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If you like Chinese ink wash painting and Chinese style music, you would love this song. My Chinese class student, Meisi, mentioned this song to me a few weeks ago. She said that she usually did Google translate for some songs she likes, but she also knows that Google translate is not always correct, especially for long and complicated sentences.

回音哥】原创新歌《芊芊》[水墨古風MV]

芊芊
Qiān qiān
Exuberant foliage

回音哥
Huíyīn gē

小池塘清露踏涟漪
xiǎo chítáng qīng lù tà liányī
Little pond’s clear dews were treading on ripples.
小(little / small)池塘(pond)清(clear/pure)露(dew)踏(to tread)涟漪(ripples)

一圈一圈泛起
yì quān yì quān fàn qǐ
One circle after one circle started to float up
一(one)圈(circle)一(one)圈 (circle)泛(float)起(verb suffix, to start )

那眷恋依旧被微风凋零
nà juànliàn yījiù bèi wēi fēng diāolíng
That yearning is still withered by gentle wind.
那(that)眷恋(yearning)依旧(still)被 (passive action marker = V+ed) 微 (gentle)风(wind)凋零(wither)

翻阅相濡以沫的梦
fān yuè xiāngrúyǐmò de mèng
Thumbing through the dream of mutual help in humble circumstances.
翻阅 (thumb through) 相濡以沫 (to moisten with spittle (idiom); sharing meager resources / mutual help in humble circumstances )的(connecting particle)梦(dream)

长不过天地间
cháng bùguò tiāndì jiān
The length can’t exceed the between of heaven and earth.
长(length)不(not)过(exceed)天(sky)地(earth)间(between)

每一篇 如青涩般浮现
měiyī piān rú qīng sè bān fúxiàn
Every piece of writing emerged kind of like unripened.
每 (every)一(one)篇(sheet / piece of writing/ classifier for written items: chapter, article ) 如(is like)青涩(unripe / (fig.) young and inexperienced )般(sort/kind)浮现(emerge)

落雨声 嘀嗒嘀嘀 回荡着轻声细语
luò yǔ shēng dí tà dí dí huídàng zhe qīng shēng xì yǔ
The sound of falling rains, tick da tick tick, were resounding with gentle voices and soft talks.
落(falling)雨(rains)声(sound) 嘀嗒 ((onom.) di da )嘀嘀((onom.) didi ) 回荡(to resound)着(aspect particle indicating action in progress )轻(light)声(voice)细(gentle)语(chatting)

犹如你唯美叹息 那么动听
yóurú nǐ wéi měi tànxí nàme dòng tīng
It is like your aesthetic sighing which was that such pleasant to listen to.
犹如(similar to)你(you)唯美(aesthetics )叹息(sighing) 那么(so very much)动听(pleasant to listen to)

城外 湿呀沥沥 满地的呢喃细语
chéng wài shī ya lì lì mǎn dì de ní nán xì yǔ
The outside of city, wet and trickling, every ground (fills of) whispering in low voices.
城(city)外 (outside)湿(wet)呀((particle equivalent to 啊 after a vowel, expressing surprise or doubt) )沥沥(to trickle) 满(full)地(ground)的(connecting particle)呢喃细语(whispering in a low voice (idiom); murmuring )

我发现身边的你 漠然回避
wǒ fāxiàn shēnbiān de nǐ mò rán huíbì
I discovered that at my side, you were cold and were avoiding me.
我(I)发现(found/discovered)身边(at one’s side)的(connecting particle)你(you) 漠然(indifferent / apathetic / cold )回避(avoid)

绝唱一段芊芊 爱无非看谁成茧
jué chàng yī duàn qiān qiān, ài wúfēi kàn shéi chéng jiǎn
The last singing of a segment of luxurious green, love is only but to see whom became callus.
绝（the last)唱(singing)一(one)段(segment)芊芊(luxurious green) 爱(love)无非(only but)看(see)谁(who)成(become)茧(cocoon / callus )

和你对弈输赢都回不去
hé nǐ duì yì shū yíng dōu huí bù qù
The wins or losses of my playing chess with you, all are not able to go back.
和(with)你(you)对弈(playing chess)输(loss)赢(win)都(all)回不去(not able to go back)

一曲轻描淡写勾勒尽是我的呼吸
yì qǔ qīng miáo dàn xiě gōu lè jìn shì wǒde hūxī
One song of deemphasizing completely sketchs my breathing.
一(one)曲(tune)轻描淡写(to sketch in light shades / to play down / to deemphasize (idiom) )勾勒(to draw the outline of / to outline / to sketch / to delineate contours of / to give a brief account of )尽 (all/completely)是(is)我的(my)呼吸(breathing)

山穷水绝处回眸一遍你
shān qióng shuǐ jué chù huí móu yí biàn nǐ
I glance back at you once more at the place of mountain ending and water extincting.
山(mountain)穷(to exhaust, end)水(water)绝(extinct)处(place)回眸(glance back)一遍(once)你(you)

**** music ****

小池塘清露踏涟漪
xiǎo chítáng qīng lù tà liányī
Little pond’s clear dews were treading on ripples.
小(little / small)池塘(pond)清(clear/pure)露(dew)踏(to tread)涟漪(ripples)

一圈一圈泛起
yì quān yì quān fàn qǐ
One circle after one circle started to float up
一(one)圈(circle)一(one)圈 (circle)泛(float)起(verb suffix, to start )

那眷恋依旧被微风凋零
nà juànliàn yījiù bèi wēi fēng diāolíng
That yearning is still withered by gentle wind.
那(that)眷恋(yearning)依旧(still)被 (passive action marker = V+ed) 微 (gentle)风(wind)凋零(wither)

翻阅相濡以沫的梦
fān yuè xiāngrúyǐmò de mèng
Thumbing through the dream of mutual help in humble circumstances.
翻阅 (thumb through) 相濡以沫 (to moisten with spittle (idiom); sharing meager resources / mutual help in humble circumstances )的(connecting particle)梦(dream)

长不过天地间
cháng bùguò tiāndì jiān
The length can’t exceed the between of heaven and earth.
长(length)不(not)过(exceed)天(sky)地(earth)间(between)

每一篇 如青涩般浮现
měiyī piān rú qīng sè bān fúxiàn
Every piece of writing emerged kind of like unripened.
每 (every)一(one)篇(sheet / piece of writing/ classifier for written items: chapter, article ) 如(is like)青涩(unripe / (fig.) young and inexperienced )般(sort/kind)浮现(emerge)

落雨声 嘀嗒嘀嘀 回荡着轻声细语
luò yǔ shēng dí tà dí dí huídàng zhe qīng shēng xì yǔ
The sound of falling rains, tick da tick tick, were resounding with gentle voices and soft talks.
落(falling)雨(rains)声(sound) 嘀嗒 ((onom.) di da )嘀嘀((onom.) didi ) tick tick ) 回荡(to resound)着(aspect particle indicating action in progress )轻(light)声(voice)细(gentle)语(chatting)

犹如你唯美叹息 那么动听
yóurú nǐ wéi měi tànxí nàme dòng tīng
It is like your aesthetic sighing which was that such pleasant to listen to.
犹如(similar to)你(you)唯美(aesthetics )叹息(sighing) 那么(so very much)动听(pleasant to listen to)

城外 湿呀沥沥 满地的呢喃细语
chéng wài shī ya lì lì mǎn dì de ní nán xì yǔ
The outside of city, wet and trickling, every ground (fills of) whispering in low voices.
城(city)外 (outside)湿(wet)呀((particle equivalent to 啊 after a vowel, expressing surprise or doubt) )沥沥(to trickle) 满(full)地(ground)的(connecting particle)呢喃细语(whispering in a low voice (idiom); murmuring )

我发现身边的你 漠然回避
wǒ fāxiàn shēnbiān de nǐ mò rán huíbì
I discovered that at my side, you were cold and were avoiding me.
我(I)发现(found/discovered)身边(at one’s side)的(connecting particle)你(you) 漠然(indifferent / apathetic / cold )回避(avoid)

绝唱一段芊芊 爱无非看谁成茧
jué chàng yī duàn qiān qiān, ài wúfēi kàn shéi chéng jiǎn
The last singing of a segment of luxurious green, love is only but to see whom became callus.
绝（the last)唱(singing)一(one)段(segment)芊芊(luxurious green) 爱(love)无非(only but)看(see)谁(who)成(become)茧(cocoon / callus )

和你对弈输赢都回不去
hé nǐ duì yì shū yíng dōu huí bù qù
The wins or losses of my playing chess with you, all are not able to go back.
和(with)你(you)对弈(playing chess)输(loss)赢(win)都(all)回不去(not able to go back)

一曲轻描淡写勾勒尽是我的呼吸
yì qǔ qīng miáo dàn xiě gōu lè jìn shì wǒde hūxī
One song of deemphasizing completely sketchs my breathing.
一(one)曲(tune)轻描淡写(to sketch in light shades / to play down / to deemphasize (idiom) )勾勒(to draw the outline of / to outline / to sketch / to delineate contours of / to give a brief account of )尽 (all/completely)是(is)我的(my)呼吸(breathing)

山穷水绝处回眸一遍你
shān qióng shuǐ jué chù huí móu yí biàn nǐ
I glance back at you once more at the place of mountain ending and water extincting.
山(mountain)穷(to exhaust, end)水(water)绝(extinct)处(place)回眸(glance back)一遍(once)你(you)

绝唱一段芊芊 爱无非看谁成茧
jué chàng yī duàn qiān qiān, ài wúfēi kàn shéi chéng jiǎn
The last singing of a segment of luxurious green, love is only but to see whom became callus.
绝（the last)唱(singing)一(one)段(segment)芊芊(luxurious green) 爱(love)无非(only but)看(see)谁(who)成(become)茧(cocoon / callus )

和你对弈输赢都回不去
hé nǐ duì yì shū yíng dōu huí bù qù
The wins or losses of my playing chess with you, all are not able to go back.
和(with)你(you)对弈(playing chess)输(loss)赢(win)都(all)回不去(not able to go back)

一曲轻描淡写勾勒尽是我的呼吸
yì qǔ qīng miáo dàn xiě gōu lè jìn shì wǒde hūxī
One song of deemphasizing completely sketchs my breathing.
一(one)曲(tune)轻描淡写(to sketch in light shades / to play down / to deemphasize (idiom) )勾勒(to draw the outline of / to outline / to sketch / to delineate contours of / to give a brief account of )尽 (all/completely)是(is)我的(my)呼吸(breathing)

山穷水绝处回眸一遍你
shān qióng shuǐ jué chù huí móu yí biàn nǐ
I glance back at you once more at the place of mountain ending and water extincting.
山(mountain)穷(to exhaust, end)水(water)绝(extinct)处(place)回眸(glance back)一遍(once)你(you)

Translate and annotated by Shu

Quotes about callous

“Most things break, including hearts. The lessons of life amount not to wisdom, but to scar tissue and callus.”
Wallace Stegner

“I watched a small man with thick calluses on both hands work fifteen and sixteen hours a day. I saw him once literally bleed from the bottoms of his feet, a man who came here uneducated, alone, unable to speak the language, who taught me all I needed to know about faith and hard work by the simple eloquence of his example.”

Mario Cuomo

Classic Chinese ink wash anime cartoon Little tadpoles look for mothers
【经典动画片 HQ】 小蝌蚪找妈妈 / 水墨动画 / 1960年版 / 片长15分钟