孤城 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 洛先生

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Deep in late autumn, no embrace remains

Deep in late autumn, no embrace remains

Bright moon over distant skies, the old friend roams

Bright moon over distant skies, the old friend roams

Soft strings in the drizzle, my restless heart can’t find peace

Soft strings in the drizzle, my restless heart can’t find peace

Looking back, the old friend has already left

Looking back, the old friend has already left

Falling leaves scatter, tears unspoken

Falling leaves scatter, tears unspoken

Playing a tune of love and sorrow, the rivers and lakes linger

Playing a tune of love and sorrow, the rivers and lakes linger

Gazing at distant skies, my heart still clings

Gazing at distant skies, my heart still clings

A thought for every inch of earth, a year for every flower

A thought for every inch of earth, a year for every flower

Late autumn leaves fall, yet the old friend’s face is nowhere

Late autumn leaves fall, yet the old friend’s face is nowhere

In dreams, I still can’t see them

In dreams, I still can’t see them

Half a lifetime left, seeking flowers and willows

Half a lifetime left, seeking flowers and willows

Don’t cross distant skies, west winds, sunsets, or sandstorms

Don’t cross distant skies, west winds, sunsets, or sandstorms

Moonlight fills my heart

Moonlight fills my heart

Worldly love, hate, and grudges

Worldly love, hate, and grudges

Wandering distant skies, looking back, I miss their eyes

Wandering distant skies, looking back, I miss their eyes

Drunk alone, when will this longing end?

Drunk alone, when will this longing end?

Who stops for you?

Who stops for you?

Autumn leaves fall with the wind, flowers drop in late autumn

Autumn leaves fall with the wind, flowers drop in late autumn

Lost in dreams

Lost in dreams

Awake, love quietly fades

Awake, love quietly fades

Farewell, even in dreams, I can’t embrace the old friend

Farewell, even in dreams, I can’t embrace the old friend

Late autumn’s chill after waking

Late autumn’s chill after waking

The lonely, desolate city

The lonely, desolate city

Snow fills the sky, falling into my heart

Snow fills the sky, falling into my heart

Gazing at distant skies, my heart still clings

Gazing at distant skies, my heart still clings

A thought for every inch of earth, a year for every flower

A thought for every inch of earth, a year for every flower

Late autumn leaves fall, yet the old friend’s face is nowhere

Late autumn leaves fall, yet the old friend’s face is nowhere

In dreams, I still can’t see them

In dreams, I still can’t see them

Half a lifetime left, seeking flowers and willows

Half a lifetime left, seeking flowers and willows

Don’t cross distant skies, west winds, sunsets, or sandstorms

Don’t cross distant skies, west winds, sunsets, or sandstorms

Moonlight fills my heart

Moonlight fills my heart

Worldly love, hate, and grudges

Worldly love, hate, and grudges

Wandering distant skies, looking back, I miss their eyes

Wandering distant skies, looking back, I miss their eyes

Drunk alone, when will this longing end?

Drunk alone, when will this longing end?

Who stops for you?

Who stops for you?

Autumn leaves fall with the wind, flowers drop in late autumn

Autumn leaves fall with the wind, flowers drop in late autumn

Lost in dreams

Lost in dreams

Awake, love quietly fades

Awake, love quietly fades

Farewell, even in dreams, I can’t embrace the old friend

Farewell, even in dreams, I can’t embrace the old friend

Late autumn’s chill after waking

Late autumn’s chill after waking

The lonely, desolate city

The lonely, desolate city

Snow fills the sky, falling into my heart

Snow fills the sky, falling into my heart

[Chinese]

Rù shēnqiū wèi xiāng yōng

Độ cuối thu, chẳng ôm nhau

Míngyuè tiānyá gùrén yóu

Cố nhân dưới trăng sáng du ngoạn thiên nhai

Qínshēng xiāoxiāo nán jiě wǒ xīnzhōng yōuchóu

Tiếng đàn trong màn mưa rả rích, nỗi lòng khó đẹp yên

Zài huíshǒu gùrén zǒu

Ngoảnh lại nhìn, cố nhân đã đi rồi

Luòyè fēnfēi lèi bùxiū

Lá rơi bay tán loạn trước mắt

Tánzòu yī qǔ ài hèn tàn jiānghú yōuyōu

Tấu một khúc ái hận, than giang hồ dãi dằng

Wàng tiānyá le qiānguà

Nhìn thiên nhai, lòng vẫn vương

Yīniàn cùntǔ yī niánhuá

Nhất niệm tấc đất, nhất niên hoa

Luòyè shēnqiū wèi jiàn gùrén de liǎnjiá

Cuối thu lá rụng rồi vẫn không thấy mặt cố nhân đâu

Mèng zhōng huā bùjiàn tā

Trong mơ cũng chẳng thấy người

Bànshēng yòu zhé liǔ pānhuā

Nửa đời còn lại tìm hoa hỏi liễu

Biéguò tiānyá xīfēng luò rìluò fēngshā

Chớ vượt thiên nhai, tây phong, hoàng hôn và gió cát

Yuè zhào rù xīntóu

Trăng sáng rọi vào lòng

Shìjiān de ài hèn qíngchóu

Trần gian yêu yêu hận hận tình thù

Piāobó tiānyá huíshǒu huáiniàn tā yǎnmóu

Phiêu bạc thiên nhai rồi khi ngoảnh lại nhớ về đôi mắt người

Dú zuì xiāngsī chóu jǐshí xiū

Một mình say khướt, sầu tương tư từ bao giờ mới thôi

Shéi wèi nǐ tíngliú

Ai dừng bước vì người

Luòyè suí fēng piāoluò huā luò huā shēnqiū

Lá rụng cuối thu nương theo gió đáp xuống

Chénzuì zài mèng zhōng

Chìm đắm trong giấc mộng

Mèng xǐng ài qiǎorán luòkōng

Mộng tỉnh, tình lặng lẽ tan

Biélí mèng zhōng gùrén bùnéng zài xiāng yōng

Vĩnh biệt người xưa mộng cũng chẳng thể ôm được nữa

Qiūhòu de hánfēng

Tỉnh mộng rồi hứng cái lạnh cuối thu

Mèng xǐng hòu huāngliáng de gūchéng

Thành trì cô độc hoang vắng

Màntiān shāng xuě piāoluò zài wǒ de xīnzhōng

Tuyết phủ đầy trời, sà vào lòng ta

Wàng tiānyá le qiānguà

Nhìn thiên nhai, lòng vẫn vương

Yīniàn cùntǔ yī niánhuá

Nhất niệm tấc đất, nhất niên hoa

Luòyè shēnqiū wèi jiàn gùrén de liǎnjiá

Cuối thu lá rụng rồi vẫn không thấy mặt cố nhân đâu

Mèng zhōng huā bùjiàn tā

Trong mơ cũng chẳng thấy người

Bànshēng yòu zhé liǔ pānhuā

Nửa đời còn lại tìm hoa hỏi liễu

Biéguò tiānyá xīfēng luò rìluò fēngshā

Chớ vượt thiên nhai, tây phong, hoàng hôn và gió cát

Yuè zhào rù xīntóu

Trăng sáng rọi vào lòng

Shìjiān de ài hèn qíngchóu

Trần gian yêu yêu hận hận tình thù

Piāobó tiānyá huíshǒu huáiniàn tā yǎnmóu

Phiêu bạc thiên nhai rồi khi ngoảnh lại nhớ về đôi mắt người

Dú zuì xiāngsī chóu jǐshí xiū

Một mình say khướt, sầu tương tư từ bao giờ mới thôi

Shéi wèi nǐ tíngliú

Ai dừng bước vì người

Luòyè suí fēng piāoluò huā luò huā shēnqiū

Lá rụng cuối thu nương theo gió đáp xuống

Chénzuì zài mèng zhōng

Chìm đắm trong giấc mộng

Mèng xǐng ài qiǎorán luòkōng

Mộng tỉnh, tình lặng lẽ tan

Biélí mèng zhōng gùrén bùnéng zài xiāng yōng

Vĩnh biệt người xưa mộng cũng chẳng thể ôm được nữa

Qiūhòu de hánfēng

Tỉnh mộng rồi hứng cái lạnh cuối thu

Mèng xǐng hòu huāngliáng de gūchéng

Thành trì cô độc hoang vắng

Màntiān shāng xuě piāoluò zài wǒ de xīnzhōng

Tuyết phủ đầy trời, sà vào lòng ta

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
孤城 /gūchéng/ C2	noun - lonely city
秋 /qiū/ B1	noun - autumn
冷 /lěng/ A2	adjective - cold
月 /yuè/ A1	noun - moon
人 /rén/ A1	noun - person
想 /xiǎng/ A2	verb - to think, to miss
夜 /yè/ A1	noun - night
天 /tiān/ A1	noun - sky, heaven
怀 /huái/ B1	verb - to miss, to cherish
梦 /mèng/ A2	noun - dream
孤独 /gūdú/ B2	noun - loneliness
思念 /sīniàn/ B1	noun - nostalgia, longing
花 /huā/ A1	noun - flower
风 /fēng/ A2	noun - wind
寒 /hán/ A2	adjective - cold
雪 /xuě/ A1	noun - snow
心 /xīn/ A1	noun - heart
爱 /ài/ A2	noun - love verb - to love
恨 /hèn/ A2	noun - hatred, resentment verb - to hate

Key Grammar Structures

• Rù shēnqiū wèi xiāng yōng

  ➔ Prepositional phrase + Verb construction (Wei + verb)

  ➔ The use of "wèi" (未) which means "not yet" or "without". It modifies the action in the sentence. It is a common structure used in classical Chinese.

• Míngyuè tiānyá gùrén yóu

  ➔ Inverted Subject-Verb-Object order for emphasis

  ➔ The usual order would be "Guren you tiānyá" (故人游天涯). By placing "míngyuè" (明月 - bright moon) at the beginning, the author emphasizes the setting.

• Qínshēng xiāoxiāo nán jiě wǒ xīnzhōng yōuchóu

  ➔ Subject-Predicate structure + Difficult to Verb (难+Verb)

  ➔ "Nán jiě" (难解) means "difficult to resolve" or "hard to understand". It is a common structure using "nán" (难 - difficult) to describe the difficulty of doing something.

• Luòyè fēnfēi lèi bùxiū

  ➔ Abbreviation for "淚不休" (lèi bùxiū).

  ➔ "Bùxiū" (不休) means "ceaselessly" or "without end". It amplifies the description of the falling leaves and the tears.

• Wàng tiānyá le qiānguà

  ➔ Verb-Object structure and use of "了" (le) indicating a completed action.

  ➔ "Wàng tiānyá" (望天涯) is a verb-object phrase, meaning "to gaze at the horizon". The "了" at the end indicates the action is completed or emphasized.

• Yīniàn cùntǔ yī niánhuá

  ➔ Parallel structure emphasizing the relationship between thought and time (One thought, one year)

  ➔ The use of two parallel clauses, "yīniàn cùntǔ" and "yī niánhuá", highlights the fleeting nature of time and the weight of each thought.

• Shìjiān de ài hèn qíngchóu

  ➔ Classifier + compound noun (love, hate, feelings, sorrow)

  ➔ "de" (的) is used as a classifier to connect "shìjiān" (世间 - the world) with the compound noun "ài hèn qíngchóu" (爱恨情仇 - love, hate, feelings, sorrow), describing the subject.

• Dú zuì xiāngsī chóu jǐshí xiū

  ➔ Adverbial phrase + question with "jǐshí" (几时 - when)

  ➔ "Dú zuì" (独醉 - drunk alone) is an adverbial phrase modifying the verb. "Jǐshí xiū" (几时休 - when to stop) is a question asking when the sorrow will end.

• Biélí mèng zhōng gùrén bùnéng zài xiāng yōng

  ➔ Complex sentence structure with multiple clauses, negation, and a modal verb.

  ➔ This sentence contains multiple clauses: "Biélí" (离别 - parting), "mèng zhōng" (梦中 - in a dream), "gùrén" (故人 - old friend), "bùnéng" (不能 - cannot), "zài xiāng yōng" (再相拥 - embrace again). It uses "bù néng" to negate the possibility of embracing the loved one again in the dream.