Been wanting to do this for ages, an English translation of the song 年少無知 (Youthful Ignorance) by Paul Wong, used as an ending theme for TVB's When Heaven Burns. Trying to be lyrical and poetic whilst remaining true to the idioms and feeling of the Chinese without being a word for word semantic translation. The more I work on this translation, the more I see what the fuss has been about that When Heaven Burns is about the Tiannamen Square protests.
(BL)Youth is good, unruliness is good,
Not willing to abide with this feudalism,
Believing in the superstition that by taking to the streets the truth can be achieved,
The masses denounce a flag raised high,
Willing to give up all to appeal,
The ingrained. thinking of the elites.
Alas life is a pile of setbacks,
Alas in living we must compromise.
(MC)Youth is good, poverty is good,
Happy with just a dollar in savings,
A cheap guitar eases my temper,
But with wealth achieved youth has flown,
In giving there need not be thought of return,
In this world there must be differences.
Alas life is the sound of the sighs of frustration,
Alas living is the sound of apologies being made.
(Together)Fear persecution.
What if fates could be chosen?
That at each cross roads you and I could take each step without a care?
What if in living we could be more open?
That yesterdays principles need not accept the ravages of time?
(KW)Youth is good, friends are good,
Arguments have no need for an accused,
No need to memorise the rules of the game,
As we grow old,
There is no way to mend the aging beliefs of youth,
Time is such a horror.
(Together)If fate could be chosen,
Then at each cross roads you and I could take each step without hesitation,
If living was more open,
Then it would be discovered that yesterday's principles have not grown old.
If fate could be rehearsed,
In realty there would be no need,
To accept the cruelty of a lifetime of decisions.
If past beliefs had been held on to?
Would I still live with such regret?
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