情人的眼淚 | Lover's Tears

作詞 (Lyricist)：陳蝶衣 (Chen, Dieyi)

作曲 (Composer)：姚敏 (Yao, Min)


〈第一段〉VERSE 1 為什麼要對你　掉眼淚 为什么要对你　掉眼泪 wèi shé me yào duì nǐ diào yǎn lèi, ㄨㄟˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙ ㄧㄠˋ ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄋㄧˇ ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄟˋ Why do I shed tears for you, 你難道不明白為了愛。 你难道不明白为了爱。 nǐ nán dào bù míng bái wèi le ài. ㄋㄧˇ ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄞ˙ ㄨㄟˋ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄞˋ do you simply not understand it is because of love? 只有那有情人眼淚最珍貴 只有那有情人眼泪最珍贵 zhǐ yǒu nà yǒu qíng rén yǎn lèi zuì zhēn guì, ㄓˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄋㄚˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄑㄧㄥˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄟˋ ㄗㄨㄟˋ ㄓㄣ ㄍㄨㄟˋ The tears of a lover are most precious, 一顆顆眼淚都是愛 一颗颗眼泪都是爱 yī kē kē yǎn lèi dōu shì ài, ㄧ ㄎㄜ ㄎㄜ ㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄟˋ ㄉㄡ ㄕˋ ㄞˋ each and every teardrop is (for) love, 都是愛。 都是爱。 dōu shì ài. ㄉㄡ ㄕˋ ㄞˋ they are all (for) love. 〈第二段〉VERSE 2 為什麼要對你　掉眼淚 为什么要对你　掉眼泪 wèi shé me yào duì nǐ diào yǎn lèi, ㄨㄟˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙ ㄧㄠˋ ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄋㄧˇ ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄟˋ Why do I shed tears for you, 你難道不明白為了愛 你难道不明白为了爱 nǐ nán dào bù míng bái wèi le ài ㄋㄧˇ ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄞˊ ㄨㄟˋ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄞˋ do you simply not understand it is because of love? 要不是有情人跟我要分開 要不是有情人跟我要分开 yào bù shì yǒu qíng rén gēn wǒ yào fēn kāi, ㄧㄠˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄑㄧㄥˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄍㄣ ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄠˋ ㄈㄣ ㄎㄞ If it were not for a lover who had left me, 我眼淚不會掉下來 我眼泪不会掉下来 wǒ yǎn lèi bù huì diào xià lái, ㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄟˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄟˋ ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄌㄞˊ my tears would not be falling, 掉下來。 掉下来。 diào xià lái. ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄌㄞˊ (they would not) be falling. 〈第三段〉VERSE 3 好春才來 春花正開 好春才来 春花正开 hǎo chūn cái lái, chūn huā zhèng kāi ㄏㄠˇ ㄔㄨㄣ ㄘㄞˊ ㄌㄞˊ ㄔㄨㄣ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄓㄥˋ ㄎㄞ A fine Spring has arrived, Spring flowers are in bloom, 你怎捨得說再會。 你怎舍得说再会。 nǐ zěn shě dé shuō zài huì. ㄋㄧˇ ㄗㄣˇ ㄕㄜˇ ㄉㄜˊ ㄕㄨㄛ ㄗㄞˋ ㄏㄨㄟˋ How could you have told me that you would return? 〈第四段〉VERSE 4 我在深閨 我在深闺 wǒ zài shēn guī, ㄨㄛˇ ㄗㄞˋ ㄕㄣ ㄍㄨㄟ I am in my boudoir, 望穿秋水 望穿秋水 wàng chuān qiū shuǐ, ㄨㄤˋ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄑㄧㄡ ㄕㄨㄟˇ anxiously waiting, 你不要忘了我情深 你不要忘了我情深 nǐ bù yào wàng le wǒ qíng shēn, ㄋㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄨㄤˋ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄨㄛˇ ㄑㄧㄥˊ ㄕㄣ please do not forget my deep love for you, 深如海。 深如海。 shēn rú hǎi. ㄕㄣ ㄖㄨˊ ㄏㄞˇ as deep as the sea. 〈段二〉VERSE 2 。。。 〈間奏〉MUSICAL INTERLUDE 。。。 〈段三〉VERSE 3 。。。 〈第四段〉VERSE 4 。。。 〈第二段〉VERSE 2 。。。

Translation Notes

  • This song has been extensively covered by numerous famous singers since its debut in a 1955 Hong Kong movie, with an original performance by 潘秀瓊 (Poon, Sow Keng).

    姚蘇蓉 (Yao, Su Rong) recorded a slow version of the song in 1969 for a Taiwan film of the same name. This version resurfaced in the 2007 Taiwan film Secret〈不能說的·秘密〉, which went on to become an international hit. As a result, Yao was unexpectedly, but briefly, brought back into the limelight- nearly two decades after her retirement.

  • Most translations don’t catch the idiom 望穿秋水, with most interpreting it as looking through autumn water. The actual phrase is an idiom meaning: anticipating something with much apprehension.

    This phrase comes from the Yuan Dynasty play Romance of the Western Chamber (西廂記) by Wáng Shífǔ (王实甫) (1250 - 1337) about an age-old theme- two lovers who try to get together against their parents’ wishes. Along the way, the couple encounter various obstacles that prevent them from getting together, ranging from bandits and former suitors, to imperial examinations.

    In this specific instance of the story, the couple have arranged for a clandestine nighttime meeting through their letters, passed by a matchmaker who supported their secret relationship.

    Yingying (鶯鶯) is worried that her lover would not be able to get to her that evening due to a tall garden wall, and thus looked on with much worry and anticipation.

    The matchmaker is trying to re-assure her, saying that her lover would not want to see her in such a emotional state: 望穿他盈盈秋水，蹙損他淡淡春山。 That is, she would be seeing him (when he eventually gets over that darn wall) through tear-filled eyes (likened to clear/shallow Autumn waters) and furrowed brow (likened to the hazy silhouette of Spring mountains).

    Thus, the idiom 望穿秋水 describing her tear-filled eyes is a reference to this instance in the story, used to describe worrisome, but hopeful anticipation.

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