悔過書 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 黃明志, 林夕
• Album: 小明與小志

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical depth of 黃明志's "悔過書," a powerful collaboration with the iconic lyricist 林夕. This song offers a unique opportunity to explore nuanced expressions of regret, sincerity, and profound life reflections in Chinese. Its rich vocabulary and emotional narrative make it a compelling piece for understanding cultural perspectives on apology and human experience through music.

[English]

Thank you very much to all the media and journalist friends for attending.

Today, I’m here

to clarify some things with everyone.

I’m sorry, my mind couldn’t resist temptation.

I mistook selfishness for being true to myself.

Chasing after a private life—

it’s like a moth flying into a flame.

I’m sorry, I always wanted to break free from love’s chains.

At the slightest thing, I’d resort to emotional blackmail.

Seduced by the outside world, I couldn’t navigate the winds.

And now, I’ve decided to admit my mistakes.

This is just a small storm.

Lowering my head, I bravely show my weakness.

I scold my thoughtless self.

So, all the mistakes are mine.

You’re so captivating, both in beauty and grace.

Yet I still craved the vastness of the sky and sea.

Without you, how can I go on?

I’m oblivious to my own doom.

I made mistakes many people make.

I spoke my mind without considering the consequences.

I’ll slowly learn to think things through.

How to speak, how to face you,

how to make promises.

Right or wrong,

I won’t cause turmoil anymore.

I won’t make you sad again.

I, [Name], promise

that when I’m wrong, I’ll admit it.

What’s dignity in front of you?

It’s best to stay silent.

I crossed the line, I’m the devil crying, the lover’s curse.

I’ll get back on my feet and cooperate.

After all, it’s not a matter of life and death.

Why all the doubt and suspicion?

I say, “I am who I am,” but I’m unsure.

Yet I can’t stand loneliness.

Blame my stubbornness and poor judgment back then.

That’s why I ended up this way.

When love becomes obsession, I’ll stop talking nonsense.

I promise you, there’ll be no more “what ifs” next time.

I’ll fight tooth and nail,

but surrendering might make things easier.

So, all the mistakes are mine.

You’re so captivating, both in beauty and grace.

Yet I still craved the vastness of the sky and sea.

Without you, how can I go on?

I’m oblivious to my own doom.

I made mistakes many people make.

I spoke my mind without considering the consequences.

I’ll slowly learn to think things through.

How to speak, how to face you,

how to make promises.

Can you accept this?

Now, I can only wait for the outcome.

No more doubts.

Does this life still belong to me?

[Chinese]

非常感謝各位媒體記者朋友們的出席

今天小弟來到這兒呢

是要跟大家澄清一些事兒

對不起 我思想禁不起誘惑

把任性當成了自我

還追求什麼私生活

那都是飛蛾撲火

對不起 總是想掙脫愛的枷鎖

動不動就是情緒勒索

被外面世界蠱惑 看風不會使舵

而現在我 決定認錯

這不過是一場小風波

低下了頭 勇敢地示弱

將無腦的自己數落

所以千錯萬錯都是我的錯

你是如此傾城又傾國

我還貪圖天空海闊

失去你又怎麼過活

不知死活

犯了不少人會犯的錯

有話直說不考慮結果

我會慢慢學習揣摩

該怎麼說怎麼面對

怎麼承諾

有錯沒錯

都不再去顛頗

不再讓你難過

本人某某承諾

錯了就認錯

在你面前尊嚴又算什麼

最好就沉默

我越軌我是鬼哭愛人禍

重新振作乖乖合作

畢竟不是非要你死我活

何必猜疑捉摸

說什麼我就是我卻疑惑

又不甘寂寞

怪當初太執著太不識貨

才死得其所

當愛走到走火入魔不再胡說

答應你下次絕沒有如果

我拼死的拼活的

說服我投降了可能會比較好過

所以千錯萬錯都是我的錯

你是如此傾城又傾國

我還貪圖天空海闊

失去你又怎麼過活

不知死活

犯了不少人會犯的錯

有話直說不考慮結果

我會慢慢學習揣摩

該怎麼說怎麼面對

怎麼承諾

你是否能接受

如今我 只能夠靜待著結果

不需再懷疑

這人生是否仍屬於我

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
誘惑 /joʊ.xuo/ B2	noun - temptation verb - to tempt
任性 /rèn xìng/ B2	adjective - willful, capricious
追求 /zhuī qiú/ B1	verb - to pursue, to seek
飛蛾撲火 /fēi é pū huǒ/ C1	idiom - like a moth drawn to a flame (courting self-destruction)
掙脫 /zhèng tuō/ B2	verb - to break away from, to struggle free
枷鎖 /jiā suǒ/ C1	noun - fetters, shackles; restraint
勒索 /lè suǒ/ B2	verb - to blackmail, to extort
蠱惑 /gǔ huò/ C1	verb - to bewitch, to enchant, to seduce
認錯 /rèn cuò/ A2	verb - to admit a mistake, to apologize
示弱 /shì ruò/ B2	verb - to show weakness
數落 /shǔ luo/ B2	verb - to enumerate faults, to find fault with
傾城 /qīng chéng/ C1	adjective - of devastating beauty (enough to overthrow a city)
貪圖 /tān tú/ B2	verb - to covet, to seek after (greedily)
揣摩 /chuǎi mó/ C1	verb - to analyze; to figure out; to try to fathom
越軌 /yuè guǐ/ B2	verb - to deviate from the norm; to stray (from the path)
猜疑 /cāi yí/ B2	verb - to suspect, to be suspicious
執著 /zhí zhuó/ B2	adjective - stubborn, persistent
投降 /tóu xiáng/ B1	verb - to surrender

Key Grammar Structures

• 對不起 我思想禁不起誘惑, 把任性當成了自我

  ➔ Subject + 禁不起 + Noun: Can't withstand/resist something. 把...當成...: Treat...as...

  ➔ 禁不起 means 'cannot withstand'. The speaker is saying his thoughts couldn't resist the temptation. 把...當成... structure indicates that the speaker treated willfulness as his ego. "把" is a preposition indicating how the object is dealt with.

• 還追求什麼私生活, 那都是飛蛾撲火

  ➔ 還 + Verb Phrase: Still/Even (rhetorical question, implying futility). 都是: All are...

  ➔ 還 is used here in a rhetorical question to express the futility of pursuing a private life. 都是 indicates that all those pursuits end in self-destruction (like moths drawn to a flame).

• 被外面世界蠱惑 看風不會使舵

  ➔ 被...蠱惑: To be bewitched/tempted by...不會使舵: Not knowing how to steer/adjust

  ➔ 被 indicates passive voice, showing the speaker was acted upon by the outside world's temptations. 不會使舵 means the speaker couldn't adapt to situations, like a ship not knowing how to steer with the wind.

• 這不過是一場小風波, 低下了頭 勇敢地示弱

  ➔ 不過是...: Merely/Only is...示弱: to show weakness, to admit fault

  ➔ 不過是 emphasize that this is just a small incident. 示弱: to show weakness and admit fault.

• 所以千錯萬錯都是我的錯

  ➔ 千...萬...都...: All/Every (emphasizing totality of the fault). 都是: all are...

  ➔ 千錯萬錯 is an idiom that means 'all kinds of wrongs', emphasizing that all the blame lies with the speaker. 都 indicates that all those wrongs are his fault.

• 失去你又怎麼過活, 不知死活

  ➔ 又...怎麼...: How... again? (rhetorical question implying difficulty). 不知死活: Not knowing the severity of the situation.

  ➔ 又 is used rhetorically to emphasize the difficulty of living without the person. 不知死活 means not appreciating the importance or seriousness of something, in this case, the importance of not losing the person.

• 犯了不少人會犯的錯

  ➔ 的 used as a relative clause marker.

  ➔ The phrase 人會犯的錯 means 'mistakes that people make'. 的 connects the relative clause 会犯 to the noun 错, describing what kind of mistakes.

• 如今我 只能夠靜待著結果

  ➔ 只能夠: Can only; can merely

  ➔ 只能夠 means the subject can only do one action, it limits the posibilities.