〈第一段〉VERSE 1 我匆匆的走入森林中我匆匆的走入森林中wǒ cōng cōng dì zǒu rù sēn lín zhōng,ㄨㄛˇ ㄘㄨㄥ ㄘㄨㄥ ㄉㄧˋ ㄗㄡˇ ㄖㄨˋ ㄙㄣ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄓㄨㄥI walked hurriedly into the forest,森林它一叢叢。森林它一丛丛。sēn lín tā yī cóng cóng.ㄙㄣ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄊㄚ ㄧ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄘㄨㄥˊ(the forest) was quite the thicket.我找不到他的行蹤我找不到他的行踪wǒ zhǎo bú dào tā dì xíng zōng,ㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄠˇ ㄅㄨˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄊㄚ ㄉㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄗㄨㄥI couldn't find its whereabouts,只看到那樹搖風。只看到那树摇风。zhǐ kàn dào nà shù yáo fēng.ㄓˇ ㄎㄢˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄋㄚˋ ㄕㄨˋ ㄧㄠˊ ㄈㄥbut could only see those trees swaying in the wind.我匆匆的走在森林中我匆匆的走在森林中wǒ cōng cōng dì zǒu zài sēn lín zhōng,ㄨㄛˇ ㄘㄨㄥ ㄘㄨㄥ ㄉㄧˋ ㄗㄡˇ ㄗㄞˋ ㄙㄣ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄓㄨㄥI walked hurriedly about the middle forest,森林它一叢叢。森林它一丛丛。sēn lín tā yī cóng cóng.ㄙㄣ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄊㄚ ㄧ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄘㄨㄥˊ(the forest) was quite the thicket.我看不到他的行蹤我看不到他的行踪wǒ zhǎo bú dào tā dì xíng zōng,ㄨㄛˇ ㄎㄢˋ ㄅㄨˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄊㄚ ㄉㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄗㄨㄥI couldn't find its whereabouts,只聽得那南屏鐘。只听得那南屏钟。zhǐ tīng de nà nán píng zhōng.ㄓˇ ㄊㄧㄥ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄋㄚˋ ㄋㄢˊ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄓㄨㄥbut could only listen to that Nanping Bell.〈副歌〉CHORUS 南屏晚鐘 隨風飄送南屏晚钟 随风飘送nán píng wǎn zhōng suí fēng piāo sòng,ㄋㄢˊ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄢˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄈㄥ ㄆㄧㄠ ㄙㄨㄥˋWith every passing breeze, the rings of the Nanping Evening Bell are carried to me它好像是敲呀敲在我心坎中它好像是敲呀敲在我心坎中tā hǎo xiàng shì qiāo ya qiāo zài wǒ xīn kǎn zhōng.ㄊㄚ ㄏㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄕˋ ㄑㄧㄠ ㄧㄚ ㄑㄧㄠ ㄗㄞˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄎㄢˇ ㄓㄨㄥThey seem to be knock-a-knocking against the bottom of my heart.南屏晚鐘 隨風飄送南屏晚钟 随风飘送nán píng wǎn zhōng suí fēng piāo sòng,ㄋㄢˊ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄨㄢˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄈㄥ ㄆㄧㄠ ㄙㄨㄥˋWith every passing breeze, the rings of the Nanping Evening Bell are carried to me,它好像是催呀催醒我相思夢。它好像是催呀催醒我相思梦。tā hǎo xiàng shì cuī ya cuī xǐng wǒ xiāng sī mèng.ㄊㄚ ㄏㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄕˋ ㄘㄨㄟ ㄧㄚ ㄘㄨㄟ ㄒㄧㄥˇ ㄨㄛˇ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄙ ㄇㄥˋThey seem to be blow-a-blowing awake my dreams of yearning.〈第二段〉VERSE 2 它催醒了我的相思夢它催醒了我的相思梦tā cuī xǐng le wǒ dì xiāng sī mèng,ㄊㄚ ㄘㄨㄟ ㄒㄧㄥˇ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄙ ㄇㄥˋ(Now that) my lovesickness has been awakened,相思有甚麼用。相思有什么用。xiāng sī yǒu shén me yòngㄒㄧㄤ ㄙ ㄧㄡˇ ㄕㄣˋ ㄇㄜ˙ ㄩㄥˋWhat use is it to be heartbroken?我走出了叢叢森林我走出了丛丛森林I walked out of that thicket of a forest,wǒ zǒu chū le cóng cóng sēn línㄨㄛˇ ㄗㄡˇ ㄔㄨ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄙㄣ ㄌㄧㄣˊ又看到了夕陽紅。又看到了夕阳红。yòu kàn dào le xī yáng hóngㄧㄡˋ ㄎㄢˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄒㄧ ㄧㄤˊ ㄏㄨㄥˊand saw the red sunset again.〈間奏〉MUSICAL INTERLUDE
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〈副歌〉 CHORUS 。。。〈第二段〉VERSE 2 。。。
Translation Notes
只聽得那南屏鐘 was translated as could only listen to that Nanping Bell rather than could only hear that Nanping Bell, which is a seemingly small but highly important distinction.
The reason for this choice rests solely on the key phrase 聽得 (listen to). If it had been 聽到 (heard), then the latter translation would’ve been the more appropriate choice.
One interpretation is that the ringing bell is a stand-in for a lost love after a breakup. The singer is desperately searching for answers within the “dense and confusing forest” of their emotions.
They could only mournfully listen to the echoes of that lost love during their desparate, fruitless search (the tolling bell brought back waves of past memories and dreams of the lost love with each passing wind). “Heard” simply doesn’t have the same emotional gravitas in that context.