千里之外 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 周杰倫

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the beauty of Chinese language and culture through Jay Chou's "千里之外," a mesmerizing duet with Fei Yu-Ching. Set in 1930s Shanghai, this song blends traditional Chinese elements with R&B, offering a rich learning experience for language enthusiasts. Discover the poignant lyrics and cultural nuances that make this song a timeless masterpiece .

[English]

The eaves are like cliffs, wind chimes like the vast ocean. I'm waiting for the swallow to return.

Time is arranged, playing out an unexpected scene. You quietly walk away.

The story is outside the city; thick fog can't clear, making the dialogue unclear.

You can't hear it—the wind doesn’t exist. I'm just sighing.

Waking from a dream, who's at the windowsill opening the ending?

That fragile future, as thin as cicada wings, can't withstand anyone pulling it apart.

I send you away, thousands of miles apart. You're silent, in black and white.

In these silent years, maybe love shouldn’t be so far away.

I send you away, beyond the horizon. Are you still there?

Where does the music come from? Life and death are hard to guess. I’ll wait with my whole life.

Hearing tears fall into the woods, seeking white pear blossoms. Only a line of moss remains.

The sky lies beyond the mountains, rain falls on flower platforms. My temples are silver-gray.

Hearing tears fall into the woods, seeking white pear blossoms. Only a line of moss remains.

The sky lies beyond the mountains, rain falls on flower platforms. We wait for you to come.

Clad in translucent white, dust hidden within. Your flawless love.

You come from the rain, transforming sorrow into poetry. I am soaked now.

Picking from water lilies, the boat’s shadow still lingers, yet you don’t return.

Overlaid by the years, the flowers you once said would bloom have turned into emptiness.

Waking from a dream, who's at the windowsill opening the ending?

That fragile future, as thin as cicada wings, can't withstand anyone pulling it apart.

I send you away, thousands of miles apart. You're silent, in black and white.

In these silent years, maybe love shouldn’t be so far away.

I send you away, beyond the horizon. Are you still there?

Where does the music come from? Life and death are hard to guess. With my whole life.

I send you away, thousands of miles apart. You're silent, in black and white.

In these silent years, maybe love shouldn’t be so far away.

I send you away, beyond the horizon. Are you still there?

Where does the music come from? Life and death are hard to guess. I’ll wait with my whole life.

...

[Chinese]

屋簷如懸崖 風鈴如滄海 我等燕歸來

時間被安排 演一場意外 妳悄然走開

故事在城外 濃霧散不開 看不清對白

妳聽不出來 風聲不存在 是我在感慨

夢醒來 是誰在窗台 把結局打開

那薄如蟬翼的未來 經不起誰來拆

我送妳離開 千里之外 妳無聲黑白

沉默年代 或許不該 太遙遠的相愛

我送妳離開 天涯之外 妳是否還在

琴聲何來 生死難猜 用一生 去等待

聞淚聲入林 尋梨花白 只得一行 青苔

天在山之外 雨落花台 我兩鬢斑白

聞淚聲入林 尋梨花白 只得一行 青苔

天在山之外 雨落花台 我等妳來

一身琉璃白 透明著塵埃 妳無瑕的愛

妳從雨中來 詩化了悲哀 我淋濕現在

芙蓉水面採 船行影猶在 妳卻不回來

被歲月覆蓋 妳說的花開 過去成空白

夢醒來 是誰在窗台 把結局打開

那薄如蟬翼的未來 經不起誰來拆

我送妳離開 千里之外 妳無聲黑白

沉默年代 或許不該 太遙遠的相愛

我送妳離開 天涯之外 妳是否還在

琴聲何來 生死難猜 用一生

我送妳離開 千里之外 妳無聲黑白

沉默年代 或許不該 太遙遠的相愛

我送妳離開 天涯之外 妳是否還在

琴聲何來 生死難猜 用一生 去等待

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
懸崖 (xuán yá) /ɕy̯ɛn˧˥ ja˧˥/ B2	noun - cliff, precipice
滄海 (cāng hǎi) /tsʰɑŋ˥ xai̯˨˩/ C1	noun - vast sea, the ocean
燕 (yàn) /i̯ɛn˥˩/ B1	noun - swallow (bird)
安排 (ān pái) /an˥ pʰai̯˧/ B1	verb - to arrange, to plan
意外 (yì wài) /i˥˩ wai̯˥˩/ B1	noun - accident, unexpected event
悄然 (qiāo rán) /t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯˥ ʐan˧˥/ B2	adjective - quietly, silently
濃霧 (nóng wù) /nʊŋ˧˥ u˥˩/ B2	noun - dense fog
風聲 (fēng shēng) /fɤŋ˥ ʃɤŋ/ B1	noun - sound of the wind, rumour
感慨 (gǎn kǎi) /kän˨˩ kʰai̯˨˩/ C1	verb - to lament with emotion
窗台 (chuāng tái) /t͡ʂʰwɑŋ˥ tʰai̯˧/ A2	noun - windowsill
結局 (jié jú) /t͡ɕi̯ɛ˧˥ t͡ɕy˧˥/ B1	noun - ending, conclusion
蟬翼 (chán yì) /t͡ʂʰan˧˥ i˥˩/ C1	noun - cicada's wings
沉默 (chén mò) /t͡ʂʰən˧˥ mwo˥˩/ B1	adjective - silent, taciturn
琴聲 (qín shēng) /t͡ɕʰin˧˥ ʃɤŋ/ B2	noun - sound of a zither (or other stringed instrument)
梨花 (lí huā) /li˧˥ xwɑ˥/ B1	noun - pear blossom
青苔 (qīng tái) /t͡ɕʰɪŋ˥ tʰai̯˧/ B1	noun - moss
琉璃 (liú lí) /liʊ˧˥ li˧˥/ B2	noun - glazed tile
塵埃 (chén āi) /t͡ʂʰən˧˥ ai̯˥/ B2	noun - dust
無瑕 (wú xiá) /u˧˥ ɕi̯a˧˥/ C1	adjective - flawless, immaculate
芙蓉 (fú róng) /fu˧˥ ʐʊŋ˧˥/ C1	noun - lotus

Key Grammar Structures

• 時間被安排

  ➔ Passive voice using 被 (bèi)

  ➔ The structure "被 + verb" indicates that the subject is the recipient of an action.

• 妳聽不出來

  ➔ Negation of potential ability using 不 + 出來

  ➔ The phrase "不出來" indicates inability or failure to perceive or do something.

• 經不起

  ➔ Indicates inability to withstand or endure

  ➔ The phrase "經不起" shows that something cannot withstand or endure a certain force or time.

• 用一生 去等待

  ➔ Using "用 + noun + 去 + verb" to express purpose or extent of action

  ➔ This structure indicates the means or extent by which an action is performed, emphasizing purpose or dedication.

• 如滄海

  ➔ Simile using 如 (rú) for 'like' or 'as'

  ➔ The word "如" introduces a simile, comparing one thing to another to create vivid imagery.

• 把結局打開

  ➔ Use of 把 (bǎ) to shift the object before the verb emphasizing disposal or change

  ➔ The 把 construction emphasizes the action done to the object, often involving manipulation or change.

• 孤獨世代

  ➔ Compound noun phrase to describe a generation

  ➔ This phrase functions as a noun, referring to a specific group characterized by their solitude.