‘Fire of the Heart’ by Yao Beina

《心火》 ‘Fire of the Heart’ was released this past October 10th, by singer and star contestant of this year’s The Voice of China 姚贝娜 Yao Beina aka Bella Yao. She was famous for winning the 13th National Young Singers TV Competition in 2008 and singing the theme song and several soundtracks of popular TV series The Legend of Zhen Huan in 2011. Yao Beina was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and claims to have fully recovered now. This song is about Yao Beina’s reflections on her experience fighting breast cancer.

At time of translation, this song had generated 1,751,517 listens on QQ Music.

Music Video:

Composer: Cui Di
Lyrics: Wen Ya
Singer: Yao Beina

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin Romanization, and English Translation):

没深夜痛哭过
méi shēn yè tòng kū guò
Without having cried bitterly in the night

又怎么会有资格
yòu zěn me huì yǒu zī gé
how can you be qualified

谈论命运生活
tán lún mìng yùn shēng huó
to talk about fate and life?

 

宁可壮烈地闪烁
níng kě zhuàng liè de shǎn shuò
Better to flicker bravely

不要平淡的沉默
bú yào píng dàn de chén mò
than to [submit to] dull silence

别问这是为何
bié wèn zhè shì wèi hé
Don’t ask “why”

 

因为我曾和恶魔 斗过几回合
yīn wèi wǒ céng hé è mó dòu guò jǐ huí hé
Because I once fought several rounds with a demon [breast cancer]

就算它极端恐吓 不握手言和
jiù suàn tā jí duān kǒng hè bú wò shǒu yán hé
Even as it threatened, I did not shake hands and make peace [with the disease——meaning she defeated the disease]

因为曾去日无多 才懂我想成为的我
yīn wèi céng qù rì wú duò cái dǒng wǒ xiǎng chéng wéi de wǒ
It’s because there was a time when my days were numbered that I came to understand whom I want to be

 

CHORUS #1:

捧着心 面对火
pěng zhe xīn miàn duì huǒ
Holding my heart, facing the fire

害怕却不退缩
hài pà què bú tuì suō
afraid but not shrinking away

所有置我于死地的
suǒ yǒu zhì wǒ yú sǐ dì de
All that tries to kill me

也激发我胆魄
yě jī fā wǒ dǎn pò
will also boost my courage

 

CHORUS #2:

狠下心 蹚过火
hěn xià xīn táng guò huǒ
Resolving my heart, trampling over the fire

重生在缝补过的躯壳
chóng shēng zài féng bǔ guò de qū ké
being reborn in a stitched-up/fortified body

当得起每个失而复得
dāng de qǐ měi gè shī ér fù dé
Living up to everything lost and recovered

凭着我够执着
píng zhe wǒ gòu zhí zhuó
because I am persistent/stubborn enough

 

我是短暂的花朵
wǒ shì duǎn zàn de huā duǒ
I am a transient flower

也是最长久的琥珀
yě shì zuì cháng jiǔ de hǔ pò
as well as the most lasting amber

总有美好要借我寄托
zǒng yǒu měi háo yào jiè wǒ jì tuō
There’s always beauty on which I rest my hope

 

深爱的都难以割舍
shēn ài de dōu nán yǐ gē shě
It’s too hard to leave those I love deeply

特别当妈妈说你要好好的
tè bié dāng mā ma shuō nǐ yào hǎo hao de
Especially when Mom says you must be safe and sound

永远是让她骄傲的女儿
yǒng yuǎn shì ràng tā jiāo ào de nǚ er
and always be the daughter that makes her proud

 

所以我曾和恶魔 斗过几回合
suǒ yǐ wǒ céng hé è mó dòu guò jǐ huí hé
So I once fought several rounds with a demon

就算它极端恐吓 不握手言和
jiù suàn tā jí duān kǒng hè bú wò shǒu yán hé
Even as it threatened, I did not shake hands and make peace [with the disease——meaning she defeated the disease]

因为曾去日无多 才懂我想成为的我
yīn wèi céng qù rì wú duò cái dǒng wǒ xiǎng chéng wéi de wǒ
It’s because there was a time when my days were numbered that I came to understand whom I want to be

 

CHORUS #1

 

CHORUS #2

 

为了心 扬起火
wèi le xīn yáng qǐ huǒ
For my heart, I raised the fire

愿意豁出命去搏
yuàn yì huō chū mìng qù bó
willing to stake my life to fight

能令我死而无憾的
néng lìng wǒ sǐ ér wú hàn de
What is able to make me die with no regrets

才让我真快乐
cái ràng wǒ zhēn kuài lè
is what makes me truly happy

 

我的心 就是火
wǒ de xīn jiù shì huǒ
My heart, is the fire

燃烧在每一首我唱的歌
rán shāo zài měi yì shǒu wǒ chàng de gē
burning in every song I sing

听到的人为我证明了
tīng dào de rén wèi wǒ zhèng míng le
The people who hear [my songs] prove for me

这世界我来过
zhè shì jiè wǒ lái guò
that I once came to this world.