Learn Chinese Through a Song: Part III

Hi everyone!

Welcome back to the segment: Learn Chinese Through a Song!

This week, we’ll be listening to another Jay Chou song. Unlike the fun “Listen to Your Mom’s Words,” this song, “Far Away,” is a more sentimental one. The title in Chinese is “千里之外” (Qiānlǐ zhī wài), literally meaning “A Thousand Miles Away.”

Listen to the song below!

This version of the song is a collaboration between Jay Chou and Fei Yu Qing 费玉清. As you all probably know, Jay Chou is a famous modern artist, known for his song-writing, singing, and acting skills. However, you may not have heard of the latter mentioned celebrity. Fei Yu Qing is a Taiwanese singer born in 1955 known throughout the entire Chinese community for his flawless voice. Chou’s modern singing style and Fei’s classic style contrast, yet fit perfectly together in this one song to convey the message of a person longing for his loved one.

The music video for this song initiates with a portrayal of a poor stage worker with a beautiful singer, whom he obviously loves. He understands that he cannot be with her, due to the difference in their social statuses. One day, after the singer’s performance, she is given the opportunity of moving “far away” from her home to pursue her dream. The poor worker senses her hesitation and accepts the invitation on her behalf. Before this, the singer had given the worker her red handkerchief, which is vital in the development of the rest of the video.

After the two lovers separate for three years, they reunite when the singer returns home. The worker is still impoverished and is now, I believe, embarrassed to meet the singer, who has gained fame. He doesn’t want to drag her down or hinder the development of her career, so he hides from her. The singer recognizes him by remembering the red handkerchief she had given him and that he was wearing on his arm at the time of meeting. She runs after him, but he disappears, only to be seen hiding again from her.

The lyrics of the song convey a sense of regret of losing something precious. In this case, the worker regrets letting the singer go “far away,” but also is happy that she is living her dream. These conflicting feelings are those that the majority of people can relate to.

Here is the pinyin for the song! (The characters and the English translation are in the attached video.)

Wū yán rú xuányá

fēng líng rú cāng hǎi

wǒ děng yàn guī lái
Shí jiān bèi ān pái

yǎn yì chǎng yì wài

nǐ qiāo rán zǒu kāi
Gù shì zài chéng wài

nóng wù sàn bù kāi

kàn bù qīng duì bái
Nǐ tīng bù chū lái

fēng shēng bù cún zài

shì wǒ zài gǎn kài
Mèng xǐng lái

shì shuí zài chuāng tái

bǎ jié jú dǎ kāi
Nà báo rú chán yì de wèi lái

jīn bù qǐ shuí lái chāi
Wǒ sòng nǐ lí kāi

qiān lǐ zhī wài

nǐ wú shēng hēi bái
Chén mò nián dài

huò xǔ bù gāi

tài yáo yuǎn de xiāng ài
Wǒ sòng nǐ lí kāi

tiān yá zhī wài

nǐ shì fǒu hái zài
Qín shēng hé lái

shēng sǐ nán cāi

yòng yì shēng
Qù děng dài
Wén lèi shēng rù lín

xún lí huā bái

zhǐ dé yì háng qīng tái
Tiān zài shān zhī wài

yǔ luò huā tái

wǒ liǎng bìn bān bái
Wén lèi shēng rù lín

xún lí huā bái

zhǐ dé yì háng qīng tái
Tiān zài shān zhī wài

yǔ luò huā tái

wǒ děng nǐ lái
Yì shēn liú lí bái

tòu míng zhe chén āi

nǐ wú xiá de ài
Nǐ cóng yǔ zhōng lái

shī huà le bēi āi

wǒ lín shī xiàn zài
Fú róng shuǐ miàn cǎi

chuán xíng yǐng yóu zài

nǐ què bù huí lái
Bèi suì yuè fù gài

nǐ shuō de huā kāi

guò qù chéng kòng bái

Mèng xǐng lái

shì shuí zài chuāng tái

bǎ jié jú dǎ kāi
Nà báo rú chán yì de wèi lái

jīn bù qǐ shuí lái chāi

Wǒ sòng nǐ lí kāi

qiān lǐ zhī wài

nǐ wú shēng hēi bái
Chén mò nián dài

huò xǔ bù gāi

tài yáo yuǎn de xiāng ài
Wǒ sòng nǐ lí kāi

tiān yá zhī wài

nǐ shì fǒu hái zài
Qín shēng hé lái

shēng sǐ nán cāi

yòng yì shēng
Qù děng dài

I hope you enjoyed this new song and its unique combination of voices!

Talk to you next week! 🙂

There are 5 comments

  1. 茱蒂

    真高興作者介紹了這首歌曲,因為它融合了古典與現代。兩位不同年代的歌手,用自己最擅長的演唱方式來詮釋這首歌曲。真是近代難能可貴的作品!

Comments are closed.