手望 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 張敬軒, 王菀之
• Album: Hins Live in Passion 2014

Lyrics & Translation

"手望" by 張敬軒 and 王菀之 is a moving Cantopop duet that beautifully portrays themes of love, loss, and longing. Learning this song offers insights into Cantonese expressions of deep emotion and poetic imagery related to love and remembrance. Its lyrical depth and melodic beauty make it a compelling piece for language learners to explore the nuances of Cantonese culture and sentiment.

[English]

Writing on falling leaves, my wish is to see only kindness in your eyes

I want my angel to empathize, to stand by me for a lifetime

Flowers that don't bloom can still be seen as miracles, the dried-up world is spreading out

Don’t ask me—those stories are just too sad

Appearing during lonely nights (I see you) just to let dawn’s light fade away

I’ve become afraid of the light, staying in darkness turns it sour (We can’t be together)

Even with gray skies, I see it as blue, deep in a paradise of new beginnings

My body in this world (the new you) explores at zero degree

(If my hands feel like freezing) Petals frost on the way, even my palms are injured; I keep dreaming again

(Begging heaven to make you strong) even my breaths burn, asking heaven to give me courage

If I can’t see through this ending in my mind (please believe in this ending)

Hoping you carry me singing in the air (Actually, I’m carrying you)

Can't grasp the hand, dancing together in a transparent foreign land

Appearing during lonely nights, just to let dawn’s light fade away

I’m also afraid of the light, you don’t need someone turning sour

Stars shatter leaving traces, I knew from the start that the wish tree is heartless

Don’t touch that wound again—it’s too deep (Seeing you unhappy)

The more painful, the more distracted I become

Just a pity that all memories turn frosty (If your true wish is to freeze, then even sincerity is frozen)

Blame my cry for survival—it's too loud (Don’t come with me) hard to hold you up to the sky (You need to learn to be strong)

Someday, if you see I’ve caught a cold in this world (I don’t want to see you get sick)

Forgive me for being careless or overly nervous (No sadness or anxiety allowed)

Kneeling in prayer, a forecast for our next life

In the next life, I’ll leave earlier than you (Wanting to hold you)

Really miss holding you

Writing on falling leaves again, my wish is to meet you in heaven

Unfinished things from yesterday, quietly letting you (me) know

...

[Chinese]

落葉上要寫字 願望是讓眼睛只看到善意

我要我的天使 同情我廝守一輩子

花不開也看成奇蹟 枯乾的世界漫延

不要問我那故事難過極了

寂寞夜裡出現 (我看到你) 是為著讓曙光消散了便算

我已害怕光線 停留漆黑中等變酸 (沒法一起)

天多灰也當是藍色 深居於新生樂園

軀殼在這個世上 (新生的你) 零度裡探賞

(如果雙手覺得快凍傷) 途中花瓣結霜 連手心都凍傷 又再妄想

(求天令你堅強) 連呼吸都灼傷 求天賜我膽量

若意識裡沒法看穿這個下場 (請相信我這下場)

期望你空中拖著我歌唱 (其實我拖著你)

手捉不到 在透明異國共舞

寂寞夜裡出現 是為著讓曙光消散了便算

我也害怕光線 你不需一個變酸

星星粉碎了留痕跡 一早知願望樹絕情

不要亂碰 那次傷口太深(望見你不開心)

越痛越要分心

只可惜當回憶通通結霜 (如果真心覺得快凍傷) 連真心都凍傷

就怪我的求生聲音太響 (你不要跟我走) 難擁你到天上(你要學會堅強)

若有天你望見世間我已著涼 (不想親眼看你著涼)

原諒我不小心或太緊張(不准傷心或太緊張)

屈膝禱告 為我們下世預告

來生比你走得早 (想抱)

好想你擁抱

落葉上再寫字 願望是共你於天國里遇見

昨日未了的事 靜靜讓你 (我) 知

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
願望 /yuànwàng/ B1	noun - wish, desire
光線 /guāngxiàn/ B2	noun - light, ray
寂寞 /jìmò/ B1	adjective - lonely, solitude
故事 /gùshì/ A2	noun - story, tale
傷口 /shāngkǒu/ B2	noun - wound, injury
堅強 /jiānqiáng/ B1	adjective - strong, resilient
星星 /xīngxing/ A1	noun - star
痛 /tòng/ A2	adjective - painful, hurt
回憶 /huíyì/ B2	noun - memory, recollection
天使 /tiānshǐ/ A2	noun - angel
透明 /tòumíng/ B2	adjective - transparent, clear
花瓣 /huābàn/ B1	noun - petal
世界 /shìjiè/ A1	noun - world
藍色 /lánsè/ A1	adjective - blue
新生 /xīnshēng/ B1	noun - new life, rebirth
求 /qiú/ A2	verb - to seek, to request

Key Grammar Structures

• 願望是讓眼睛只看到善意

  ➔ Use of '是' (shì) to identify or equate the subject with a complement.

  ➔ '是' (shì) functions as a copula in Chinese, linking the subject to its complement to express identity or attribution.

• 願望是讓眼睛只看到善意

  ➔ Use of '讓' (ràng) to express 'to let' or 'to allow', indicating causative meaning.

  ➔ '讓' (ràng) introduces a causative structure, meaning 'to make someone do something' or 'to allow'.

• 花不開也看成奇蹟

  ➔ Use of '也' (yě) to indicate 'also' or 'even', emphasizing inclusiveness or an unexpected outcome.

  ➔ '也' (yě) functions as an additive or emphasizing adverb, often translating to 'also' or 'even' in English.

• 不要問我那故事難過極了

  ➔ Use of '不要' (bù yào) to form a negative imperative or prohibition.

  ➔ '不要' (bù yào) is a common way to give a negative command or tell someone not to do something.

• 來生比你走得早

  ➔ Use of '比' (bǐ) to make a comparison, meaning 'more than' or 'earlier than'.

  ➔ '比' (bǐ) introduces a comparison between two entities, indicating superiority, inferiority, or difference.

• 靈魂在這個世上

  ➔ Use of '在' (zài) as a preposition to indicate the location or existence of something.

  ➔ '在' (zài) functions as a preposition indicating the location, time, or state of existence of a noun.