她整晚在寫信 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 衛蘭, Janice Vidal

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the beauty of Cantopop and the power of storytelling through Janice Vidal's '她整晚在寫信'. This song offers a unique opportunity to learn a language through its emotional depth and a narrative of enduring love. The lyrics, rich with poetic and evocative phrases, can help you appreciate the nuances of Cantonese expression. What makes this song truly special is its incredible backstory – a lost version of a famous hit, revived 15 years later by the artist it was originally meant for, all thanks to the power of music lovers online.

[English]

She’s been writing letters all night

Sending greeting cards every day

People say the war’s over, no one’s dead, they’ve come back early

Rumors say former comrades found you on that battlefield

In the muddy ground, life seems to have vanished

But she still refuses to believe, she waits for you

There’s still a her who’s not heartless

Growing old every day but still waiting for you

She often thinks of you somewhere, breathing easily

If you haven’t died that day

Please come back for one night, let’s be together

That hope feels so long

Maybe it’s about to end

But not yet, not yet

...

She’s determined to find you

With her last breath

Frowning, sworn to stay forever young, caught in the first love

Years, months, everything else changes, but not waiting for you

Who else would wait for you like this

It’s like she writes you letters every day

There’s still a her who’s not heartless

Growing old every day but still waiting for you

She often thinks of you somewhere, breathing easily

If you haven’t died that day

Please come back for one night, let’s be together

If you don’t come back, how does it end?

There’s still a her who’s not heartless

Her eyes are going blind but she still hopes for you

Maybe coming back is ten or twenty years too late, but she never gives up

Even if disabled or forgetful

She’s long found a new confidant

If you’re willing to come back

She won’t feel she’s wasted her love for you

Her heart’s not dead

...

[Chinese]

她 整晚在寫信

問安的信每日寄

旁人話 大戰結束了 誰人未死早回來

傳聞話 同僚亦曾在那戰地 找到你

泥濘內似已沒生氣

唯獨她始終不信等你

尚有個她 未心死

天天衰老仍然守侯你

時常在想你正在某片地 悠然地呼氣

若你那天 未先死

請抽一晚回來一起

這盼望很悠長

大概應該結尾

不過未 不過未

她 堅決地找你

用她僅有那啖氣

眉頭白 誓約卻不老 維持在初戀時期

年和月 人和物全部會變易 不等你

誰人又會這樣等你

猶像她天天寫信給你

尚有個她 未心死

天天衰老仍然守侯你

時常在想你正在某片地 悠然地呼氣

若你那天 未先死

請抽一晚回來一起

你要是不回來 怎結尾

尚有個她 未心死

兩眼漸盲仍然指望你

回來或許晚了十個十年 然而未捨棄

就算殘疾或失憶

一早新結紅顏知己

你要是肯回來

沒有枉她對你

心不死

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
寫信 (xiěxìn) /ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ ɕin⁵¹/ A1	verb - to write a letter
寄 (jì) /t͡ɕi⁵¹/ A2	verb - to send; to mail
大戰 (dàzhàn) /ta⁵¹ t͡ʂan⁵¹/ B1	noun - great war; major battle
結束 (jiéshù) /t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ ʂu⁵¹/ A2	verb - to end; to finish
回來 (huílái) /xu̯ei³⁵ lai³⁵/ A1	verb - to return; to come back
戰地 (zhàndì) /t͡ʂan⁵¹ ti⁵¹/ B2	noun - battlefield
泥濘 (nínìng) /ni³⁵ niŋ⁵¹/ B2	noun - muddy; mire
生氣 (shēngqì) /ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/ B1	noun - vitality; life force
守侯 (shǒuhòu) /ʂou³⁵ xou⁵¹/ B2	verb - to wait; to await
衰老 (shuāilǎo) /ʂu̯ai⁵⁵ lɑʊ³⁵/ B2	verb - to age; to grow old
悠然 (yōurán) /i̯ou⁵⁵ ʐan³⁵/ C1	adjective - leisurely; carefree
盼望 (pànwàng) /pʰan⁵¹ waŋ⁵¹/ B2	noun - hope; expectation
堅決 (jiānjué) /t͡ɕi̯ɛ̃⁵⁵ t͡ɕy̯œ³⁵/ B2	adjective - firm; resolute
誓約 (shìyuē) /ʂɨ⁵¹ y̯œ⁵⁵/ C1	noun - vow; oath
初戀 (chūliàn) /t͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ li̯ɛn⁵¹/ B1	noun - first love
殘疾 (cánjí) /tsʰan³⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵/ B2	adjective - disabled; handicapped
失憶 (shīyì) /ʂɨ⁵⁵ i⁵¹/ C1	verb - to lose memory; amnesia
紅顏知己 (hóngyánzhījǐ) /xʊŋ³⁵ i̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɨ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵/ C2	noun - female confidante

Key Grammar Structures

• 她整晚在寫信

  ➔ Using the progressive aspect with "在" to indicate an ongoing action.

  ➔ "在" (zài) is used as a preposition to denote an ongoing action at the moment.

• 問安的信每日寄

  ➔ Using "每日" to express frequency "every day".

  ➔ "每日" (měi rì) is an adverbial phrase meaning "every day".

• 唯獨她始終不信等你

  ➔ Using "唯獨" to emphasize "only" or "except"; with "始終" to express "continuously".

  ➔ "唯獨" (wéi dú) emphasizes exclusivity or contrast, meaning "only" or "nothing but".

• 就算殘疾或失憶

  ➔ Using "就算" to introduce a concessive clause meaning "even if".

  ➔ "就算" (jiù suàn) is used to indicate a concession or hypothetical case, similar to "even if".

• 兩眼漸盲仍然指望你

  ➔ Using "漸" to indicate gradual change, and "仍然" to mean "still" or "yet".

  ➔ "漸" (jiàn) expresses a gradual process or change, whereas "仍然" (réng rán) indicates persistence or continuity.