Castle in The Air – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 林俊傑 JJ Lin
• Album: Happily Painfully After

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on an emotional journey with JJ Lin's "Castle in The Air," a poignant English song perfect for language learners. Its clear, evocative lyrics and heartfelt melody offer a unique opportunity to connect with Mandopop's beloved artist through his powerful storytelling in English, exploring universal themes of dreams, longing, and self-reflection.

[English]

翻譯： Annie Yang

I'm building a castle in the air

Living there all alone

Floor gleaming with golden light

Walls adorned with Monets

People come and go every day

I wonder what will remain

The memories we shared

Just ripples along our path

Day after day

I dance gracefully to chase away the pain

The world is fickle and ever-changing

I patiently endure the loneliness

Debris on the walls

Collecting dreams from the past

Dust and ashes

Falling onto my soul

In my castle in the air

The passion grows cold

In my castle in the air

Another castle beyond the distant sky

Is it you?

I don't know if you're an ally

Or a former foe

People come and go every day

I wonder what will remain

Memories melt into the rain

Falling as ripples on the road

Day after day

I dance gracefully to chase away the pain

The world is fickle and ever-changing

I patiently endure the loneliness

Debris on the walls

Collecting dreams from the past

Dust and ashes

Falling onto my soul

In my castle in the air

Feeling the passion grow cold within

In my castle in the air

Day after day

I dance gracefully to chase away the pain

The world is fickle and ever-changing

I patiently endure the loneliness

Debris on the walls

Collecting dreams from the past

Dust and ashes

Falling onto my soul

In my castle in the air

The passion grows cold

In my castle in the air

Debris on the walls—collecting dreams from the past

Dust and ashes—gazing down on my soul

In my castle in the air

The passion grows cold

In my castle in the air

[Chinese]

翻譯： Annie Yang

我築著空中的幻城

一個人住著

地板閃耀著金光

牆上掛著莫內

人們每天來來去去

我想知道什麼能留下

我們擁有的回憶

只是這一路上的漣漪 

日復一日

我翩翩起舞驅逐苦痛

世界無常反覆

我靜待著孤獨

牆上的殘骸

收集了以前的夢想

塵與埃

落在我的靈魂上

在我的空中幻城

熱火漸冷

在我的空中幻城

天空彼岸的另一座城

是你嗎？

我不知你是盟友

還是從前的敵人 

人們每天來來去去

我想知道什麼能留下

記憶融進雨裡

落成路上的漣漪

日復一日

我翩翩起舞驅逐苦痛

世界無常反覆

我靜待著孤獨

牆上的殘骸

收集了以前的夢想

塵與埃

落在我的靈魂上

在我的空中幻城

感受著心中的熱火漸冷

在我的空中幻城

日復一日

我翩翩起舞驅逐苦痛

世界無常反覆

我靜待著孤獨

牆上的殘骸

收集了以前的夢想

塵與埃

落在我的靈魂上

在我的空中幻城

熱火漸冷

在我的空中幻城

牆上的殘骸 收集了以前的夢想

塵與埃 看照我的靈魂

在我的空中幻城

熱火漸冷

在我的空中幻城

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
築 /t͡sù/ B1	verb - to build, to construct
幻城 /huànchéng/ B2	noun - fantasy castle, illusory city
金光 /jīnguāng/ A2	noun - golden light
回憶 /huíyì/ B1	noun - memories, recollections
漣漪 /liányī/ B2	noun - ripples
翩翩 /piānpiān/ C1	adverb - gracefully, lightly
苦痛 /kǔtòng/ B2	noun - pain, suffering
孤獨 /gūdú/ B1	noun - loneliness, solitude
殘骸 /cánhái/ B2	noun - remains, ruins
夢想 /mèngxiǎng/ A2	noun - dream, aspiration
塵埃 /chén'āi/ B2	noun - dust, ashes
靈魂 /línghún/ B2	noun - soul, spirit
熱火 /rèhuǒ/ B1	noun - passion, fervor
漸冷 /jiànlěng/ B2	verb - to gradually cool down
彼岸 /bǐ'àn/ C1	noun - the other shore, distant land
盟友 /méngyǒu/ B2	noun - ally, friend
敵人 /dírén/ A2	noun - enemy
融進 /róngjìn/ B1	verb - to melt into, to blend into

Key Grammar Structures

• 我築著空中的幻城

  ➔ Aspect particle 著 (zhe)

  ➔ The particle "著" indicates an ongoing or continuous action, showing that the subject is in the process of building the illusory castle in the air.

• 人們每天來來去去

  ➔ Reduplication for habitual or repeated action

  ➔ The reduplicated form "來來去去" describes people coming and going repeatedly every day, emphasizing habitual movement.

• 我想知道什麼能留下

  ➔ Interrogative pronoun 什麼 (shénme)

  ➔ "什麼" functions as 'what' in the question, inquiring about something that can remain or endure.

• 我們擁有的回憶

  ➔ Possessive/modifying particle 的 (de)

  ➔ The particle "的" links "擁有的" (possessed) to "回憶" (memories), indicating the memories we possess.

• 日復一日

  ➔ Idiomatic reduplication for repetition over time

  ➔ "日復一日" is a fixed expression meaning 'day after day,' highlighting ongoing repetition.

• 我翩翩起舞驅逐苦痛

  ➔ Serial verb construction

  ➔ The verbs "翩翩起舞" (dance gracefully) and "驅逐苦痛" (drive away pain) are connected without conjunctions, showing sequential actions.

• 世界無常反覆

  ➔ Parallel adjectives or coordinate structure

  ➔ "無常" (impermanent) and "反覆" (repetitive) are placed in parallel to describe the world's changing and recurring nature.

• 收集了以前的夢想

  ➔ Perfective aspect particle 了 (le)

  ➔ The particle "了" marks the completion of the action of collecting past dreams.

• 記憶融進雨裡

  ➔ Directional complement with 進 (jìn)

  ➔ "進" indicates the direction 'into' the rain, showing memories melting and entering it.

• 是你嗎？

  ➔ Question particle 嗎 (ma)

  ➔ The particle "嗎" at the end turns the statement into a yes/no question: 'Is it you?'