《如燕》

Hann's Mummy said...

I'm no fan of TCS dramas but recently, like most Chinese Singaporeans, I was hooked on 小娘惹 The Little Nyonya even though I didn't think it was fantastic. even Hann can say, "小娘惹" in a gang-dang slang when he sees it on tv.

Love the theme song though, cos it speaks to me, about broken promises, letting go of yesterday, etc.

ru yan - Olivia Ong

《如燕》
词曲：陈佳明
编曲：Terence Teo
制作人：陈佳明
演唱：Olivia Ong

愿意合上眼才能美梦无边
别让悔熏乌了从前

也许碎片才能让回忆展颜
何妨瓷花拼凑明天

谁带我寻获幸福的模
却自己谜中困锁

谁为我留下缱绻的天涯
信物是抹晚霞

Chorus:
思念如燕它飞舞舌尖
若是真爱配尝几分苦甜

意念婆娑时间里推磨
追随到何处才结果

燕如针线在青空缝编
几幅女红将以泪缀点

誓言斑驳情雾只是经过
风雨中且让我盈步婀娜


一首《如燕》唱红了Olivia Ong, 可是我最欣赏的是写歌的陈佳明, whom most (if not all) people overlooked.

when I 1st hear the song, I thought it was sung by Mavis Hee (许美静) .
It was no surprise when I realised that the song 《如燕》 is written by 陈佳明 cos I'd say he was the one who 带红 许美静 by writting many beautiful songs for her.
Everybody knows 李偲菘, 李偉菘, even 梁文福 as Singapore's top Chinese pop song writers, but think not as many knows 陈佳明. He is super 低调 (low profile). You can hardly find him on the net, even on Wiki, where you can find almost any artist, dead or alive.

well... one day I decided to look for the lyrics to the song 《如燕》 and to my "horror", it was super chim. 陈佳明, 你好有墨水！one guy even said it's more difficult to translate then Jay Chou's 菊花台 (written by Taiwanese 方文山). soooooooooo many words I don't know. I wonder if seemingly gang-dang Olivia knows what she's singing.

Chinese teachers, can consider using this song for ya lessons.

Found a few translations but found them unsatisfactory so decided to DIY.

《如燕》 ru yan
词曲：陈佳明 Chen Jia Ming
Translation：Ariel Leong


愿意合上眼才能美梦无边

only if you are willing to close your eyes, will you have boundless beautiful dreams
别让悔熏[xūn]乌了从前

don't let the smoke of regrets darken the past

也许碎片才能让回忆展颜

maybe it's the the broken pieces which give free rein to the colours of memories
何妨瓷[cí] 花拼凑明天

Why use fragments of porcelain to piece tomorrow

OR why not allow the fragments of porcelain to piece tomorrow

谁带我寻获幸福的模

Who lead me to search and have found the mold of happiness
却自己谜中困锁

but trapped and locked in the mystery

谁为我留下缱绻[qiǎnquǎn]的天涯

Who left me deeply attached til ends of the earth
信物是抹晚霞

The token of pledge is a passing cloud at sunset


Chorus:
思念如燕它飞舞舌尖

Longing, like a swallow, flutter at the tip of my tongue
若是真爱配尝几分苦甜

If it's true love, it's fit to taste a bit of bittersweet

OR if only true love is worthy to taste a bit of bittersweet

意念婆娑 [pósuō] 时间里推磨

My will whirling, grinding in time
追随到何处才结果

following me, where will it bear fruit

燕如针线在青空缝编

swallow, like needle and thread, sewing and weaving on the young (or green) sky
几幅女红将以泪缀[zhuì]点

how many works of embroidery are going to be decorated with tears

誓言斑驳[bānbó] 情雾只是经过

Promises mottling with age, fog of love is but bypassing
风雨中且让我盈步婀娜[ēnuó]

In the storm, for this moment, allow me to increase my pace gracefully

Was wondering why he used "青空" instead of "晴空". Perhaps it's the colour of embroidery he wanteda paint. Very 诗情画意, 有画面 indeed.

Click for AhDoe's music sheet for 《如燕》

Special thanks to

http://www.nciku.com,
http://cynthia-koh.webs.com/littlenyonya.htm