〈第一段〉VERSE 1自從相思河畔見了你自从相思河畔见了你zì cóng xiāng sī hé pàn jiàn liǎo nǐ,ㄗˋ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄙ ㄏㄜˊ ㄆㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄋㄧˇEver since I met you by the banks of the Lovelorn River,就像那春風吹進心窩裡。就像那春风吹进心窝里。jiù xiàng nà chūn fēng chuī jìn xīn wō li.ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄋㄚˋ ㄔㄨㄣ ㄈㄥ ㄔㄨㄟ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄨㄛ ㄌㄧˇit was as if the Spring wind had blown into my heart.我要輕輕的告訴你我要轻轻的告诉你wǒ yào qīng qīng dì gào sù nǐ,ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄠˋ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄉㄧˋ ㄍㄠˋ ㄙㄨˋ ㄋㄧˇI wanted to gently tell you,不要把我忘記。不要把我忘记。bù yào bǎ wǒ wàng jì.ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄅㄚˇ ㄨㄛˇ ㄨㄤˋ ㄐㄧˋplease don't forget me.〈第二段〉VERSE 2自從相思河畔別了你自从相思河畔别了你zì cóng xiāng sī hé pàn bié liǎo nǐ,ㄗˋ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄙ ㄏㄜˊ ㄆㄢˋ ㄅㄧㄝˊ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄋㄧˇEver since we separated by the banks of the Lovelorn River,無限的痛苦埋在心窩裡。无限的痛苦埋在心窝里。wú xiàn dì tòng kǔ mái zài xīn wō li.ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄊㄨㄥˋ ㄎㄨˇ ㄇㄞˊ ㄗㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄨㄛ ㄌㄧˇunfathomable pain has been buried in my heart.我要輕輕的告訴你我要轻轻的告诉你wǒ yào qīng qīng dì gào sù nǐ,ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄠˋ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄉㄧˋ ㄍㄠˋ ㄙㄨˋ ㄋㄧˇI wanted to gently tell you,不要把我忘記。不要把我忘记。bù yào bǎ wǒ wàng jì.ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄅㄚˇ ㄨㄛˇ ㄨㄤˋ ㄐㄧˋplease don't forget me.〈副歌〉CHORUS秋風無情秋风无情qiū fēng wú qíng,ㄑㄧㄡ ㄈㄥ ㄨˊ ㄑㄧㄥˊThe Autumn wind is ruthless,
為什麼吹落了丹楓为什么吹落了丹枫wèi shé me chuī luò liǎo dān fēng,ㄨㄟˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙ ㄔㄨㄟ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄉㄢ ㄈㄥwhy has it blown away the leaves of a flourishing maple tree, 青春尚在青春尚在qīng chūn shàng zài,ㄑㄧㄥ ㄔㄨㄣ ㄕㄤˋ ㄗㄞˋ(for) it was still youthful,為什麼毀褪了殘~ 紅为什么毁褪了残~ 红wèi shé me huǐ tuì liǎo cán ~ hóng,ㄨㄟˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙ ㄏㄨㄟˇ ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄘㄢˊ ㄏㄨㄥˊwhy did it (the wind) ruin its (the maple tree) remaining~ blush,啊人生本是梦。啊人生本是梦。a, rén shēng běn shì mèng.ㄚˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄣˇ ㄕˋ ㄇㄥˋAh (well), life is nothing but a dream.
Ever since the Mandarin-dialect recording came out in Hong Kong circa 1957, this song has been widely covered in various other languages and dialects, ranging from Cantonese to Khmer. The tune itself was originally adapted from a Thai folk song, with new lyrics laid on top.
Some extra license was taken with regards to the translation of 青春尚在. It directly translates to its youth yet exists but we went with it was still youthful as it flowed better. We want to point this out in particular, as the original phrase is more far literary than the simplistic English translation.