上善若水 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 黃子華,農夫

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the nuances of Cantonese and Chinese philosophy with '上善若水'. This song offers a unique opportunity to learn idiomatic expressions and philosophical concepts deeply rooted in the culture. Its clever wordplay and use of a famous catchphrase from Dayo Wong's comedy make it a fun and insightful way to engage with the language and the resilient spirit of Hong Kong.

[English]

If there's highs and lows, brightness and dimness

There are rugged paths, joys and sorrows, surprises

True goodness is like water, climbing over mountains and ridges

Any water, can be a master, my friend

Like water, freezing into glaciers, flowing into vast seas, changing the fields

From east to west, to the horizon, then extending further

True goodness is like water, carrying boats and ships

Any water, can be a master, my friend

My friend, I’ve left the well behind

Becoming water, I can travel across cities and counties

Facing difficulties, how hard to walk, how easy to be at ease

Breaking free, crossing barriers, passing through ports, turning corners

Even with the current or against it

Flowing upstream and downstream, the ends of the universe

No one can control, as spilled water can't be retrieved

When kept, it can flow steadily and long-lasting

Until I attack, like a flood and a mighty wave rushing over

Flowing waters, gurgling, coming and going swiftly

Boundless, infinite, without prejudice, without interference

No matter what the problem, there’s no problem; I ask you to put it down

The strongest martial skill, a heart of water’s kindness

Facing head-on, water seeps through tight defenses, I drift off course with my sword

There's no ultimate peak, pouring half a glass of water, never conceited

Continuously turning, constantly changing

Keep exploring, keep transforming

Becoming a pure spring

Mountains long, rivers vast, continuous and unending

Deeply rooted, flowing from ancient times, embracing all waters

If there's highs and lows, brightness and dimness

There are rugged paths, joys and sorrows, surprises

True goodness is like water, climbing over mountains and ridges

Any water, can be a master, my friend

Like water, freezing into glaciers, flowing into vast seas, changing the fields

From east to west, to the horizon, then extending further

True goodness is like water, carrying boats and ships

Any water, can be a master, my friend

Lift your head, gaze at the vast universe

Waters flow, ultimately returning to the source

True goodness is like water, heroes and warriors of all stripes

The highest martial arts, what’s the use of just fists

The real unity of the world, as one family

No fighting, still can tell who’s better, and willing to fight, never afraid

Waves can sift sand, or let water carry falling flowers

Stepping beyond narrow minds, striving step by step to master the world

A clear mirror with still water, ancient rivers’ experiences

Water dripping can pierce stone, turning into calm and confident moves

There are no invincible enemies, only because there’s no invincibility

Colorless, tasteless, formless, without taboo

Turning into ice, into vapor, into weapons

Transform into sweet dew, take a sip

Flick your sleeve gently, leave a hand behind

Hum a tune of "Water Melody" (Shui Diao Ge Tou)

With one move, turn enemies into friends

Nurturing all things first and foremost

Turn the impossible into the possible

If there's highs and lows, brightness and dimness

There are rugged paths, joys and sorrows, surprises

True goodness is like water, climbing over mountains and ridges

Any water, can be a master, my friend

Like water, freezing into glaciers, flowing into vast seas, changing the fields

From east to west, to the horizon, then extending further

True goodness is like water, carrying boats and ships

Any water, can be a master, my friend

...

[Chinese]

如果 有高低有光輝有式微

有崎嶇有喜都有悲有乜嘢出奇

上善若水 攀山過嶺

乜水 都可以 係宗師 my friend

如水 結冰川去滄海去桑田

東邊到西邊到天邊再伸延

上善若水 覆舟載艇

乜水 都可以 係宗師 my friend

My friend 我離開咗個井

成為水 我可以穿州過城

前面幾困難有幾咁難行幾咁閒

我拆散 自己過框 過幾個關 轉幾個灣

就算係順流 逆流

上流下遊 宇宙嘅盡頭

冇人可以左右 覆水難收

守 嘅時候可以細水長流

到我攻 有如洪水猛獸大浪冚過頭

流水淙淙 來去匆匆

無邊 無際 無偏見 無介蒂

有乜嘢問題都冇問題 我請你好好放低

最強嘅武功 上善若水嘅心胸

正面進攻 水洩不通 我就劍走偏鋒

無最巔峰 一杯水斟一半 唔會自滿

不停去轉 不停去變

不停去鑽研 不停去轉變

成為一道清泉

山長水遠 連綿不斷

源遠流傳 海納百川

如果 有高低有光輝有式微

有崎嶇有喜都有悲有乜嘢出奇

上善若水 攀山過嶺

乜水 都可以 係宗師 my friend

如水 結冰川去滄海去桑田

東邊到西邊到天邊再伸延

上善若水 覆舟載艇

乜水 都可以 係宗師 my friend

舉頭 望望 茫茫 宇宙

水流 到最後又流返返去源頭

上善若水 各路英雄選手

上乘嘅武功 又駛乜嘢用拳頭

真正嘅五湖四海為一家

唔打 都分得出高下 要打 亦從來唔怕

可以巨浪淘沙 或者變流水送落花

不為執迷嘅世道服務逐步獨步天下

明鏡止水嘅清晰 古老江河嘅經歷

滴水穿石嘅努力 化做從容不迫嘅一招一式

從來冇無敵人 只因無敵

無色 無味 無形式 無忌

變成冰 變成氣 變成兵器

變做甘露 嚐一口

拂一拂衣袖 留一手

哼一首 水調歌頭

一出手 化敵為友

以滋養萬物為首

以無法為有

如果 有高低有光輝有式微

有崎嶇有喜都有悲有乜嘢出奇

上善若水 攀山過嶺

乜水 都可以 係宗師 my friend

如水 結冰川去滄海去桑田

東邊到西邊到天邊再伸延

上善若水 覆舟載艇

乜水 都可以 係宗師 my friend

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
高低 /ɡāo dī/ B1	noun - height; altitude; ups and downs; relative importance
光輝 /ɡuāng huī/ B2	noun - glory; radiance; brilliance adjective - glorious; radiant; brilliant
式微 /shì wēi/ C1	verb - to decline; to wane; to weaken
崎嶇 /qí qū/ B2	adjective - rugged; rough; uneven
悲 /bēi/ A2	noun - sorrow; grief; sadness
攀山 /pān shān/ B1	verb - to climb mountains; mountaineering
嶺 /lǐng/ B1	noun - mountain range; ridge
冰川 /bīng chuān/ B2	noun - glacier
滄海 /cāng hǎi/ C1	noun - the vast sea; the ocean (literary)
桑田 /sāng tián/ C1	noun - mulberry fields; cultivated land; the world (referring to its changes)
覆舟 /fù zhōu/ C1	verb - to capsize a boat; to overthrow
載艇 /zài tǐng/ C1	verb - to carry a boat; to support a boat
宇宙 /yǔ zhòu/ B2	noun - universe; cosmos
進攻 /jìn gōng/ B2	verb - to attack; to assault noun - attack; assault
清泉 /qīng quán/ B2	noun - clear spring

Key Grammar Structures

• 如水 結冰川去滄海去桑田

  ➔ Use of '如' (rú) to compare or resemble 'like' or 'as if'

  ➔ '如' is a classical Chinese preposition used to indicate comparison or resemblance.

• 守 嘅時候可以細水長流

  ➔ Use of '嘅時候' (ge si4 hau6) to indicate 'when' or 'at the time of'

  ➔ '嘅時候' indicates the timing or condition when something happens or is true.

• 變做甘露 嚐一口

  ➔ Use of '變做' (biàn zuò) to express 'turn into' or 'become'

  ➔ '變做' is a Chinese compound verb meaning 'to transform into' or 'become.'

• 不為執迷嘅世道服務逐步獨步天下

  ➔ Use of '不為...服務' (bù wèi... fú wù) to express 'not to serve' or 'not for the purpose of serving'

  ➔ '不為...服務' means 'not to serve' or 'not for the purpose of' in a figurative sense.

• 一出手 化敵為友

  ➔ Use of '一出手' (yì chū shǒu) to mean 'at the moment of action' or 'the moment one acts'

  ➔ '一出手' refers to the instant someone begins to act or take action.

• 一杯水斟一半 唔會自滿

  ➔ Use of '斟' (zhēn) to mean 'pour' or 'fill', especially with liquids

  ➔ '斟' is a Chinese character used to express pouring or filling liquids.