螞蟻 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 許廷鏗

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poignant world of Alfred Hui's '螞蟻' (Ant), a powerful Cantonese ballad that uses the humble ant as a symbol of unwavering resilience in the face of heartbreak. This song offers a rich lyrical landscape to explore emotional vocabulary in Cantonese, making it special for its relatable themes of perseverance and its deeply moving melody, perfect for language learners seeking to connect with profound narratives through music.

[English]

It's my fault for being so deeply invested in this little world of love

Who knew that the moment I woke from the dream, we were already apart, still waiting for you

It's my fault for being so busy, yet having no time to think about how to soar far away

Too busy to breathe in fresh air

In the end, you ended up disliking me, farewell to the Eden of creation

It's rare that I could be so devoted, yet it could still destroy the feelings

Your sudden departure, regardless of my exhaustion and hoarse voice, still strikes at my heart

Please lower your comfort, feel free to take everything away

Wounded so thoroughly, I can only be like an ant that can't be crushed

It's my fault for completely believing in your performance

Now, I just can't find the screening date, like a play

Loved to the point of having nothing left, in the end, it could lead to total defeat

Too sweet to enjoy the beauty of heartbreak

Like you not playing the game with me, determined to put me to death

It's rare that I could be so devoted, yet it could still destroy the feelings

Your sudden departure, regardless of my exhaustion and hoarse voice, still strikes at my heart

Please lower your comfort, feel free to take everything away

Wounded so thoroughly, I can only be like an ant that can't be crushed

It's rare for your innocent smile to turn into a devil when you turn away

Your sudden departure, regardless of my exhaustion and hoarse voice, feels like being baptized in fire

Please lower your comfort, feel free to indulge for another lifetime

Wounded so thoroughly, can you also feel guilty towards me?

With all sorts of schemes, reaching the same end, going home feels like an ant, no matter how far

...

[Chinese]

怪我太過投入戀愛這小天地

誰知 夢醒一刻已經分離 還等你

怪我營營役役 卻無暇思考怎麼遠飛

太忙 無法呼吸清新的空氣

到最終給你嫌棄 別了伊甸創世紀

難得我竟這麼死心塌地 都可把感情摧毀

你的突然離開 管我力竭與聲嘶 還是極攻於心計

請把安撫放低 儘管來拿走一切

傷得我這樣徹底 只好當踩不死的螞蟻

怪我完全投入相信你的演技

如今 但找不到上映的期 如齣戲

愛到毫無餘地 到頭來竟可 一敗塗地

太甜 無法享受失戀的淒美

像你不跟我遊戲 決心的把我處死

難得我竟這麼死心塌地 都可把感情摧毀

你的突然離開 管我力竭與聲嘶 還是極攻於心計

請把安撫放低 儘管來拿走一切

傷得我這樣徹底 只好當踩不死的螞蟻

難得你的一張天真笑臉 轉身竟可成魔鬼

你的突然離開 管我力竭與聲嘶 如受浴火的洗禮

請把安撫放低 儘管沉迷多一世

傷得我這樣徹底 可否對我也於心有愧

千方百計 殊途同歸 歸家再遠也彷佛螞蟻

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
投入 /tóurù/ B1	verb - to immerse oneself in
戀愛 /liàn'ài/ B1	noun - romantic love
分離 /fēnlí/ B2	noun - separation, breakup
營營役役 /yíng yíng yì yì/ C1	adjective - busy, engaged in various tasks
呼吸 /hūxī/ A2	verb - to breathe noun - breath
嫌棄 /xiánqì/ B2	verb - to despise, criticize
感情 /gǎnqíng/ A2	noun - feelings, emotions
摧毀 /cuīhuǐ/ B2	verb - to destroy
離開 /líkāi/ A2	verb - to leave, depart
心計 /xīn jì/ C1	noun - scheming, schemer
安撫 /ānfǔ/ B2	verb - to soothe, to pacify
徹底 / chèdǐ/ C1	adjective - thorough
踩不死 /cǎi bù sǐ/ C2	phrase - cannot be killed by stepping on
螞蟻 /mǎyǐ/ A2	noun - ant

Key Grammar Structures

• 怪我太過投入戀愛這小天地

  ➔ Use of "怪" (guài) + Pronoun + Adjective to express blame or regret

  ➔ Here, "怪" means "to blame". The structure "怪我太過..." (guài wǒ tài guò...) means "blame me for being too...". The word "太過" (tài guò) means "too much" or "excessively".

• 夢醒一刻已經分離 還等你

  ➔ Use of "已經" (yǐjīng) to indicate completion of an action

  ➔ "已經" (yǐjīng) means "already". The sentence conveys that the separation happened some time ago and the speaker is still waiting. The use of "還" (hái) before "等你" (děng nǐ) emphasizes that the waiting continues.

• 卻無暇思考怎麼遠飛

  ➔ Use of "卻" (què) to indicate a contrast or contradiction

  ➔ "卻" (què) means "but" or "however". It shows a contrast between being busy with work and not having time to think about escaping. The structure is A, 卻 B (A, què B), meaning despite A, B happens/is the case.

• 到最終給你嫌棄 別了伊甸創世紀

  ➔ Use of "到最終" (dào zuìzhōng) to express a final outcome or result

  ➔ "到最終" (dào zuìzhōng) means "in the end" or "eventually". It highlights the final result of a series of events. In this case, after all the effort, the speaker was still disliked and abandoned.

• 難得我竟這麼死心塌地 都可把感情摧毀

  ➔ Use of "難得" (nándé) to express something rare or valuable

  ➔ "難得" (nándé) means "rare" or "hard-won". It emphasizes the speaker's rare and sincere devotion, which ultimately was destroyed despite its value. "竟" (jìng) emphasizes the unexpectedness of the result.

• 還是極攻於心計

  ➔ Use of "還是" (háishì) to present alternatives or possibilities

  ➔ "還是" (háishì) means "or" in a question or suggesting alternatives. Here, it presents two possible explanations for the sudden departure: either the speaker's cries were ignored, or the other person was very calculating.

• 請把安撫放低 儘管來拿走一切

  ➔ Use of "儘管" (jǐnguǎn) + Verb to express letting someone do something without restraint

  ➔ "儘管" (jǐnguǎn) can mean "even though" or "despite", but here it means "feel free to" or "go ahead and". It shows resignation and a willingness to let the other person take everything without any protest.

• 只好當踩不死的螞蟻

  ➔ Use of "只好" (zhǐhǎo) to express having no other choice

  ➔ "只好" (zhǐhǎo) means "have to" or "be forced to". It expresses that the speaker has no other option but to become an unkillable ant, highlighting their resilience despite being hurt.

• 歸家再遠也彷佛螞蟻

  ➔ Use of "也 (yě)" with "再 (zài)" to emphasize even if something is distant or difficult.

  ➔ Here, "再遠 (zài yuǎn)" means "no matter how far". The structure "再 A 也 B (zài A yě B)" means no matter how A is, B will happen/is true. It emphasizes that even if the journey home is long, one still toils away like an ant.