離人愁 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 花僮

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of 'Guofeng' (Chinese Style) music with Hua Tong's powerful rendition of 'Lí Rén Chóu' (離人愁). This song is a masterclass in modern Chinese poetic lyricism, offering a perfect opportunity to learn classical Chinese expressions of sorrow, separation, and the romanticized world of the *jianghu*. The fusion of traditional instrumentation and modern pop makes the language accessible yet deeply evocative.

[English]

Spring has turned my hair white, leaving my thoughts desolate and alone.

I’ve trimmed a strand of sorrow, blinding my eyes and leaving me lost.

Today, hearts are broken, and we’re separated in different directions.

In this life, meeting you again seems hopeless.

As the curtain falls on prosperity, the parted find it hard to speak their hearts.

Last night, I saw again the one who left me and never returned.

Tonight feels endless, and my legs are restless.

Now, I’m thinner than withered leaves, and my flowers have turned yellow.

I should wander the rivers and lakes, drinking a jar of turbid wine.

In my drunkenness, I see sorrow hidden deep among the flowers.

Don’t wander beyond the borders, leaving your beloved waiting.

In dreams, this sorrow rises to what height?

Fighting east and west, campaigning south and north, quenching thirst with blood from the blade.

Ah.

As the curtain falls on prosperity, the parted find it hard to speak their hearts.

Last night, I saw again the one who left me and never returned.

Tonight feels endless, and my legs are restless.

Now, I’m thinner than withered leaves, and my flowers have turned yellow.

I should wander the rivers and lakes, drinking a jar of turbid wine.

In my drunkenness, I see sorrow hidden deep among the flowers.

Don’t wander beyond the borders, leaving your beloved waiting.

In dreams, this sorrow rises to what height?

I should wander the rivers and lakes, drinking a jar of turbid wine.

In my drunkenness, I see sorrow hidden deep among the flowers.

Don’t wander beyond the borders, leaving your beloved waiting.

In dreams, this sorrow rises to what height?

In dreams, this sorrow rises to what height?

[Chinese]

春去白了华发落寞了思量

剪下一缕愁思遮目让人盲

今人断了肠 今天各一方

今生与你相见无望

繁华落幕离人难敢诉衷肠

昨夜又见当年弃我不归郎

今夜太漫长 今两股痒痒

今人比枯叶瘦花黄

我应在江湖悠悠 饮一壶浊酒

醉里看百花深处愁

莫把那关外野游 留佳人等候

梦里殇此情高几楼

东讨西杀 南征北战 渴饮刀头血。

啊

繁华落幕离人难敢诉衷肠

昨夜又见当年弃我不归郎

今夜太漫长 今两股痒痒

今人比枯叶瘦花黄

我应在江湖悠悠 饮一壶浊酒

醉里看百花深处愁

莫把那关外野游 留佳人等候

梦里殇此情高几楼

我应在江湖悠悠 饮一斛浊酒

醉里看百花深处愁

莫把那关外野游 留佳人等候

梦里殇此情高几楼

梦里殇此情高几楼。

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
春 chūn A1	noun - spring (season)
华发 huá fā B2	noun - grey hair
落寞 luò mò C1	adjective - lonesome; desolate
思量 sī liáng C1	verb - to ponder; to consider
愁 chóu B2	noun - sorrow; anxiety
盲 máng A2	adjective - blind
断肠 duàn cháng C2	adjective - heartbroken; gut-wrenching
繁华 fán huá C2	noun - prosperity; bustling scene
落幕 luò mù C2	noun - curtain fall; end
衷肠 zhōng cháng C2	noun - inner feelings; heartfelt thoughts
枯叶 kū yè B1	noun - withered leaf; dead leaf
佳人 jiā rén B2	noun - beauty; fair lady
等候 děng hòu A2	verb - to wait; to await
梦 mèng A1	noun - dream
江湖 jiāng hú C1	noun - the world of rivers and lakes; martial-arts underworld
浊酒 zhuó jiǔ C1	noun - turbid wine; coarse strong liquor
饮 yǐn A1	verb - to drink
醉 zuì A2	adjective - drunk; intoxicated verb - to get drunk
百花 bǎi huā B1	noun - hundreds of flowers; myriad of flowers
殇 shāng C2	noun - death of a young person

Key Grammar Structures

• 春去白了华发落寞了思量

  ➔ Verb + 了 + Resultative complement

  ➔ The word '白了' shows a completed result — the hair has become white, indicating change from action.

• 今人断了肠 今天各一方

  ➔ 各 + numeral + measure word + noun (distributive structure)

  ➔ The phrase '各一方' means each is in a different place — showing separation through a distributive use of '各'.

• 今生与你相见无望

  ➔ 与 + noun/pronoun + verb (prepositional phrase of accompaniment)

  ➔ '与你相见' means 'to meet with you', where '与' introduces the companion of the action.

• 我应在江湖悠悠 饮一壶浊酒

  ➔ 应 + verb (modal expressing expectation or poetic should)

  ➔ '我应在江湖悠悠' expresses a self-reflective duty or poetic destiny — 'I should wander the world peacefully.'

• 醉里看百花深处愁

  ➔ 里 (locative particle) showing situation or state context

  ➔ '醉里' means 'while drunk' — the particle '里' places the action '看' within the circumstance of being drunk.

• 莫把那关外野游 留佳人等候

  ➔ 莫 + verb (imperative negative form)

  ➔ '莫把那关外野游' means 'Do not wander beyond the borders' — '莫' is a poetic negative imperative meaning 'do not.'

• 梦里殇此情高几楼

  ➔ Rhetorical question using 几楼 (how high / to what extent)

  ➔ '高几楼' literally asks 'how many floors high,' but figuratively means 'how deep or lofty this sorrow is.'

• 昨夜又见当年弃我不归郎

  ➔ 又 + verb (past repetition of an action)

  ➔ The particle '又' indicates the action '见' (to see) happened again — 'saw again the man who left.'