葡萄成熟時 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 陳奕迅

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a journey of profound introspection with Eason Chan's "葡萄成熟時" (When the Grapes are Ripe). This Cantonese masterpiece, rich with metaphorical lyrics, offers an exceptional opportunity to delve into the nuances of the language while exploring universal themes of patience, resilience, and growth through life's challenges. Its poetic narrative, likening life and love to the cultivation of grapes, makes it a truly special song for language learners to connect with culturally and emotionally.

[English]

It's almost winter solstice, still rain in the morning and evening

The persistence back then now makes you doubt, really doubt

In the end, you waited for only this withered branch

How many times of bitter love, carefully planted and fully nurtured

What you gained is even less than what others harvest

This time, you really care a lot

But seeing others in love is so tempting

When will the grapes finally ripen?

You must wait quietly, wait some more

Even if you suffer losses, you must still hold on

In the future, try not to let today's tears flow in vain

Leave behind the stones that hurt you

Learn from the mistakes, perhaps

A bountiful harvest, though the season hasn't come, you must accept

Or perhaps you need to turn love into fine wine

Only then will the timing be right

...

...

How should one love? Unfortunately, it's never recorded in books

Finally figured it out, but time will never return, never return

Missed the spring, will flowers bloom again?

A thousand kinds of love, some need tears to nourish

The withered tenderness will eventually grow back

The wrong love is just a necessary side dish

But seeing others in love is so tempting

When will the grapes finally ripen?

You must wait quietly, wait some more

Even if you suffer losses, you must still hold on

In the future, try not to let today's tears flow in vain

Leave behind the stones that hurt you

Learn from the mistakes, perhaps

A bountiful harvest, though the season hasn't come, you must accept

Or perhaps you need to turn love into fine wine

Only then will the timing be right

...

Think about the other side of the sky, there's someone waiting

...

With a heart only waiting for the grapes to ripen, tasting a cup of wine

...

Don't let loneliness make you think of growing old overnight

Winning unnecessary freedom

And the most dazzling wounds, I know

In the future, there may not be more beautiful encounters on the road

But when your wisdom has brewed into red wine

You can still get drunk to save yourself

Everyone has felt heartache, that one who hasn't

...

[Chinese]

差不多冬至 一早一晚還是有雨

當初的堅持 現已令你很懷疑 很懷疑

你最尾等到 只有這枯枝

苦戀幾多次 悉心栽種全力灌注

所得竟不如 別個後輩收成時

這一次 你真的很介意

但見旁人談情何引誘

問到何時葡萄先熟透

你要靜候 再靜候

就算失收 始終要守

日後 儘量別教今天的淚白流

留低 擊傷你的石頭

從錯誤裡吸收 也許

豐收 月份尚未到你也得接受

或者要到你將愛釀成醇酒

時機先至熟透

應該怎麼愛 可惜書裡從沒記載

終於摸出來 但歲月卻不回來 不回來

錯過了春天 可會再花開

一千種戀愛 一些需要情淚灌溉

枯毀的溫柔 在最後會長回來

錯的愛 乃必經的配菜

但見旁人談情何引誘

問到何時葡萄先熟透

你要靜候 再靜候

就算失收 始終要守

日後 儘量別教今天的淚白流

留低 擊傷你的石頭

從錯誤裡吸收 也許

豐收 月份尚未到你也得接受

或者要到你將愛釀成醇酒

時機先至熟透

想想天的一邊 亦有個某某 在等候

一心只等葡萄熟透 嚐杯酒

別讓 寂寞害你想得一夜白頭

贏得不需要的自由

和最耀眼傷口 我知

日後 路上或沒有更美的邂逅

但當你智慧都蘊釀成紅酒

仍可一醉自救

誰都心酸過 那個沒有

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
葡萄 /pú táo/ A1	noun - grape
成熟 /chéng shú/ B1	adjective - mature, ripe verb - to mature, to ripen
懷疑 /huái yí/ B2	verb - to doubt, to suspect noun - doubt, suspicion
枯枝 /kū zhī/ B1	noun - dead branch
栽種 /zāi zhòng/ B2	verb - to plant, to cultivate
灌注 /guàn zhù/ B2	verb - to pour into, to concentrate on
收成 /shōu chéng/ B1	noun - harvest, crop
介意 /jiè yì/ B2	verb - to mind, to take offense
引誘 /yǐn yòu/ B2	verb - to entice, to tempt noun - enticement, temptation
靜候 /jìng hòu/ B2	verb - to wait quietly
失收 /shī shōu/ B2	verb - to have a bad harvest noun - bad harvest
豐收 /fēng shōu/ B1	noun - bumper harvest, good harvest
醇酒 /chún jiǔ/ C1	noun - fine wine
歲月 /suì yuè/ B1	noun - years, time
枯毀 /kū huǐ/ C1	verb - to wither and decay
寂寞 /jì mò/ B1	adjective - lonely, desolate
耀眼 /yào yǎn/ B2	adjective - dazzling, radiant
智慧 /zhì huì/ B2	noun - wisdom

Key Grammar Structures

• 當初的堅持 現已令你很懷疑

  ➔ Using the particle "的" to modify nouns, creating adjectival phrases.

  ➔ "的" acts as a descriptive marker, turning a noun into an adjectival phrase.

• 你要靜候 再靜候

  ➔ Using the verb "要" to indicate necessity or obligation, with repetition for emphasis.

  ➔ "要" indicates that something is required or necessary, and repetition emphasizes the importance or persistence.

• 從錯誤裡吸收 也許

  ➔ Using "從" to indicate the starting point or source of an action, with "裡" to denote inside or within.

  ➔ "從" functions as a preposition indicating the source or starting point of an action or process.

• 應該怎麼愛 可惜書裡從沒記載

  ➔ Using "應該" to express obligation or suggestion, and "怎麼" as an interrogative meaning "how".

  ➔ "應該" indicates obligation or expectation, suggesting what one ought to do, while "怎麼" asks about the manner or method of doing something.

• 留低 擊傷你的石頭

  ➔ Using "留低" to mean "leave behind" or "stay", with "擊傷" indicating the action "to hurt" or "to wound".

  ➔ "留低" implies staying or leaving something behind intentionally, and "擊傷" is the action to hurt or wound.

• 時機先至熟透

  ➔ Using "先至" to express "only when" or "not until" a condition is met, combined with the verb "熟透" meaning "ripen fully".

  ➔ "先至" positions the timing as conditional, meaning something only happens when a certain point is reached, with "熟透" meaning fully ripe or mature.