NB: There are two characters portrayed in the lyrics, the wife and the husband. Verse one is sung by Yisa Yu whereas verse two is sung by Hu Xia…so the instances of “I” in the two verses do not refer to the same person.
Verse 1: 一朝花开傍柳 yì zhāo huā kāi bàng liǔ One day, flowers bloomed beside the willow. 寻香误觅亭侯 xún xiāng wù mì tíng hóu While searching for the fragrance, I accidentally found a nobleman instead. 纵饮朝霞半日晖 zòng yǐn zhāo xiá bàn rì huī Indulging in drinks until the rosy clouds of morning were lit by half the day’s light, 风雨着不透 fēng yǔ zhuó bú tòu The wind and the rain were unable to touch us.
The youth was hastened into growing up by the wind.
[His] appearance hasn’t changed but there is a scar on [his] heart.
I love you. Let me let [this] love go.
One hand cannot keep a grasp on the flowing sand.
Two pairs of eyes cannot hold fast to the fallen flowers.
The wind blows [over] the grass, the clouds descend; your heart [races] like a wild horse.
Wait a moment. Time, please wait a moment.
A thousand passerines[2] cannot catch up to the flowing rosy clouds.
Ten thousand butterflies cannot put up against the harsh frost.
Water is dripping onto stone, the wind is blowing; my voice is hoarse.
Let go. Allow me to let you go.
The heavens and the earth, the rivers and the lakes[3], the sun and the moon.
[I] do not stay, do not think [of them]. [I] do not speak.
The weak waters[4.1] of this flourishing prosperous world—
How will three thousand[4.2] fit within a single dipperful[4.3]?
One person cannot walk all the way to the edge of the world.
Two snow storms cannot seal up the young sprouts.
The moon rises, the clouds descend; your smile [blossoms] like a flower.
Wait a moment. Time, please wait a moment.
A thousand words cannot express out loud [our] lover’s prattle.
Ten thousand letters cannot fully convey [my] care [for you].
The mountains are growing distant, the wind is blowing; my heart is upset, my thoughts tangled.
Let go. Allow me to let you go.
Repeat ***
Repeat [*, **] x2
忘了你 爱让我放下
wàng le nǐ / ài ràng wǒ fàng xià
I’ll forget you. Let me let [this] love go.
T/N:
[1] 放下 is literally to “put (something) down” so that it is no longer in one’s hand…or on one’s mind. In English, I thought “letting go” was more appropriate.
[2] Being accurate, 雀 refers to passerines, which include the greater half of all bird species. It typically refers to sparrows though.
[3] 江湖 is literally “rivers and lakes”, but extends to mean the entire land and also the commonfolk society.
[4] This will be a long-winded explanation; you have been warned!
[4.1] 弱水 is literally “weak water”. In the olden days, there were shallow but turbulent rivers that could not be crossed by boats. It was thought that this was due to the waters being “weak” and unable to support boats. However, since then, 弱水 has been extended to mean the “waters of love” (see overall explanation).
[4.2] 三千 is short for 三千大千世界, which is the concept of the “great trichiliocosm” in the sahasra (Sanskrit for “thousand”) cosmology in Buddhism that describes the horizontal arrangement of realms within the infinite universe. Here, you can take it to mean (the entirety of) the universe.
[4.3] 一瓢 is literally “one dipperful”.
What brings all three of these notes together is the quote “任凭弱水三千,我只取一瓢饮” (roughly “Despite there being an entire universe’s worth of waters of love, I will take only one dipperful to drink”), which originates from the novel “Dream of the Red Chamber”. Written in the 18th century, it is one of China’s four great classical novels.
The quote pretty much means to say “Even though there is an infinite number of women in this world, I will take only one to love.” (The speaker, male, is talking about his fiancée.) In this song, given the way things are phrased, I interpret it to be a question of how “one dipperful” could be enough.