'My Best Love' by Aska Yang (and Michelle Pan)

《最爱》 “My Best Love” is the theme song of the 1986 Taiwanese movie 《最爱》 Passion starring 张艾嘉 Sylvia Chang aka Zhang Aijia and 林子祥 George Lam aka Lin Zixiang.

The song was originally sung by Taiwanese singer 潘越云 Michelle Pan aka Pan Yueyun and included in her 1986 album 《旧爱新欢》 New Love/Old Love, but became popular again after 杨宗纬 Aska Yang aka Yang Zongwei sang it on the April 5th semi-finals of the I Am A Singer reality singing competition that’s currently popular on Chinese television. Aska Yang went on to win that episode, with the finals being this Friday.

At time of translation, this song had 62,349 listens on popular Chinese online music streaming service Xiami, with videos of his performance on popular Chinese video streaming service Youku having as many as 630,925 views, as Chinese netizens went online to re-experience his rendition.

Music Video:

Composer: Jonathan Lee/Li Zongsheng
Lyrics: Zhong Xiaoyang, Zheng Guojiang
Singer: Aska Yang/Yang Zongwei

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

VERSE 1:

红颜若是只为一段情
hóng yán ruò shì zhǐ wèi yí duàn qíng
If a young person is committed to only one relationship

就让一生只为这段情
jiù ràng yì shēng zhǐ wèi zhè duàn qíng
then let the whole life exist for this relationship,

一生只爱一个人
yì shēng zhǐ ài yí gè rén
a whole life of loving one person,

一世只怀一种愁
yí shì zhǐ huái yì zhǒng chóu
a lifetime of embracing only one kind of [romantic] sorrow.
VERSE #2:

纤纤小手让你握着
xiān xiān xiǎo shǒu ràng nǐ wò zhe
Allow this delicate hand to be held by you

把它握成你的袖
bǎ tā wò chéng nǐ de xiù
Hold it until it becomes your sleeve [indicating the wish to become inseparable]

纤纤小手让你握着
xiān xiān xiǎo shǒu ràng nǐ wò zhe
Allow the delicate hand to be held by you

解你的愁你的忧
jiě nǐ de chóu nǐ de yōu
[Let it] unravel your sorrow, your worries
REPEAT VERSE #1 & 2
啊……啊……
a…a…
Ah…ah…

啊……啊……
a…a…
Ah…ah…
CHORUS #1:

自古多余恨的是我
zì gǔ duō yú hèn de shì wǒ
[The romantic,] since ancient times, tend to have plenty of regrets. That’s me.

[Note: “Since ancient times, (the romantic) tend to have plenty of regrets” is probably from a poem in Qing Dynasty novelist 魏子安 Wei Zi’an’s 《花月痕》Traces of Flowers and the Moon, 多情自古空余恨，好梦由來最易醒 “The romantic, since ancient times, the romantic tend to have plenty of regrets, good dreams are always easy to wake up from.”]

千金换一笑的是我
qiān jīn huàn yí xiào de shì wǒ
A thousand pieces of gold in exchange for one smile. That’s me [meaning I am willing to give a thousand pieces of gold in exchange for your smile].

是是非非恩恩怨怨都是我
shì shì fēi fēi ēn ēn yuàn yuàn dōu shì wǒ
Right and wrong, gratitude and resentment. All is on me [I’m responsible for everything and all emotions.]
VERSE 3:

只有那感动的是我
zhǐ yǒu nà gǎn dòng de shì wǒ
The only one who is moved is me

只有那感动的是你
zhǐ yǒu nà gǎn dòng de shì nǐ
The only one who is moved is you

生来为了认识你之后
shēng lái wèi le rèn shí nǐ zhī hòu
I came to this world only to know you

与你分离
yǔ nǐ fēn lí
and then part with you
CHORUS #2:

以前忘了告诉你
yǐ qián wàng le gào sù nǐ
In the past, I forgot to tell you

最爱的是你
zuì ài de shì nǐ
The one I love the most is you

现在想起来
xiàn zài xiǎng qǐ lái
Now I think of it

最爱的是你
zuì ài de shì nǐ
The one I love the most is you
REPEAT CHORUS #2
红颜难免多情
hóng yán nán miǎn duō qíng
Young people are inevitably romantic

你竟和我一样
nǐ jìng hé wǒ yí yàng
I didn’t expect you to be the same as I am