大天蓬 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 李袁杰

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the beautiful melancholy of 'Da Tian Peng,' a defining song in the modern Guofeng genre. Its rich, poetic lyrics offer a great opportunity to learn classical Chinese expressions interwoven with a mythological tale of love and sacrifice. You can explore themes of loyalty and destiny, making it a compelling cultural and linguistic experience.

[English]

The beauty isn’t born of mortal flesh,

But shaped by divine essence, a celestial treasure.

Since you’re a divine weapon,

Why are you more passionate than I?

Yet it’s you who’s deeply wounded.

Six planets, five stars adorn your radiant beauty,

This life is brief, but our love endures.

Provoking heaven’s wrath and earth’s dismay,

No more smiles from fair faces in the human realm.

Leaving half my longing on the path of greatness,

What’s there to fear in the cycle of fate?

What’s there to fear in soul and spirit scattering?

It’d be tragic only if I didn’t have you.

What’s there to fear in a westward journey with no return?

What’s there to fear in plans gone awry?

This life, I’ll be the one to protect you.

Six planets, five stars adorn your radiant beauty,

This life is brief, but our love endures.

Provoking heaven’s wrath and earth’s dismay,

No more smiles from fair faces in the human realm.

Leaving half my longing on the path of greatness,

What’s there to fear in the cycle of fate?

What’s there to fear in soul and spirit scattering?

It’d be tragic only if I didn’t have you.

What’s there to fear in a westward journey with no return?

What’s there to fear in plans gone awry?

This life, I’ll be the one to protect you.

What’s there to fear in the cycle of fate?

What’s there to fear in soul and spirit scattering?

It’d be tragic only if I didn’t have you.

What’s there to fear in a westward journey with no return?

What’s there to fear in plans gone awry?

This life, I’ll be the one to protect you.

This life, I’ll be the one to protect you.

[Chinese]

美人不是凡胎生

應是仙器靈長成

既然你是神兵

為何比我更多情

深深傷的卻是你

六曜五星配紅妝

此生雖短情意長

惹得天怒地也惱

人間再無紅顏笑

留一半相思上大道

怕什麼天道輪迴

什麼魄散魂飛

若沒有你那才叫可悲

怕什麼西行無歸

什麼事與願違

這一世換我護你一對

六曜五星配紅妝

此生雖短情意長

惹得天怒地也惱

人間再無紅顏笑

留一半相思上大道

怕什麼天道輪迴

什麼魄散魂飛

若沒有你那才叫可悲

怕什麼西行無歸

什麼事與願違

這一世換我護你一對

怕什麼天道輪迴

什麼魄散魂飛

若沒有你那才叫可悲

怕什麼西行無歸

什麼事與願違

這一世換我護你一對

這一世換我護你一對

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
美人 /mei˧˥ ɻən˧˥/ B1	noun - beautiful woman; a beauty
神兵 /ʂən˧˥ piŋ˥/ C1	noun - divine weapon; a sacred armament
情 /tɕʰiŋ˧˥/ A2	noun - feelings; emotion; love
傷 /ʂɑŋ˥/ A2	verb - to hurt; to wound noun - injury; wound
紅妝 /xuŋ˧˥ tʂɑŋ˥/ B2	noun - makeup; rouge; red cosmetics
此生 /tsʰɨ˥ ʂəŋ˧˥/ B2	noun - this lifetime; one's current life
短 /tʂwæn˥/ A2	adjective - short; brief
長 /tʂɑŋ˧˥/ A2	adjective - long; lasting
天怒 /tʰjɛn˥ nu˥/ C1	noun - heaven's anger; divine wrath
人間 /ʐən˧˥ tɕjɛn˥/ B2	noun - human world; mankind
紅顏 /xuŋ˧˥ ɻæn˧˥/ C1	noun - beauty; a pretty woman
相思 /ɕiɑŋ˧˥ sɯ˥/ C1	noun - longing; love-sickness
大道 /tɑ˥ taʊ˥/ B2	noun - great road; broad way
天道 /tʰjɛn˥ taʊ˥/ C1	noun - the way of Heaven; cosmic order
輪迴 /lʊn˧˥ xweɪ˥/ C2	noun - reincarnation; cycle of rebirth
魂 /xwən˧˥/ B2	noun - soul; spirit
飛 /feɪ̯˥/ A1	verb - to fly
護 /xu˥/ B2	verb - to protect; to guard

Key Grammar Structures

• 美人不是凡胎生

  ➔ Negative nominal predicate with "不是"

  ➔ The word "不是" negates the identity, indicating the beautiful woman is **not** a mortal birth.

• 應是仙器靈長成

  ➔ Modal verb "應" expressing speculation or expectation

  ➔ "應" suggests a conjecture: the subject is **probably** a celestial instrument that has grown.

• 既然你是神兵，為何比我更多情

  ➔ Concessive clause with "既然...就..." (here implied "就")

  ➔ "既然" introduces a premise (you are a divine weapon), and the rhetorical question "為何" follows, implying the expected result "就...".

• 深深傷的卻是你

  ➔ Adversative conjunction "卻" (but, however)

  ➔ "卻" contrasts the expected subject of injury with "you", meaning **you** are the one actually hurt.

• 此生雖短情意長

  ➔ Concessive structure "雖...卻..." (although...still...)

  ➔ "雖" introduces a concession (life is short), while "卻" shows the contrast that love endures.

• 惹得天怒氣也惱

  ➔ Resultative phrase with "惹得" (causing...)

  ➔ "惹得" introduces the consequence: the action **provokes** heaven’s anger and annoyance.

• 留一半相思上大道

  ➔ Verb‑object construction with directional complement "上"

  ➔ "留" (to leave) takes the object "一半相思" and the directional complement "上大道", meaning to **leave** half the longing **onto** the great road.

• 怕什麼天道輪迴，什麼魄散靈飛

  ➔ Rhetorical negative question with "怕什麼..." (what's there to fear...)

  ➔ "怕什麼" literally means "what are you afraid of?" but functions rhetorically to dismiss the fear of "天道輪迴" and "魄散靈飛".

• 若沒有你那才叫可悲

  ➔ Conditional clause with "若" (if) + result clause

  ➔ "若" introduces the condition "if there is no you", and "那才叫可悲" states the outcome: it would be truly **sad**.

• 這一世換我護你一對

  ➔ Future-oriented expression with "換" (to exchange/replace) indicating promise

  ➔ "換" here means "to change/replace", forming the promise **I will protect you** in this lifetime.