玫瑰少年 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: Jolin Tsai
• Album: Ugly Beauty

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a meaningful journey into the heart of Mandarin Chinese pop with Jolin Tsai's "Womxnly" (玫瑰少年). This poignant song offers a unique opportunity to learn powerful vocabulary and expressions related to self-acceptance, diversity, and social justice. Its clear, emotive lyrics, rooted in a true story of courage and resilience, make it an exceptional piece for understanding contemporary Mandarin and the cultural values of empathy and individuality. Discover what makes this song a beacon for embracing who you are, no matter your identity.

[English]

Who puts whose soul into whose body?

Who turns whose body into a prison, imprisoning themselves?

The chaotic world always has plenty of gossip.

What kind of beauty will attract envy?

You are not guilty, the world is.

There's no crime in being human, you don't need to apologize.

One day I will be you

baby boy, and you gon'be me

If the noise never stops, I'll be quiet with you.

I wish I could hug you

till you're really really being free

Which rose doesn't have thorns?

The best revenge is beauty.

The most beautiful blooming is a counterattack.

Don't let anyone change you.

You are you, or you can be anyone.

There will be someone who loves you wholeheartedly.

Try to imagine you're in someone else's body

Sexual harassment, beware of what will hurt you.

How many times have you been hurt, how many times have you been scorned?

Will you forgive yourself?

Or be like me

wanting to say, it's okay.

After you leave, the world can change.

How many ignorant sins, the past doesn't just disappear.

Forever remember, the past is like smoke.

Living, I'm so sorry.

There's no crime in being human, you don't need to apologize.

One day I will be you

baby boy, and you gon'be me

If the noise never stops, I'll be quiet with you.

I wish I could hug you

till you're really really being free

Which rose doesn't have thorns?

The best revenge is beauty.

The most beautiful blooming is a counterattack.

Don't let anyone change you.

You are you, or you can be anyone.

There will be someone who loves you wholeheartedly.

Rose boy, in my heart,

blooming with a vibrant legend.

We have never forgotten.

Your accusation has no sound,

yet speaks of a greater truth,

awakening countless hearts.

[Chinese]

誰把誰的靈魂 裝進誰的身體

誰把誰的身體 變成囹圄囚禁自己

亂世總是 最不缺耳語

哪種美麗 會喚來妒忌

你並沒有罪 有罪是這世界

生而為人無罪 你不需要抱歉

One day I will be you

baby boy, and you gon'be me

喧嘩如果不停 讓我也陪你安靜

I wish I could hug you

till you're really really being free

哪朵玫瑰 沒有荊棘

最好的 報復是 美麗

最美的 盛開是 反擊

別讓誰去 改變了你

你是你 或是你 都行

會有人 全心的 愛你

試著想像 you're in someone else's body

sexual harassment 當心什麼會傷你

多少次的重傷 多少次的冷語

你會不會放過自己

或是跟我一樣

很想說沒關係

你離開後 世界可改變

多少無知罪愆 事過不境遷

永誌不忘記念 往事不如煙

活著 真對不起

生而為人無罪 你不需要抱歉

One day I will be you

baby boy, and you gon'be me

喧嘩如果不停 讓我也陪你安靜

I wish I could hug you

till you're really really being free

哪朵玫瑰 沒有荊棘

最好的 報復是 美麗

最美的 盛開是 反擊

別讓誰去 改變了你

你是你 或是你 都行

會有人 全心的 愛你

玫瑰少年 在我心裡

綻放著 鮮豔的 傳奇

我們都 從來沒 忘記

你的控訴 沒有聲音

卻說著 更大的 真理

卻喚醒 無數的 真心

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
靈魂 /línghún/ B2	noun - soul, spirit
身體 /shēntǐ/ A2	noun - body
耳語 /ěryǔ/ B1	noun - whisper
美麗 /měilì/ B1	adjective - beautiful
罪 /zuì/ B2	noun - crime, sin, guilt
玫瑰 /méiguī/ A2	noun - rose
荊棘 /jīngjí/ B2	noun - thorn, prickle
報復 /bàofù/ B2	noun - revenge
盛開 /shèngkāi/ B2	verb - to bloom, to blossom
改變 /gǎibiàn/ B1	verb - to change
愛 /ài/ A1	verb - to love
少年 /shàonián/ A2	noun - youth, young boy
綻放 /zhànfàng/ B2	verb - to bloom, to unfold
傳奇 /chuánqí/ B2	noun - legend
控訴 /kòngsù/ C1	verb - to accuse, to indict
真相 /zhēnxiàng/ B2	noun - truth
喚醒 /huànxǐng/ C1	verb - to awaken, to arouse

Key Grammar Structures

• 誰把誰的靈魂 裝進誰的身體

  ➔ Relative clause with omitted relative pronoun (subject).

  ➔ The relative pronoun 'who' or 'that' is omitted as it refers to the subject of the relative clause. The sentence is asking 'Who put whose soul into whose body?'

• 你並沒有罪 有罪是這世界

  ➔ Emphasis with Inversion.

  ➔ The subject 'this world' is placed after the verb 'is' for emphasis. The more common order would be 'This world is guilty'.

• 生而為人無罪 你不需要抱歉

  ➔ Parallel structure (and ellipsis).

  ➔ Both clauses have the same structure: Subject-Verb-Object (implied or present). 'You are not guilty, you do not need to apologize'. The repeated subject 'You' is present in the first clause and implied in the second. There is no explicit subject in the first part.

• 喧嘩如果不停 讓我也陪你安靜

  ➔ Conditional clause with an adverbial conjunction.

  ➔ The sentence uses '如果' (rúguǒ - if) to introduce a conditional clause. 'If the noise does not stop, I will keep you company and also be quiet'.

• 哪朵玫瑰 沒有荊棘

  ➔ Rhetorical question.

  ➔ This is a rhetorical question, which implies the answer 'No rose has no thorns'. It is used for emphasis.

• 最好的 報復是 美麗

  ➔ Subject-Copula-Complement sentence structure.

  ➔ Standard sentence structure of Chinese, where '最好的報復' (the best revenge) is the subject, '是' (is) is the copula, and '美麗' (beauty) is the complement.

• 別讓誰去 改變了你

  ➔ Imperative sentence with a negative marker and a particle.

  ➔ This is an imperative sentence ('Don't let anyone to change you'), using the negative marker '別' (bié, don't) and a particle '了' (le, indicates a change or completion).

• 會有人 全心的 愛你

  ➔ Future tense with a modal verb or auxiliary verb.

  ➔ The verb '會' (huì) indicates future tense. It implies 'Someone *will* wholeheartedly love you'.

• 玫瑰少年 在我心裡

  ➔ Inversion (Adverbial Phrase at the beginning).

  ➔ The adverbial phrase '在我心裡' (in my heart) comes before the subject. The usual order would be '玫瑰少年 在 我心裡' or '玫瑰少年在我心里'