燕无歇 – Bilingual Lyrics Vietnamese/English

• By: 蒋雪儿

Lyrics & Translation

“燕无歇” (Yan Wu Xie) offers a beautiful entry point into the expressive world of Chinese music and language. Through its melancholic melody and poetic lyrics, you can explore universal themes of lost love, separation, and enduring longing, which are prevalent in both traditional Chinese literature and modern ballads. The song's evocative imagery and emotional depth provide a rich context for understanding cultural nuances and expanding your vocabulary in a memorable and engaging way.

[English]

All I can do is sigh for her, her turning glance hides the autumn water

I only remember her, recalling the many hardships of the past

A few sips of bitter wine make me realize that parting is impossible

All I can do is sigh for her, letting longing drift away

My heart grows weary, love cast into the eastward‑flowing water

I would give my life to stay by your side, yet the heavens are unkind

Reminiscing about the past is just a flick of a finger

Day after day I gaze into the autumn waters—excuse my foolishness

Who do you love? Your heart only bears a few scars

I furrow my brow; the yearning cuts deep

Swallows part, and in the lonely night tears fall in two streams

The candle’s flame is brief, regrets linger long; an old friend is hard to forget

Who do you love? Your heart only bears a few scars

Love is so tragic, we each reside at opposite ends of the world

The cold moon gazes empty, my heart full of sorrow with nowhere to speak its bleakness

I love without regret, yet a solitary shadow cannot become a pair

My heart grows weary, love cast into the eastward‑flowing water

I would give my life to stay by your side, yet the heavens are unkind

Reminiscing about the past is just a flick of a finger

Day after day I gaze into the autumn waters—excuse my foolishness

Who do you love? Your heart only bears a few scars

I furrow my brow; the yearning cuts deep

Swallows part, and in the lonely night tears fall in two streams

The candle’s flame is brief, regrets linger long; an old friend is hard to forget

Who do you love? Your heart only bears a few scars

Love is so tragic, we each reside at opposite ends of the world

The cold moon gazes empty, my heart full of sorrow with nowhere to speak its bleakness

I love without regret, yet a solitary shadow cannot become a pair

Who do you love? Your heart only bears a few scars

I furrow my brow; the yearning cuts deep

Swallows part, and in the lonely night tears fall in two streams

The candle’s flame is brief, regrets linger long; an old friend is hard to forget

[Vietnamese]

只嘆她 回眸秋水被隱去

只憶她 點破 去日苦多

借三兩苦酒 方知離不可

只嘆她 將思念搖落

心多憔悴 愛付與東流的水

舍命奉陪 抵不過天公不作美

往事回味 不過是彈指一揮

日復日望穿秋水恕我愚昧

你愛著誰 心徒留幾道傷

我鎖著眉 最是相思斷人腸

勞燕分飛 寂寥的夜裏淚兩行

燭短遺憾長故人自難忘

你愛著誰 心徒留幾道傷

愛多可悲 恨彼此天涯各一方

冷月空對 滿腹愁無處話淒涼

我愛不悔可孤影難成雙

心多憔悴 愛付與東流的水

舍命奉陪 抵不過天公不作美

往事回味 不過是彈指一揮

日復日望穿秋水恕我愚昧

你愛著誰 心徒留幾道傷

我鎖著眉 最是相思斷人腸

勞燕分飛 寂寥的夜裏淚兩行

燭短遺憾長故人自難忘

你愛著誰 心徒留幾道傷

愛多可悲 恨彼此天涯各一方

冷月空對 滿腹愁無處話淒涼

我愛不悔可孤影難成雙

你愛著誰 心徒留幾道傷

我鎖著眉 最是相思斷人腸

勞燕分飛 寂寥的夜裏淚兩行

燭短遺憾長故人自難忘

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
愛 ài A2	verb - to love noun - love
心 xīn B1	noun - heart; mind
傷 shāng B2	noun - wound; injury; hurt verb - to wound; to hurt
憔悴 qiáo cuì C2	adjective - haggard; exhausted; emaciated
思念 sī niàn B2	noun - longing; missing (someone); yearning verb - to think of; to miss
冷月 lěng yuè C1	noun - cold moon (poetic expression referring to bleak or lonely moonlight)
舊人 jiù rén B2	noun - old friend; former lover
淚 lèi A2	noun - tear (from the eyes)
孤影 gū yǐng C1	noun - lonely shadow (symbolizing solitude)
勞燕 láo yàn C2	noun - parting swallows (symbolizing lovers separating)
遺憾 yí hàn B2	noun - regret; remorse adjective - regrettable
往事 wǎng shì B2	noun - past events; bygones
苦酒 kǔ jiǔ C1	noun - bitter wine (figurative for suffering or hardship)
憶 yì B2	verb - to remember; recall
憎恨 zēng hèn C1	noun - hatred; hatred and resentment verb - to hate

Key Grammar Structures

• 只嘆她 回眸秋水被隱去

  ➔ Passive voice with '被' (bèi)

  ➔ The particle "被" indicates that the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action, meaning 'to be done by' or 'to be...ed'. Here, "被隱去" means 'were hidden away'.

• 借三兩苦酒 方知離不可

  ➔ '方知' (fāng zhī) - 'only then did one realize'

  ➔ "方" (fāng) here acts as an adverb, meaning 'only then' or 'not until'. It emphasizes that a realization or action happens only after a certain condition or event. "方知" means 'only then did one realize'.

• 只嘆她 將思念搖落

  ➔ '将' (jiāng) structure for object pre-positioning

  ➔ The "将 + Object + Verb" structure places the object before the verb, often indicating how something is handled, disposed of, or acted upon. It's more formal and common in written Chinese than '把' (bǎ). Here, "將思念搖落" means 'to shake off/down the longing/missing'.

• 舍命奉陪 抵不過天公不作美

  ➔ '抵不過' (dǐ bù guò) - 'cannot withstand/overcome'

  ➔ "抵不過" means 'cannot withstand,' 'cannot compete with,' or 'cannot overcome.' It expresses a sense of powerlessness against a greater force, circumstance, or opponent. Here, it implies that one's best efforts are futile against fate or bad luck.

• 往事回味 不過是彈指一揮

  ➔ '不過是...' (bù guò shì...) - 'is merely/nothing more than...'

  ➔ "不過是" is used to downplay the importance or complexity of something, emphasizing that it is simple, trivial, or insignificant. It means 'is merely,' 'is nothing more than,' or 'is just.' Here, it suggests that past memories are fleeting and insignificant.

• 你愛著誰 心徒留幾道傷

  ➔ '徒留' (tú liú) - 'left in vain/uselessly'

  ➔ "徒" (tú) here means 'in vain,' 'uselessly,' or 'for nothing.' So, "徒留" implies that something remains, but its existence is pointless, brings no benefit, or is a source of regret/futile suffering.

• 我鎖著眉 最是相思斷人腸

  ➔ '最是...' (zuì shì...) - 'is most/is precisely...'

  ➔ "最是" is an emphatic structure meaning 'it is precisely...' or 'it is most of all...' It highlights a particular quality, characteristic, or feeling as being the preeminent one. Here, it emphasizes that 'lovesickness' is the most heart-wrenching thing.

• 勞燕分飛 寂寥的夜裏淚兩行

  ➔ Idiomatic expression (成语) '勞燕分飛' (láo yàn fēn fēi)

  ➔ "勞燕分飛" is an idiom that literally means 'swallows separate and fly apart.' It metaphorically describes the separation of a couple or close friends, often implying a painful, distant, or permanent parting.

• 冷月空對 滿腹愁無處話淒涼

  ➔ '無處...' (wú chù...) - 'nowhere to...'

  ➔ "無處" means 'nowhere' or 'no place.' The structure "無處 + Verb" signifies the lack of an opportunity, place, or means to perform the action of the verb. "無處話淒涼" means 'nowhere to speak of one's desolation/misery.'