Another song by Xie Tian Xiao this week, this is a classic too! It has a heavier hard rocking sound than the previous song or the first song we saw on this blog, which you can see also for an intro to the artist Xie Tian Xiao.
Here is a ballad about a person who finds themselves lost in a forest and encounters a stranger. The stranger tells them that it will take their whole life to find the way home. And what is home? That is a perfect fable or folk tale in its premise, and the lyrics explore themes of confusion, regret, and the search for direction in life.
So what does the song title really tell? 是谁把我带到了这里 is a mouthful!
“是谁把我带到了这里”
(Shì shuí bǎ wǒ dài dào le zhè lǐ)
Before we go on any further, however, it’s good form to listen to the full song,
The title can be rendered as "Who Brought Me Here?". Words and a little bit of grammar:
是 (shì, "is"; 谁 (shuí), "who".
把 (bǎ), a particle used to indicate the object of the verb.
我 (wǒ), "me".
带 (dài), "to bring" or "to lead".
到 (dào), "to" or "arrive".
了 (le), a particle used to indicate a completed action, often as a sort of past tense.
这里 (zhè lǐ), "here".
The sentence is in the form of a question, with the subject ("who") placed at the beginning of the sentence and the object ("me") placed after the verb ("bring/lead"). The particle "了" is used to indicate that the action of bringing or leading has already been completed. The word "这里" is used to refer to the location where the speaker currently is.
歌词 | "Who Led Me Here?"
歌词 (Gēcí) means lyrics (of a song.) The title above is reflective of the main theme of the song, which is about the speaker being lost and trying to find their way back home. The use of the question "Who brought me here?" suggests confusion and disorientation, as the speaker is unsure of how they ended up in their current location.
凌晨时我离开了人群 / 迷迷糊糊来到森林里
(Língchén shí wǒ líkāi le rénqún / mímíhūhū lái dào sēnlín lǐ)
“In the early hours of the morning, I left the crowd. /“
凌晨时 (língchén shí), In the early hours 时 of the morning 凌晨. Note that 时 is the singular word, hour, and also that there is no need for a possessive particle, such as “of the”.
我离开了人群 (wǒ líkāi le rénqún), I left 离开了 the crowd 人群. The verb “to leave”, 离开, is made into the past tense with particle le (see the section immediately above.)
“Dazed and confused, I found myself in a forest.”
迷迷糊糊 (mímíhūhū), dazed and confused.
来到 (lái dào), to arrive [at].
森林里 (sēnlín lǐ), in/inside the forest.
这里的人告诉我 / 要用树叶当做衣
(Zhè lǐ de rén gào sù wǒ / Yào yòng shù yè dāng zuò yī)
"The people here told me to use tree leaves as clothes."
这里 (zhèlǐ), here and 的 (de), particle indicating possession or modification.
人 (rén), people.
告诉 (gàosu), to tell.
我 (wǒ), me.
这里的人 (the people here) is the subject of the sentence, 告诉 (to tell) is the verb, and 我 (me) is the object.
要 (yào), to want; to need.
用 (yòng, to use
树叶 (shùyè), leaves (of a tree.)
当做 (dàngzuò), to treat as; to use as.
衣 (yī), clothes.
要用 (to want to use) is used to express the purpose of the action. 树叶 (leaves) is the object of the verb 用 (to use), and 当做 (to treat as) is employed to say that the leaves are being used as clothing.
The phrase uses relatively simple vocabulary and grammar structures, but the idea of using tree leaves as clothing is an example of allegorical imagery often found in Chinese literature and poetry. Using leaves as clothing represents a state of poverty and destitution or simply, of simplicity or humility. Implying that the people in this place live a simple, natural life, contrasting with materialistic and complex society outside the forest.
Alright, this was a short article! Since this song is a bit long, at least for non-native speakers who are learning each word, it will be split into three parts or separate posts. This is just the introduction of this series and so is made shorter to make it less daunting. But it will be easy anyhow, see you on the next article.