囚鸟 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 彭羚, 张宇

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the emotional depth of "囚鳥" (Prisoner Bird), a Mandarin classic that uses the metaphor of a caged bird to express profound themes of love, dependency, and the yearning for liberation. Listening to Peng Ling's delicate rendition or Phil Chang's raw interpretation offers a window into the complexities of unrequited love and emotional confinement in modern relationships, allowing you to connect with rich lyrical storytelling in Mandarin.

[English]

I’m not a bird caged by you

I won’t forget how high the sky can be

If I leave your tiny castle

I’ll know who I can lean on

I’m not a bird caged by you

The love I receive grows more and more

Watching your tears burn in others’ eyes

Yet I have so many embraces

I’m not a shadow you can keep or discard

Coldly watching you lie with such ease

This chaotic city isn’t my obsession either

What makes you so infatuated, so reckless?

I’m not a shadow you can keep or discard

Trading loneliness for a heart full of sorrow

Helpless in love, these tasteless days

Tears are my only luxury

I’m not a shadow you can keep or discard

Coldly watching you with another man

This chaotic love isn’t what I want

What makes you so infatuated, so reckless?

I’m not a shadow you can keep or discard

Trading your love with other men

Playing both sides, these heartless days

Tears are my only luxury

I’m not a shadow you can keep or discard

Coldly watching you with another man

This chaotic love isn’t what I want

What makes you so infatuated, so reckless?

I’m not a shadow you can keep or discard

Trading your love with other men

Playing both sides, these heartless days

Tears are my only luxury

[Chinese]

我不是被妳囚禁的鳥 Ngai mg hei pun ngi khiu kim kai diao

不会忘了天有多高 Mg hiao mong liao tian jiu to ko

假如離開妳給我的小小城堡 Ka ju li koi ngi pun ngai kai seh seh shang po

也会知有誰能依靠 Ja boi ti jiu lei sa ji kao

我不是被妳囚禁的鳥 Ngai mg hei pun ngi khiu kim kai diao

得到的愛越來越多 Tet toh kai oi jiet loi jiet toh

看著妳的哭在別人眼中燃燒 Kon kin ngia kai kiao choi piet yin mu zong ran sao

我卻拥有很多擁抱 Ngai chiet jung jiu an toh jung bao

我不是一個妳能有能無的影子 Ngai mg hei jit kai ngi tet jiu tet mo kai yin zi

冷冷的看著妳說骗话的樣 Lang lang kai kon kin ngi kong pian boi kai jong

這撩亂的城市也不是我的癡 Lia liao lon kai sang szi jah mg hei ngai kai chi

是什麼讓妳這樣迷戀這樣的放肆 Hei ma kai yiong ngi an hiong mi lian an hiong kai piong szi

我不是一個妳能有能無的影子 Ngai mg hei jit kai ngi tet jiu tet mo kai yin zhi

和寂寞交換著傷心的心事 Lao ki mo kao bon kin song sim kai sim sze

對愛無計可施　這無味的日子 Dui oi mo ji ke sze lia mo mui kai yit zhi

眼淚是唯一的奢侈 Mu jip hei bui jit kai se cze

我不是一個妳能有能無的影子 Ngai mg hei jit kai ngi tet jiu tet mo kai yin zi

冷冷的看著妳和别的男人 Lang lang kai kon kin ngi Lao piet kai nam yin

這撩亂的感情也不是我要的 Lia liao long kai kam qin jah mg hei ngai oi kai

是什麼讓妳這樣迷戀這樣的放肆 Hei Ma kai yiong ngi an hiong mi lian an hiong kai piong sze

我不是一個妳能有能無的影子 Ngai mg hei jit kai ngi tet jiu tet mo kai yin zhi

和其他男人交換妳的爱情 Lao ki ta nam yin kao bon ngia kai oi qin

一人踏两条船　這無情的日子 Jit yin tap liong tiao shon lia mo qin kai yit zhi

眼淚是唯一的奢侈 Mu jip hei bui jit kai se cze

我不是一個妳能有能無的影子 Ngai mg hei jit kai ngi tet jiu tet mo kai yin zhi

冷冷的看著妳和别的男人 Lang lang kai kon kin ngi Lao piet kai nam yin

這撩亂的感情也不是我要的 Lia liao long kai kam qin jah mg hei ngai oi kai

是什麼讓妳這樣迷戀這樣的放肆 Hei Ma kai yiong ngi an hiong mi lian an hiong kai piong sze

我不是一個妳能有能無的影子 Ngai mg hei jit kai ngi tet jiu tet mo kai yin zhi

和其他男人交換妳的爱情 Lao ki ta nam yin kao bon ngia kai oi qin

一人踏两条船　這無情的日子 Jit yin tap liong tiao shon lia mo qin kai yit zhi

眼淚是唯一的奢侈 Mu jip hei bui jit kai se cze

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
囚禁 qiújìn B2	verb - to imprison; to confine
鳥 niǎo A1	noun - bird
愛 ài A1	noun - love (affection, deep feeling) verb - to love
依靠 yīkào B1	verb - to rely on; to depend on
擁抱 yōngbào B1	noun - hug; embrace verb - to hug; to embrace
影子 yǐngzi A2	noun - shadow
城堡 chéngbǎo A2	noun - castle
城市 chéngshì A1	noun - city
感情 gǎnqíng B1	noun - feeling; emotion
放肆 fàngsì B2	adjective - reckless; unrestrained
迷戀 míliàn B2	verb - to be infatuated with; to be obsessed
心事 xīnshì B2	noun - private thoughts; concerns
眼淚 yǎnlèi A2	noun - tear (droplet from the eye)
奢侈 shēchǐ B2	adjective - luxurious; extravagant
寂寞 jìmò B1	adjective - lonely; solitary
交換 jiāohuàn B1	verb - to exchange; to swap
男人 nánrén A1	noun - man; male adult
爱情 àiqíng B1	noun - romantic love
高 gāo A1	adjective - high; tall
離開 líkāi A2	verb - to leave; to depart

Key Grammar Structures

• 我不是被妳囚禁的鳥 (Ngai mg hei pun ngi khiu kim kai diao)

  ➔ Negation with '不是' (bù shì) and passive voice

  ➔ '不是' negates the sentence, and '被' indicates the passive voice, emphasizing the speaker is not the imprisoned bird.

• 假如離開妳給我的小小城堡 (Ka ju li koi ngi pun ngai kai seh seh shang po)

  ➔ Conditional sentence with '假如' (jiǎ rú)

  ➔ '假如' introduces a hypothetical situation, similar to 'if' in English.

• 我卻拥有很多擁抱 (Ngai chiet jung jiu an toh jung bao)

  ➔ Contrastive conjunction '卻' (què)

  ➔ '卻' shows contrast between the expected and the actual situation.

• 冷冷的看著妳說骗话的樣 (Lang lang kai kon kin ngi kong pian boi kai jong)

  ➔ Adverbial phrase with '冷冷的' (lěng lěng de)

  ➔ '冷冷的' modifies the verb '看著' to describe the manner of the action.

• 和寂寞交換著傷心的心事 (Lao ki mo kao bon kin song sim kai sim sze)

  ➔ Verb with object and complement '交換著' (jiāohuàn zhe)

  ➔ '交換著' indicates an ongoing action of exchanging, with '傷心的心事' as the object and complement.

• 眼淚是唯一的奢侈 (Mu jip hei bui jit kai se cze)

  ➔ Adjective as predicate '唯一的' (wéiyī de)

  ➔ '唯一的' functions as a predicate adjective, describing '奢侈'.