赤伶 – Bilingual Lyrics Vietnamese/English

• By: 等什么君

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the poignant story of '赤伶' and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Chinese language. Through its poetic lyrics, you can learn powerful expressions of patriotism and sacrifice. The song's unique blend of traditional opera and modern pop makes it a captivating piece for language learners to appreciate the rich cultural history and emotional depth embedded in Mandarin.

[English]

The crowd below walks by, the old colors fade from sight.

On stage, she sings a heartbreak farewell song.

The word "love" is hard to ink; she sings, blending it with blood.

The curtain rises, the curtain falls—who’s the spectator here?

Accustomed to blending joy, anger, sorrow, and joy into the stage makeup.

Even if the old lyrics are sung through, what does it matter?

White bones, pale ashes—they’re all me.

In a chaotic world, a drifting weed endures as flames engulf the mountains and rivers.

Though lowly, I dare not forget my concern for the nation.

Even if no one knows me,

The crowd below walks by, the old colors fade from sight.

On stage, she sings a heartbreak farewell song.

The word "love" is hard to ink; she sings, blending it with blood.

The curtain rises, the curtain falls—who’s the spectator here?

You finish your act, and I take the stage.

Don’t mock the fleeting world, don’t laugh at others’ folly.

I’ve questioned the green and the yellow,

I’ve sung boldly of rise and fall.

They say there’s no emotion, they say there is—how can I measure?

They say there’s no emotion, they say there is—it’s too much to ponder.

[Vietnamese]

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

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
顏色 /yán sè/ B1	noun - color
心碎 /xīn suì/ B2	adjective - heartbroken
離別 /lí bié/ B2	noun - separation
落墨 /luò mò/ C1	verb - to put ink to paper (figurative for expressing emotions)
粉墨 /fěn mò/ C1	noun - face powder and ink (metaphor for acting or pretense)
白骨 /bái gǔ/ B2	noun - white bones
青灰 /qīng huī/ C1	noun - blue-gray (ashes)
浮萍 /fú píng/ B2	noun - duckweed (metaphor for instability)
烽火 /fēng huǒ/ B2	noun - beacon fire (war)
山河 /shān hé/ B1	noun - mountains and rivers (country)
位卑 /wèi bēi/ C1	adjective - lowly position
憂國 /yōu guó/ C1	verb - to worry about the country
荒唐 /huāng táng/ B2	adjective - absurd
鏗鏘 /qīng qiāng/ C2	adjective - clear and resounding
興亡 /xīng wáng/ C1	noun - rise and fall
思量 /sī liàng/ B2	verb - to consider carefully