I now very belatedly have Jay Chou's 七里香 album on my iPod and decided I don't like listening to lyrics with zero idea of what they're about. I have a very poor ear for Mandarin, needing to visualize words, and hence began coming up with my English versions of the songs. Now if an ang moh were to ask what exactly is so beautiful about one song? They need translation, and good translation also.

For example there is little effect in literally translating "就算没有结果 我也能够承受" as "Even if there is no result, I can accept it." Taken in love-song context, my own interpretation would be "I can handle this, even if there's nothing left to save." Of course Chinese metaphors are more flowery than foreigners are used to, but cannot be erased entirely the way ignorant Caucasian translators infused corn field allusions into Sanskrit poems.

窗外的麻雀 在电线杆上多嘴
Outside my window, sparrows chatter on the telephone wire

你说这一句 很有夏天的感觉
You say, “That’s a line to remind me of summer.”

手中的铅笔 在纸上来来回回
My grasped pencil moves swiftly across the paper

我用几行字形容你是我的谁
I use these lines to describe: who you are to me.

秋刀鱼 的滋味 猫跟你都想了解
You want to savor everything, like a cat does the salty taste of fish.

初恋的香味就这样被我们寻回
We thus quietly discover the sweet smell of first love.

那温暖 的阳光 像刚摘的鲜艳草莓
This warm sun is as unexpected as freshly picked strawberries

你说你舍不得吃掉这一种感觉
You say, you can’t bear to eat up this feeling.

雨下整夜 我的爱溢出就像雨水
It rained all night. My love is as fervent as the downpour.

院子落叶 跟我的思念厚厚一叠
Leaves falling on the roof thick and plentiful; like my musings

几句是非 也无法将我的热情冷却
Nothing spoken can stem my passion

你出现在我诗的每一页
You appear in every page of this song.

雨下整夜 我的爱溢出就像雨水
It rained all night. My love is as fervent as the downpour.

窗台蝴蝶 像诗里纷飞的美丽章节
The butterflies outside dance like the beautiful verses in this poem!

我接着写 把永远爱你写进诗的结尾
I write on – and conclude with “love is forever.”

你是我唯一想要的了解
You’re the only thing I need to understand.