虞兮叹 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 闻人听书

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and historical journey with "虞兮叹" (Yú Xī Tàn), a captivating Chinese 'Gu Feng' song by 闻人听书. Through its poetic lyrics, you can explore classical Chinese vocabulary and expressions, learning how to convey profound emotions and historical narratives in Mandarin. The song's deep connection to the tragic legend of Consort Yu and Xiang Yu offers a unique window into Chinese culture, making it an exceptional piece to enhance your understanding and appreciation of the language and its rich heritage.

[English]

The rivers and sands of Chu—how many times do they gather and disperse?

In turbulent times, so many beauties are replaced by long sighs.

Who once shattered the Qin Pass at Julu? Bloodstains from a thousand miles of war.

In the end, it’s just like light wind and scattered clouds.

Riding long spears across the world, but this farewell feels so difficult.

A tearful "Yu Xi, Yu Xi" escapes, leaving eyes welling with tears.

Sharing this warm and cold drink with you, as the night wind continues to blow endless memories.

Drunkenly, I light the lamp and look at my sword, my beloved dances in the dim light.

A song of chaos at Gaoze, the sound of Chu songs spread in all directions.

With sorrow, I bid farewell to you; drinking sword and blood falling like cold frost.

It's hard to part with the past, but when fate ends, what does it matter?

Wherever your soul returns, it will be in the vastness.

Riding long spears across the world, but this farewell feels so difficult.

A tearful "Yu Xi, Yu Xi" escapes, eyes filling with tears.

Sharing this warm and cold drink with you, as the night wind blows endless memories.

Drunkenly, I light the lamp and look at my sword, my beloved dances in the dim light.

A song of chaos at Gaoze, the sound of Chu songs spread in all directions.

With sorrow, I bid farewell to you; drinking sword and blood falling like cold frost.

It's hard to part with the past, but when fate ends, what does it matter?

Wherever your soul returns, it will be in the vastness.

Huan soldiers' swords and blades are in chaos, breaking the moonlight.

By the river, alone in a small boat, I won't think of the rest of my life.

It's hard to part with the past, but when fate ends, what does it matter?

In your next life, we will share high mountains and long rivers together.

[Chinese]

楚河流沙几聚散 日月沧桑尽变换

乱世多少红颜换一声长叹

谁曾巨鹿踏破了秦关 千里兵戈血染

终究也不过是风轻云淡

长枪策马平天下 此番诀别却为难

一声虞兮虞兮泪眼已潸然

与君共饮这杯中冷暖 西风彻夜回忆吹不断

醉里挑灯看剑 妾舞阑珊

垓下一曲离乱 楚歌声四方

含悲 辞君 饮剑 血落凝寒霜

难舍一段过往 缘尽又何妨

与你魂归之处便是苍茫

长枪策马平天下 此番诀别却为难

一声虞兮虞兮泪眼已潸然

与君共饮这杯中冷暖 西风彻夜回忆吹不断

醉里挑灯看剑 妾舞阑珊

垓下一曲离乱 楚歌声四方

含悲 辞君 饮剑 血落凝寒霜

难舍一段过往 缘尽又何妨

与你魂归之处便是苍茫

汉兵刀剑纷乱 折断了月光

江畔 只身 孤舟 余生不思量

难舍一段过往 缘尽又何妨

与你来生共寄山高水长

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
沧桑 cāng sāng C1	noun - vicissitudes of life; changes over time
红颜 hóng yán C1	noun - beautiful woman; tragic beauty
长叹 cháng tàn B2	noun - long sigh; deep lament
兵戈 bīng gē C1	noun - weapons of war; military conflict
血染 xuè rǎn B2	verb - stain with blood; dye in blood
长枪 cháng qiāng B1	noun - long spear; lance
策马 cè mǎ C1	verb - spur the horse; gallop on horseback
诀别 jué bié B2	noun - final parting; farewell
虞兮 yú xī C2	proper noun - Yu Xi (name from historical song, referring to a consort)
泪眼 lèi yǎn A2	noun - tearful eyes; eyes full of tears
潸然 shān rán C2	adjective - streaming with tears; tearfully
回忆 huí yì B1	noun - memories; recollection
阑珊 lán shān C1	adjective - waning; dim and desolate
楚歌 chǔ gē C2	noun - Chu songs (historical songs symbolizing despair)
饮剑 yǐn jiàn C2	verb - drink from the sword (euphemism for suicide by sword)
苍茫 cāng máng C1	adjective - vast and hazy; boundless
纷乱 fēn luàn B2	adjective - disorderly; chaotic
月光 yuè guāng A2	noun - moonlight

Key Grammar Structures

• 谁曾巨鹿踏破了秦关

  ➔ Relative clause determining '谁' and describing an action

  ➔ This sentence uses a relative clause to specify 'who' (谁) performed an action.

• 血落凝寒霜

  ➔ Use of compound descriptive phrase

  ➔ This phrase combines images of blood, coldness, and frost to create vivid imagery.

• 含悲 辞君

  ➔ Use of parallel structure with verbs/phrases

  ➔ This phrase pairs '含悲' (with sadness) and '辞君' (say farewell to the lord) to emphasize emotional and contextual balance.

• 江畔 只身 孤舟 余生不思量

  ➔ Series of nouns creating a poetic image with omission of particles for rhythm

  ➔ This sequence uses nouns without particles to evoke a vivid, concise poetic scene.

• 难舍一段过往 缘尽又何妨

  ➔ Use of rhetorical question and contrasting clauses

  ➔ This line questions whether it's worth holding on to the past, contrasting emotional attachment with resignation.