Xah Lee, 20031220
I was listening to this Chinese song by a Chinese girl. I noticed that i like this song. On some reflection, i thought of checking the lyrics, and subsequently located it on the internet.
Music: C Y Kong. Lyrics:林夕. Arrangement:C Y Kong. English tranlation: Xah Lee.
開到荼蘼 每隻螞蟻 都有眼睛鼻子 牠美不美麗 偏差有沒有一毫釐 有何關係 每一個人 傷心了就哭泣 餓了就要吃 相差大不過天地 有何刺激 有太多太多魔力 太少道理 太多太多遊戲 只是為了好奇 還有甚麼值得 歇斯底里 對甚麼東西 死心塌地 一個一個偶像 都不外如此 沉迷過的偶像 一個個消失 誰曾傷天害理 誰又是上帝 我們在等待 甚麼奇蹟 最後剩下自己 捨不得挑剔 最後對著自己 也不大看得起 誰給我全世界 我都會懷疑 心花怒放 卻開到荼蘼 一個一個一個人 誰比誰美麗 一個一個一個人 誰比誰甜蜜 一個一個一個人 誰比誰容易 又有甚麼了不起 每隻螞蟻 和誰擦身而過 都那麼整齊 有何關係 每一個人 碰見所愛的人 卻心有餘悸 |
Bloomed every ant, has eyes and nose; are they beautiful? the differences are less than an iota; does it matter? every person, cries when hurt, eats when hungry. the difference lies between heaven'n'earth; is it thrilling? too much infatuation, too little reasoning too many games, only for curiosity what else are there, is hysteria a worthwhile cause? and to what things, devotion? all the idols; they are just so idols in fads, one by one fades away who did evil; and who is god? Which miracle, are we waiting for? at the end there's oneself, not too finicky at the end facing oneself, with little esteem who gives me the world, and i'll have to doubt bursting into exuberance: but spring flowers have bloomed each one and every one; who's more beautiful each one and every one; who's more charming each one and every one; who's more easy so what's there to admire? Every ant, has passing relations and they are that orderly; what gives? every person, when finding ones they love; but become uneasy |
My God, what a beautiful song and lyrics. Note that it says, that every ant has eyes and nose, and, that every person, cry when hurt, eat when hungry. Things couldn't be truer. I have become enamored with this song, listening to it repeatedly for hours. PS On the net, the song is badly translated as “last blossom” due to superficial translation of a rather arcane term.
YouTube search: 開到荼蘼↗
The song is by the Chinese star Faye Wong↗. The following is from her website: http://www.faye.com/expression/index.html :
What a nymph of Asian ethnicity.
David Rutkowski in rec.art.poems newsgroup has the following version. (used with permission)
... A quick and incomplete attempt to translate it into English song lyrics: every ant has eyes and ears it doesn't matter a lot if it's fetching or not it's got what it's got every man cries sandstone tears when he's hungry he eats how exciting his lot he's got what he's got there's way too much magic way too much reason an open game season so curiously tragic hysteria seems more a propos dead heart just a thing in a hole for one by one every idol ends up slightly suicidal hopelessly wayward lost icons abound treacherous heavens god lost and found and so we are waiting for a miracle cure each one self-relating and acting demure ...
This liberal translation gives it a more poetic flavor, but being incomplete in missing the all-important punch-line ending.
The song is available in Most Favourite Faye (amazon.com↗)
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