Chapter 24 – English Lyrics

• By: Pink Floyd
• Album: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the philosophical depths of Pink Floyd's "Chapter 24", a song directly inspired by the I Ching. Discover how Syd Barrett translated ancient wisdom into a psychedelic soundscape, offering a unique lens through which to contemplate themes of change, balance, and spiritual return. Learning English through this song provides insight into Eastern philosophy and Pink Floyd's early experimental style.

[English]

All movement is accomplished in six stages

And the seventh brings return

The seven is the number of the young light

It forms when darkness is increased by one

Change return success

Going and coming without error

Action brings good fortune

Sunset

The time is with the month of winter solstice

When the change is due to come

Thunder in the Earth the course of Heaven

Things cannot be destroyed once and for all

Change return success

Going and coming without error

Action brings good fortune

Sunset

Sunrise

All movement is accomplished in six stages

And the seventh brings return/

The seven is the number of the young light

It forms when darkness is increased by one

Change return success

Going and coming without error

Action brings good fortune

Sunset

Sunrise

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
movement /ˈmuːvmənt/ B1	noun - an act of moving; a change of place or position.
accomplish /əˈkʌmplɪʃ/ B1	verb - to succeed in doing something; to achieve something.
stage /steɪdʒ/ A2	noun - a particular point or period in a process or development.
return /rɪˈtɜːrn/ A2	verb - to come or go back to a previous place or state. noun - the act of coming or going back.
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that makes things visible; electromagnetic radiation.
form /fɔːrm/ A2	verb - to begin to exist or to make something begin to exist.
darkness /ˈdɑːrknəs/ A2	noun - the absence of light.
increase /ɪnˈkriːs/ B1	verb - to become or to make something larger in amount, number, or degree.
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	verb - to make or become different. noun - the act or result of making or becoming different.
success /səkˈses/ A2	noun - the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
error /ˈerər/ B1	noun - a mistake.
action /ˈækʃn/ A2	noun - the process of doing something, especially to achieve an aim.
fortune /ˈfɔːrtʃuːn/ B1	noun - chance or luck, especially as it affects a person's life.
sunset /ˈsʌnset/ A2	noun - the time in the evening when the sun disappears or goes below the horizon.
sunrise /ˈsʌnraɪz/ A2	noun - the time in the morning when the sun appears or rises above the horizon.
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time; not old.
solstice /ˈsɑːlstɪs/ B2	noun - either of the two times in the year when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, marked by the longest and shortest days.
thunder /ˈθʌndər/ B1	noun - the loud noise that you hear after a flash of lightning, caused by the rapid expansion of air heated by the lightning. verb - to make a loud, deep noise.
destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ B1	verb - to put an end to the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it.

Key Grammar Structures

• All movement is accomplished in six stages

  ➔ Passive Voice (Present Simple)

  ➔ The sentence uses the passive voice with 'is accomplished' to emphasize the action rather than the doer.

• And the seventh brings return

  ➔ Present Simple with 'brings'

  ➔ The verb 'brings' is in the present simple tense, indicating a general truth or habitual action.

• It forms when darkness is increased by one

  ➔ Present Simple in a subordinate clause

  ➔ The present simple 'is increased' is used in a subordinate clause to describe a condition.

• Change return success

  ➔ Noun + Noun (Compound Noun)

  ➔ The phrase uses nouns in sequence to create a compound noun, emphasizing interconnected concepts.

• Going and coming without error

  ➔ Gerunds (Going, Coming)

  ➔ The gerunds 'going' and 'coming' function as nouns, describing actions in a general sense.

• Action brings good fortune

  ➔ Subject-Verb Agreement

  ➔ The singular noun 'Action' agrees with the singular verb 'brings'.

• Sunset Sunrise

  ➔ Nouns as Sentence Fragments

  ➔ The nouns 'Sunset' and 'Sunrise' stand alone as sentence fragments, creating a poetic effect.