默 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 那英
• Album: 何以笙箫默

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the haunting beauty of Mandarin through Na Ying's iconic ballad, "默" (Mò). This song offers a chance to learn expressive vocabulary related to emotions of love, loss, and solitude. Its minimalist style and clear, emotive vocals make it an excellent piece for language learners to practice listening comprehension and appreciate the poetic depth of Chinese lyrics. What makes the song special is its powerful storytelling through a simple yet profound metaphor of a fish swimming against the current, a universal image of struggle and perseverance.

[English]

Couldn't help but transform into a stubborn fish

Swimming alone against the current to the very end

The vows I solemnly made when I was young

Silently sinking into the deep sea

Revisiting it a few times, but in the end, still losing you

Love sentenced me to a lifetime of loneliness

Never fighting back, never letting go

Circles I can't finish drawing

The bond in my heart that can never be filled — it's you

Why does love condemn all beings to loneliness

Can't break free, can't escape

The knot in my brow I can't untie

The fate I can't escape — it's you

...

Ah, losing you

Ah, I've lost you

...

Couldn't help but transform into a stubborn fish

Swimming alone against the current to the very end

The vows I solemnly made when I was young

Silently sinking into the deep sea

Cycle repeats, but in the end, I still lose you

Love sentenced me to a lifetime of loneliness

Never fighting back, never letting go

Circles I can't finish drawing

The bond in my heart that can never be filled — it's you

Why does love condemn all beings to loneliness

Can't break free, can't escape

The knot in my brow I can't untie

The fate I can't escape — it's you

...

Ah, losing you

Ah, I've lost you

...

[Chinese]

忍不住化身一條固執的魚

逆著洋流獨自游到底

年少時候虔誠發過的誓

沉默地沉沒在深海里

重溫幾次 結局還是 失去你

我被愛判處終身孤寂

不還手 不放手

筆下畫不完的圓

心間填不滿的緣 是你

為何愛判處眾生孤寂

掙不脫 逃不過

眉頭解不開的結

命中解不開的劫 是你

啊 失去你

啊 我失去你

忍不住化身一條固執的魚

逆著洋流獨自游到底

年少時候虔誠發過的誓

沉默地沉沒在深海里

周而復始 結局還是 失去你

我被愛判處終身孤寂

不還手 不放手

筆下畫不完的圓

心間填不滿的緣 是你

為何愛判處眾生孤寂

掙不脫 逃不過

眉頭解不開的結

命中解不開的劫 是你

啊 失去你

啊 我失去你

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
忍不住 /rěn bù zhù/ B2	verb - unable to restrain oneself
固執 /gù zhí/ B2	adjective - stubborn
游 /yóu/ A1	verb - to swim
誓 /shì/ B1	noun - oath
沉默 /chén mò/ B1	noun - silence
失去 /shī qù/ B1	verb - to lose
孤寂 /gū jì/ B2	noun - loneliness
圓 /yuán/ A2	noun - circle
緣 /yuán/ B2	noun - fate or relationship
掙脫 /zhēng tuō/ B2	verb - to break free
逃 /táo/ A2	verb - to escape
結 /jié/ B1	noun - knot or bond
命中 /mìng zhòng/ B2	verb - to hit or strike
劫 /jié/ C1	noun - calamity or disaster

Key Grammar Structures

• 忍不住化身一條固執的魚

  ➔ Verb + 不住 (buzhu) to indicate inability to stop or resist an action

  ➔ The structure "Verb + 不住" expresses the idea that the subject cannot stop performing the action, emphasizing an ongoing or uncontrollable nature.

• 逆著洋流獨自游到底

  ➔ Contrary to + 方向 (direction) to describe movement against a flow or current

  ➔ The phrase "逆著洋流" uses the structure "逆著" indicating moving against the tide or current.

• 沉默地沉沒在深海里

  ➔ Adverb + verb to describe an action performed silently or quietly

  ➔ The adverb "沉默地" modifies the verb "沉沒" to emphasize the silent or quiet nature of the action.

• 重溫幾次 結局還是 失去你

  ➔ Use of 还是 (háishi) to indicate a persistent outcome despite previous actions

  ➔ The word "还是" (háishi) indicates that the outcome remains the same despite previous efforts or actions.

• 心間填不滿的緣 是你

  ➔ Complementary object + 填不滿 (tian buman) to express inability to fill or satisfy

  ➔ The phrase "填不满" indicates the inability to fill or satisfy the emotional or spiritual need.

• 眉頭解不開的結

  ➔ 反身結 (hua) + 解不開 to describe a knot or problem that cannot be untied or resolved

  ➔ The phrase "解不開的結" uses the verb phrase to depict unresolved issues or knots that cannot be untied.