“Do you know what kindred spirits are?”
你知道什麽是知音嗎？
“Yes, I know, I have been feeling it too.”
我知道，我一直在聼。
I think I am going a bit crazy, I started to watch one TV series, My Roommate is a Detective (民國奇探), yesterday, then someone recommended another new series, Winter Begonia (鬢邊不是海棠紅), so I started to watch this one too, both dramas are available free to watch on YouTube with English subtitles. My Roommate has 36 episodes with story set in the 1920s, Winter has 49 episodes with story set in the 1930s, I am going to get square eyes in the next few weeks… However I have a penchant for stories set in those eras, so they are right up my alley…
Winter Begonia is set around the Peking opera and has a very emotional soundtrack, just listening to the lyrics of the theme songs has me choked up…
Theme Song, Winter Begonia, sang by Rover Lu 陸虎
鬢邊不是海棠紅 （電視劇《鬢邊不是海棠紅》主題曲）Winter Begonia
歌曲原唱：陸虎 填詞：于正 譜曲：陸虎 編曲：余雷
這一路的風和雪 侵蝕了畫面
This journey through the snowstorm, has eroded the view
你我就算不想見 心也在纏綿
Even if we no longer want to meet, our hearts still linger on
都說前世的緣 會偷偷潛入戲裡面
The fate of our past lives, has secretly sneaked into a play
曾經刻骨容顏 再度浮想聯翩
Your countenance was engraved in my mind once, now once again it comes into my reverie
已經到了生死間 別躊躇不前
It has come to the moment of life and death, don’t hesitate to move forward
好怕終斷了因緣 拿戲來敷衍
So afraid it will end the karma, so turn it into a play
就算哭過千遍 嗓子裡只剩下嗚咽
Even if I have cried a thousand times, only whimpering left in my voice
而我愛你不變 哪怕滄海桑田
I still love you no matter what vicissitudes of life bring
原來奼紫嫣紅開遍 似這般都付與斷井頹垣
A spring garden full of flowers, only the broken well and fallen wall are their companions *
良辰美景奈何天 賞心樂事誰家院
No one to enjoy such beautiful spring scenery, which house holds the key to happiness *
原來奼紫嫣紅開遍 似這般都付與斷井頹垣
A spring garden full of flowers, only the broken well and fallen wall are their companions *
你我這世 這世的緣
In this life you and I, our fate in this life
都在眉間 心田
All in our minds, our hearts
已經到了生死間 別躊躇不前
It has come to the moment of life and death, don’t hesitate to move forward
好怕終斷了因緣 拿戲來敷衍
So afraid it will end the karma, so turn it into a play
就算哭過千遍 嗓子裡只剩下嗚咽
Even if I have cried a thousand times, only whimpering left in my voice
而我愛你不變 哪怕滄海桑田
I still love you no matter what vicissitudes of life bring
原來奼紫嫣紅開遍 似這般都付與斷井頹垣
A spring garden full of flowers, only the broken well and fallen wall are their companions *
良辰美景奈何天 賞心樂事誰家院
No one to enjoy such beautiful spring scenery, which house holds the key to happiness *
原來奼紫嫣紅開遍 似這般都付與斷井頹垣
A spring garden full of flowers, only the broken well and fallen wall are their companions *
你我這世 這世的緣
In this life you and I, our fate in this life
都在眉間 心田
All in our minds, our hearts
商細蕊（尹正）：你知道什麼是知音嗎
Shang Xirui: Do you know what “knowing voice” (kindred spirit) is?
程鳳臺（黃曉明）：我知道我一直在聽
Cheng Fengtai: I know, I have been “listening” (feeling it).
* Verses from “牡丹亭 The Peony Pavilion”, a play for Kunqu Opera from 1598.
This Life sang by 王一哲
此生此時（電視劇《鬢邊不是海棠紅》插曲）This Life
歌曲原唱：王一哲 作詞：于正 作曲：王耀光 編曲：趙瑟
假如這一生就任性一回 我願意背負你所有的罪
If I have been a little bit more fickle just once in this lifetime, I would willingly bear all your sufferings for you
讓你肆無忌憚笑得歡 偷偷藏起這點餘味
So you can have a little joy and laughter, then I would secretly bottle your laughter for later
假如這一生就流一次淚 猛一回頭來不及防備
If I am only allowed to shed tears just once in this lifetime, but when I turn around, it is too late to stop my tears
假裝渾渾噩噩無所謂 塵埃裡開出了花蕾
So I pretend nothing is the matter, flower will bloom in the dust
我不後悔風雪中和你走一回 乾了這杯戲裡靈魂相對
I don’t regret facing the snowstorm with you, let’s toast this glass, our souls facing each other in the play
有些慚愧我不說但你心領神會 就此一醉夢裡你說人間好美
I’m ashamed, I don’t need to say it out loud but you still understood, in the drunken dream, you say how beautiful the world is
彌足珍貴此生有一段只能意會 無須安慰懂得遺忘心碎
Let’s treasure the time in this life we have together, no need for comfort but still willing to forget the heartbreak
和你依偎分分秒秒都不夠體會 青山嫵媚回望戲臺錦繡堆灰
All the time we spent together is still not enough to realize, looking back at the good times the stage has now turned into ashes
假如這一生就流一次淚 猛一回頭來不及防備
If I am only allowed to shed tears just once in this lifetime, but when I turn around, it is too late to stop my tears
假裝渾渾噩噩無所謂 塵埃裡開出了花蕾
So I pretend nothing is the matter, flower will bloom in the dust
我不後悔風雪中和你走一回 乾了這杯戲裡靈魂相對
I don’t regret facing the snowstorm with you, let’s toast this glass, our souls facing each other in the play
有些慚愧我不說但你心領神會 就此一醉夢裡你說人間好美
I’m ashamed, I don’t need to say it out loud but you still understood, in the drunken dream, you say how beautiful the world is
彌足珍貴此生有一段只能意會 無須安慰懂得遺忘心碎
Let’s treasure the time in this life we have together, no need for comfort but still willing to forget the heartbreak
和你依偎分分秒秒都不夠體會 青山嫵媚回望戲臺錦繡堆灰
All the time we spent together is still not enough to realize, looking back at the good times the stage has now turned into ashes
This Lifetime sang by Shin 信
Update May 8, 2020: Last year, when I watched the episode of Sound of My Dream (夢想的聲音) where Zheng Yin (尹正) performed a tribute to his idol, the great late Leslie Cheung (張國榮), I have not even heard of this singer/actor yet. After seeing his amazing portrayal of the talented, hot-tempered, manchild character of Shang Xirui in Winter Begonia, I am seeing him in a new light with this performance in Cantonese from 2016!
Update May 9, 2020:
Behind the scenes videos of Winter Begonia
《鬢邊不是海棠紅》幕後花絮
Corner Café 
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