人非草木 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 吳雨霏
• Album: My January (Deluxe Version)

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the emotional world of Kary Ng's “人非草木”, a Cantopop ballad that teaches you how to express complex feelings in Cantonese. Experience the artistry of Hong Kong music as you explore themes of love, loss, and the beauty of human emotion.

[English]

Still haven't quit, he left me with that heart-stopping feeling

Not yet mature enough, having experienced it brings no regrets

I'd rather fall into the mundane for him, to be a person with feelings

For those spring-like eyes, willing to be more sensitive than withered grass

Still haven't let go, can only pick up the lessons of my greed

Not yet numb enough to eat my fill and feel nothing

Understand that awakening has its timing, but indulging isn't too late

Before I ascend and find salvation, let me be confused once

My heart is weary but not yet broken, my heart is dead yet still intoxicated

It's rare for a person to embrace burdens just because of heartbreak

Still can't believe that having equals losing

Coldly telling the world who he is

Can't sink down, can always get lost

Why must one hold onto clarity while sleeping?

Just to satisfy the senses with flesh and blood

Devoutly making mistakes, my conscience jumps clearly

Still haven't closed my eyes, can only gaze through my stubborn heart

Still haven't realized that missing out is also fate

Sooner or later, I'll become a passerby, too troubled by hospitality

But I'm overly turbulent, still excited

My heart is weary but not yet broken, my heart is dead yet still intoxicated

It's rare for a person to embrace burdens just because of heartbreak

Still can't believe that having equals losing

Coldly telling the world who he is

Can't sink down, can always get lost

Why must one hold onto clarity while sleeping?

Just to satisfy the senses with flesh and blood

Devoutly making mistakes, my conscience jumps clearly

My heart is weary but not yet broken, my heart is dead yet still intoxicated

Disliking life's emptiness, I can only bear the burdens

When tired, I learn to say that having equals losing

Coldly mocking the past, who is he again?

Can't sink down, can always get lost

Why must one overly cherish tears?

In my flesh and blood, there is a basis for love

Turning back, even if I admit my mistakes, it's still good, wrong yet so right

...

[Chinese]

還未戒掉 他留下給我 那動魄驚心

還未成熟得當有過便無憾

寧為他跌進紅塵 做個有痛覺的人

為那春色般眼神 願意比枯草敏感

還未放下 只能拾起 領教我的貪癡

還未麻木得吃夠了便無事

明白醒覺有定時 但放肆夠也不遲

在我升仙得救前 糊塗一次

心灰了還未碎 心死了還在醉

人難得只因失戀擁抱負累

未會信甚麼擁有等於失去

無情地對世界說他算是誰

不可以沉下去 總可以迷下去

人何苦要抱著清醒進睡

就以血肉之軀去滿足知覺

虔誠地去犯錯 良心 跳得清脆

還未瞑目 只能望穿我 那固執的心

還未曾悟出錯過也是緣份

遲或早變過路人 為了好客太傷神

但我洶湧得過份 仍然興奮

心灰了還未碎 心死了還在醉

人難得只因失戀擁抱負累

未會信甚麼擁有等於失去

無情地對世界說他算是誰

不可以沉下去 總可以迷下去

人何苦要抱著清醒進睡

就以血肉之軀去滿足知覺

虔誠地去犯錯 良心 跳得清脆

心灰了還未碎 心死了還在醉

嫌人生空虛只好擁有負累

累了再學講擁有等於失去

無情地訕笑過去他又是誰

不可以沉下去 總可以迷下去

人何苦要過份珍惜眼淚

在我血肉之軀有愛的根據

回頭就算認錯 還好 錯得很對

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
戒掉 (jièdiào) /t͡ɕjɛ̂ tiâʊ/ B2	verb - to give up, to quit
驚心 (jīngxīn) /t͡ɕiŋ˥ ɕin˥/ C1	adjective - shocking, alarming
紅塵 (hóngchén) /xʊŋ t͡ʂʰə̌n/ C1	noun - mortal world, world of mortals
痛覺 (tòngjué) /tʰʊŋ t͡ɕɥœ/ B2	noun - sense of pain
眼神 (yǎnshén) /jɛ̀n ʂən/ B1	noun - expression in one's eyes
敏感 (mǐngǎn) /miŋ kàn/ B2	adjective - sensitive
放下 (fàngxià) /fâŋ ɕjâ/ B1	verb - to lay down, to let go
拾起 (shíqǐ) /ʂʅ t͡ɕʰi/ B1	verb - to pick up
貪癡 (tānchī) /tʰán ʈʂʰɨ/ C2	noun - greed and infatuation (Buddhist term)
麻木 (mámù) /mǎ mû/ B2	adjective - numb, apathetic
醒覺 (xǐngjué) /ɕiŋ t͡ɕɥœ/ C1	verb - to awaken, to realize
放肆 (fàngsì) /fâŋ sz̩/ B2	adjective - unrestrained, presumptuous
糊塗 (hútú) /xǔ tʰǔ/ B1	adjective - muddled, confused
心灰 (xīnhuī) /ɕín xwéi/ C1	adjective - disheartened, despondent
負累 (fùlěi) /fû lèi/ C1	noun - burden, encumbrance
擁有 (yōngyǒu) /joŋ joʊ/ B1	verb - to possess, to have
沉下去 (chénxiàqù) /t͡ʂʰə̌n ɕjâ t͡ɕʰŷ/ B1	verb - to sink
迷下去 (míxiàqù) /mǐ ɕjâ t͡ɕʰŷ/ B2	verb - to be lost
清醒 (qīngxǐng) /t͡ɕʰiŋ ɕiŋ/ B1	adjective - sober, clear-headed
血肉 (xuèròu) /ɕɥœ̂ ʐôʊ/ B2	noun - flesh and blood
知覺 (zhījué) /ʈ͡ʂʅ t͡ɕɥœ/ B2	noun - perception, sense
虔誠 (qiánchéng) /t͡ɕʰjɛ̌n ʈ͡ʂʰə̌ŋ/ B2	adjective - pious, devout
良心 (liángxīn) /ljǎŋ ɕín/ B1	noun - conscience
清脆 (qīngcuì) /t͡ɕʰiŋ t͡sʰwêɪ/ B2	adjective - crisp, clear
瞑目 (míngmù) /mǐŋ mû/ C1	verb - to close one's eyes (in death)
固執 (gùzhí) /kû ʈ͡ʂʅ/ B2	adjective - stubborn, persistent
緣份 (yuánfèn) /ɥæ̌n fən/ B1	noun - fate, destiny
洶湧 (xiōngyǒng) /ɕjʊŋ jʊŋ/ B2	adjective - turbulent, surging
空虛 (kōngxū) /kʰʊŋ ɕy/ B1	adjective - empty, void
珍惜 (zhēnxī) /ʈ͡ʂən ɕi/ B1	verb - to treasure, to cherish

Key Grammar Structures

• 心灰了還未碎

  ➔ Present perfect tense

  ➔ The phrase "心灰了" (my heart is gray) uses the present perfect tense to indicate a state that has been reached, while "還未碎" (has not yet shattered) shows an ongoing condition.

• 人何苦要抱著清醒進睡

  ➔ Interrogative sentence structure

  ➔ The phrase "人何苦要" (why must people) uses an interrogative structure to express a rhetorical question, emphasizing the absurdity of the situation.

• 明白醒覺有定時

  ➔ Adverbial clause

  ➔ The phrase "明白醒覺有定時" (understanding and awakening have their timing) uses an adverbial clause to indicate the condition under which the main action occurs.

• 虔誠地去犯錯

  ➔ Adverbial phrase

  ➔ The phrase "虔誠地去犯錯" (to sincerely make mistakes) uses an adverbial phrase to describe the manner in which the action is performed.

• 心死了還在醉

  ➔ Past tense with ongoing state

  ➔ The phrase "心死了" (my heart has died) uses the past tense to indicate a completed action, while "還在醉" (still intoxicated) shows an ongoing state.

• 不可以沉下去

  ➔ Negative form with modal verb

  ➔ The phrase "不可以沉下去" (cannot sink down) uses a negative form with a modal verb to express prohibition or impossibility.

• 就以血肉之軀去滿足知覺

  ➔ Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The phrase "就以血肉之軀" (with flesh and blood) uses a prepositional phrase to indicate the means or method by which the action is performed.