This song Listen to the Sea (听海) by Taiwanese singer Zhang Huimei (张惠妹) is about somebody suffering from a break-up and who is waiting to hear from their lover, against the backdrop of the sea. It’s a popular karaoke classic, and Zhang was also once a judge on the reality TV show – the Voice of China. Here is the video with the full lyrics and translation!
xiě xìn gàosu wǒ jīntiān
写信告诉我今天
Write me a letter to tell me
hǎi shì shénme yánsè
还是什么颜色
What colour the sea is
yèyè péizhe nǐ de hǎi
夜夜陪着你的海
The sea that accompanies you every day
xīnqíng yòu rúhé?
心情又如何?
How is it feeling?
huīsè shì bù xiǎng shuō
灰色是不想说
Grey is ‘don’t want to say’
lánsè shì yōuyù
蓝色是忧郁
Blue is depressed
ér piāobó de nǐ
而漂泊的你
And you who are drifting
kuáng làng de xīn
狂浪的心
With your frenzied heart
tíng zài nạ̌li
停在那里
Where will you stop?
xiěxìn gàosu wǒ jīnyè
写信告诉我今夜
Write me a letter to tell me tonight
nǐ xiǎngyào mèng shénme
你想要梦什么
What you want to dream
mèng lǐ-wài de wǒ shì-fǒu
梦里外的我是否
Do I, inside and outside your dreams
dōu ràng nǐ wúcóng xuǎnzé
都让你无从选择
Make you feel you have no choice?
wǒ jiūzhe yī kē xīn
我揪这一颗心
I clutch at my heart
zhěngyè dōu bì bùliǎo yǎnjing
整夜都闭不了眼睛
Not able to close my eyes all night
wèihé nǐ míngmíng dòngle qíng
为何你明明动了情
Why is it that you are moved
quèyòu bù kàojìn
却又不靠近
But you don’t come close
tīng hǎi kū de shēngyīn
听海的声音
Listen to the sound of the sea crying
tànxīzhe shuí yòu bèi shāngle xīn
叹惜着谁又被伤了心
Sighing about somebody who is heartbroken
què hái bù qīngxǐng
却还不清醒
And hasn’t come around yet
yị̄dìng bụ̀ shì wǒ
一定不是我
It can’t be me
zhìshǎo wǒ hěn lěngjìng
至少我很冷静
At least I’m very cool
kěshì lèishuǐ, jiù lián lèishuǐ yě dōu bù xiāngxìn
可是泪水, 就连泪水也都不相信
But I can’t even believe my tears
tīng hǎi kū de shēngyīn
听 海哭的声音
Listen to the sound of the sea crying
zhè piàn hǎi wèimiǎn yě tài duōqíng
这片海未免也太多情
The sea inevitably has many feelings
bēiqì dào tiānmíng
悲泣到天明
Weeping with grief until the sky dawns
xiě fēngxìn gěi wǒ
写封信给我
Write me a letter
jiù dāng zuìhòu yuēdìng
就当最后约定
As a final ending
shuō nǐ zài líkāi wǒ de shíhou shì zěnyàng de xīnqíng
说你在离开我的时候是怎样的心情
To tell me what you felt like when you left me.
The post Learn Chinese Through Songs #17 – Listen to the Sea appeared first on Fluent in Mandarin.com.