一絲不掛 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 陳奕迅
• Album: Time Flies

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the emotional depths of Cantopop with Eason Chan's "一絲不掛" (Yi Si Bu Gua). This iconic song offers a rich linguistic experience, teaching you expressions related to love, loss, and emotional entanglement. Its poetic lyrics by Lin Xi and Eason Chan's powerful vocal delivery make it a perfect piece for understanding nuanced Cantonese expressions and the profound way emotions are conveyed in Chinese music.

[English]

During the breakup, you turn your face away in guilt.

Unwilling to have any entanglement in the future.

When I work, sleep, pray, entertain—to make every day seem good on purpose.

Who would have thought that once you loosen up, you'd be willing to meet again.

Who originally wanted to escape being surrounded, controlled.

Later, who was remotely controlled to the ends of the world.

Strangling until you struggle to breathe, only then realizing you're a puppet on a string.

This string, in the end, who holds the control in their hand.

No gathering, no parting—just waiting for you to be captured by someone else.

Back then, youthful hair wouldn't measure the rest of the days.

But I drag my body along, finding happiness along the way.

Still tied to your shoulders—or maybe you're actually waiting for me to let go.

Then the broken kite will fly straight to heaven.

...

Over the years, I watched you fiercely hold onto him.

And wondered, why worry about entangling again.

Find me a partner, let the footprints I leave behind be a new beginning.

All for your shadow, pushing me step by step forward.

Like a thread pulling the path of scavenging.

A scratch inside my throat, itchy as if there's something there and not.

For your peace of mind, I smile while I feel like vomiting.

I only want you and your partner to be good, so illness can heal stubbornly.

No gathering, no parting—just waiting for you to be caught by someone else.

Thought that youthful curls wouldn't need a lifetime to measure.

But I drag my body along, finding happiness along the way.

Still tied to your shoulders—or maybe you're actually waiting for me to let go.

Then the broken kite will fly straight to heaven.

Never realized that the bonds tying me could be tightened by promises.

With all this grey hair, thinking they've turned white but still too lazy to shed.

Dragged by your influence, who would be willing to entangle till heaven.

Then tearing apart my body—reluctant yet unable to let go, unwilling to give up.

Could love itself be beautiful because of its束縛 (bondage)?

Unluckily, we held hands without any ropes.

...

[Chinese]

分手時內疚的你一轉臉

為日後不想有甚麼牽連

當我工作睡覺禱告娛樂 那麼刻意過好每天

誰料你見鬆綁了又願見面

誰當初想擺脫 被圍繞左右

過後誰人被遙控於世界盡頭

勒到呼吸困難 才知變扯線木偶

這根線其實說到底 誰拿捏在手

不聚不散 只等你給另一對手擒獲

那時青絲 不會用上餘生來量度

但我拖著軀殼 發現沿途尋找的快樂

仍繫於你肩膊 或是其實在等我捨割

然後斷線風箏會直飛天國

這些年望你緊抱他出現

還憑何擔心 再互相糾纏

給我找個伴侶 找到留下你的足印也可發展

全為你背影 逼我步步向前

如一根絲牽引著拾荒之路

結在喉嚨內痕癢得似有還無

為你安心 我在微笑中想吐未吐

只想你和伴侶要好 才頑強病好

不聚不散 只等你給另一對手擒獲

以為青絲 不會用上餘生來量度

但我拖著軀殼 發現沿途尋找的快樂

仍繫於你肩膊 或是其實在等我捨割

然後斷線風箏會直飛天國

一直不覺 綑綁我的未可扣緊承諾

滿頭青絲 想到白了仍懶得脫落

被你牽動思覺 最後誰願纏繞到天國

然後撕裂軀殼 欲斷難斷在不甘心去捨割

難道愛本身可愛在於束縛

無奈你我牽過手 沒繩索

Key Grammar Structures

• 誰料你見鬆綁了又願見面

  ➔ Use of 了 to indicate change of state or completion

  ➔ The particle "了" indicates that an action or state has changed or been completed.

• 不聚不散

  ➔ Double negative structure to emphasize neither/or

  ➔ The phrase "不聚不散" uses double negatives to express the idea of 'neither gathering nor dispersing'.

• 像一根絲牽引著拾荒之路

  ➔ Use of 什麼像 / 像 + noun to make metaphorical comparison

  ➔ The pattern "像 + noun" is used to create metaphors, comparing something to a noun that describes its nature or role.

• 欲斷難斷在不甘心去捨割

  ➔ Use of 欲 + verb to express desire or intention

  ➔ The character "欲" is combined with a verb to indicate a desire or intention to do something.

• 最後誰願纏繞到天國

  ➔ Use of 誰願 + verb to express 'who is willing to...'

  ➔ The pattern 誰願 + verb is used to ask or express which person is willing to do something.

• 滿頭青絲 想到白了仍懶得脫落

  ➔ Use of 仍 to indicate still, despite other conditions

  ➔ The adverb "仍" indicates that an action or state continues despite other circumstances, meaning 'still' or 'yet'.

• 斷線風箏會直飛天國

  ➔ Use of conditional clause with 會 to express future possibility

  ➔ The phrase 會直飛天國 uses 會 to indicate a future possibility or outcome if a condition is met.