瑕疵 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 麥浚龍, 莫文蔚

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the evocative world of "瑕疵" (Flaw), a powerful Cantonese duet by Juno Mak and Karen Mok. This song offers a fascinating glimpse into the nuances of Cantonese lyrical expression and emotional depth. Through its intricate narrative of flawed love and reluctant letting go, you can learn rich vocabulary related to relationships and human emotions. The dialogue-like structure between the male and female perspectives makes it a unique and special piece for language learners, offering insights into conversational Cantonese and cultural expressions of love and resilience.

[English]

Let's almost give up, why haven't I let go yet

A little more, don't need me, why do I keep holding on

I haven't really wronged you

Why do we find excuses to commit sins and evil, just forget it

Have you doubted or regretted?

A little more, losing you, why can't I change

Clearly flawed like tangled threads, just don't cover them up

Actually, you have many admirers who love you

I'm grateful you still stay

Between lovers, can we allow little secrets?

Should we reveal them, but fear being even lower

Between lovers, can we permit small mistakes?

Really thought about it, no flowers given, no sweet words

That's love too (but I have more faults)

Much more serious, several times over

Endure to the end, time isn't wasted

Why is human nature so cruel?

Even if the sky is gray, I want to keep watching the crescent moon (the spoiled get worse)

Is this love? (Is this love?)

Or is it about being moved? (Or is it oppression?)

Let it go at no cost (no more way to spend)

Almost wanted to give up, why haven't I let go (Really don’t want to dig into it, if I love you)

A little more, don't need you, why keep enduring (No need to uncover the truth if I love you)

Why do I keep holding on, haven't I wronged you? (If you know it will spoil the mood, don’t dig into it)

Why commit crimes, make excuses and give up? (Lovers should turn dark dreams into fantasy)

Have you doubted or regretted? (If honesty is frightening)

A little more, losing you, why can't I change? (Don’t want to uncover the truth, if I love you)

Clearly flawed like tangled threads, let the details go

(So be it) Don’t look, (so be it) Don’t listen

What would make you fully let go? (Willing to suffer, remembering the old times)

Mercifully let me have a chance again (Sweetest moment)

Start being stupid, can I endure and wait?

Did you ever struggle internally? (Just give this gift to you)

No investigation into crimes, I want to hear you talk

Almost wanted to give up, why haven't I let go

A little more, don't need you, why do I keep holding on

It's the stubborn personality, isn’t it?

Able to enlarge happy memories every night to compensate for now (romanticizing your flaws)

I knew early on everyone has many imperfections (Really want to curb all bad habits)

Only need to hide the good side (but I can't always suppress my true nature)

If pathological traits appear, remember when I looked beautiful (Still, I want to secretly confirm this)

If you are playfully naughty, I will forgive you (Or miss some moments)

Hope you can understand

Using these tricks, there's a bit of shame too (Who uses love as medicine to heal you)

Sometimes you love me (Hard to forgive and not miss)

It's not easy

Knowing the principle early, so I wasn't surprised

To find happiness first, you must accept the worst

Climb to heaven and win in a second

But the path to immortality is distant and terrifying

My relationship with you is like a massive stone blooming

A beautiful moment, kill me if you want

Thus, I can't bear to see these ruins and broken tiles

...

[Chinese]

差些想放棄吧 為何未放手

差一些不要我吧 為何又再忍

並沒什麼虧欠我吧

為何犯罪作惡都找到藉口 作罷

曾懷疑與後悔嗎

差一些失去你吧 為何沒法改

明明瑕疵多似亂麻 不去掩蓋一下

其實你也很多景仰者愛你吧

很感激依然留下

情人間 能容許小秘密嗎

應該揭穿但揭穿擔心更卑下

情人間 能容許小錯處嗎

真的想過沒送花也沒情話

也算是愛情吧（但我不只有這點錯）

嚴重多幾倍吧

忍耐到底 光陰都不算白花

為何人性會這麼可怕

天就算灰 始終想守到月牙（得寵的更惡吧）

這算愛嗎（這算愛嗎）

或是感化嗎 （還是欺壓嗎）

讓到底無代價 （無餘地任我花）

差些想放棄吧 為何未放手 （真的不要再查 如若愛）

差一些不要我吧（不必將真相徹查）

為何又再忍 並沒什麼虧欠我吧（能預計 會掃興的不要亂查）

為何犯罪 都找藉口作罷（情人應將黑暗的夢幻化）

曾懷疑與後悔嗎（如誠實令人容怕）

差一些失去你吧 為何沒法改（不忍將真相徹查 如若愛）

明明瑕疵多似亂麻（那細節不管也罷）

（也罷）不看（也罷）不聽

何事你會肯這麼徹底放下（願意受受苦因記著你舊時）

仁慈地再讓我一馬（極甜蜜剎那）

先變笨吧 換我忍忍得到嗎

其實曾內心掙扎嗎（就當贈你的禮物吧）

罪案不去調查 亦想聽你講一下

差些想放棄吧 為何未放手

差一些不要你吧 為何又再忍

是未服輸的個性吧

才能夜夜將好記憶放大來彌補眼下（替你將種種缺點浪漫化）

早知道誰也有很多不美好（十分想將惡習全部也制限住）

只需要還有美好那面蒙住（但始終本性未能抑壓一次）

要是病態漸露出請記住漂亮時（還是我也想 偷偷靠此証實）

頑皮極你亦會寬恕（或懷念某次）

盼你能明白

用這詭計也有一點羞恥（誰人用愛煉藥將你治癒）

要愛我有陣時（不捨得不寬恕）

不易

早知道原理吧 因此我也沒驚訝

找快樂先修課程是要接受最差

登天國拿勝利也一秒吧

不過謫仙之路遙遠又可怕

我共你關係如等大石開花

美好一剎 可殺死我吧

因此不捨這滿場 頹垣敗瓦

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
放棄 (fàngqì) /fɑŋ˥ t͡ɕʰi˥˩/ B1	verb - to abandon, to give up
忍 (rěn) /ʐən˨˩˦/ B1	verb - to endure, to tolerate
虧欠 (kuīqiàn) /kʰuei̯˥ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn˥˩/ B2	verb - to owe (someone); to be in debt to
犯罪 (fànzuì) /fɑn˥˩ t͡suei̯˥˩/ B2	verb - to commit a crime
藉口 (jièkǒu) /t͡ɕi̯ɛ˥˩ kʰou̯˨˩˦/ B1	noun - excuse, pretext
後悔 (hòuhuǐ) /xou̯˥˩ xuei̯˨˩˦/ B1	verb - to regret, to repent
瑕疵 (xiácī) /ɕi̯a˧˥ t͡sʰɿ/ C1	noun - flaw, defect
亂麻 (luànmá) /lu̯an˥˩ ma˧˥/ C1	noun - tangled hemp; a mess; chaotic state
掩蓋 (yǎngài) /i̯ɛn˨˩˦ kai̯˥˩/ B2	verb - to cover up, to conceal
景仰 (jǐngyǎng) /t͡ɕiŋ˨˩˦ i̯ɑŋ˨˩˦/ C1	verb - to admire, to look up to
感激 (gǎnjī) /kɑn˨˩˦ t͡ɕi/ B1	adjective - grateful, thankful
容許 (róngxǔ) /ʐʊŋ˧˥ ɕy˨˩˦/ B2	verb - to allow, to permit
揭穿 (jiēchuān) /t͡ɕi̯ɛ˥ t͡ʂʰu̯an/ C1	verb - to expose, to reveal
卑下 (bēixià) /pei̯˥ ɕi̯a˥˩/ C2	adjective - humble, abject, servile
忍耐 (rěnnài) /ʐən˨˩˦ nai̯˥˩/ B2	verb - to exercise patience; to restrain oneself
人性 (rénxìng) /ʐən˧˥ ɕiŋ˥˩/ B2	noun - human nature
守 (shǒu) /ʃɤʊ̯˨˩˦/ A2	verb - to defend, to guard
感化 (gǎnhuà) /kɑn˨˩˦ xu̯a˥˩/ C1	verb - to influence (for the better); to reform

Key Grammar Structures

• 差些想放棄吧 為何未放手

  ➔ Use of the auxiliary verb "想" (xiǎng) with a verb to express desire or intention.

  ➔ "想" (xiǎng) is a verb that indicates thinking, wanting, or intending to do something.

• 為何又再忍

  ➔ Use of the adverb "再" (zài) to indicate repetition or doing something again.

  ➔ "再" (zài) is an adverb used to specify that an action is repeated or done again.

• 明明瑕疵多似亂麻

  ➔ Use of the word "多" (duō) to indicate abundance or many.

  ➔ "多" (duō) means 'many' or 'much', describing an abundance of something.

• 或是感化嗎 （還是欺壓嗎）

  ➔ Use of the sentence structure "或是...嗎" to pose a rhetorical or alternative question.

  ➔ "或是...嗎" (huò shì... ma) is a rhetorical question structure used to suggest or contrast two possibilities.

• 情人間 能容許小秘密嗎

  ➔ Use of the modal "能" (néng) to express ability or permission.

  ➔ "能" (néng) is a modal verb that indicates whether someone can do something or has permission to do so.

• 才能夜夜將好記憶放大來彌補眼下

  ➔ Use of the phrase "才能...來" to indicate a means or method to achieve something.

  ➔ "才能" (cáinéng) means 'only then' or 'only if' and introduces the means to achieve a goal.