春秋 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 張敬軒
• Album: Hins Live in Passion 2014

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the poetic depth of Cantonese through Hins Cheung's '春秋'. This song offers a beautiful opportunity to learn the language by exploring its rich emotional vocabulary and metaphors. '春秋' is special for its lyrical genius, which contrasts personal heartbreak with grand history, a common theme in high-level Cantonese pop music. By delving into the lyrics, you can appreciate the nuances of expressing complex emotions in Cantonese, making your language learning journey both meaningful and moving.

[English]

That night, someone finished the wine, so I talked too much

Then you shook my hand, rejecting me, touchingly deepening into friendship

I have no right to end our meetings, simply because you're still friendly

Still using words close to sweetness to communicate

No one should resent heaven and earth, getting this ending

Could I blame God for not giving a more hypocritical blessing?

I haven't grieved for you, so I'm not worthy of regrets

You haven't traveled thousands of miles with me, not enough plot to continue the story

My hair hasn't turned frosty, catching a cold is also my childish fault

I should be happy like an angel

Do I have the luck to play the weakling again, feigning disappointment?

Is there any reason why shaving my head for you must be approved by the world?

Being disheartened is extremely shameful, being heartbroken is unoriginal

That single tear lacks ambition

If love can be called great, enduring hardship is still cheerful

If it makes you realize that living for you leads to failure

Makes people uneasy, my character is bad

I haven't grieved for you, so I'm not worthy of regrets

You haven't traveled thousands of miles with me, not enough plot to continue the story

My hair hasn't turned frosty, catching a cold is also my childish fault

I should be happy like an angel

Do I have the luck to play the weakling again, feigning disappointment?

Is there any reason why shaving my head for you must be approved by the world?

Being disheartened is extremely shameful, being heartbroken is unoriginal

That single tear lacks ambition, too meaningless

If feeling this way is considered pain, it's overly easy

I haven't had my life rewritten by you, how am I worthy of worries?

I haven't been harmed or hated by you, writing a love history, turning it into waste paper

Spring and Autumn only reprint important events, if loving you lacks meaning

These tears have nowhere to be placed

I don't have the luck to magnify selfish disappointment

Even less reason to create hatred on this day when you find true love

Want to feel sad, still can, want to leave a thorn in my heart

At least we must meet tens of thousands of times

...

[Chinese]

那夜誰將酒喝掉 因此我講得多了

然後你搖著我手拒絕我 動人像友情深了

我沒權終止見面 只因你友善依然

仍用接近甜蜜那種字眼通電

沒人應該 怨地怨天 得到這結局

難道怪罪神沒有更偽善的祝福

我沒有為你傷春悲秋不配有憾事

你沒有共我踏過萬里不夠劇情延續故事

頭髮未染霜 著涼亦錯在我幼稚

應快活像個天使

有沒有運氣再扮弱者 玩失意

有沒有道理為你落髮必須得到世人同意

心灰得極可恥 心傷得無新意

那一線眼淚 欠大志

愛若能堪稱偉大 再難捱照樣開懷

如令你發現為你而活到失敗

令人不安 我品性壞

我沒有為你傷春悲秋不配有憾事

你沒有共我踏過萬里不夠劇情延續故事

頭髮未染霜 著涼亦錯在我幼稚

應快活像個天使

有沒有運氣再扮弱者玩失意

有沒有道理為你落髮必須得到世人同意

心灰得極可恥 心傷得無新意

那一線眼淚 欠大志 太沒意思

若自覺這叫痛苦未免過份容易

我沒有被你改寫一生怎配有心事

我沒有被你害過恨過寫成情史 變廢紙

春秋只轉載要事 如果愛你欠意義

這眼淚 無從安置

我沒有運氣放大自私的失意

更沒有道理在這日你得到真愛製造恨意

想心酸 還可以 想心底 留根刺

至少要見面上萬次

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
酒 /jiǔ/ A2	noun - alcoholic beverage
拒絕 /jùjué/ B1	verb - to refuse
友情 /yǒuqqíng/ B2	noun - friendship
終止 /zhōngzhǐ/ B2	verb - to terminate
悲秋 /bēiqiū/ C1	noun - sorrow of autumn, nostalgic sadness
心灰 /xīnhuī/ B2	noun - disillusionment, despair
劇情 /jùqíng/ B1	noun - plot, storyline
童稚 /tóngzhì/ C1	adjective - childish, naive
天使 /tiānshǐ/ A2	noun - angel
運氣 /yùnqì/ A2	noun - luck, fortune
弱者 /ruòzhě/ B2	noun - weak person, vulnerable
心底 /xīndǐ/ B2	noun - bottom of the heart, innermost feelings
刺 /cì/ B1	noun - thorn,刺

Key Grammar Structures

• 那夜誰將酒喝掉 因此我講得多了

  ➔ Causative verb/Resultative complement with 得 (de)

  ➔ “講得多了” uses “得” to indicate the degree or result of the action. It means 'I spoke too much'. '得' connects the verb '講' and the result '多了'.

• 我沒權終止見面 只因你友善依然

  ➔ Conditional conjunction: 只因 (zhi yin)

  ➔ “只因” means 'only because', 'simply because' or 'merely because'. It introduces the reason or condition for the preceding statement. “I have no right to stop meeting, simply because you are still friendly.”

• 有沒有運氣再扮弱者 玩失意

  ➔ Rhetorical question (反問)

  ➔ This line is a rhetorical question, implying the speaker doubts the possibility of having the 'luck' to feign weakness or play at being heartbroken. The question isn't asking for information but rather making a statement.

• 若自覺這叫痛苦未免過份容易

  ➔ Conditional Clause with '若' (ruò)

  ➔ '若' introduces a hypothetical situation. It's similar to 'if'. The sentence suggests that if someone considers that situation to be suffering, then it is too easy.

• 我沒有被你改寫一生怎配有心事

  ➔ Passive voice with 被 (bèi)

  ➔ “被” indicates the passive voice, showing that the subject is acted upon. Here, “我” (I) is the subject, and “改寫一生” (rewrite a life) is the action done to the subject. The speaker is expressing that since their life hasn't been rewritten by the other person, they don't deserve to have deep thoughts or worries (心事).

• 春秋只轉載要事 如果愛你欠意義

  ➔ Hypothetical conditional sentence with 如果 (rúguǒ)

  ➔ “如果” introduces a hypothetical condition. The sentence suggests that *if* loving you lacks meaning, then there is no place to put the tears. This highlights the idea that strong emotions are justified by significant meaning.