赤伶 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 孙鹏凯

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poignant world of "赤伶" by 孙鹏凯, a captivating Gufeng song rich with cultural depth and historical resonance. Through its dramatic narrative and operatic flourishes, you can explore the poetic beauty of the Chinese language and gain insight into traditional Chinese performing arts. Its powerful lyrics and emotional delivery offer a unique window into Chinese sentiment and storytelling, making it an excellent piece for language learners seeking to connect with authentic cultural expression.

[English]

I'm used to pouring all my joys and sorrows into the stage.

What does it matter if old stories are sung until they're worn out?

In the end, only my bones and ashes remain.

Like a rootless duckweed in chaotic times, I bear witness to war fires engulfing our land.

Though humble, I dare not forget my concern for the nation,

Even if no one knows who I am.

The audience comes and goes, no longer seeing the familiar faces.

On stage, I sing heartbreaking songs of parting.

The word "love" is hard to capture; she must sing it with her blood.

To harmonize. Curtains rise and fall, but who is truly just a guest?

In one act, the flowing sleeves rise and fall, singing of joys, sorrows, partings, and reunions, yet it has nothing to do with me.

Fans open and close, gongs and drums sound then fall silent; emotions belong to the play, but people are outside it.

Who can truly say?

I'm used to pouring all my joys and sorrows into the stage.

What does it matter if old stories are sung until they're worn out?

In the end, only my bones and ashes remain.

Like a rootless duckweed in chaotic times, I bear witness to war fires engulfing our land.

Though humble, I dare not forget my concern for the nation,

Even if no one knows who I am.

The audience comes and goes,

No longer seeing the familiar faces.

On stage, I sing heartbreaking songs of parting.

The word "love" is hard to capture;

She must sing it with her blood. Curtains rise and fall, but who is truly just a guest?

As soon as you finish your song, I step onto the stage.

Don't mock the romantic plays, don't laugh at people's wild abandon.

I once questioned right and wrong, once sang with powerful resonance.

Singing of rise and fall, speaking of both heartlessness and passion.

How to ponder, speaking of both heartlessness and passion?

It requires much contemplation.

[Chinese]

惯将喜怒哀乐都融入粉墨

陈词唱穿又如何

白骨青灰皆我

乱世浮萍忍看烽火燃山河

位卑未敢忘忧国

哪怕无人知我

台下人走过不见旧颜色

台上人唱着心碎离别歌

情字难落墨她唱须以血

来和戏幕起戏幕落谁是客

戏一折水袖起落唱悲欢唱离合无关我

扇开合锣鼓响又默戏中情戏外人

凭谁说

惯将喜怒哀乐都融入粉墨

陈词唱穿又如何

白骨青灰皆我

乱世浮萍忍看烽火燃山河

位卑未敢忘忧国

哪怕无人知我

台下人走过

不见旧颜色

台上人唱着心碎离别歌

情字难落墨

她唱须以血来和戏幕起戏幕落谁是客

你方唱罢我登场

莫嘲风月戏莫笑人荒唐

也曾问青黄也曾铿锵

唱兴亡道无情道有情

怎思量道无情道有情

费思量

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
融入 /róng rù/ B2	verb - to blend into; to merge with
粉墨 /fěn mò/ C1	noun - stage makeup; theatrical cosmetics
陈词 /chén cí/ C1	noun - cliché; stale or hackneyed expression
白骨 /bái gǔ/ B2	noun - white bones; skeletal remains (often metaphorical for death)
青灰 /qīng huī/ C2	adjective - bluish‑gray; a pale gray tinged with blue
乱世 /luàn shì/ C1	noun - turbulent times; an era of chaos and war
浮萍 /fú píng/ B2	noun - duckweed; a small floating plant
烽火 /fēng huǒ/ C1	noun - beacon fire; signals of war
山河 /shān hé/ B2	noun - mountains and rivers; a poetic reference to the nation
位卑 /wèi bēi/ C1	adjective - lowly; of humble rank
台下 /tái xià/ B2	noun - offstage; the audience area
心碎 /xīn suì/ B2	adjective - heart‑broken; feeling deep sorrow
离别 /lí bié/ B2	noun - parting; farewell verb - to part; to bid farewell
墨 /mò/ B1	noun - ink; black pigment used for writing
血 /xiě/ B1	noun - blood
戏幕 /xì mù/ C1	noun - stage curtain; the theatrical backdrop
客 /kè/ B1	noun - guest; visitor; audience member
锣鼓 /luó gǔ/ C1	noun - gongs and drums; traditional percussive instruments
情戏 /qíng xì/ C2	noun - love drama; a play focusing on romantic emotions
思量 /sī liàng/ C1	verb - to ponder; to consider carefully

Key Grammar Structures

• 惯将喜怒哀乐都融入粉墨

  ➔ Habitual Action + Verb-Object Construction

  ➔ "惯将" indicates a habitual action of incorporating emotions into makeup and performance. The structure '将...都...' emphasizes completeness – *all* emotions are infused. '粉墨' refers to makeup and stage persona.

• 白骨青灰皆我

  ➔ Ellipsis + Subject-Predicate Equivalence

  ➔ The subject 'I' is omitted, implying 'white bones and grey ashes *are* me'. This is a poetic expression of complete self-sacrifice and identification with the role.

• 哪怕无人知我

  ➔ Concessive Clause + Verb

  ➔ "哪怕" introduces a concessive clause meaning 'even if'. The sentence expresses a willingness to perform regardless of recognition.

• 情字难落墨她唱须以血来和

  ➔ Adjectival Clause + Verb + '须' Construction

  ➔ "情字难落墨" means 'the word 'love' is difficult to put into ink', implying the depth and complexity of emotion. '须' indicates necessity – she *must* use blood to enhance her performance.

• 戏幕起戏幕落谁是客

  ➔ Parallel Structure + Rhetorical Question

  ➔ The parallel structure '戏幕起戏幕落' (curtain rises, curtain falls) emphasizes the cyclical nature of performance. '谁是客' is a rhetorical question asking who is the outsider – the performer or the audience?