Originally, I was meant to post the 4th snippet for the Live and Let Live series. However, I was struggling with the last snippet already so I need time to think about how to proceed with it. So today I will post another lyric. This time I will posting an old song from a quite famous Mainland female singer called Faye Wong and it’s one of her more famous songs. The title of the song is “Red bean”. She actually sings the Cantonese version as well but I didn’t really like that one. For me, the attraction of this particular version was the match between the tune and the lyrics- the two just seems to go together perfectly. Firstly, however, I just want to add an aside about the song title- red bean in Chinese is also referred to as the Bean of Lovesickness which comes from a reference to read beans used in this poem written in ancient times on the theme of love.
The lyrics goes as follows:
Haven’t yet really felt how it is like in the weather*when snow flowers bloom (i.e. cold weather)
When we shake together we will better understand what is tenderness
Haven’t yet walked through deserted sand hills while holding hands with you
Maybe after that we will learn how to cherish longevity/forever*Sometimes sometimes
I would believe that everything has an end
Meeting and parting have their own times
Nothing would be deathlessBut sometimes I
Would rather choose to not let go
And wait until you’ve seen enough sights
Maybe then you will stay with me to watch the sight of *a small creek leisurely flowing byHaven’t yet simmered red beans (lovesickness) enough and made them into a lingering wound for you
And then partaking of it (the red bean stew) together would make us better understand the sadness in lovesickness
Haven’t yet really felt the tenderness in kissing whilst awake
Maybe it is because you are besides me that you pursue the freedom in being aloneRepeat * two times
Moonlake's Fiction Space 