赤伶 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 等什麼君

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the evocative world of "赤伶" by 等什麼君, a masterpiece that beautifully intertwines traditional Chinese opera with contemporary melodies. Through its poignant lyrics and powerful vocal delivery, you'll encounter rich cultural references and historical depth, making it an excellent gateway to understanding the elegance and expressive power of the Chinese language and its unique storytelling tradition in music.

[English]

The crowd below passes, no longer seeing the hues of old

On stage, one sings a heartrending song of farewell

The word "love" is hard to ink; her song must be echoed with blood

As the curtain rises and falls, who is but a guest?

A scene unfolds, water sleeves rise and fall

Singing of joy and sorrow, partings and reunions—none concern me

Fans flutter open and shut, drums and gongs resound then hush

The play's passions, the world outside—who can tell?

Used to blending joy and sorrow into the painted mask

Worn-out verses sung through—what of it? White bones and ashes, all are me

Drifting through chaos, enduring the sight of war flames scorching the land

Humble yet never forgetting the nation's plight, even if unknown

The crowd below passes, no longer seeing the hues of old

On stage, one sings a heartrending song of farewell

The word "love" is hard to ink; her song must be echoed with blood

As the curtain rises and falls, who is but a guest?

Used to hiding every emotion behind the painted mask

Worn-out verses sung through—what of it? White bones and ashes, all are me

Drifting through chaos, enduring the sight of war flames scorching the land

Humble yet never forgetting the nation's plight, even if unknown

The crowd below passes, no longer seeing the hues of old

On stage, one sings a heartrending song of farewell

The word "love" is hard to ink; her song must be echoed with blood

As the curtain rises and falls, in the end, all are guests

You exit the stage, I make my entrance

Don't mock the tales of wind and moon, don't laugh at life's absurdities

Once questioned the seasons, once sang resolutely of rise and fall

Speak of heartlessness, speak of love—how to fathom?

Speak of heartlessness, speak of love—a struggle to fathom

[Chinese]

台下人走過 不見舊顏色

台上人唱著 心碎離別歌

情字難落墨 她唱須以血來和

戲幕起 戲幕落 誰是客

戲一折 水袖起落

唱悲歡唱離合 無關我

扇開合 鑼鼓響又默

戲中情戲外人 憑誰說

慣將喜怒哀樂都融入粉墨

陳詞唱穿又如何 白骨青灰皆我

亂世浮萍忍看烽火燃山河

位卑未敢忘憂國 哪怕無人知我

台下人走過 不見舊顏色

台上人唱著 心碎離別歌

情字難落墨 她唱須以血來和

戲幕起 戲幕落 誰是客

慣將喜怒哀樂都藏入粉墨

陳詞唱穿又如何 白骨青灰皆我

亂世浮萍忍看烽火燃山河

位卑未敢忘憂國 哪怕無人知我

台下人走過 不見舊顏色

臺上人唱著 心碎離別歌

情字難落墨 她唱須以血來和

戲幕起 戲幕落 終是客

你方唱罷我登場

莫嘲風月戲 莫笑人荒唐

也曾問青黃 也曾鏗鏘唱興亡

道無情 道有情 怎思量

道無情 道有情 費思量

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
心碎 xīn suì B1	adjective - heart‑broken; feeling deep sorrow
離別歌 lí bié gē B2	noun - farewell song
情字 qíng zì C1	noun - the character/word for “love” or “emotion”
血 xuè A2	noun - blood verb - to bleed
戲幕 xì mù B2	noun - stage curtain; the curtain that opens and closes a play
客 kè A2	noun - guest; visitor
悲歡 bēi huān B2	noun - sadness and joy; the dual emotions of sorrow and happiness
鑼鼓 luó gǔ C1	noun - gongs and drums; traditional Chinese percussion instruments
粉墨 fěn mò C1	noun - makeup (especially theatrical face paint)
亂世 luàn shì C1	noun - chaotic era; a time of disorder and war
浮萍 fú píng C2	noun - duckweed; small floating plant that drifts on water surfaces
燃 rán A2	verb - to burn; to be on fire
山河 shān hé B1	noun - mountains and rivers; a poetic term for a country’s landscape
憂國 yōu guó B2	noun - patriotism; concern for one’s country
登場 dēng chǎng B1	verb - to appear on stage; to make an entrance
荒唐 huāng táng B2	adjective - absurd; ridiculous
無情 wú qíng B1	adjective - heartless; lacking feeling or compassion
有情 yǒu qíng B2	adjective - sentimental; having feeling or affection
思量 sī liàng B2	verb - to consider; to reflect upon
戲 xì A2	noun - play; drama; theatrical performance

Key Grammar Structures

• 台下人走過 不見舊顏色

  ➔ Resultative complement

  ➔ The verb 「走過」 is followed by the result clause 「不見」, showing the result of walking past: "walk past" → "do not see".

• 情字難落墨 她唱須以血來和

  ➔ Modal verb + purpose clause (須…來…)

  ➔ "須" expresses necessity, and the structure "須以血來和" means "must use blood to reconcile".

• 戲幕起 戲幕落 誰是客

  ➔ Topic‑comment structure with rhetorical question

  ➔ "戲幕起 戲幕落" sets the topic (the curtain), and "誰是客" asks rhetorically "who is the audience?".

• 慣將喜怒哀樂都融入粉墨

  ➔ Serial verb construction with object‑focus marker "都"

  ➔ "慣將…都融入" uses a serial verb pattern where "將" introduces the object and "都" emphasizes that all emotions are merged.

• 亂世浮萍忍看烽火燃山河

  ➔ Potential complement with verb "忍看" (to endure seeing)

  ➔ "忍看" combines "忍" (to endure) with the infinitive "看", indicating the speaker can barely bear to watch the flames.

• 位卑未敢忘憂國 哪怕無人知我

  ➔ Concessive clause with "哪怕" (even if)

  ➔ "哪怕" introduces a concessive idea: "even if nobody knows me".

• 你方唱罷我登場

  ➔ Verb + 罷 (completion marker) indicating "after"

  ➔ "唱罷" means "after finishing singing", and "登場" follows, showing sequential actions.

• 道無情 道有情 怎思量

  ➔ Parallelism with rhetorical question

  ➔ "道無情 / 道有情" creates a parallel contrast, and "怎思量" asks rhetorically "how can one measure?".