手寫的從前 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 周杰倫

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the beauty of the Mandarin language through Jay Chou's "Handwritten Past." This song offers a chance to learn vocabulary related to love, memories, and the simple yet profound act of writing. The lyrics, penned by the renowned Vincent Fang, are poetic and evocative, making them a great tool for appreciating the nuances of Chinese expression. The song's unique structure, blending a gentle ballad with rhythmic rap, makes it a special and engaging piece for any language learner.

[English]

This wind chime, so close to my heartbeat

This letter still reminisces about the trip

Love passing by feels too young

You’re the scenery I wish I could revisit

This farewell, bottled up as a secret

This daisy is as beautiful as poetry

Waiting in the wind for your news

Waiting for moonlight to fall on snow, for maple leaves to turn autumn red, for us to meet

Revisiting the afternoon sunlight

Leaning my guitar on my shoulder

Just like years ago

We softly sing anywhere we go

I look at your face, gently strum the chords

Valentine’s cards, handwritten forever

Remember the performances in the park square

The candy shop by the campus, sweet in my memory

I look at your face, gently strum the chords

First love, a handwritten past all over again

Remember that autumn when we said goodbye

When love drifts away, I bury you deep in my heart

...

The breeze needs bamboo forests, streams need dragonflies

A departure like nostalgia, needing floating duckweed

Remember that rainy season, quiet in memories

After crying, can I still go on with my decisions

I foolishly wait, foolishly hope for spring flowers to bloom

Waiting endlessly, waiting for clarity, waiting for love to return

Youth belongs to confessions, sunshine belongs to the windowsill

And I believe I belong to a future with you

Colorful rainbow on paper, a clock drawn with pencil

I’m still adjusting, your smile within my memories

How to describe the ache brewed by longing

Neon lights in the night sky, all the prosperity I despise

Perhaps take a trip to the beach, or see the sunset

Maybe anywhere where I can think about my feelings

Emotions turn into a story in the café

Completely falling in love, your transparent tears like poetry

I look at your face, gently strum the chords

Valentine’s cards, handwritten forever

Remember the performances in the park square

The candy shop by the campus, sweet in my memory

I look at your face, gently strum the chords

First love, a handwritten past all over again

Remember that autumn when we said goodbye

When love drifts away, I bury you deep in my heart

Revisiting the afternoon sunlight

Leaning my guitar on my shoulder

Just like years ago, we sing softly

Anywhere we want to go

I look at your face, gently strum the chords

Valentine’s cards, handwritten forever

Remember the performances in the park square

The candy shop by the campus, sweet in my memory

I look at your face, gently strum the chords

First love, a handwritten past all over again

Remember that autumn when we said goodbye

When love drifts away, I bury you deep in my heart

...

[Chinese]

這風鈴 跟心動很接近

這封信 還在懷念旅行

路過的愛情 都太年輕

你是我 想要再回去的風景

這別離 被瓶裝成秘密

這雛菊 美得像詩句

而我在風中 等你的消息

等月光落雪地 等楓紅染秋季 等相遇

我重溫午後的陽光

將吉他斜揹在肩上

跟多年前一樣

我們輕輕的唱 去任何地方

我看著你的臉 輕刷著和弦

情人節卡片 手寫的永遠

還記得 廣場公園一起表演

校園旁糖果店 記憶裡在微甜

我看著你的臉 輕刷著和弦

初戀是 整遍手寫的從前

還記得 那年秋天說了再見

當戀情已走遠 我將你深埋在心裡面

微風需要竹林 溪流需要蜻蜓

鄉愁般的離開 需要片片浮萍

記得那年的雨季 回憶裡特安靜

哭過後的決定 是否還能進行

我傻傻等待 傻傻等春暖花開

等終等於等明等白 等愛情回來

青春屬於表白 陽光屬於窗台

而我想我屬於 一個擁有你的未來

紙上的彩虹 用素描畫的鐘

我還在修改 回憶之中你的笑容

該怎麼去形容 為思念醞釀的痛

夜空霓虹 都是我不要的繁榮

或許去趟沙灘 或許去看看夕陽

或許任何一個可以想心事的地方

情緒在咖啡館 被調成一篇文章

徹底愛上 你如詩一般透明的淚光

我看著你的臉 輕刷著和弦

情人節卡片 手寫的永遠

還記得廣場公園 一起表演

校園旁糖果店 記憶裡在微甜

我看著你的臉 輕刷著和弦

初戀是整遍 手寫的從前

還記得那年秋天 說了再見

當戀情已走遠 我將你深埋在 心裡面

我重溫午後 的陽光

將吉他斜揹 在肩上

跟多年前一樣 我們輕輕的唱

去任何地方

我看著你的臉 輕刷著和弦

情人節卡片 手寫的永遠

還記得廣場公園 一起表演

校園旁糖果店 記憶裡在微甜

我看著你的臉 輕刷著和弦

初戀是整遍 手寫的從前

還記得那年秋天 說了再見

當戀情已走遠 我將你深埋在 心裡面

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
風鈴 /fēng líng/ A2	noun - wind chime
旅行 /lǚ xíng/ A2	noun - travel
愛情 /ài qíng/ B1	noun - love
風景 /fēng jǐng/ B1	noun - scenery
秘密 /mì mì/ B1	noun - secret
美 /měi/ A2	adjective - beautiful
消息 /xiāo xī/ B1	noun - news
回憶 /huí yì/ B2	noun - memory
決定 /jué dìng/ B2	verb - to decide
等待 /děng dài/ A2	verb - to wait
青春 /qīng chūn/ B2	noun - youth
擁有 /yōng yǒu/ B2	verb - to possess
未來 /wèi lái/ B1	noun - future
微甜 /wēi tián/ B2	adjective - slightly sweet
形容 /xíng róng/ B2	verb - to describe
淚光 /lèi guāng/ B2	noun - tears

Key Grammar Structures

• 你是我 想要再回去的風景

  ➔ The use of the relative clause '你是我 想要再回去的' to modify '風景'.

  ➔ This is a *relative clause* that describes the noun '風景' (scenery). It provides more information about which scenery the speaker wants to revisit.

• 這風鈴 跟心動很接近

  ➔ Use of '跟' to express 'with' or 'and' indicating similarity or association.

  ➔ '跟' is a preposition used to indicate connection or comparison, often translated as 'with' or 'and'.

• 我重溫午後的陽光

  ➔ Use of the verb '重溫' meaning 'to relive' or 'revisit' in the context of memories.

  ➔ '重溫' means 'to relive' or 'to revisit' memories or experiences.

• 當戀情已走遠 我將你深埋在心裡面

  ➔ Use of '將' as an auxiliary verb indicating the intention to 'put' or 'embed' something.

  ➔ '將' (jiāng) indicates the intention to do something with the object, often translated as 'will' or 'shall' in English when forming a sentence implying future action.

• 夜空霓虹 都是我不要的繁榮

  ➔ Use of '都是' to emphasize that everything mentioned belongs to the category of something negative or unwanted.

  ➔ '都是' (dōu shì) means 'all are' or 'every' and emphasizes that the whole set or group falls under a certain negative category.

• 我看著你的臉 輕刷著和弦

  ➔ Use of the verb '看著' (gaze at) combined with '輕刷著' (lightly strum) to describe simultaneous actions.

  ➔ '看著' means 'to look at' or 'to gaze', and '輕刷著' means 'lightly strum' or 'brush gently'. Their combination describes a scene where someone is watching and playing music simultaneously.