Performed by Coco Lee
Lyrics: Yi "Kevin" Jia Yang
Music: Jorge Calandrelli
Translation: Donny
My Japanese was helped along quite a lot by my interest in pop music and song lyrics. Someday, I would also like to become proficient in Mandarin Chinese. Well, the first step is this song, I guess, which was the theme for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," a wuxia film by Ang Lee from 2000. It was sung by Coco Lee in English under the title "A Love before Time." However, the lyrics are totally different, though beautiful in their own way.
This song came to mind today when I was reading through some literature on transformational learning; don't ask why as I don't have the foggiest. Anyway, I came across the original Chinese promotional video (music clip) on YouTube and decided to try translating it. Chinese has a complex system of aspect and prepositional markers, so some of it is probably not in the right aspect, but I think the meaning is accurate.
Have a listen and enjoy the lyrics in English!
大衆音楽や歌詞の英訳を大の趣味として、日本語を独学しました。いつか、中国語も思うように操れるようになりたいと夢見ています。その第一歩として以下の歌詞を英訳してみました。2000年配給のAng Lee監督による「グリーン・デスティニー」の主題歌です。この曲はココ・リー（李玟）が歌手を務め、英語圏でも彼女によるA Love before Timeとして広く知られています。当時のアカデミー賞の舞台で完璧なパフォーマンスを披露し、絶賛を博しています。
ただ、英語版の歌詞と北京語のそれが全く異なっているので、オリジナルの意味を楽しみたいと思い、英訳を図りました。北京語の「相」と前置詞体系がかなり複雑なので、動詞の「相」にズレがあるのではないかと思われますが、訳の意味には問題ないかと思います。
I awaken from slumber to find myself
In the moonlight
The waning moon brings you to mind
I don't want to wake up
Who can understand this?
I fear that when my eyes open, you will not be there
This lover's heart, sunken deep into the sea
Take me to where it lies in search of it
Please love me for 10,000 years
Love me from your heart for always
Love is a gift of the moonlight
I await the epistle of the angels,
Telling me you love me
For love's sake,
I would gladly slumber without waking
Eternity... Does such a thing exist?
Blame this heart of mine for being
Unable to let go
Oh, North Star, carry me away
Do not hide away from me
Seek out this love
Oh, I love you
I wait for you every night
Waiting for you
For love's sake, this heart of mine
Would lie in slumber in the moon's ocean
So lonely, whom do I miss?
Who can understand?
I shed tears in the moonlight
It is also in the moonlight I slumber
With no regrets
Waiting for a true-hearted person
To awaken me with a kiss
I lie in dreamy slumber all day
I lie in recollection all year
Say that you love me
For love's sake,
I would gladly slumber without waking
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