歌手： 云朵
Gēshǒu: Yún Duǒ
Singer: Yun Duo
作曲：刀郎
Zuòqǔ: Dāo Láng
Composer: Dao Lang
作词： 苏柳
Zuòcí: Sū Liǔ
Lyrics: Su Liu
This song first came out in 2010. It
is included in Yun Duo’s 2nd album《倔强》 (= Stubborn), released in May 2013.
Loulan was, in ancient times, a
prosperous city near the brackish lake Lop Nur. Located on the Silk Road, known
for the silk trade, it had a strategic position between China and the West. It
lay within the highly contested Loulan kingdom, which disappeared in 77 BCE.
The city itself disappeared about 400 years later, because the water resources
dried up. The city lay engulfed by the desert until discovery in the early 20th
century. In an archaeological expedition in 1980, various treasures were
unearthed. Among them were mummies well preserved by the saltly-dry climate. In
over 3800 years, the mummy of one woman had lost little of her beauty. At the
same time she was mysterious, having Caucasian facial features. She was named
“The beauty of Loulan”. This stunning discovery, now in a museum doesn’t fail
to impress, as “外国人!” is often heard around the mummy, which now rests in
a climatized glass case.
More under:
The poetic lyrics allow for various
interpretations. My own is that the desert’s sand addresses the “Loulan”
trilogy: the gone-by kingdom and the city as well as its civilization – in
particular “The beauty of Loulan”. Though the dry sand led to her death, it
also allowed her to prevail forever as a “sleeping beauty”.
I tried to compile several
translation efforts here, if anyone has requests or suggestions for a better
translation, feel free to comment or write to: 2236939196@qq.com
I’d like to thank for valuable
inspiration:
Pau Zen
雨辰 王
LaierGuo
Rayoh2011
maytee Shanyib
jjss08 on cfensi.com
lakoje on lyricstranslate.com
Translation:
Each sentence is translated the
following way:
1.
Simplified Chinese
2.
Pinyin
3.
Literal translation
(…) added word for better understanding or loosely
translated
[…] word misplaced within sentence (according to
English grammar)
4.
Liberal translation (sometimes taken straight from
someone else)
5.
Vocab
想 问 沙漠 借 那一根 曲线
Xiǎng wèn shāmò jiè nà yī gēn qūxiàn
Want to ask the desert (spirit) to take which curve
I (the sand) want to ask the desert to take on a graceful silhouette
根 = gēn = classifier for
slender objects e.g. cigarettes, guitar strings
曲线= qūxiàn = curve, line / a body having a curved shape
缝 件 披风 为 你 御 寒
Fèng jiàn pīfēng wèi nǐ yùhán
Stitching a coat so you are warm
To stitch a coat against the wintry cold
件= jiàn = measure word
for matters (事) and clothing, furniture,…
用 肺腑 去 触摸 你 的 灵魂
Yòng fèifǔ qù chùmō nǐ de línghún
Follow my heart to touch your soul
Touching your soul with my heart
我就在那只火炉边取暖
Wǒ jiù zài
nà zhǐ huǒlú biān qǔnuǎn
I just want to stay the fireplace [by] to keep warm
Then I’ll warm myself by the fire on your side
“the fireplace” could be the hot desert or the lady herself
只 = nà = classifier
birds/animals/some utensils and vessels
想问姻缘借那一根红线
Xiǎng wèn yīnyuán jiè nà yī gēn hóngxiàn
Want to ask the marriage (spirit) to take which red thread
I want to borrow a red thread from the God of Love
深埋生命 血脉相连
Shēn mái shēngmìng xuèmài xiānglián
[deep] buried life | blood vessels connect
To bury under our intertwined lives and bloodstreams
用丝绸去润泽你的肌肤
Yòng sīchóu qù rùnzé nǐ de jīfū
Using silk (to) moisten your skin
Using the silky dress to moisten
your skin
我就在那个怀抱里缠绵
Wǒ jiù zài
nàgè huáibào lǐ chánmián
I just (want to be) your embrace
[in] [lingering]
I am just lingering in your embrace
你总是随手把银簪插在太阳上面
Nǐ zǒngshì suíshǒu bà yín zān chā zài tàiyáng shàngmiàn
You always casually place the silver hairpin on the sun [top of]
You always pierce your silver
hairpin at the sun with ease
万道 光芒 蓬松着 你 长发 的 波澜
Wàn dào
guāngmáng péngsōngzhe nǐ chángfà de bōlán
Ten thousand light rays fluffy your hair great waves
着= zhe = aspect
particle indicating action in progress
蓬松 = péngsōng = fluffy
(hair)
长发 = chángfà = long hair
波澜 = bōlán = great waves
To let the beams of sunshine play in your floating hair
我闻着芬芳跋涉着无限远
Wǒ wénzhe fēnfāng báshè zhe wúxiàn yuǎn
I smell your fragrance and walk endlessly far
I walk the distance of infinity after your fragrance
只为 看清 你 的 容颜
Zhǐ wèi kànqīng nǐ de róngyán
Just to see clearly your face
看清 = kànqīng = see clearly
Just to see your face
你 总 不 小心 把 倩影 靠 在 月亮 上面
Nǐ zǒng bù xiǎoxīn bǎ qiànyǐng kào zài yuèliàng shàngmiàn
You always carelessly cast your beautiful shadow leaning on the moon
surface
倩影 = pretty shadow, beautiful image of a woman
Now you lean against the moon in an
elegant pose
万顷 月光 舞动着 你 优美 的 梦幻
Wànqǐng yuèguāng
wǔdòngzhe nǐ yōuměi de mènghuàn
Innumerable beams of moonlight dance gracefully in your phantasy
万顷 = wànqǐng = vast space
Ten thousand rays of moonlight dance
to your fanciful dream
我闻着芬芳跋涉着无限远
Wǒ wénzhe fēnfāng báshè zhe wúxiàn yuǎn
I smell the fragrance and walk endlessly far
只为 看清 你 的 容颜
Zhǐ wèi kànqīng nǐ de róngyán
Just to see your face
谁 与 美人 共 浴沙 河互 为 一 天地
Shuí yǔ měirén gòng yù shā hé hù wéi yī tiāndì
Who with this beauty shares a bath in rivers of sand to become earth and
sky (with her)
与= yǔ= together with
Who will bathe with the beauty in in the sands and rivers, serving as
each other’s earth and sky?
谁 与 美人 共 枕 夕阳 长醉 两千年
Shuí yǔ měirén gòng zhěn xīyáng zhǎng zuì liǎngqiānnián
Who with this beauty shares a pillow
for an intoxicating 2000 years
夕阳 = xīyáng = sunset
醉= zuì = intoxicated,
drunk
Who can rest his head on the setting sun with
the beauty and relish this moment for two thousand years?
从未 说出 我是你的尘埃
Cóngwèi shuōchū wǒ shì nǐ de chén'āi
I never said I am your dust
I have never said to you that I'm
only dust to you
说出 = shuōchū = to speak out, to declare (one's view)
但你 却是 我 的 楼兰
Dàn nǐ quèshì wǒ de Lóulán
But you are truly my Loulan
