小城大事 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 楊千嬅

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the profound emotion of Cantopop with Miriam Yeung's '小城大事'. This song offers a powerful lesson in how language can convey deep and complex feelings, from the sorrow of heartbreak to the finality of despair. The poetic and metaphorical lyrics by Albert Leung provide a rich opportunity to explore the nuances of Cantonese expression in one of its most iconic and emotionally resonant ballads.

[English]

Youth seems to have started because I loved you

But it made me see through the meaning of love

Since you've lost your memory

That’s when I decided to change my fate

Only because your amnesia deepened

You didn’t remember me, but there’s a new love in store

Like a cunning fox spirit

Not allowing me to get close

A life without memories, forgetting past lovers

Yet remembering the fate of loving someone else

A man with no memories, just cheating and hiding

Holding me, that’s not too much

Kiss me, be brave

This farewell kiss is like spilled water

Maybe we’ll reunite in the sky someday

If I turn back, you won’t allow it

As if we were never a perfect match

Why do your eyes look like they’re crying

...

Reminiscing together, not afraid that love will end

But I guess I did too many wrongs in a past life

Hope to start over

Kneeling in the church, saying I’m willing

The entertainment world’s figures still enjoy thriving

I’m counting the lifespan of sweet talk

Artificial foolish satellites haven’t detected that we’ve

Already said goodbye, no longer recognizing each other

Kiss me, be brave

This farewell kiss is like spilled water

Maybe we’ll reunite in heaven someday

I come down, you go out

Saying goodbye feels empty

I still remember reuniting in the sky

Kiss me, be brave

We used to be such a perfect match

Why do your eyes look like they’re crying

Every year on this day, I remember and cry again

...

[Chinese]

青春彷彿因我愛你開始

但卻令我看破愛這個字

自你患上失憶

便是我扭轉命數的事

只因當失憶症發作加深

沒記住我但卻另有更新蜜運

像狐狸精般

並未允許我步近

無回憶的餘生 忘掉往日情人

卻又記住移情別愛的命運

無回憶的男人 就當偷呃與瞞騙

抱抱我不過份

吻下來 豁出去

這吻別似覆水

再來也許要天上團聚

再回頭 你不許

如曾經不登對

你何以雙眼好像流淚

彼此追憶不怕愛要終止

但我大概上世做過太多壞事

能從頭開始

跪在教堂說願意

娛樂行的人影 還在繼續繁榮

我在算著甜言蜜語的壽命

人造的蠢衛星 沒探測出我們已

已再見不再認

吻下來 豁出去

這吻別似覆水

再來也許要天上團聚

我下來 你出去

講再會也心虛

我還記得到天上團聚

吻下來 豁出去

從前多麼登對

你何以雙眼好像流淚

每年這天記得再流淚

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
青春 (qīngchūn) /t͡ɕʰiŋ˥ t͡ɕʰwen˥/ B2	noun - youth; springtime of life
愛 (ài) /aɪ̯˥/ A1	verb - to love noun - love
失憶 (shīyì) /ʂʅ˥ i˥/ B2	noun - amnesia
命數 (mìngshù) /miŋ˥˩ ʂu˥˩/ C1	noun - fate; destiny
記住 (jìzhù) /t͡ɕi˥˩ ʈ͡ʂu˥˩/ A2	verb - to remember; to bear in mind
忘掉 (wàngdiào) /wɑŋ˥˩ tjaʊ̯˥˩/ A2	verb - to forget
情人 (qíngrén) /t͡ɕʰiŋ˧˥ ʐən˧˥/ A2	noun - lover; sweetheart
命運 (mìngyùn) /miŋ˥˩ yn˥˩/ B1	noun - fate; destiny
偷 (tōu) /tʰoʊ̯˥/ B1	verb - to steal
瞞騙 (mánpiàn) /mɑn˧˥ pʰjɛn˥˩/ B2	verb - to deceive; to cheat
吻 (wěn) /wən˨˩/ B1	verb - to kiss noun - kiss
流淚 (liúlèi) /ljoʊ̯˧˥ leɪ˥˩/ B1	verb - to shed tears; to cry
追憶 (zhuīyì) /ʈ͡ʂweɪ˥ i˥/ B2	verb - to recall; to reminisce
教堂 (jiàotáng) /t͡ɕjaʊ̯˥˩ tʰɑŋ˧˥/ A2	noun - church
繁榮 (fánróng) /fɑn˧˥ ʐʊŋ˧˥/ B2	adjective - prosperous; flourishing
壽命 (shòumìng) /ʂoʊ̯˥˩ miŋ˥˩/ B1	noun - lifespan; life expectancy
心虛 (xīnxū) /ɕin˥ ɕy˥/ B2	adjective - with a guilty conscience; timid; diffident
登對 (dēngduì) /dəŋ˥ tweɪ˥˩/ B2	adjective - well-matched

Key Grammar Structures

• 自你患上失憶

  ➔ Use of '自...患上...' to indicate the cause or event leading to a certain state.

  ➔ '自' introduces the subject, '患上' means 'to develop' or 'suffer from', collectively indicating 'since you developed...'

• 沒記住我但卻另有更新蜜運

  ➔ Use of '但' (but), indicating contrast, and '另有' (another has) to introduce an additional fact.

  ➔ '但' means 'but', showing contrast between two ideas, '另有' means 'another has' or 'there is another'.

• 像狐狸精般

  ➔ Use of '像...般' to indicate similarity or resemblance to something.

  ➔ '像' means 'like' or 'similar to', '般' functions as a classifier indicating manner or type.

• 再來也許要天上團聚

  ➔ Use of '再...也許...' to express a possibility or future possibility with emphasis on '再' meaning 'again' or 'more'.

  ➔ '再' means 'again' or 'more', '也許' means 'perhaps', together expressing an uncertain future action.

• 你何以雙眼好像流淚

  ➔ Use of '何以' (how come, why) as an interrogative expression, and '好像' (seems like) to indicate resemblance or appearance.

  ➔ '何以' is a formal or literary way to ask 'why' or 'how come', '好像' indicates appearance or similarity.