半 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: Jeremy Lee 李駿傑

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and Jeremy Lee's '半' (Half) is a special song to start with. Its poetic and profound lyrics about self-acceptance will introduce you to beautiful and complex expressions in Cantonese. The song's unique dark-pop style also makes it a standout in the Cantopop scene, offering a rich cultural and linguistic experience.

[English]

Purified for ten thousand years, one sacrifice

Cutting away half of the darkness, that is who I am

Half in, half out, in the normal world

Using eternal intuition, seeking a wet kiss

Saying goodbye to my half, that is who I am

Gaining one after another, what I need and what I want

Just like half angel, half Satan

No need to deceive, must be honest

How many loves, many are addictive

Taming me, or showing off me, Hoo

Half animal, only believing in instinct

Half plant, trying to grow

Whether I live as human, snake, vine, or root

Dirty half of me releases the noble half

Love or hate, always tangled in the heart

Far or near, always stay close

Believe in desire, crave desire

How many bodies, how many hearts

How many lives, still unbreath-based

...

Love everything I like, everything I enjoy

Monsters, ghosts, chaos and darkness

Who am I, who do I envy, who am I

Half animal, only believing in instinct

Half plant, trying to grow

Living as human, god, zero, or one

Warm half releases the frozen half

Love or hate, always tangled in the heart

Far or near, always stay close

Believe in craving, pursue desire

Under Nirvana, guiding all beings, releasing the oppressed

(Half animal) All senses turn around

(Half plant) Reaching into every forest

Mourning all killing, Woohoo

Love or hate, always tangled in the heart

Far or near, always stay close

Believe in desire

Who secretly stays with whom in a room, secretly kissing

Woo, and I can't breathe

And I won't breathe

I only breathe for you

I only breathe for you

...

[Chinese]

受萬年淨化 來一次犧牲

割去晦暗的一半 才是我

到正常世界半出半入

用萬年直覺 尋一次濕吻

再見我的一半 才是我

得到一個一個需要也需要

恰似一半天使一半是撒旦

不必 欺騙 必須 真實

幾多 親愛 很多 是癮

馴服我 或是 炫耀我 Hoo

是半動物 只相信天生

半植物 盡辦法滋生

我活下來是人是蛇是藤是根

污糟的半身釋放高貴的半身

愛或恨 總糾結於心

遠或近 永遠要近

信慾望 得慾望

但幾多身 幾多心

幾多生 尚未呼吸

喜歡 一切 喜歡 之物

妖魔 鬼怪 天昏 地暗

誰是我 羨慕 誰是我

是半動物 只相信天生

半植物 盡辦法滋生

我活下來是人是神是零是一

溫暖的半身釋放冰凍的半身

愛或恨 總糾結於心

遠或近 永遠要近

信慾望 得慾望

涅槃下渡眾生 可鬆開抑壓的眾生

(半動物) 觸覺一切的轉身

(半植物) 伸向一切森林

哀痛一切的殺生 Woohoo

愛或恨 總糾結於心

遠或近 永遠要近

信慾望

誰伴誰偷偷的於一室 偷偷的在接吻

Woo, and I can't breathe

And I won't breathe

I only breathe for you

I only breathe for you

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
淨化 /jìng huà/ B2	verb - to purify
犧牲 /xī shēng/ B2	noun - sacrifice
晦暗 /huì àn/ B2	adjective - gloomy, dark
正常 /zhèng cháng/ B1	adjective - normal
直覺 /zhí jué/ B2	noun - intuition
濕吻 /shī wěn/ B2	noun - wet kiss
濕 /shī/ A2	adjective - wet
濕吻 /shī wěn/ B2	noun - wet kiss
半出 /bàn chū/ B2	verb - half emerge, half enter
半入 /bàn rù/ B2	verb - half enter
天使 /tiān shǐ/ A2	noun - angel
撒旦 /sā dàn/ B2	noun - Satan
真實 /zhēn shí/ B2	adjective - real, true
癮 /yǐn/ B2	noun - addiction, craving

Key Grammar Structures

• 受萬年淨化 來一次犧牲

  ➔ Passive voice

  ➔ The phrase "受萬年淨化" uses the passive voice to indicate that the subject is receiving an action.

• 得到一個一個需要也需要

  ➔ Repetition for emphasis

  ➔ The phrase "得到一個一個需要也需要" emphasizes the importance of each need by repeating the structure.

• 不必 欺騙 必須 真實

  ➔ Adverbial phrases

  ➔ The phrase "不必 欺騙 必須 真實" uses adverbial phrases to convey necessity and obligation.

• 愛或恨 總糾結於心

  ➔ Conjunctions

  ➔ The phrase "愛或恨" uses a conjunction to present two contrasting ideas.

• 我活下來是人是蛇是藤是根

  ➔ Parallel structure

  ➔ The phrase "我活下來是人是蛇是藤是根" employs parallel structure to create rhythm and emphasize the different identities.

• 誰伴誰偷偷的於一室 偷偷的在接吻

  ➔ Relative clauses

  ➔ The phrase "誰伴誰偷偷的於一室" uses a relative clause to provide additional information about the subject.