Heard Jacky Cheung’s rendition of this lovely song by Teresa Teng in Alvin’s car en route to Irene’s wedding dinner in Seremban. So wistful was the song that it left Alvin, Evie, Mee Shien and me in total silence of appreciation…
邓丽君: 但愿人长久
Teng Lijun: Dan yuan ren chang jiu
明月幾時有
Ming yue ji shi you
把酒問青天
Ba jiu wen qing tian
不知天上宮闕
Bu zhi tian shang gong que
今夕是何年
Jin xi shi he nian
我欲乘風歸去
Wo yu cheng feng gui qu
唯恐瓊樓玉宇
Wei kong qiong lou yu yu
高處不勝寒
Gao chu bu sheng han
起舞弄清影
Qi wu nong qing ying
何似在人間
He si zai ren jian
轉朱閣
△Zhuan zhu ge
低綺戶
Di yi hu
照無眠
Zhao wu mian
不應有恨
Bu ying you hen
何事長向別時圓 （月時圓）
He shi chang xiang bie shi yuan (yue shi yuan)
人有悲歡離合
Ren you bei huan li he
月有陰晴圓缺
Yue you yin qing yuan que
此事古難全
Ci shi gu nan quan
但願人長久
Dan yuan ren chang jiu
千里共嬋娟 Qian li gong chan juan
重唱 (Repeat) △
Hye Carina!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
im just so bad at replying sms’s … when u come back.. 29th.. that would be a good day to have lunch..
pei chee!!! u there somewhere?
Coffeeholic: Hallo Shyuing! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too!!
juliana: I’ll sms you on the timing!! Pei Chi’s on MSN, dear!
can you translate this song or provide a link to the meaning of this song. this is one of my favorite songs but i can’t figure out what it’s saying. thanks.
William P: I can’t translate this song but here’s some explanation I found on the net, hope this helps
Dàn yuàn rén chángjiû (May we live long enough)
Translation: Dexter Tay
The lyrics come from an ancient poem by a famous Chinese poet, Su Shì. The poet is sad, anguished, and drinking, because he is separated from his lover. He contemplates the moon, asking when it is ever clear and round, symbolizing happiness and the reunion of lovers; he consoles himself with the thought that his lover is gazing at the same moon. Ancient (classical) Chinese (wényán) is really a separate language, and not easy to translate. Here is the ending of the poem, translated very literally followed by a more liberal translation.
Rén yôu bei huan líhè
People have sadness/cheerful parting/meeting
Yuè yôu yin qíng yuán que
The moon has dark cloudless circle lacking
Cî shì gû nán quán
This matter ancient difficult wholly
Dàn yuàn rén chángjiû
Only wish person long time
Qian lî gòng chán juan
A thousand miles share beautiful abandonment
Life is about parting and coming together
The moon has times when it is not round
It has ever been difficult to manage this
Only wishing for eternity
No matter how far apart, it is happiness to see the same moon
hi carina, this was one of the songs i heard my dad listening to in the mornings when i was a kid. it always reminds me of his love of music. thank you for taking the time to translate. it gives me a better understanding and appreciation of the song and lyrics.
Hi William P, you’re most welcomed! Glad to help
Please note that the translation credit belongs to Dexter Tay, I merely looked it up on the net. Though I grew up on a healthy dose of Teresa Teng thanks to my parents as well, I didn’t remember this song until hearing Jacky Cheung’s rendition of it. Went home and dug up dad’s Teresa Teng cd and voila… it’s there and her voice, it just owns the song! I haven’t heard Faye Wong’s version, it’s supposed to be lovely too. 
faye’s version is also good. she incorporated her style into the song quite nicely. btw, i just saw this translation at http://www.chinapage.com/poet-e/sushi2e.html#008
here it is if you didn’t see it before.
Will a moon so bright ever arise again?
Drink a cupful of wine and ask of the sky.
I don’t know where the palace gate of heaven is,
Or even the year in which tonight slips by.
I want to return riding the whirl-wind! But I
Feel afraid that this heaven of jasper and jade
Lets in the cold, its palaces rear so high.
I shall get up and dance with my own shadow.
From life endured among men how far a cry!
Round the red pavilion
Slanting through the lattices
Onto every wakeful eye,
Moon, why should you bear a grudge, O why
Insist in time of separation so th fill the sky?
Men know joy and sorow, parting and reunion;
The moon lacks lustre, brightly shines; is al, is less.
Perfection was never easily come by.
Though miles apart, could men but live for ever
Dreaming they shared this moonlight endlessly!
Tr. A. Ayling & D. Mackintosh
That is awesome. Thanks!!
hey, thanks for posting this
i guessed no matter how long time had passed
some people will still look for this….
You’re most welcomed, Xuan! Yup, it’s an evergreen for sure