江南 (River South)

Jiang Nan

风到这里就是黏
fēng dào zhè lǐ jiù shì nián
When the wind reaches here, it becomes sticky.
黏住过客的思念
nián zhù guò kè de sī niàn
It sticks to the thoughts of passing travelers.
雨到了这里缠成线
yǔ dào le zhè lǐ chán chéng xiàn
When the rain reaches here, it intertwines.
缠著我们流连人世间
chán zhù wǒ men liú lián rén shì jiān
It entangles us, lingering in the worldly realm.
妳在身边就是缘
nǐ zài shēn biān jiù shì yuán
Having you by my side is fate.
缘分写在三生石上面
yuán fēn xiě zài sān shēng shí shàng miàn
Destiny is written on the stone of three lifetimes.
爱有万分之一甜
ài yǒu wàn fēn zhī yī tián
Love is a mere one in ten thousand sweetness.
宁愿我就葬在这一天
nìng yuàn wǒ jiù zàng zài zhè yī tiān
I would rather be buried on this day.
圈圈圆圆圈圈
quān quān yuán yuán quān quān
Circles, round and round, circles.
天天年年天天的我
tiān tiān nián nián tiān tiān de wǒ
Every day, year after year, it’s still me.
深深看妳的脸
shēn shēn kàn nǐ de liǎn
I gaze deeply at your face.
生气的温柔
shēng qì de wēn róu
Gentleness mingled with anger.
埋怨的温柔的脸
mán yuàn de wēn róu de liǎn
A tender face filled with complaints.
不懂爱恨情仇煎熬的我们
bù dǒng ài hèn qíng chóu jiān áo de wǒ men
We don’t understand the torment of love and hate.
都以为相爱就像风云的善变
dōu yǐ wéi xiāng ài jiù xiàng fēng yún de shàn biàn
We all thought love was like the unpredictable winds.
相信爱一天
xiāng xìn ài yī tiān
Believing in love for a day.
抵过永远
dǐ guò yǒng yuǎn
It surpasses eternity.
在这一刹那冻结了时间
zài zhè yī chà nà dòng jié le shí jiān
In this moment, time freezes.
不懂怎么表现温柔的我们
bù dǒng zěn me biǎo xiàn wēn róu de wǒ men
We don’t know how to express our gentleness.
还以为殉情只是古老的传言
hái yǐ wéi xùn qíng zhǐ shì gǔ lǎo de chuán yán
Still thinking that dying for love was just an ancient saying.
离愁能有多痛
lí chóu néng yǒu duō tòng
How painful can parting be?
痛有多浓
tòng yǒu duō nóng
How intense can pain be?
当梦被埋在江南烟雨中
dāng mèng bèi mái zài jiāng nán yān yǔ zhōng
When dreams are buried in the misty rain of Jiangnan.
心碎了才懂
xīn suì le cái dǒng
Only when the heart shatters do we understand.
圈圈圆圆圈圈
quān quān yuán yuán quān quān
Circles, round and round, circles.
天天年年天天的我
tiān tiān nián nián tiān tiān de wǒ
Every day, year after year, it’s still me.
深深看妳的脸
shēn shēn kàn nǐ de liǎn
I gaze deeply at your face.
生气的温柔
shēng qì de wēn róu
Gentleness mingled with anger.
埋怨的温柔的脸
mán yuàn de wēn róu de liǎn
A tender face filled with complaints.
不懂爱恨情仇煎熬的我们
bù dǒng ài hèn qíng chóu jiān áo de wǒ men
We don’t understand the torment of love and hate.
都以为相爱就像风云的善变
dōu yǐ wéi xiāng ài jiù xiàng fēng yún de shàn biàn
We all thought love was like the unpredictable winds.
相信爱一天
xiāng xìn ài yī tiān
Believing in love for a day.
抵过永远
dǐ guò yǒng yuǎn
It surpasses eternity.
在这一刹那冻结了时间
zài zhè yī chà nà dòng jié le shí jiān
In this moment, time freezes.
不懂怎么表现温柔的我们
bù dǒng zěn me biǎo xiàn wēn róu de wǒ men
We don’t know how to express our gentleness.
还以为殉情只是古老的传言
hái yǐ wéi xùn qíng zhǐ shì gǔ lǎo de chuán yán
Still thinking that dying for love was just an ancient saying.
离愁能有多痛
lí chóu néng yǒu duō tòng
How painful can parting be?
痛有多浓
tòng yǒu duō nóng
How intense can pain be?
当梦被埋在江南烟雨中
dāng mèng bèi mái zài jiāng nán yān yǔ zhōng
When dreams are buried in the misty rain of Jiangnan.
心碎了才懂
xīn suì le cái dǒng
Only when the heart shatters do we understand.
相信爱一天
xiāng xìn ài yī tiān
Believing in love for a day.
抵过永远
dǐ guò yǒng yuǎn
It surpasses eternity.
在这一刹那冻结了时间
zài zhè yī chà nà dòng jié le shí jiān
In this moment, time freezes.
不懂怎么表现温柔的我们
bù dǒng zěn me biǎo xiàn wēn róu de wǒ men
We don’t know how to express our gentleness.
还以为殉情只是古老的传言
hái yǐ wéi xùn qíng zhǐ shì gǔ lǎo de chuán yán
Still thinking that dying for love was just an ancient saying.
离愁能有多痛
lí chóu néng yǒu duō tòng
How painful can parting be?
痛有多浓
tòng yǒu duō nóng
How intense can pain be?
当梦被埋在江南烟雨中
dāng mèng bèi mái zài jiāng nán yān yǔ zhōng
When dreams are buried in the misty rain of Jiangnan.
心碎了才懂
xīn suì le cái dǒng
Only when the heart shatters do we understand.

Mandarin learning guide

Learn with 江南

This guide focuses on how the lyric moves between sticky rain, repeating circles, and brief moments of understanding. You’ll practice concrete grammar and imagery that recur in the supplied lines.

poetic connectors and aspect; emotion through repeated structures; core words for love, pain, and understanding

What to listen for

The supplied lyrics build a small emotional scene through repetition and contrast: wind and rain become sticky or tangled, then the song turns toward love, fate, parting, and a moment where pain leads to understanding. The language mixes simple everyday words like 天天 and 看 with more literary phrases such as 缘分, 三生石, and 烟雨, so it is a useful text for learning how Mandarin shifts between direct statement and poetic compression.

  • Recognize how repetition creates rhythm and emphasis in the lyrics.
  • Understand several key phrases for fate, parting, and emotional pain.
  • Translate selected lines in a way that preserves the lyric’s compact, poetic tone.

How the song moves

Opening imagery

The lyrics begin with wind and rain becoming黏 and缠, which turns natural movement into emotional sticking and entangling.

Fate and brief sweetness

The focus shifts to 妳, 缘, 缘分, and 爱有万分之一甜, then to the dramatic愿望 of葬在这一天.

Repeated refrain

Circles and the 天天年年天天的我 create a looping structure, while the face and temper line adds a human close-up.

Reflection and ending turn

The later lines question misunderstanding, parting, and pain, ending with dreams buried in 江南烟雨 and the realization that comes after heartbreak.

Translation choices

风到这里就是黏

fēng dào zhè lǐ jiù shì nián

Natural English
Here, the wind turns sticky.
Why
This keeps the compact image of 风到这里就是黏 without overexplaining it. 'Turns sticky' matches the lyric’s unusual sensory shift.

缘分写在三生石上面

yuán fēn xiě zài sān shēng shí shàng miàn

Natural English
Fate is written on the Stone of Three Lifetimes.
Why
This is a natural rendering of 缘分写在三生石上面 and preserves the literary reference in a concise form.

当梦被埋在江南烟雨中

dāng mèng bèi mái zài jiāng nán yān yǔ zhōng

Natural English
When dreams are buried in the misty rain of Jiangnan.
Why
This follows the supplied meaning closely and keeps the place name and weather image together, which matters for the line’s emotional effect.

Useful Mandarin from the song

过客guò kèpasserby; traveler

This word names someone who is only passing through. In the lyric, it helps show how the feeling attaches to fleeting people, not a permanent home.

我们只是过客。wǒ men zhǐ shì guò kè。We are only passersby.
缘分yuán fēnfate; a destined connection

This word often refers to a relationship felt as destined or prearranged. Here it is paired with writing on a stone, which makes the idea feel fixed and lasting.

我们很有缘分。wǒ men hěn yǒu yuán fēn。We have a special fate together.
冻结dòng jiéto freeze; to immobilize

Used here with 时间, it means time becomes still. The verb can be used more broadly for stopping movement or progress.

这个决定冻结了计划。zhè ge jué dìng dòng jié le jì huà。This decision froze the plan.
才懂cái dǒngonly then understand

才 marks the timing: understanding arrives late, after the painful experience. This pattern is useful for expressing insight that comes after an event.

失败后我才懂。shī bài hòu wǒ cái dǒng。Only after failing did I understand.

Listen closely

  • Listen for the repeated pair 圈圈圆圆圈圈 and 天天年年天天的我; the repetition is part of the lyric’s structure, not filler.
  • Notice how the line endings often land on strong image words like 黏, 线, 缘, and 痛, which makes the emotional focus very direct.
  • Track the shift from description to reflection: the song moves from wind and rain imagery to statements about understanding, pain, and dreams.

Check your understanding

  1. Which line uses 才懂 to show that understanding comes late?

    Show answer

    心碎了才懂。

  2. What does 缘分 mean in these lyrics, and which line shows it clearly?

    Show answer

    It means fate or a destined connection; see 缘分写在三生石上面。

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