魚 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 陳綺貞
• Album: 太陽

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poetic world of Cheer Chen's "魚" (Fish), a song that offers a unique window into Mandarin Chinese through its profound lyrical depth and philosophical musings. While the title is 'Fish,' the song's real beauty lies in its metaphorical exploration of choice and freedom. Learning Mandarin through this song allows you to grasp nuanced expressions and cultural insights, as Cheer Chen's lyrics are often praised for their literary quality, making it an excellent piece to appreciate the lyrical artistry of Chinese music. Its gentle melody and thought-provoking themes make it special, inviting listeners to delve deeper into both the language and its underlying meanings.

[English]

I sit on my chair, watching the sunrise come back to life

I sit in the sunset, watching the city grow dim

I pick a leaf, letting it stand in for me

Observing the changes after I leave

Once I ran wildly, danced, spoke greedily

As my cold, damp heart decays

Leave behind what can't be taken, what can't be dropped, let the rain wash over it

Let it push me to the edge, where I struggle recklessly

If there's an embrace brave enough to not care about the cost

Don't let me fly away, nurture me gently with love

...

I sit on my chair, watching the sunrise come back to life

I sit in the sunset, watching the city grow dim

I pick a leaf, letting it stand in for me

Observing the changes after I leave

Once I ran wildly, danced, spoke greedily

As my cold, damp heart decays

What I can't take, what I can't leave behind, I give it all to him

Let him hold me in his hand, freely spilling out my heart

If there's a world so murky and ridiculous

Forgive me for flying, for once loving the sun too much

...

What I can't take, what I can't leave behind, let the rain wash over it

Let it push me to the edge, where I struggle recklessly

If there's a world so murky and ridiculous

I would love madly

What I can't take, what I can't leave behind, I give it all to him

Let him hold me in his hand, freely spilling out my heart

If there's a brave embrace that doesn't care about the cost

Don't let me fly away, nurture me gently with love

Forgive me for flying, for once loving the sun too much

...

[Chinese]

我坐在椅子上看日出復活

我坐在夕陽裡看城市的衰弱

我摘下一片葉子讓它代替我

觀察離開後的變化

曾經狂奔 舞蹈 貪婪的說話

隨著冷的濕的心腐化

帶不走的丟不掉的讓大雨侵蝕吧

讓他推向我在邊界奮不顧身掙扎

如果有一個懷抱勇敢不計代價

別讓我飛 將我溫柔豢養

我坐在椅子上看日出復活

我坐在夕陽裡看城市的衰弱

我摘下一片葉子讓它代替我

觀察離開後的變化

曾經狂奔 舞蹈 貪婪的說話

隨著冷的濕的心腐化

帶不走的留不下的我全都交付他

讓他捧著我在手掌自由自在揮灑

如果有一個世界渾濁的不像話

原諒我飛 曾經眷戀太陽

帶不走的丟不掉的讓大雨侵蝕吧

讓它推向我在邊界奮不顧身掙扎

如果有一個世界渾濁的不像話

我會瘋狂的愛上

帶不走的留不下的我全都交付他

讓他捧著我在手掌自由自在揮灑

如果有一個懷抱勇敢不計代價

別讓我飛 將我溫柔豢養

原諒我飛 曾經眷戀太陽

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
椅子 /yǐzi/ A1	noun - chair
日出 /rìchū/ A2	noun - sunrise
城市 /chéngshì/ A2	noun - city
變化 /biànhuà/ B1	noun - change
狂奔 /kuángbēn/ B2	verb - to run wildly
舞蹈 /wǔdǎo/ B1	verb - to dance
貪婪 /tānlán/ B2	adjective - greedy
心 /xīn/ A1	noun - heart
奮鬥 /fèndòu/ B2	verb - to struggle
懷抱 /huáibào/ B2	noun - embrace
勇敢 /yǒnggǎn/ B1	adjective - brave
飛 /fēi/ A1	verb - to fly
溫柔 /wēnróu/ B2	adjective - gentle
眷戀 /juànliàn/ C1	verb - to be attached to

Key Grammar Structures

• 我摘下一片葉子讓它代替我

  ➔ 使役動詞 + 讓 / 使 / 叫 / 使得 / 讓 + 宾语 + 动词

  ➔ The verb indicates causing someone or something to perform an action.

• 帶不走的留不下的我全都交付他

  ➔ Using the structure 高度否定 + 的 to modify nouns indicating qualities or states

  ➔ The phrase emphasizes qualities by negating the ability to take away or leave something.

• 如果有一個懷抱勇敢不計代價

  ➔ Conditional sentence structure using '如果' + clause, expressing 'if'

  ➔ The phrase introduces a hypothetical condition or situation.

• 讓他推向我在邊界奮不顧身掙扎

  ➔ 使役動詞 + 宾语 + 目的地或方向 (推向)

  ➔ The structure shows causing someone or something to be moved or pushed towards a direction.

• 原諒我飛 曾經眷戀太陽

  ➔ 過去式 + 以前的狀態或行為 (曾經眷戀)

  ➔ The phrase indicates a past experience or emotion that is no longer current.

• 讓他捧著我在手掌自由自在揮灑

  ➔ 使役動詞 + 宾语 + 方式狀語（捧著我）

  ➔ The phrase expresses causing someone to hold or support and then to scatter freely.