚淺的流行	romance is not a superficial fad	àiqíng bú shì fùqiǎn de liúxíng
只許最完美的典型	only allow the most perfect model[1]	zhǐ xŭ zuì wǎnměi de diǎnxíng

想要窩在你的懷裡	wanting to nest within your embrace	xiǎngyào wō zài nǐ de huài lǐ
自己變成埃及貓咪	my self changes into an Egyptian Mau kitten[2]	zìjǐ biànchéng Āijí māomī
佔據你的愛和尊敬	claiming your love and respect	zhànjù nǐ de ài hé zūnjìng
別說你負擔不起	don't say you can't handle it	bié shuō nǐ fùdān bù qǐ

*L.O.V.E. L.O.V.E.	*L O V E L O V E	*L.O.V.E. L.O.V.E.
我要的只是專心	what I want is nothing but a whole-hearted	wǒ yào de zhǐ shì zhuānxin
完整的愛情	complete romance	wǎnzhěng de àiqíng
L.O.V.E. L.O.V.E.	L O V E L O V E	L.O.V.E. L.O.V.E.
我要 L.O.V.E. 不能只有L.V.	I want L O V E, can't just have L V	wǒ yào L O V E bù néng zhǐ yǒu L V

不要你討好的小心	don't be cautiously ingratiating	bú yào nǐ tǎohǎo de xiǎoxīn
只想要你對愛身心合一	I just want your body and mind to be united for love	zhǐ xiǎngyào nǐ duì ài shēn xīn hé yī
愛情不能只用半顆心	for romance, one can't just use half a heart	àiqíng bù néng zhǐ yòng bàn kě xīn
陪我先關掉手機	before being with me, turn off your cellphone	pèi wǒ xiān guāndiào shǒujī

愛聽你只叫我BABY	I love to hear you just call me baby	ài tīng nǐ zhǐ jiào wǒ BABY
貼近靜電不斷傳遞	cuddling up with constant static electricity	tiējìn jìngdiàn bù duàn chuándì
給愛小小的佔有慾	give love even your slightest desire	gěi ài xiǎoxiǎo de zhànyǒu yù
別說你負擔不起	don't say you can't handle it	bié shuō nǐ fùdān bù qǐ

(repeat *)	(repeat *)	(repeat *)

1. "Model" as in "this is the latest model of the Ford Focus", not as in someone who struts down the catwalk. (Those people are called mote'er in Chinese.)
2. Egyptian Mau is a skinny cat and noted for liking warm places such as your lap when there is a laptop on it.

JS - 殺破狼 Sha Po Lang translation

2010-04-15T18:23:00.000-04:00

(I am now putting translation in the title of every post because Google suggests this will make searching for my blog easier. You know best, I guess, Google. CPOP TRANSLATIONS CPOP TRANSLATIONS CPOP TRANSLATIONS!)

This was the opening theme for the 2004 wuxia series Chinese Paladin.

"Sha Po Lang", the title, refers to three stars within Chinese astrology. The names of the stars also have literal meanings: "Sha" means "to kill", "po" means "to break", and "lang" means "wolf." The lyrics of this song play with both the motif of fate written in the stars, and with the literal meanings of the star names.

A very beautiful song. JS stands for Justin + Sophia, the brother and sister duo. Justin wrote the music and lyrics for this song, and Sophia sings it. Here's their official YouTube.

The MV seems to depict a couple who keep getting reincarnated, only for the warrior guy to get killed over and over. Dude, in your next incarnation, become a florist or something. Seriously. She's getting tired of this.

沉睡了千年的身體	a body that slept deeply for a thousand years	chenshuile qian nian de shenti
從腐枝枯葉裡甦醒	wakes from within rotten sticks and dried leaves	cong fuzhikuye li suxing
是夜鶯淒涼的嘆息	it's the desolate cry of the nightingale	shi yeying qiliang de tanxi
解開咒語	that undid the spell	jiekai zhouyu
遺忘的劍被誰封印	who sealed the forgotten sword?	yiwang de jian bei shei fengyin
追隨著簫聲和馬蹄	following the sound of flutes and hoof beats	zhuisuizhe xiaosheng he mati
找到你	[I] find you	zhaodao ni
最光榮的犧牲	the most glorious self-sacrifice	zui guangrong de xisheng
是武士的宿命	is what the stars foretell for the samurai¹	shi wushi de suming
揮刀的瞬間	yet in the split-second that the sword waves	hui dao de shunjian
心卻在哭泣	the heart is weeping	xin que zai kuqi

＊生　是為了證明	*live, in order that there be proof	*sheng, shi weile zhengming
愛　存在的痕跡	of love, a trace which exists	ai, cunzai de henji
火　燃燒後更偉大的生命	as fire, which after burning out has a more magnificent fate	huo, ranshao hou geng weida de shengming
殺　是為了歌頌	Killing², in order to praise	Sha, shi weile gesong
破滅前的壯麗	the majesty before the Annihilation³	Pomie qian de zhuangli
夜　是狼深邃眼睛	night, is the deep eyes of the Wolf⁴	ye, shi Lang shensui yanjing
孤獨等待黎明	in loneliness awaiting the dawn	gudu dengdai liming

看不見未來和過去	unable to see the future and the past	kanbujian weilai he guoqu
分不清生死的差異	unable to distinguish the difference between life and death	fenbuqing shengsi de chayi
不帶走喜悅或遺憾	not bringing along joys nor regrets	bu daizou xiyue huo yihan
離開這裡	leaving this place	likai zheli
破曉和月牙在交替	the daybreak and the crescent moon alternating	poshao he yueya zai jiaoti
我穿越過幾個世紀	I have passed through several centuries	wo chuanyueguo ji ge shiji
只為你	only for you	zhi wei ni
櫻花瓣在飄零	cherry blossoms are drifting	yinghuaban zai piaoling
這悲涼的風景	in this bleak landscape	zhe beiliang de fengjing
長袖揮不去	a long sleeve can't wave away	changxiu hui bu qu
一生刀光劍影	a lifetime of the gleam of blades	yisheng daoguangjianying

Repeat ＊	Repeat *	Repeat *

我　是否已經注定	am I already destined or not?	wo shifou yijing zhuding
這流離的宿命	to this wandering fate by the stars	zhe liuli de suming
我殘破的羽翼	my broken wings	wo canpo de yuyi
直到你　是你讓我找回自己	until you, it was you who made me look back for myself	zhidao ni, shi ni rang wo zhao hui ziji

Repeat ＊	Repeat *	Repeat *

1. I thought about translating this as "paladin", since that's the English name of the series, but the motifs of cherry blossoms, wandering, and glorious self-sacrifice are very samurai-esque, wouldn't you say? Wushi is the Chinese characters for bushi or samurai in Japanese.
2. Sha, kill, also part of the star name 七殺 "Seven Killings". The modern scientific name of the star is Mu Sagittarii.
3. Po, break, as part of the word pomie annihilate, also part of the star name 破軍 "Breaking the General". The modern name is Eta Ursae Majoris.
4. Lang, wolf, also part of the star name 貪狼 "Greedy Wolf". The modern scientific name for the star is Alpha Ursae Majoris.

S.H.E - If You Were a Girl/Ruguo Ni Shi Nvhai

2010-04-07T18:40:00.000-04:00

I got more comments [in my LJ] on my S.H.E translation than I've gotten on any translation for a long time, possibly ever. Never let it be said that joye doesn't give the peoples what they want. (joye takes the requests from the peoples, as well, but the peoples don't seem to want to request, which makes joye cry and write in the third person.)

Ruguo Ni Shi Nvhai (Or Nu:hai or Nühai, or Nuhai if you're WRONG, not that it BOTHERS ME when people fail to distinguish between /u/ and /ü/ after /n/, grumble grumble) could be translated out of context a number of ways, but in context of the song the choices narrow to two: "If You Were a Girl" and "If You Were the Girl". I originally preferred "the" but I've changed my mind to "a".

This YouTube video has hard subtitles of pinyin, so I don't feel the need to do the pinyin. SWEET FREEDOM

你趁我討論未來	when I'm talking about the future, you
努力看著螢幕發呆	work hard at staring stupidly at the screen
很忙碌在轉台	it's very busy on the stage
你趁我感冒鼻塞	when I have a cold and my nose is stuffed up, you
責怪昨天我的裙擺	blame the skirt I was flaunting yesterday
怎麼高過膝蓋	how come it was higher than the knee?

不能忍受我說偶像帥	you can't stand to hear me say an idol is handsome
(太奇怪)	(too weird)
卻喜歡我做作裝可愛	but you like me to act all cute
(太無奈　想不開)	(no choice at all, I give up![1])
不認真聽我的對白	you don't listen to my conversation seriously
不懂我每個月	you don't understand that once a month
心情會固定變壞	I'm scheduled for a bad mood

＊不然你來　當一天女孩	＊if for just one day you could be a girl
親身經歷了解我為什麼開懷	you would experience it yourself and understand why I'm happy[2]
每滴淚的來龍去脈	the ins and outs[3] of every tear drop
愛我所愛　懂我的悲哀	you'd love everything I love, and understand my sorrow
公平地談一場平衡的戀愛	we'd fairly settle up a romance of equality
如果你是女孩	if you were a girl

You be the g-girl	You be the g-girl
g-g-g-girl	g-g-g-girl

來　看我選的頻道	come on, watch the channel I set
陪我聊天讓我依靠	chat with me and give me something to rely on
愛我的姊妹淘	love my sisterhood
來　模擬我的人生	come on, copy my life
重複我的呼吸心跳	repeat after my breathing and heartbeat
明白我的需要	understand my needs

又要溫柔寬容有大愛	want me to be gentle, tolerant, and mad with love
(太奇怪)	(too weird)
又要應付男朋友耍賴	and to deal with [my] boyfriend's shirking[4] responsibility
(太無奈　想不開)	(no choice at all, I give up!)
親愛的別置身事外	dear, don't be aloof
可不可以趁現在	right now, could you
假裝自己是女孩	pretend you were a girl?

Repeat ＊	Repeat ＊

如果我是你　我會注意	if I were you, I would pay attention
每個女孩　都是藝術品	every girl is a work of art
都該捧在手心	and should be cradled in [your] hands
如果我是你　我一定加倍細心	if I were you, I'd be twice as attentive
不會吝嗇每一天　都說我愛你	I wouldn't be stingy, every day I'd say I love you

Repeat ＊ x2	Repeat ＊ x2

1. Xiang bu kai, as an interjection, is more like "I'm in despair!" or "I'm pessimistic!" But those both sound somewhat stupid in English. Maybe I'll think of a better translation.
2. I don't know how to translate kaihuai here. It's not a term I'm familiar with, and the dictionary definition doesn't seem to fit the lyrics.
3. In the old style, a certain kind of mountain range is called "dragon's veins". The beginning of it is called "coming dragon" and the end of it is called "leaving vein". So "coming dragon leaving vein" is the beginning and end of the range, and thus metaphorically, the causes and effects, ins and outs, the whole story, etc, of people, things and so on. ~The More You Know~
4. Does "dodging responsibility" sound better here than "shirking"? I kind of like the word shirk. Shirk shirk shirk. If you're shirking or skulking off I'll shriek til you shrink. <3 English

Sa Dingding - Shen Xiang (Holy Incense, Chinese Version)

2010-04-07T18:36:00.003-04:00

This song is all about Tibet, so I'll just go through it at the top here instead of as footnotes:
Lingkor is the name of the major pilgrimage route in Tibetan Buddhism. Lake Manasarovar on Wikipedia. Mount Kailash on Wikipedia.
I have no idea what hong ma ni bei bei hong means. The Chinese characters are onomatopoeia. It's a good guess that it's representing Tibetan sounds or possibly Sanskrit.

This was a request. I'm always willing to fulfill requests if I can.

林廓的人啊人山人海	the people on the route of Lingkor, ah, a multitude
弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong
可我的人儿啊怎么不见了	but how is it my person, ah, is now unseen
怎么不见了	how now unseen
弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong
玛旁雍错啊波光粼粼	Lake Manasarovar, ah, light shining through its clear waves
弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong
是不是那丢失的人	is that the person who was lost
为我点起的圣灯	lighting a incense lamp for me?
弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong

弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong
(repeated)	(repeated)

林廓的人啊人来人往	the people on the route of Lingkor, ah, arriving and leaving
弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong
可我的人儿啊怎么不见了	but how is it that my person, ah, is now unseen
怎么不见了	how now unseen
弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong
冈仁波齐啊云雾茫茫	Mount Kailash, ah, surrounded by boundless clouds and mists
弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong
是不是那丢失的人	is that the person who was lost
为我燃起的神香	lighting holy incense for me?
弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong

弘嘛呢呗呗弘	hong ma ni bei bei hong
(repeat)	(repeat)

Ella Chen from S.H.E - Qiang Qiang

2010-04-07T18:34:00.001-04:00

Ella Chen, better known as the E of S.H.E, released one solo EP back in 2007, titled Qiang Qiang. Qiang Qiang was a pug dog that Ella had as a pet. Unfortuantely, the dog died. So Ella wrote this song and released it as a charity EP for animal shelters. She even made the cover image and video etc herself to keep the costs down so that more of the money from the sales could be given to the charity. Awww.

The video is as cute and sad as you'd think.

還記得妳喜歡咬著我的手	I still remember how you liked to nip at my hand	hai jide ni xihuan yaozhe wo de shou
然後給我妳嘴裡的球	and then give me the ball from your mouth	ranhou gei wo ni zuili de qiu
要我陪妳玩丟丟	wanting me to play fetch with you	yao wo pei ni wan diudiu

妳喜歡我摸摸妳的小耳朵	you liked it when I rubbed your little ears	ni xihuan wo momo ni di xiao erduo
窩在我的身旁	you'd nestle by my side	wo zai wo de shenpang
沒有煩憂　在夢裡遨遊	without any worries, and travel through your dreams	meiyou fanyou zai mengli aoyou

好狗狗　好狗狗	good dog, good dog	hao gougou, hao gougou
謝謝妳陪媽咪這麼久	thank you for being with mommy for so long	xiexie ni pei mami zheme jiu
妳並沒有離開我	you haven't left me at all	ni bing meiyou likai wo
是搬到天堂生活	just switched to life in heaven	shi bandao tiantang shenghuo

＊薔薔　妳要記得我	*Qiang Qiang, remember me	*Qiang Qiang, ni yao jide wo
妳不要走丟	don't go away	ni bu yao zou diu
快快找到天使　在天堂給我保佑	hurry and find an angel in heaven to watch over me	kuaikuai zhaodao tianshi zai tiantang gei wo baoyou
薔薔　不要忘了我	Qiang Qiang, don't forget me	Qiang Qiang, bu yao wangle wo
還有親愛的阿姨叔叔和妳的朋友	nor your dear aunties, uncles and friends	hai you qin'aide ayi shushu he ni de pengyou
妳永遠活在記憶中	you live forever in our memories	ni yongyuan huo zai jiyi zhong

(薔薔謝謝妳陪伴我這麼久	(Qiang Qiang, thank you for being with me for so long.	(Qiang2qiang2, xie4xie4 ni3 pei2ban4 wo3 zhe4me jiu3.
我... 我們可以擁有彼此	I... our being able to have each other,	Wo3... wo3men ke3yi3 yong1you3 bi3ci3
是非常幸福的事)	is a huge blessing.)	shi4 fei1chang2 xing4fu2 de shi4.)

Repeat all once	Repeat all once	Repeat all once

(薔薔　謝謝妳)	(Qiang Qiang, thank you.)	(Qiang2 Qiang2, xie4xie4 ni3.)

Repeat ＊	Repeat *	Repeat *

(現在外面	(Right now, outside,	(Xian4zai4 wai4mian4
有好多好多沒有主人的動物	there are many many animals that have no masters.	you3 hao3 duo1 hao3 duo1 mei2you3 zhu3ren2 de dong4wu4.
所以我要收起我的思念和悲傷	So, I want to gather up my yearning and my sorrow	Suo3yi3, wo3 yao4 shou1qi3 wo3de si1nian4 he2 bei1shang1
我要把我給妳的愛	and take the love I gave to you	wo3 yao4 ba3 wo3 gei3 ni3 de ai4
分送給牠們	and share it with them.	fen1 song4gei3 ta1men.
希望所有的朋友們	Friends, I hope you all	Xi1wang4 suo3you3 de peng2you3men
跟我一起幫助	will join me in helping	gen1 wo3 yi4qi3 bang1zhu4
這些需要幫助的動物們	these animals that need assistance so much.	zhe4 xie1 xu1yao4 bang1zhu4 de dong4wu4men.
薔薔　你要保佑我們哦)	Qiang Qiang, you'll watch over us!)	Qiang2 Qiang2, ni3 yao4 bao3you4 wo3men o!)

S.H.E - Love and It'll Be Right/Ai Jiu Dui Le

2010-04-07T18:26:00.001-04:00

The translation running around for the title of this song seems to be "Love's right". Which isn't exactly wrong, except that the lyrics of the song distinguish between 愛是對的 and 愛就對了. The former means, without question, "love is right" or "what's right is love". So we have to interpret the latter a bit differently. The word 就 is here seems to be showing cause/effect relationship; 了 here seems to be showing change of state. So I translate it as "Love and it'll be right".

This is a brand new music video, as in, it just came out today.

(Just as an advisory, I've seen bad lyrics going around for this one. The lyrics that I used to translate it are the correct lyrics, because they are the ones in the subtitles of the official MV.)

I have a number of translations to post here today, so I apologize for spamming your RSS feeds.

總是要流一些滾燙熱淚	it's always only after shedding some boiling hot tears
才能換來對愛的體會	that you come to experience what love is
妳看　世界沒有毀滅	look, the world hasn't ended
心也沒有碎	your heart hasn't broken either
其他的就交給時間解決	give time the rest to solve

妳當然可以重新再愛	of course you can love again anew
受過傷的更懂怎樣愛與被愛	those who have been hurt understand best how to love and be loved
所以　別再沉溺有他的回憶	so, don't wallow in memories of him anymore
有空再回憶	when you have time, think back again
離開妳的只有他但是愛還在	the only thing that left you is him, love is still there

聽我說	listen to me
＊愛是對的　錯的是我們	*love is right, what's wrong is us
還沒學會愛	who still haven't learned to love
就急著愛人　而愛錯人	yet we rush into being lovers, and love the wrong people
可是　愛就對了　遇到下一個	but love and it'll be right, and when you meet the next one
愛上就愛了	and you fall in love, love
痛苦或快樂　都是獲得	whether it's painful or happy, it's all part of it
oh~oh~	oh oh

我當然經歷過妳現在的感受	of course I've experienced the way you're feeling now
我想那是人必經的折磨　yeh~	I think that trial is necessary to being human, yeah~
也許　每個人都該是某個人　成長的助手	maybe, everybody should be somebody's helper in growing up
受一點苦痛幫助他成熟	having some pain helps that person mature

聽我說	listen to me
Repeat ＊	Repeat *

別探聽他的線索　別等待他會回頭	don't pry into what he's doing, don't wait for him to look back
愛~不喜歡看人軟弱	love~ doesn't like to see people weak
別繼續把心封鎖　別躲在傷心裡頭	don't keep locking up your heart, don't hide within your grief
愛~萬一來了別錯過	love~ if by chance it comes, don't miss out

Repeat *	Repeat *

＃聽我說	#listen to me
愛是對的　錯的是別人	love is right, what's wrong is other people
自以為懂愛	who think they understand love
才會又愛人　又傷害人	yet love people and hurt them over and over
可是　愛就對了　愛了就值得	but love and it'll be right, once there is love it'll be worth it
愛這門功課	love is a lesson
艱深但快樂　愛就對了	perplexing yet happy: love and it'll be right

Repeat ＃	Repeat #

愛來了別錯過	when love comes, don't miss out

Faye Wong (Wang Fei) - Cold War (Lengzhan)

2010-03-27T04:47:00.006-04:00

I did this pinyin by hand and I'm notorious for making mistakes when I do that, so if you see one let me know.

This is a Mandarin cover of Tori Amos's "Silent All These Years". Faye also has a Cantonese version, which supposedly has better lyrics, but you know what, Cantopop fans ALWAYS say that the Cantonese version has better lyrics. Canto-fans, I am calling you out for being snobs, lol.

The quality of this video is a shame, because Faye is really showing her diva power. Especially the way she looks directly into the camera as she says "and I hate you". Somebody get me an ice pack because I feel the burn, yo.

沈默之中仍克制不要呼吸	chenmo zhi zhong reng kezhi bu yao huxi	still inside the silence, holding back my breath
怕觸摸空氣壞了情緒	pa chumo kongqi huaile qingxu	afraid that disturbing the air will ruin the feeling
為你鎖住了問號	wei ni suozhule wenhao	locking up the question marks for you
等親愛的你吻去	deng qin'aide ni wen qu	waiting for you, my dear, to kiss them away
欺騙自己	qipian ziji	deceiving myself

從不想不忍心看穿你	cong bu xiang bu renxin kanchuan ni	I never thought I wouldn't have to the heart to see through you
聽說你和我最好朋友在一起	tingshuo ni he wo zuihao pengyou zai yi qi	I've heard you're with my best friend
我也學別人靜靜地看你倆演戲	wo ye xue bieren jingjingde kan ni lia yanxi	I've learned from other people the performance of looking cool-headedly at the two of you
也不願分離	ye bu yuan fen li	and I'm not willing to separate either

#相對	#xiangdui	#facing each other,
默默無語	momo wuyu	silent, speechless,
好像你我早有了默契	haoxiang ni wo zao you le moqi	it seems like we had this unspoken agreement from the beginning
永不要幼稚地猜疑	yong bu yao youzhi de caiyi	to never be childishly suspicious,
但表情	dan biaoqing	but our expressions,
彼此表情冷冷地說明	bici biaoqing, lengleng de shuoming	our expressions toward each other, coldly explain
冷戰繼續	lengzhan jixu	the cold war continues
多少年	duoshao nian?	for how many years?
愛你也恨你	ai ni ye hen ni	I love you and I hate you

*流言　風一般在身邊飛來飛去	*liuyan feng yi ban zai shenbian feilaifeiqu	*rumors whirl about my body like the wind
從不聽不問不想懷疑	cong bu ting bu wen bu xiang huaiyi	I never listen, never ask, I don't want to doubt
怕會無力編織	pa hui wuli bianzhi	afraid I'll lack the strength to pull together
地久和天長的證據	dijiu he tianchang de zhengju	a proof as eternal as heaven and earth
怎麼給你	zenme gei ni	how could I give it to you?
不多心不問你卻不得不理	bu duo xin bu wen ni que bu de bu li	I can't ask you without being over suspicious, but I can't help paying attention
不強求偏偏想挽留不放棄	bu qiangqiu pianpian xiang wanliu bu fangqi	I won't force you and yet indeed I want to urge you to stay, not to let go
永遠專心地寂寞地和你演戲	yongyuan zhuanxin de jimo de he ni yanxi	forever doing this all-absorbing and lonely performance with you
不管願不願意	bu guan yuan bu yuanyi	whether willing or unwilling

(# except last line)	(repeat # except last line)	(repeat # except last line)
相敬如冰	xiangjing ru bing	our mutual regard like ice

我愛你你也愛我	wo ai ni, ni ye ai wo	I love you, you love me
這個諾言現在你對她承諾	zhe ge nuoyan xianzai ni dui ta chengnuo	this promise, right now you're promising it to her
依賴過空虛過傷過痛過好過	yilaiguo, kongxuguo, shangguo tongguo haoguo	depended, hollowed, wounded, ached, enjoyed
我輸掉了你獨消瘦	wo shudiaole ni du xiaoshou	I've lost you and waste away alone
冷靜再冷靜再冷靜	lengqing, zai lengqing, zai lengqing	cool-headed, more cool-headed, more cool-headed
將錯就錯	jiang cuo jiu cuo	if it's a mistake then so be it
愛情怎麼算對錯	aiqing zenme suan duicuo	how can love be counted as correct or mistaken
陪著你順從你縱容你	peizhe ni, shuncong ni, zongrong ni	accompanying you, obedient to you, indulging you
可會使你回頭	kehui shi ni huitou	so that maybe it would make you turn around

repeat *	repeat *	repeat *

相對	xiangdui	facing each other
默默無語	momo wuyu	silent, speechless,
好像你我早有了默契	haoxiang ni wo zao you le moqi	it seems like we had this unspoken agreement from the beginning
永不會幼稚地猜疑	yong bu hui youzhi de caiyi	we would never be childishly suspicious,
但冷冷表情	dan lengleng biaoqing	but how cold our expressions
表情冷冷	biaoqing lengleng	our expressions are so cold
沒有言語沒有言語沒有言語	meiyou yanyu, meiyou yanyu, meiyou yanyu	there's no words, there's no words, there's no words
冷清清	lengqingqing	desolately cold
多少年	duoshao nian?	for how many years?
相對難相戀	xiangdui nan xianglian	facing each other but can't love each other
究竟多少年	jiujing duoshao nian?	ultimately, for how many years?
可惜又可憐　可惜又可憐	kexi you kelian, kexi you kelian	pitiful and pathetic, pitiful and pathetic
讓你走過眼前	rang ni zouguo yan qian	letting you walk by before my eyes

S.H.E - SHERO

2010-03-27T03:18:00.000-04:00

This is the theme song for Taipei's 2010 Flower Expo. THE MOST HARDCORE FLOWER SHOW IN THE FRIGGIN UNIVERSE, YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

No just kidding it's just a flower show. One of my roommates went to the 2008 flower show and borrowed my camera to take pictures, so I've sort of been there vicariously.

I haven't done any "new" releases for a while, and I'd like to translate more new things, instead of just reliving my old favorites. I've become too unadventurous, I think. I don't look for new artists like I used to.

陪自己　看煙火	take yourself to see fireworks
陪著自己　去兜風	take yourself out for fresh air
向軟弱　說分手	break up with weakness
自己旅行　自己夢	travel by yourself and dream by yourself
喝一罐　冰啤酒	drink a can of cold beer
灌溉久違的酒窩	flood up that long-absent dimple
讓笑容　回到雙頰的粉紅	let your smiling face have two pink cheeks again

那是誰說女孩沒有ROCK'N ROLL	who was it that said girls can't rock'n roll?
我對我說當最後只剩下我	I tell myself at the end there'll only be me
誰是我英雄	who's my hero?

＊看不到　找不到　等不到　妳的HERO	＊can't see, can't find, can't wait for your[1] HERO
為何不　作自己　隻手撐天的SHERO	why not be your own SHERO who holds up heaven with her hand[2]

＃妳可以　我可以	#you can, I can
為自己赴湯蹈火的SHERO	be our own SHERO come hell or high water[3]
像女王　揮舞著　驕傲披風	like a queen flourishing a proud cape[4]

先轉身　先自由	turn around first, freedom first
先說再見　先解脫	say goodbye first, liberate first
世界在　他背後	the world is at his back
原來這麼　的遼闊	the whole time it was this vast
也堅強　也溫柔	and strong, and gentle
也有緊握　的拳頭	and with a firm fist
去敲奏　全新生活的節奏	go play an all new rhythm of life

在我的編年史中	in my biography
寫下了一個傳說	I've written a legend
要把History　改寫成Herstory	correcting HISTORY into HERSTORY
在我的回憶錄中	in my memoirs
快樂要蔓延很久	happiness will spread forever
那就今天開始建造我王國	and it's today that it started with the founding of my kingdom
我是女王一般的 SHERO	the same as a queen I'm a SHERO

Repeat ＊	Repeat ＊

妳可以　我可以	you can, I can
為自己赴湯蹈火　不再退縮	for ourselves come hell or high water, cower no more
不要了　不找了	don't, no searching
不等了　誰要　HERO	no waiting, who wants a HERO?
站出來　作自己	stand out and be your own
隻手撐天的　SHERO	SHERO who holds up heaven with her hand

Repeat ＃	Repeat #

1. Female second person pronoun.
2. Is this a reference to Mao's famous "women hold up half the sky"? I don't know. I can tell you that the verb is not the same (in Mao's famous saying, the verb is 頂 which is more like "carry on your head").
3. "Go through water and fire" is the literal idiom, the meaning and expression is very close to "come hell or high water" in English.
4. You know. Trimmed with ermine or something.

Ding Wei - Small Landscape

2010-03-22T00:55:00.005-04:00

It's interesting that many PRC artists are eschewing English names... they just go by pinyin of their name.

To the extent I have a preference, I must admit I love the English names of many Chinese artists... Fish Leong, Oxide Pang, Cheer Chen, Deserts Chang, etc. Plus name drama, like when Alan Luo became Show Luo (his Chinese name stayed the same). I love names period. I would be happy if everyone had tons of names... and that does actually have precedent in Chinese history... your birth name, your style, your posthumous name if you're an emperor, etc.

I've got a Chinese name, and picking it was a lot of fun, so I feel sad if Chinese can't have the fun of picking an English name, lol.

HOLY CRAP, I just idly Googled my Chinese name and there are other people who have it! MORE THAN ONE. Among them, a park director, some kind of academic, and a cute teenage girl! Rock on, 王愛真們!

Anyway that's off the subject. LOL.

Trying a different formatting. I'm leaving off the tone numbers in the pinyin because, first of all, the tones are irrelevant when you sing, and second of all, I think it looks messier.

小風景	Xiao Fengjing	Small Landscape
小石頭	xiao shitou	a small stone
小蜜蜂	xiao mifeng	a small honeybee
小螞蟻	xiao mayi	a small ant
小聰明	xiao congming	small intelligence
小問題	xiao wenti	small problems
小秘密	xiao mimi	small secrets
大天空	da tiankong	the great sky
大海洋	da haiyang	the great ocean
大大的宇宙和想像	dada de yuzhou he xiangxiang	the great big cosmos and the imagination
小的我	xiao de wo	small me
只能當	zhi neng dang	only able to make
小風景	xiao fengjing	a small landscape

太陽看不見我	taiyang kanbujian wo	the sun can't see me,
我卻感覺到溫暖的光	wo que ganjuedao wennuan de guang	and yet I do feel the warm light
星星找不到我	xingxing zhaobudao wo	the stars can't find me,
我卻大聲地對它們歌唱	wo que dasheng de dui tamen ge chang	and yet I'm singing a song to them in a big voice¹

1. Normally I would translate as loud voice, but because of the big/small in this song I'm being more literal.

Mrs. This - I See Many People

2010-03-04T20:58:00.001-05:00

我看到很多人　他們也正在看著我	I see many people, and they're looking at me right now too
我看到很多人　他們好像心事重重	I see many people, it looks like they've got heavy things on their minds
我看到很多人　為秘密找一個樹洞	I see many people, searching a hole in a tree for a secret
我看到很多人　喔喔	I see many people, oh
我看到很多人	I see many people

我看到很多人　他們也正在看著我	I see many people, and they're looking at me right now too
我看到很多人　他說他傷口在發膿	I see many people, one says his wound is leaking pus¹
我看到很多人　還說那沒有人能懂	I see many people, and he says that no one can understand
我看到很多人　喔喔	I see many people, oh
我看到很多人	I see many people

沒有別的輪廓　全世界只有我	there aren't any other silhouettes, in the whole world there's only me
你想要說什麼　請不要說出口	what do you want to say? please don't say anything
彷彿自我嘲諷　才能繼續生活	it's like I can only continue living by mocking myself
狠狠擁抱心痛　妝點自私面孔	holding fast to heartache, and putting make-up on my selfish face
我是你是你是你　的夢	I am you, am you, am your dream²
我是你是你是你　的	I am you, am you, am yours
我是你是你是你　的夢	I am you, am you, am your dream
我是你是你是你　的	I am you, am you, am yours

沒有別的輪廓　全世界只有我	there aren't any other silhouettes, in the whole world there's only me
你想要說什麼　請不要說出口	what do you want to say? please don't say anything
彷彿自我嘲諷　才能繼續生活	it's like I can only continue living by mocking myself
狠狠擁抱心痛	holding fast to heartache

歌如果寫一首　是不是就停留	if I write a song, will it stop by?
停留在這時候　不能偷偷跑走	it's stopping by now, and one can't sneak off and run away
彷彿自我嘲諷　才能繼續生活	it's like I can only continue living by mocking myself
狠狠擁抱心痛　妝點自私面孔	holding fast to heartache, and making-up my selfish face
我是你是你是你　的夢	I am you, am you, am your dream
我是你是你是你　的	I am you, am you, am yours
我是你是你是你　的夢	I am you, am you, am your dream
我是你是你是你　的	I am you, am you, am yours

你是我　是我是我的夢	you are me, are me, are my dream
你是我是我是我　的	you are me, are me, are mine
你是我　是我是我的夢	you are me, are me, are my dream
你是我是我是我　的	you are me, are me, are mine

1. Chinese... mmm, how do I put this... Chinese culture is squeamish about different things than Western cultures. Blowing your nose at the dinner table, pointing at people, snapping your fingers at people: gross/rude. Talking about diarrhea or pus, spitting (although this last one is changing because of public health): normal. When I lived in Taiwan, if my roommates noticed I was eating plain food, or seemed to be uncomfortable, they would straight up ask me "Do you have diarrhea?" Or if I invited a friend to go get ice cream, she might say "No, I can't, I have diarrhea." To me as an American this was extreme culture shock lol. So... I know that to Americans like me, talking about a wound emitting pus is really, really, REALLY gross. But to Taiwanese like Mrs. This it's not really a big deal.

Like I said, it works the other way around too... I've inadvertently made people grossed out by taking out a tissue and blowing my nose while eating with people. It's really hard for me to remember not to do. To me as an American, blowing one's nose discreetly into a tissue is good hygiene. In Taiwan, you might make someone lose their appetite!
2. Knowledge of two grammatical aspects of Chinese will enhance your appreciation of the chorus. The first is that Chinese uses a relationship marker de. While not entirely describing all its uses, you can think of it like the English possessive marker "'s". The second thing is that Chinese has no conjugation at all. To compare, in English it's "I am, you are, he is, etc; I am, is me, he is, is him, etc; I, my, mine, you, your, yours, etc." In Chinese, to give an idea of how it is when a language has no conjugation, it's "I is, you is, he is, they is; I is, is I, he is, is he, etc; I, I/'s, I/'s, you, you/'s, you/'s, etc."
So in this section, one might translate it character by character as "I/is/you, is/you, /is/you/'s/dream, I/is/you, is/you, is/you/'s."
So you can see that there isn't the same changing pronoun and verb forms as the English translation requires. If you invert the order of "I am you" in English, you get "you are me", in which only the word "you" is used in both sentences. But to invert it in Chinese, it's just taking "wo shi ni" and flipping it to "ni shi wo". Same exact three syllables in a different order.

Yufeimen - Happy New Year 2U

2010-02-21T18:21:00.001-05:00

Trying something a little different with this one... this is the pinyin and translation, instead of the original Chinese.

keai de Xiao Ji fei wang Wen'gehua	cute Lucky¹ flies towards Vancouver
pei zai fumu de shenpang	at the side of his parents
piaoliang de Luyi yiran hai zai	beautiful Louie² is still there
meitian bu ting de fannao	the everyday troubles never stop
jianqiang de Aling zai Malaixiya	strong Ah-Ling in Malaysia
zhuiqiu ziji de mengxiang	chasing her own dreams
congming de Dandan yiran hai zai	smart Dandan is still there
yingfu bu duan de benmang	coping with the constant rush

CHORUS:	CHORUS:
wulun tianya	no matter if it's the other end of the sky, la i yeah³
bu fen haijiao	without regard to what corner of the sea⁴, la i yeah
xi nu ai le	affections, rages, sorrows, joys⁵, la i yeah
yi yiqi wu	all dancing together
happy new year 2 u	happy new year 2 u
happy new year 2 u	happy new year 2 u
happy new year	happy new year
happy new year	happy new year

yonggan de Tuzi hai liu zai taxiang	brave Rabbit is still staying in a distant land
xunzhao xinxian de fangxiang	looking for a fresh direction
wenrou de Saosao yiran hai zai	tender Sister-in-Law⁶ is still there
yangzhe wawa de chengzhang	gazing at her growing baby

(repeat chorus)	(repeat chorus)

1. Xiao Ji, "Little Luck". A name for a kid.
2. This is the transliteration for either English Louie or French Louis.
3. My own transcription for the little meaningless sound she makes at the end of the lines.
4. For both of these lines I am being a little more literal in order to sound more poetic. Tianya, "sky shore", means "a far away place, the other side of the world"; haijiao, "sea corner", means cape.
5. Again, being literal because it sounds nicer. It's an idiom meaning the whole range of human emotions.
6. No way not to make this sound awkward in English, because we don't use the familial titles in English the way they are used in Chinese. This means specifically one's older brother's wife. If my brother's wife spoke Chinese, it would be totally normal in our conversations for me to address her as Saosao instead of her name.