Notes of a Desolate Libra

Passing Star

The Year of Fate
(Translated by Aka)

Fallen for the missing piece of an Angel
Mesmerized by words of the Devil
the Lord sat upon his cloud-edge seat
blinked and wrinkled his brow
then nodded for the story to proceed.

Fallen for a passionate diversion
for no longer than a flower is in perfection
As you stood next to me
and casually flashed into my vision
a light lacerated the clear May skies
and all was brightened.

One random day
on a star-crossed pathway
this ill-fated drama
was destined to play.

So very suddenly, fortune’s threads
wove intertwined lines
through the Heart of our hands.

The distance
before innocence became misplaced
to after Love’s bittersweet taste
measured only but a day.
Can’t ask it to stay
nor trace its way
Such, is the Year of Fate.
(That very moment \ a lifetime \ changed.)

The time we encountered the firework display
was a chance to reincarnate
but the Commanding Star passed by
and took you astray
without any goodbyes
a light year away.

———————————————-

T/N: Happy Chinese New Year/Valentines Day! My first lyric translation of the year!!! Right before the CNY too! I was totally obsessed with this song for about a month and finally decided to make an attempt at translation… ah the beauty of Chinese… (yes yes I’m a dork). I took quite a lot of liberties with this translation, both in selecting words and interpretation of the intentions of the lyric writer (the matchless Albert Lin Xi). Also, I decided to add a more “mystical” flavor to this translation, fully utilizing the various references to Chinese fortune telling. The story I told was basically of someone who (being egging on of both the Gods and the Devil) fell for the wrong person and ended up in heartbreak; an actor in a tragic play directed by the powers that be. Very typical story, but so beautifully told.

Chinese culture related clarifications:

Year of Fate – 流年 (liu2 nian2) actually means passing years or (in this particular song) a person’s fortune in a particular year. I had to tweak it a little to make it sound more poetic in English.
Commanding Star – 紫薇星 (zi3 wei1 xing1) This is the star of leaders and commanders. No standard translation; I’m using this particular translation for emphasis on the power and inescapable grasp of this star.
Lines in the Hands – In Chinese fortune telling, the lines in people’s palms tell their entire life’s tale, i.e. Palm Reading.

流年 (王菲)

愛上一個天使的缺點
用一種魔鬼的語言
上帝在雲端　只眨了一眨眼
最後眉一皺　頭一點

愛上一個認真的消遣
用一朵花開的時間
你在我旁邊　只打了個照面
五月的晴天　閃了電

有生之年　狹路相逢　終不能倖免
手心忽然長出　糾纏的曲線
懂事之前　情動以後　長不過一天
留不住　算不出　流年 (哪一年　讓一生　改變)

遇見一場煙火的表演
用一場輪迴的時間
紫微星流過　來不及說再見
已經遠離我　一光年

Lyrics 歌詞, Translations Faye Wong, Translation, 流年, 王菲

Browsing through Mary K. Greer’s website, I came across this lovely video. I love the song and the lyrics and it was a fun game to go through the video and try to pick up which cards actually make an appearance. Some of the imagery was very obvious while others need a little interpretation. My favorite was the Hang Man. :D

Rosanne Cash: The Wheel

How long was I asleep? [4S]
When did we plan to meet? [2C]
Have you been waiting long for me? [9W?7W?]

When did the sky turn black? [Moon]
Do you still want me back? [5C]
I’ll pick it all up piece by piece. [5S or 5C]

And the wheel goes round and round. [Wheel]
And the flame in our souls will never burn out. [Tower]
And the wheel, and the wheel goes round.

I am a river with a voice. [8W?]
I came into your life by choice. [Lovers]
And none can judge just how that feels. [QnC]

You are a messenger from God. [Temperance]
You are the angel I forgot. [Star]
And who’s to say that it isn’t real? [Fool]

And the wheel goes round and round.
And the flame in our souls will never burn out.
And the wheel, and the wheel goes round.

I’m not looking for the answers. [Fool]
Oh, darling don’t you see [2S]
That just to know the question [3W?]
Is good enough for me.

Take up the hearts you came to heal. [3S]
Put down your dagger and your shield. [7S?5S?]
You need fear nothing now from me. [Death]

I see the essence of the man. [High Priestess?]
I stand before you as a friend. [PageW]
The truth moves through us even when we sleep. [Justice]

And the wheel goes round and round.
And the flame in our souls will never burn out.
And the wheel, and the wheel goes round.

Cards that I think make an appearance (list may change and feel free to add): 8 swords, 4 swords, World, King/Knight Swords, Lovers, 2 wands, 9 pentacles, 2 swords, 4 wands, 2 cups, 5 cups, Ace cups, Hermit, 6 wands, 5 wands, Knight Wands, 6 cups, 6 pentacles, Ace pentacles, Queen cups, Hang Man, 5 swords, Ace swords, 10 pentacles, Queen pentacles, Temperance. You can also fit a lot of the cards into the lyrics too. Too cool!

Lyrics 歌詞, Tarot 塔羅 Rosanna Cash, Tarot 塔羅, The Wheel, Wheel of Fortune

本曲改自周杰倫周董的上海1943。這曲子有種懷舊的調調﹐還有一種像是時光穿梭的感覺﹐所以不幸雀屏中選。 這篇應該算是半惡搞吧﹖請各位原諒我的惡趣味…

堅尼路旁邊建起遊客訪站
金色的長龍被困鐵欄中間
可惜油漆上得真太過刺眼
不是龍才能代表我的模樣

珠江百貨商品是各色各樣
無奈衣服穿上就開始走樣
到底只是為了遊客的銅板
無奈只好另外找別家店

孔子像的頭上鳥糞已堆滿
偶爾還有鳥兒游蕩
儒家先賢最近只能充當相約碰面的地方

生活的 腳步聲 匆匆忙忙
何時有 能停下 回首的空檔
剩下的 舊破爛
卻原來充當著日後溫馨的記憶和回想
當天的 景象是 陌生平凡
許多年後 回看 卻仍有印象
鞦韆板 雞翅膀
心中的記憶盒保存的是遺忘不了的點滴過往

（原歌詞）
上海一九四三
詞:方文山 曲:周杰倫

泛黃的春聯還殘留在牆上
依稀可見幾個字歲歲平安
在我沒回去過的老家米缸
爺爺用楷書寫一個滿

黃金葛爬滿了雕花的門窗
夕陽斜斜映在斑駁的磚牆
鋪著櫸木板的屋內還瀰漫
姥姥當年釀的豆瓣醬

我對著黑白照片開始想像
爸和媽當年的模樣
說著一口吳儂軟語的姑娘緩緩走過外灘

消失的 舊時光 一九四三
在回憶 的路上 時間變好慢
老街坊 小弄堂
是屬於那年代白牆黑瓦的淡淡的憂傷

消失的 舊時光 一九四三
回頭看 的片段 有一些風霜
老唱盤 舊皮箱
裝滿了明信片的鐵盒裡藏著一片玫瑰花瓣

Creative Writing, Jay Chou 周杰倫, Lyrics 歌詞, New York City, VoCaL, 中文 Creative, New York City, Poetry, writing, 上海1943, 周杰倫, 惡搞, 歌詞

再見了，浪漫 (Translated by Aka with input and interpretation by Steven)

昨天它來了又走
明天是否晴朗天
或還是雨
大家拼命在狂歡
我只有孤單作伴
恥辱陪我行

我說：再見了，浪漫，耶！
再見了，朋友！我說了
跟過去做告別
我們或許會相見
在最終點相見
我曾是皇帝，也是小丑
破碎的翅膀擋不了方向
我自由飛翔
小丑戴著破皇冠
不會再是我出場
不再浪費感情

我知道：時間剛好，正是現在
雖然知道你會對我說
你會怎麽做？
你會怎麽做？
把握這個機會
再見了，朋友，和浪漫
還有 你們
還有 你們
嘿！來吧！

今年冬天好漂亮
我知道太陽會再度出現
清洗腦中的片斷
與過去說再見

2/9/08 T/N: Haha… my first Eng>Chi lyric translation as requested by Steven. Hopefully not too bad. >_< I just realized that I have (out of… personal er… OCD-ness) to make the lyrics sing-able… o_O The problem is that I have to listen to the song N times and then find the right words… lol.

(original)
Goodbye To Romance – Ozzy Osbourne

Yesterday has been and gone
Tomorrow will I find the sun
or will it rain
Everybody’s having fun
Except me I’m the lonely one
I live in shame

(chorus)
I said goodbye to romance, yeah
Goodbye to friends, I tell you
Goodbye to all the past
I guess that we’ll meet,
we’ll meet in the end
I’ve been the king, I’ve been the clown
now broken wings can’t hold me down
I’m free again
The jester with the broken crown
It won’t be me this time around
to love in vain

(repeat chorus)

and I feel the time is right
although I know that you just might say to me
what you gonna do
what you gonna do
But I have to check this chance
goodbye to friends and to romance
And to all of you
And to all of you
Come’on now!

(repeat chorus)

and the winter is looking fine
and I think the sun will shine again
and I feel I’ve cleaned my mind
all the past is left behind again

Lyrics 歌詞, Translations Goodbye To Romance, Ozzy Osbourne

The Southern Country (Translated by Aka)

If the sea could speak
If the wind falls in love with sand
If some of your memories
Were lost on this long vacation
I will listen to the waves
And let the wind dance with my hair
May the love that remains in my memory
make a splash in the tides of time

Not until Spring is gone will Summer come
I finally understand as I look behind
When sunlight – again -
Returns to that Southern Country
Where rain falls persistently
I will try to continue and
finish that year’s story
When sunlight again
Departs that too-bright Southern Country
Will you return all my love with a smile
before you leave?

The sea is still blue
And stars still shine
My arms are still empty.
The sky is wide
On the night with I sing my song alone
Please forgive that my love
is being unraveled too slowly.

When sunlight – again -
Returns to that Southern Country
Where rain falls persistently
I will try to continue and
finish that year’s story
When sunlight again
Departs that too- bright Southern Country
Will you return all my love with a smile
before you leave?

2/8/09 T/N – this is a requested translation of a song from Cape 7 that is long overdue. Hopefully it’s to the requestor’s satisfaction.

(original)

范逸臣 – 國境之南
詞：嚴云農

如果海會說話
如果風愛上砂
如果有些想念
遺忘在漫長的長假
我會聆聽浪花
讓風吹過頭發
任記憶里的愛情
在時間潮汐里喧嘩

非得等春天遠了夏天才近了
我是在回首時終于懂得
當陽光 再次
回到那飄著雨的國境之南
我會試著把那一年的故事
再接下去說完
當陽光 再次
離開那太晴朗的國境之南
妳會不會把妳曾帶走的愛
在告別前用微笑全歸還

海很藍 星光燦爛
我仍空著我的臂彎
天很寬 在我獨自唱歌的夜晚
請原諒我的愛訴說的太緩慢

當陽光 再次
回到那飄著雨的國境之南
我會試著把那一年的故事
再接下去說完
當陽光 再次
離開那太晴朗的國境之南
妳會不會把妳曾帶走的愛
在告別前用微笑全歸還

Lyrics 歌詞, Translations Fan Van, 國境之南, 范逸臣