[Lyrics Translation] LaLa Hsu: Sin Khia Peh Be

[adevyish]

Sometimes romanized as “Shen Qi Bai Ma”.

Let me know if you spot any mistakes. If you would like to use this elsewhere please ask first.


身騎白馬
Sin Khia Peh Be
Body Rides A White Horse

歌：徐佳瑩
作詞：徐佳瑩
作曲：徐佳瑩 蘇通達

Artist: LaLa Hsu (Hsu Chia-ying)
Lyrics: LaLa Hsu ⁰
Music: LaLa Hsu, Su Tung-ta ⁰


我愛誰 跨不過 從來也不覺得錯
自以為 抓著痛 就能往回憶裡躲
偏執相信著 受詛咒的水晶球
阻擋可能心動的理由

wǒ ài sheí    kuà bù guò    cóng-lái yě bù jué-dé cuò
zì yǐ-wéi    zhuā-zhe tòng    jiù néng wǎng huí-yì lǐ duǒ
piān-zhí xiāng-xìn zhe    shòu zǔ-zhòu de shuǐ-jīng qiú
zǔ-dǎng kě-néng xīn-dòng de lǐ-yóu

I can’t move past the one I love, and never thought this was wrong
I thought that if I held on to pain, then I could hide within memories
Stubbornly I believed in the cursed crystal ball
Preventing ways my heart might be moved

※
而你卻 靠近了 逼我們視線交錯
原地不動 或向前走 突然在意這分鐘
眼前荒沙瀰漫了等候 耳邊傳來孱弱的呼救
追趕要我愛得不保留

ér nǐ què    kào-jìn le    bī wǒ-men shì-xiàn jiāo-cuò
yuán dì bù-dòng    huò xiàng qián zǒu    tú-rán zài-yì zhè fēn-zhōng
yǎn-qián huāng shā mí-màn le děng-hòu    ěr biān chuán lái càn-ruò de hū-jiù
zhuī-gǎn yào wǒ ài dé bù bǎo-liú

And yet when you came near, compelling our sights to cross
Whether I stay where I am or move forward, I suddenly care about this moment
Waiting as desolate sand filled my vision, my ears receive weak pleas
Pursuing, wanting my love to be without reservations

☆
我身騎白馬 走三關
我改換素衣 回中原
放下西涼 沒人管
我一心只想 王寶釧

guá sin khiâ pe̍h bé á    tsáu sam kuainn
guá kái-uānn sòo i ó    hûe tiong-guân
pàng hā se-liâng    bu̍t lâng kuán
guá it sim tsí siūnn    ông pó-tshuan

My body rides a white horse, racing through three passes¹
I change into plain clothes² to return to Zhongyuan³
Giving up Western Liang⁴, no one cares
With my whole heart I only think of Wang Baochuan

repeat ※
repeat ☆

滿身傷痕累累也來不及痛
那是指引我走向你的清楚感受
不管危不危險都要放下一切跟你走
只要一起承擔 只要你不放手

mǎn shēn shāng-hén lěi-lěi yě lái-bu-jí tòng
nà shì zhǐ-yǐn wǒ zǒu-xiàng nǐ de qīng-chǔ gǎn-shòu
bù-guǎn wéi bù wéi xiǎn dōu yào fàng-xià yī-qiè gēn nǐ zǒu
zhǐ-yào yī-qǐ chéng-dān    zhǐ-yào nǐ bù fàng-shǒu

There isn’t time for the countless scars covering my body to hurt
Those are the clear feelings guiding me to go to you
Whether it’s dangerous or not, I will give up everything to walk beside you
As long as we bear this together, as long as you don’t let go of my hand

repeat ☆
repeat ☆

Notes

There are syllables in the chorus not in the written lyrics, so I’ve included them in grey text.

⁰ The chorus is adapted from a famous Taiwanese folk opera about Xue Pinggui and Wang Baochuan set during the Tang dynasty, likely based on real life Xue Rengui. Xue Pinggui is a poor man who joins the army and goes to war, becoming a famous general while leaving his love Wang Baochuan behind to wait for him for eighteen long years. It was adapted to the first successful Taiwanese Hokkien–language film circa 1956.

¹ 關 (kuainn /kuaĩ/, Mandarin guān) is a frontier pass, most likely fortified, such as a mountain pass or a gate along the Great Wall. “Three passes” implies a great distance.

² He’s changing into plain (un-dyed) clothes so he can sneak back to Zhongyuan from the war front.

³ The historic capital region and centre of China.

⁴ A state in the Sixteen Kingdoms era; here referring to the western outskirts of Tang China.

Pronunciation Notes

The chorus is in Hokkien and thus romanized with Tâi-lô. Check out Romanized Hokkien for People Who Read Pinyin for more details.

Here’s the chorus in IPA minus tones:

ua sin kʰia peʔ be a    tsau sam kuaĩ
ua kai uã sɔ i o    hue tioŋ guan
paŋ ha se liaŋ    but̚ laŋ kuan
ua it̚ sim tsi siũ    oŋ po tsʰuan