曲終人亦散 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: en

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poetic heart of modern C-pop with en's hit "曲終人亦散." The song is an excellent resource for learning traditional Chinese vocabulary and cultural concepts, as its lyrics are rich with classic, melancholic imagery and follow the structure of a 'Guofeng' (Chinese Style) ballad. Its beautiful, yet deeply sorrowful narrative makes it a powerful and memorable lesson in expressing deep emotional regret in Mandarin.

[English]

A single light glows at dusk

Saying goodnight to the setting sun

Unforgettable longing, quiet sorrow

I drink alone before the zither stand

Drunken confusion follows

Your warmth returns through my tears

The wind is gentle, the clouds are light

But skies can change in an instant

We meet and part so easily

Love can’t end, hatred can’t fade

爱恨反复又纠缠

不解浪漫 声起始平缓

一去不返 这转折突然

辗转 悔恨已太晚

曲终人亦散 灯火意阑珊

风雪留一人承担

卷帘人未还

帘外花千万不愿看

曲终人自叹 冷风吹花残

星河无你皆黯淡

浮生唯你是遗憾

风也轻 云也淡

风云瞬息变换

轻易又聚散

爱难尽 恨难断

爱恨反复又纠缠

不解浪漫 声起始平缓

一去不返 这转折突然

辗转悔恨已太晚

曲终人亦散 灯火意阑珊

风雪留一人承担

卷帘人未还

帘外花千万不愿看

曲终人自叹 冷风吹花残

星河无你皆黯淡

浮生唯你是遗憾

曲终人亦散 灯火意阑珊

风雪 留一人承担

卷帘人未还

帘外花千万不愿看

曲终人自叹 冷风吹花残

星河无你皆黯淡

浮生唯你是遗憾

[Chinese]

黄昏灯一盏

与斜阳道晚安

难忘相思抑郁寡欢

我饮酒伏琴案

酒醉后慌乱

哭声里忆起你的暖

风也轻 云也淡

风云瞬息变换

轻易又聚散

爱难尽 恨难断

爱恨反复又纠缠

不解浪漫 声起始平缓

一去不返 这转折突然

辗转 悔恨已太晚

曲终人亦散 灯火意阑珊

风雪留一人承担

卷帘人未还

帘外花千万不愿看

曲终人自叹 冷风吹花残

星河无你皆黯淡

浮生唯你是遗憾

风也轻 云也淡

风云瞬息变换

轻易又聚散

爱难尽 恨难断

爱恨反复又纠缠

不解浪漫 声起始平缓

一去不返 这转折突然

辗转悔恨已太晚

曲终人亦散 灯火意阑珊

风雪留一人承担

卷帘人未还

帘外花千万不愿看

曲终人自叹 冷风吹花残

星河无你皆黯淡

浮生唯你是遗憾

曲终人亦散 灯火意阑珊

风雪 留一人承担

卷帘人未还

帘外花千万不愿看

曲终人自叹 冷风吹花残

星河无你皆黯淡

浮生唯你是遗憾

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
爱 (ài) ài A1	verb - to love noun - love; affection
恨 (hèn) hèn B1	verb - to hate; to resent
风 (fēng) fēng A2	noun - wind
云 (yún) yún A2	noun - cloud
泪 (lèi) lèi B1	noun - tear (from crying)
忆 (yì) yì B2	verb - to recall; to remember
叹 (tàn) tàn C1	verb - to sigh; to lament
花 (huā) huā A1	noun - flower
星河 (xīnghé) xīng-hé C1	noun - galaxy; starry river (Milky Way)
遗憾 (yíhàn) yí-hàn B2	noun - regret; disappointment
浮生 (fúshēng) fú-shēng C1	noun - fleeting life; transient existence
晚安 (wǎn'ān) wǎn-ān A1	phrase (adj-like) - good night; peace at night
孤单 (gūdān) gū-dān B1	adjective - lonely; alone
转折 (zhuǎnzhé) zhuǎn-zhé C1	noun - turning point; transition
悔恨 (huǐhèn) huǐ-hèn C1	noun/verb - regret deeply; remorse
灯火 (dēnghuǒ) dēng-huǒ B1	noun - lights; lamplight

Key Grammar Structures

• 风也轻 云也淡

  ➔ Parallel sentence structure using '也' (also) for emphasis and rhythm.

  ➔ The repetition of '也' in '风也轻 云也淡' parallels the two clauses, creating balance and emotional calmness.

• 一去不返

  ➔ Fixed expression meaning 'gone and never to return'; uses '一…不…' pattern for permanence.

  ➔ ‘一去不返’ uses '一' (once) + verb + '不返' (not return) to stress irreversibility.

• 爱难尽 恨难断

  ➔ ‘难 + verb’ structure expressing difficulty in completing or resolving something.

  ➔ ‘难尽’ means ‘hard to end’; ‘难断’ means ‘hard to cut off’. The structure conveys emotional persistence.

• 哭声里忆起你的暖

  ➔ Use of ‘里’ to indicate ‘within’ a context or emotional setting.

  ➔ ‘在哭声里忆起你的暖’ means ‘recalling your warmth within the sound of tears’ — ‘里’ implies being enveloped in emotion.

• 风雪留一人承担

  ➔ Causative structure where the natural element ‘风雪’ acts as the agent leaving someone to bear burden.

  ➔ Personification: nature (‘wind and snow’) ‘leave’ one person to bear hardships alone.

• 卷帘人未还

  ➔ Use of classical Chinese brevity: omission of subject and auxiliary words for poetic compression.

  ➔ ‘卷帘人未还’ literally means ‘The curtain-roller has not yet returned’ — relying on omission for subtle narrative.

• 浮生唯你是遗憾

  ➔ ‘唯…是…’ structure expressing exclusivity (‘only…is…’).

  ➔ ‘唯你是遗憾’ means ‘Only you are my regret’, emphasizing the uniqueness of the feeling.

• 辗转悔恨已太晚

  ➔ Use of adverb ‘已’ to indicate completion or lateness in classical tone.

  ➔ ‘已太晚’ means ‘already too late’, showing realization after regret has consumed the person.