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adevyishThis is one of my favourite songs and I couldn’t find a translation I liked, so here’s yet another translation of this classic. Listen here.
If you would like to use this elsewhere please ask first.
玫瑰玫瑰我愛你
Mei-gui Mei-gui Wo Ai Ni
Rose, Rose, I Love You
歌：姚莉
作詞：吳村
作曲：陳歌辛
Artist: Yao Lee
Lyrics: Wu Tsun ⁰
Music: Chen Ko-Hsin
玫瑰玫瑰最嬌美，
玫瑰玫瑰最豔麗。
常夏開在枝頭上，
玫瑰玫瑰我愛你。
méi-guī méi-guī zuì jiāo-měi,
méi-guī méi-guī zuì yàn-lì.
cháng-xià kāi zài zhī-tóu shàng,
méi-guī méi-guī wǒ ài nǐ.
Rose, rose, most delicate and elegant;
Rose, rose, most bright and beautiful.
Abloom atop branches on a typical summer day,
Rose, rose, I love you.
玫瑰玫瑰情意重，
玫瑰玫瑰情意濃。
常夏開在荊棘裡，
玫瑰玫瑰我愛你。
méi-guī méi-guī qíng-yì zhòng,
méi-guī méi-guī qíng-yì nóng.
cháng-xià kāi zài jīng-jí lǐ,
méi-guī méi-guī wǒ ài nǐ.
Rose, rose, my affection is earnest;
Rose, rose, my affection is plush.
Abloom among brambles on a typical summer day,
Rose, rose, I love you.
心的誓約，心的情意，
聖潔的光輝照大地。
心的誓約，心的情意，
聖潔的光輝照大地。
xīn de shì-yuē, xīn de qíng-yì,
shèng-jié de guāng-huī zhào dà-dì.
xīn de shì-yuē, xīn de qíng-yì,
shèng-jié de guāng-huī zhào dà-dì.
My heart’s vow, my heart’s affection
Is a saintly radiance shining upon the land.
My heart’s vow, my heart’s affection
Is a saintly radiance shining upon the land.
玫瑰玫瑰枝兒細，
玫瑰玫瑰刺兒銳。
今朝風雨來摧殘，
傷了嫩枝和嬌蕊。
méi-guī méi-guī zhī-ér xì,
méi-guī méi-guī cì-ér ruì.
jīn-zhāo fēng-yǔ lái cuī-cán,
shāng liǎo nèn zhī hé jiāo ruǐ.
Rose, rose, your branches are fine;
Rose, rose, your thorns are spired.
This morning wind and rain came to ravage,
And injured tender shoots and frail buds.
玫瑰玫瑰心兒堅，
玫瑰玫瑰刺兒尖。
來日風雨來摧毀，
毀不了並蒂枝連理。
méi-guī méi-guī xin-ér jiān,
méi-guī méi-guī cì-ér jiān.
lái rì fēng-yǔ lái cuī-huǐ,
huǐ bù-liǎo bìng-dì zhī lián-lǐ.
Rose, rose, my heart is resolute;
Rose, rose, your thorns are sharp.
The next day wind and rain will come to destroy,
But won’t be able to mar the twin blooms¹ of our entwined branches².
玫瑰玫瑰我愛你。
méi-guī méi-guī wǒ ài nǐ.
Rose, rose, I love you.
Notes
The main verses follow a conceit and heptasyllabic structure typical of Classical poetry. Due to this, the song also avoids pronouns except in the unusually direct “I love you”. Any additional pronouns in this translation are my interpretation.
⁰ I haven’t found pre-1980s examples of how 吳村’s name was romanized so I’m going for Wades-Giles to be consistent. He was from Xiamen and lived in Shanghai in the ’20s and ’30s, so the Cantonese romanization floating around seems incongruous.
¹ Two flowers blooming on the same stalk. Can be a metaphor for a married couple with true affections.
² 連理枝 lián-lǐ-zhī means the branches of two intertwined trees. Also a metaphor for a married couple with true affections.
If you would like to use this elsewhere please ask first.
玫瑰玫瑰我愛你
Mei-gui Mei-gui Wo Ai Ni
Rose, Rose, I Love You
歌：姚莉
作詞：吳村
作曲：陳歌辛
Artist: Yao Lee
Lyrics: Wu Tsun ⁰
Music: Chen Ko-Hsin
玫瑰玫瑰最嬌美，
玫瑰玫瑰最豔麗。
常夏開在枝頭上，
玫瑰玫瑰我愛你。
méi-guī méi-guī zuì jiāo-měi,
méi-guī méi-guī zuì yàn-lì.
cháng-xià kāi zài zhī-tóu shàng,
méi-guī méi-guī wǒ ài nǐ.
Rose, rose, most delicate and elegant;
Rose, rose, most bright and beautiful.
Abloom atop branches on a typical summer day,
Rose, rose, I love you.
玫瑰玫瑰情意重，
玫瑰玫瑰情意濃。
常夏開在荊棘裡，
玫瑰玫瑰我愛你。
méi-guī méi-guī qíng-yì zhòng,
méi-guī méi-guī qíng-yì nóng.
cháng-xià kāi zài jīng-jí lǐ,
méi-guī méi-guī wǒ ài nǐ.
Rose, rose, my affection is earnest;
Rose, rose, my affection is plush.
Abloom among brambles on a typical summer day,
Rose, rose, I love you.
心的誓約，心的情意，
聖潔的光輝照大地。
心的誓約，心的情意，
聖潔的光輝照大地。
xīn de shì-yuē, xīn de qíng-yì,
shèng-jié de guāng-huī zhào dà-dì.
xīn de shì-yuē, xīn de qíng-yì,
shèng-jié de guāng-huī zhào dà-dì.
My heart’s vow, my heart’s affection
Is a saintly radiance shining upon the land.
My heart’s vow, my heart’s affection
Is a saintly radiance shining upon the land.
玫瑰玫瑰枝兒細，
玫瑰玫瑰刺兒銳。
今朝風雨來摧殘，
傷了嫩枝和嬌蕊。
méi-guī méi-guī zhī-ér xì,
méi-guī méi-guī cì-ér ruì.
jīn-zhāo fēng-yǔ lái cuī-cán,
shāng liǎo nèn zhī hé jiāo ruǐ.
Rose, rose, your branches are fine;
Rose, rose, your thorns are spired.
This morning wind and rain came to ravage,
And injured tender shoots and frail buds.
玫瑰玫瑰心兒堅，
玫瑰玫瑰刺兒尖。
來日風雨來摧毀，
毀不了並蒂枝連理。
méi-guī méi-guī xin-ér jiān,
méi-guī méi-guī cì-ér jiān.
lái rì fēng-yǔ lái cuī-huǐ,
huǐ bù-liǎo bìng-dì zhī lián-lǐ.
Rose, rose, my heart is resolute;
Rose, rose, your thorns are sharp.
The next day wind and rain will come to destroy,
But won’t be able to mar the twin blooms¹ of our entwined branches².
玫瑰玫瑰我愛你。
méi-guī méi-guī wǒ ài nǐ.
Rose, rose, I love you.
Notes
The main verses follow a conceit and heptasyllabic structure typical of Classical poetry. Due to this, the song also avoids pronouns except in the unusually direct “I love you”. Any additional pronouns in this translation are my interpretation.
⁰ I haven’t found pre-1980s examples of how 吳村’s name was romanized so I’m going for Wades-Giles to be consistent. He was from Xiamen and lived in Shanghai in the ’20s and ’30s, so the Cantonese romanization floating around seems incongruous.
¹ Two flowers blooming on the same stalk. Can be a metaphor for a married couple with true affections.
² 連理枝 lián-lǐ-zhī means the branches of two intertwined trees. Also a metaphor for a married couple with true affections.
