某種老朋友 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 林家謙

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the poetic beauty of Cantonese through '某種老朋友' (A Certain Old Friend). This song offers a profound look at relationships and memory, using evocative metaphors like a drifting leaf in a stream. Learning this song can help you appreciate the nuances of the Cantonese language and its ability to express deep, complex emotions in a subtle and moving way. It's a special song that captures a universal feeling of looking back on the past with a mix of fondness and sorrow.

[English]

Suddenly I wonder, the heavy shadows look like whales

Only when I need to breathe do we meet again

Willing or not, not entirely voluntary, words spoken in nonsense

Why only know how to read, why not encounter some surprises

Suddenly I can contain old, faded shadows for a while, like rain about to fall

Thinking or not, no winning or losing involved

I am myself, sometimes sharing memories with you, no longer afraid to live together

Like skin, even if bruised, never noticing that it heals

Can temporarily cherish some old friends

Just can't share a boat with one another

Both caught in a raging current, struggling to stay afloat

Even trembling when reminiscing about holding hands back then

It's clear this couple isn't meant to be the hands

Like cyclical faces, gradually thinning with each moment

Like leaves, with their cycles of withering and blooming, life resembles mourning longevity

Who can escape from some outdated friends

A leaf helplessly falling behind

No one in this world can stop the gentle flow of love

If memories sometimes come alive, they come to tease

After healing, walking far away—why look back and endure?

But can it be seen as harmless leftover love's curse?

No impact here—just smile, and autumn will pass when the sky cools

...

Forgive and savor the tears spilling; there's really no need to save oneself

Intentionally escaping something that’s not eternal, that’s the opponent

I'm changing clothes, hearing you nag, mocking me again—see how the collar stains yellow

Why not clean the iron? Why are even the utensils worn out?

Can temporarily cherish some old friends

Just can't share a boat together

Both caught in a raging current, struggling to stay afloat

Even trembling when reminiscing about holding hands back then

It’s clear this couple isn’t meant to be the hands

Like cyclical faces, gradually thinning with each moment

Like leaves, with their cycles of withering and blooming, life resembles mourning longevity

Who can escape from some outdated friends

A leaf helplessly falling behind

No one can stop the gentle flow of love

If memories sometimes come alive, they come to tease

After healing, walking far away—why look back and endure?

But can it be seen as harmless leftover love's curse?

No impact here—just smile, and autumn will pass when the sky cools

Some old friends, each holding a small boat

Eventually bound to encounter sudden moments, of course

Grateful for the beautiful shadows we carry, able to walk with them

Let the face facing us turn to behind us—(How can closeness and love be so absurd?)

No longer mourning spring, I look at the withered leaves accompanying late autumn

Like leaves, there’s no need to examine how long each will live

...

[Chinese]

突然地疑惑龐大陰影活像鯨魚

只有等你要呼吸了才重遇

肯與不再肯也未出於自願 胡言後聽你亂語

為何只懂得看書 為何不邂逅奇遇

突然又容納殘舊陰影暫住 尋常像天要下雨

想與不要想不牽涉贏與輸

我是我間中跟你一些記憶共處 也不再忌諱同住

如皮膚即使碰瘀 從無發現亦痊癒

能暫時懷念某種老朋友

不過未能共享一葉舟

彼此都處身洪流 如何掙扎沉浮

連回想起當初手牽手也顫抖

就弄明白眼前這對不是該雙手

如輪迴臉龐留在當下也逐漸消瘦

如葉有枯榮輪流 命像悼念長壽

誰又能迴避某種過期朋友

一片葉無奈剛飄落背後

世上沒人能阻擋細水愛長流

若回憶偶爾活現就前來挑逗

在復原後走得很遠為何要回頭忍受

但可否當做剩餘無害有情的咀咒

沒有影響此際笑一笑天涼就過秋

就原諒回味從淚水中滴漏 其實沒需要自救

刻意擺脫什麼非永恆這對手

我在著衫聽到你囉嗦再嘲弄我 看衣領漸染黃後

為何不清洗熨斗 為何潔具亦殘舊

能暫時懷念某種老朋友

不過未能共享一葉舟

彼此都處身洪流 如何掙扎沉浮

連回想起當初手牽手也顫抖

就弄明白眼前這對不是該雙手

如輪迴臉龐留在當下也逐漸消瘦

如葉有枯榮輪流 命像悼念長壽

誰又能迴避某種過期朋友

一片葉無奈剛飄落背後

世上沒人能阻擋細水愛長流

若回憶偶爾活現就前來挑逗

在復原後走得很遠為何要回頭忍受

但可否當做剩餘無害有情的咀咒

沒有影響此際笑一笑天涼就過秋

某種老朋友 各撐一葉舟

總少不免驟然遇上當然就

為美好光影感激可以隨身走

就讓迎面變背後 (相親相愛何曾會這樣荒謬)

沒有傷春的我看一看枯葉伴晚秋

如葉也不必考究每一片將活著多久

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
陰影 (yīnyǐng) /ˈɪnˌjɪŋ/ B2	noun - shadow
呼吸 (hūxī) /ˈxuːʃiː/ A2	verb - breathe noun - breath
自願 (zìyuàn) /ˈtsɿ̀ˌju̯æ̀n/ B2	adjective - voluntary verb - volunteer
胡言 (húyán) /xǔ ján/ C1	verb - to talk nonsense
邂逅 (xièhòu) /ɕjê xoʊ/ C1	verb - to meet by chance, encounter
容納 (róngnà) /ʐʊŋ nâ/ B2	verb - to contain, accommodate
殘舊 (cánjiù) /tsʰǎn tɕjô/ B2	adjective - old and worn out
尋常 (xúncháng) /ɕy̌n tʂʰǎŋ/ B2	adjective - ordinary, common
記憶 (jìyì) /tɕî î/ A2	noun - memory
忌諱 (jìhuì) /tɕî xwêi/ B2	verb - to avoid as a taboo noun - taboo
痊癒 (quányù) /tɕʰwǎn ŷ/ C1	verb - to recover completely
懷念 (huáiniàn) /xwǎi niɛ̂n/ B1	verb - to cherish the memory of
掙扎 (zhēngzhá) /ʈ͡ʂɤŋ ʈ͡ʂǎ/ B2	verb - to struggle
顫抖 (chàndǒu) /ʈ͡ʂʰân toʊ/ B2	verb - to tremble, shiver
輪迴 (lúnhuí) /lǔn xwéi/ C1	noun - reincarnation
消瘦 (xiāoshòu) /ɕjáʊ ʂôʊ/ B2	adjective - thin, gaunt
悼念 (dàoniàn) /tâʊ niɛ̂n/ C1	verb - to mourn
無奈 (wúnài) /wǔ nâi/ B1	adjective - helpless, without choice
阻擋 (zǔdǎng) /tsù tàŋ/ B2	verb - to block, obstruct
挑逗 (tiǎodòu) /tʰjàʊ tôʊ/ C1	verb - to provoke, tease
咀咒 (jǔzhòu) /tɕỳ ʈ͡ʂôʊ/ C2	noun - curse, spell

Key Grammar Structures

• 突然地疑惑龐大陰影活像鯨魚

  ➔ Simile (活像) to compare two different things.

  ➔ The phrase "活像鯨魚" uses a simile to express a large shadow that resembles a whale.

• 想與不要想不牽涉贏與輸

  ➔ Use of '與' to indicate 'and' or 'with'.

  ➔ The phrase "想與不要想" shows the contrast between wanting to think and not wanting to think.

• 能暫時懷念某種老朋友

  ➔ Use of '能' to express ability or possibility.

  ➔ The phrase "能暫時懷念" indicates the ability to temporarily reminisce about an old friend.

• 世上沒人能阻擋細水愛長流

  ➔ Use of '沒人' to indicate 'no one'.

  ➔ The phrase "世上沒人能阻擋" emphasizes that no one can stop the flow of love.

• 在復原後走得很遠為何要回頭忍受

  ➔ Use of '為何' to ask 'why'.

  ➔ The phrase "為何要回頭忍受" questions the reason for looking back and enduring pain after recovery.

• 就讓迎面變背後

  ➔ Use of '就' to indicate 'then' or 'so'.

  ➔ The phrase "就讓迎面變背後" suggests allowing what is in front to become what is behind.

• 如葉有枯榮輪流

  ➔ Use of '如' to indicate 'like' or 'as'.

  ➔ The phrase "如葉有枯榮" uses a simile to express the cyclical nature of life, like leaves that wither and flourish.