千里之外 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 周杰倫, 費玉清

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the beauty of the Mandarin language through '千里之外,' a timeless classic by Jay Chou and Fei Yu-ching. The song's poetic lyrics, penned by the renowned Vincent Fang, offer a rich tapestry of literary allusions and evocative imagery, making it a perfect piece for learners to appreciate the depth and artistry of Chinese expression. Its fusion of modern and traditional musical styles also provides a unique cultural insight into the evolution of Chinese pop music.

[English]

The eaves like a cliff, the wind chimes like the vast sea, I wait for the swallows to return.

Time is arranged, playing out an accident, you quietly walk away.

The story is outside the city, the thick fog won't disperse, the lines are unclear.

You can't hear it, the sound of the wind doesn't exist, it's my lament.

When the dream awakens, who is at the window, opening the ending?

That future as thin as a cicada's wing can't withstand anyone tearing it apart.

I send you away, a thousand miles apart, you are silent in black and white.

In the silent era, perhaps we shouldn't love from so far away.

I send you away, beyond the horizon, are you still there?

Where does the sound of the zither come from? Life and death are hard to guess, using a lifetime to wait.

Hearing the sound of tears in the forest, searching for white pear blossoms, only finding a line of green moss.

The sky is beyond the mountains, rain falls on the flower platform, my temples are turning gray.

Hearing the sound of tears in the forest, searching for white pear blossoms, only finding a line of green moss.

The sky is beyond the mountains, rain falls on the flower platform, I wait for you to come.

Dressed in translucent white, revealing the dust, your flawless love.

You come from the rain, turning sorrow into poetry, I am drenched in the present.

Picking lotus flowers on the water's surface, the boat's shadow still lingers, but you do not return.

Covered by the years, the flowers you spoke of bloom, the past becomes blank.

When the dream awakens, who is at the window, opening the ending?

That future as thin as a cicada's wing can't withstand anyone tearing it apart.

I send you away, a thousand miles apart, you are silent in black and white.

In the silent era, perhaps we shouldn't love from so far away.

I send you away, beyond the horizon, are you still there?

Where does the sound of the zither come from? Life and death are hard to guess, using a lifetime.

I send you away, a thousand miles apart, you are silent in black and white.

In the silent era, perhaps we shouldn't love from so far away.

I send you away, beyond the horizon, are you still there?

Where does the sound of the zither come from? Life and death are hard to guess, using a lifetime to wait.

...

[Chinese]

屋簷如懸崖 風鈴如滄海 我等燕歸來

時間被安排 演一場意外 妳悄然走開

故事在城外 濃霧散不開 看不清對白

妳聽不出來 風聲不存在 是我在感慨

夢醒來 是誰在窗台 把結局打開

那薄如蟬翼的未來 經不起誰來拆

我送妳離開 千里之外 妳無聲黑白

沉默年代 或許不該 太遙遠的相愛

我送妳離開 天涯之外 妳是否還在

琴聲何來 生死難猜 用一生 去等待

聞淚聲入林 尋梨花白 只得一行 青苔

天在山之外 雨落花台 我兩鬢斑白

聞淚聲入林 尋梨花白 只得一行 青苔

天在山之外 雨落花台 我等妳來

一身琉璃白 透明著塵埃 妳無瑕的愛

妳從雨中來 詩化了悲哀 我淋濕現在

芙蓉水面採 船行影猶在 妳卻不回來

被歲月覆蓋 妳說的花開 過去成空白

夢醒來 是誰在窗台 把結局打開

那薄如蟬翼的未來 經不起誰來拆

我送妳離開 千里之外 妳無聲黑白

沉默年代 或許不該 太遙遠的相愛

我送妳離開 天涯之外 妳是否還在

琴聲何來 生死難猜 用一生

我送妳離開 千里之外 妳無聲黑白

沉默年代 或許不該 太遙遠的相愛

我送妳離開 天涯之外 妳是否還在

琴聲何來 生死難猜 用一生 去等待

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
屋簷 /wū yán/ B2	noun - eaves
風鈴 /fēng líng/ B1	noun - wind chime
燕 /yàn/ B1	noun - swallow (bird)
時間 /shí jiān/ A2	noun - time
故事 /gù shì/ A2	noun - story
未來 /wèi lái/ B1	noun - future
離開 /lí kāi/ A2	verb - to leave
相愛 /xiāng ài/ B2	verb - to love each other
等待 /děng dài/ A2	verb - to wait
黑白 /hēi bái/ B1	noun - black and white
琴聲 /qín shēng/ B2	noun - sound of the zither
生死 /shēng sǐ/ B2	noun - life and death
淚聲 /lèi shēng/ B2	noun - sound of crying
青苔 /qīng tái/ B2	noun - moss
悲哀 /bēi āi/ B2	noun - sorrow

Key Grammar Structures

• 妳悄然走開

  ➔ Adverb + Verb (adverbial phrase indicating manner)

  ➔ The adverb '悄然' (quietly) modifies the verb '走開' (walk away) to describe how the action is performed.

• 時間被安排

  ➔ Passive voice structure (Subject + 被 + Verb + Object)

  ➔ The phrase '時間被安排' uses the passive form to indicate that 'time' is being arranged by an unspecified agent.

• 把結局打開

  ➔ The 使用“把” + Verb structure (cāi guǎn to focus on the action affecting the object)

  ➔ The construction '把' + verb emphasizes the action done to the object '結局' (the ending) being 'opened'.

• 經不起誰來拆

  ➔ 不能承受的結構 (Expressing inability to withstand)

  ➔ The phrase '經不起' indicates that something cannot withstand or endure the action of '誰來拆' (someone coming to dismantle).

• 用一生 去等待

  ➔ Use of '用' + measure word + noun + '去' + verb (indicating purpose or duration)

  ➔ The phrase '用一生去等待' means 'to wait for a lifetime,' emphasizing a long-term, dedicated action.