青春要用幾行詩來寫 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: Eric周興哲

Lyrics & Translation

[Chinese]

[English]

打開 青澀的曖昧 不存在誤會 也不討論是非

Opening up naive fondness, no misunderstandings, no need to debate right or wrong

夜風 穿越幾條街 也沒人續杯 或許冷靜 了誰

Night winds cross several streets, no one raises a glass again, perhaps who was calm?

而我 也無從理解 是誰的告白 從此漫天 紛飛

And I can't understand, whose confession has set off a storm of flying petals

於是 想起些細節 回憶斟滿杯 到底 應該 敬誰

So I recall certain details, pouring memories into a cup, who should I toast to?

總有些 青春永遠無法 只用幾行詩 描寫

Some things about youth can never be fully captured in just a few lines of poetry

也不是 只用幾個章回 的小說就能 了解

Nor can they be understood through a few chapters of a novel

故事裡 傷悲淒美心碎 沒有一件事 絕對

In stories of heartbreak and sorrow, nothing is completely certain

只能憑直覺

Only intuition can tell

是妳說 有些青春無法 只用幾行詩 來寫

You said some youth can't be just a few lines of poetry

那初戀 微酸了好幾回 倔強卻思念 著誰

That first love, sour more than once, stubborn yet longing for someone

這成長 反覆某些情節 也無法再收回

Growing up repeats certain moments, can't take them back anymore

誰先愛上誰

Who loved whom first

年少 像什麼季節 雨後的氣味 一彎深秋 的水

Youth is like what season? The scent after rain, a deep autumn water

暗戀 跟風在告別 有某種無邪 開始滿山 遍野

Secret crushes, whispering goodbye to the wind, innocent beginnings cover the mountains and fields

所謂 理想跟熱血 該怎麼結尾 怎麼做才 無悔

What is called ideals and passion—how should they end, what actions leave no regrets?

以上 所說的這些 在跟誰對決 或許 根本 無解

All that I’ve just said, confronting whom? Perhaps it's unsolvable

總有些 青春永遠無法 只用幾行詩 描寫

Some things about youth can never be fully captured in just a few lines of poetry

也不是 只用幾個章回 的小說就能 了解

Nor can they be understood through a few chapters of a novel

故事裡 傷悲淒美心碎 沒有一件事 絕對

In stories of heartbreak and sorrow, nothing is completely certain

只能憑直覺

Only intuition can tell

是妳說 有些青春無法 只用幾行詩 來寫

You said some youth can't be just a few lines of poetry

那初戀 微酸了好幾回 倔強卻思念 著誰

That first love, sour more than once, stubborn yet longing for someone

這成長 反覆某些情節 也無法再收回

Growing up repeats certain moments, can't take them back anymore

誰先愛上誰

Who loved whom first

翻了翻 好幾頁 關於妳 說的一切

Flipping through several pages about everything you said

語氣裡 的憔悴 不再零碎

The weariness in your tone, no longer fragmented

是妳說 有些青春無法 只用幾行詩 來寫

You said some youth can't be just a few lines of poetry

那初戀 微酸了好幾回 倔強卻思念 著誰

That first love, sour more than once, stubborn yet longing for someone

這成長 反覆某些情節 也無法再收回

Growing up repeats certain moments, can't take them back anymore

誰先愛上誰

Who loved whom first

而我說 有些青春卻也 只能用詩來 描寫

And I say, some youth can only be described with poetry

用感覺 醞釀文字的美 愛紛飛如蝶

Feeling and imagining, the beauty of words, love flying like butterflies

卻不知 到底要用幾頁 去描述著離別

But I don't know how many pages are needed to describe parting

我放不下誰

I can't let go of someone

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
青春 /qīngchūn/ B1	noun - youth
詩 /shī/ B2	noun - poetry, poem
描寫 / miáoxiě / B2	verb - to describe
成長 / Chéngzhǎng / B1	noun - growth, development
情節 / qíngjié / B2	noun - plot, storyline
傷悲 / shāngbēi / C1	noun - sorrow, grief
心碎 / xīn suì / C1	noun - heartbreak
直覺 / zhíjué / C1	noun - intuition
告白 / gàobái / B2	noun - confession, declaration of love
回憶 / huíyì / B1	noun - memory, recollection
希望 / xīwàng / A2	noun - hope
離別 / líkbié / B2	noun - farewell, parting
放不下 / fàng bù xià / B2	verb phrase - cannot let go, cannot part with

Key Grammar Structures

• 打開 青澀的曖昧 不存在誤會 也不討論是非

  ➔ Use of negatives to express certainty

  ➔ The phrase "不存在误会 也不讨论是非" (doesn't exist misunderstanding, also doesn't discuss right and wrong) uses multiple negatives to emphatically state that there are no misunderstandings and no arguments about right or wrong. It emphasizes a clear and uncomplicated situation.

• 夜風 穿越幾條街 也沒人續杯 或許冷靜 了誰

  ➔ The use of "也" (also/even) to connect related events.

  ➔ Here, "也沒人續杯" (also nobody refills cup) shows a connection to the previous line, suggesting the loneliness or stagnation is pervasive. The wind goes through the streets, and *also* nobody refills their cup, implying a general sense of inactivity.

• 於是 想起些細節 回憶斟滿杯 到底 應該 敬誰

  ➔ Rhetorical Question with "到底" (dàodǐ)

  ➔ "到底应该敬谁" (dàodǐ yīnggāi jìng shéi) - "Who should I toast to, in the end?" The use of "到底" suggests a contemplation of the ultimate recipient of respect or gratitude. It implies a deeper reflection rather than a literal question.

• 總有些 青春永遠無法 只用幾行詩 描寫

  ➔ Fixed Structure: "總有些...無法...只用..."

  ➔ "總有些 青春永遠無法 只用幾行詩 描寫" (There are always some youth memories that can never be described with just a few lines of poetry). "總有些" (always some) introduces a general truth. "無法...只用" (cannot... only use) emphasizes the inadequacy of a limited method to capture a complex experience.

• 那初戀 微酸了好幾回 倔強卻思念 著誰

  ➔ Adjective + "了" + measure word + "回" to indicate repeated experience

  ➔ "微酸了好幾回" (wēisuānle hǎojǐ huí) - "a little sour for several times." The structure "微酸了+好幾+回" implies that the slight sourness of the first love has been experienced repeatedly.

• 這成長 反覆某些情節 也無法再收回

  ➔ The use of "再" (zài) with a negative to indicate impossibility

  ➔ "也無法再收回" (yě wúfǎ zài shōuhuí) - "also cannot be taken back again." "再" emphasizes that something cannot be reverted or undone. It's a point of no return.

• 年少 像什麼季節 雨後的氣味 一彎深秋 的水

  ➔ Simile using "像" (xiàng) - to be like

  ➔ "年少 像什麼季節" (niánshào xiàng shénme jìjié) - "youth is like what season?" This line uses "像" to make a simile, comparing youth to an unspecified season. This invites the listener to consider the qualities and characteristics of youth, associating it with the feelings evoked by various seasons.