Have you watched the popular Chinese drama called the Untamed - 陈情令 (chén qíng lìng) before? If so, you must be familiar with the main theme song called 无羁 (wú jī), which means unrestrained. The song was originally sung by popular Chinese actors - 肖战 (xiāo zhàn) and 王一博 (wáng yī bó).
In this lesson, we will look the meaning of the lyrics together! If you would like to hear Teacher Lin attempt to sing the song and the pronunciation of the words, do make sure to watch the video lesson below!
Unrestrained 无羁 (wú jī)
Chinese: 闻笛声 独惆怅 云深夜未央
Pinyin: wén dí shēng dú chóu chàng yún shēn yè wèi yāng
English Translation: Hearing the lonely and melancholic sound of the flute. The clouds are thick and the night is young.
Explanation: 闻 means to hear, 笛 is a flute 声 is the sound. 独 means alone and 惆怅 means melancholy. So far it means, 'Hearing the sound of the lonely and melancholic flute.' 云深 means thick clouds, 夜未央 means the night is still young. Altogether we have, 'Hearing the lonely and melancholic sound of the flute. The clouds are thick and the night is young.'
Chinese: 是与非 都过往 醒来了 怎能当梦一场
Pinyin: shì yǔ fēi dōu guò wǎng xǐng lái le zěn néng dāng mèng yī chǎng
English Translation: What’s right and wrong is in the past. Waking up, how can it all just be treated as a dream?
Explanation: 是与非 means right and wrong. 都过往 means all has passed. 醒来了 means to wake up and 怎能当 means how can it be 梦一场 a dream. 梦 means dream, 一 means one and 场 is the counter word for dream. Altogether we have, 'what’s right and wrong is in the past. Waking up, how can it all just be treated as a dream?'
Chinese: 红尘中 毁誉得失如何去量
Pinyin: hóng chén zhōng huǐ yù dé shī rú hé qù liàng
English Translation: In the mortal world, how does one measure the gains and losses of reputation?
Explanation: 红尘 literally means red dust, but it actually refers to the mortal world, human society. 中 means in the middle of. Altogether, it means in the mortal world. 毁誉 means defamation (毁) and praise (誉). 得失 means gains (得) and losses (失). You may have noticed here that there isn’t a word for ‘and’ in between 毁誉 or 得失 here because it can be omitted in times where it flows better without having the word 与 or 和 in between. This is very common in songs or poetry. 如何 means how and 去量 means go to measure. So altogether, this means 'In the mortal world, how does one measure the gains and losses of reputation?'
Chinese: 萧萧血热刀锋凉
Pinyin: xiāo xiāo xuè rè dāo fēng liáng
English Translation: The hot blood is splattering on the cold blade.
Explanation: 萧萧 is an onomatopoeia of the sound of the rain, the 'pitter patter' sound. 血热 means the hot blood, 刀锋 means blade and 凉 cool. This verse means 'hot blood is splattering on the cold blade.'
Chinese: 山高水远
Pinyin: shān gāo shuǐ yuǎn
English Translation: The heights of the mountains and the lengths of the seas.
Explanation: 山高 heights of the mountains and 水远 the lengths of the water or in this case the rivers and the seas. It essentially means a long journey.
Chinese: 又闻琴响
Pinyin: yòu wén qín xiǎng
English Translation: Hearing the sound of the zither again.
Explanation: 又闻 means to hear again 琴响 the sound of the 琴 which is zither. The 琴 referred to here is this ancient Chinese instrument here. So altogether, hearing the sound of the zither again.
Chinese: 陈情未绝 卧荻花月如霜
Pinyin: chén qíng wèi jué wò dí huā yuè rú shuāng
English Translation: This unrequited love hasn’t stopped. Much like the relationship between the low-lying silver grass and the frost-like moon.
Explanation: 陈情 means unrequited love 未绝 means hasn’t stopped or ended. 卧 means lying down, 荻花 means silver grass. So the low-lying silver grass and 月means moon如is like 霜 frost. In summary, this unrequited love hasn’t stopped like the relationship between the low-lying silver grass and the frost-like moon.
Chinese: 煮一壶生死悲欢 祭少年郎 明月依旧何来怅惘
Pinyin: zhǔ yī hú shēng sǐ bēi huān jì shào nián láng míng yuè yī jiù hé lái chàng wǎng
English Translation: Let’s boil a pot of life, death, grief, and joy to commemorate the young men. The moon is still as bright as ever, why feel so sorrowful?
Explanation: 煮一壶 means to boil a pot of 生死悲欢 life, death, grief, and joy. 祭少年郎. 祭 means to make an offering to, pay worship to or mourn 少年郎 the 'youth' or literally 'the young men'. 明月依旧 means the moon is still bright as always, 何来怅惘. 何来 How comes 怅惘 sorrowful.
Chinese: 不如潇潇洒洒 历遍风和浪
Pinyin: bù rú xiāo xiāo sǎ sǎ lì biàn fēng hé làng
English Translation: Why not just openly face all the hardships in life.
Explanation: 不如 means why not 潇潇洒洒, so 潇洒 means nonchalantly, so in a casual and calm manner. There is a doubling of the words here for emphasis. 历遍 means to traverse through or experience the 风 wind 和浪 and the waves. Altogether, this part means 'Why not just openly face all the wind and rain - the hardships in life?'
Chinese: 天涯一曲共悠扬
Pinyin: tiān yá yī qǔ gòng yōu yáng
English Translation: Let's share this melody together wherever we are in the world.
Explanation: 天涯 means the ends of the skies of the world, 一曲 one song 共 means together 悠扬 means melody. This means 'let’s share this melody together wherever we are in the world.'
Chinese: 穿万水 过千山 路尽人茫茫
Pinyin: chuān wàn shuǐ guò qiān shān lù jìn rén máng máng
English Translation: Travelling through the seas and mountains to end up in a vast sea of people.
Explanation: 穿, you may know that 穿 means to wear clothes. But it also means to go through 万水 万 can mean ten thousand or it suggests a large amount. 水 means water. 穿万水 means to travel through the seas. The next part is 过千山, 过 means to pass and 千 again suggests a large number of something and is often used with 万. For example, 'tens of thousands of'. 山 means mountains. 路尽 means at the end of the road, 人 means person and 茫茫 means vast. So a vast sea of people.
Chinese: 是与非 都过往 醒来了 就当它梦一场
Pinyin: shì yǔ fēi dōu guò wǎng xǐng lái le jiù dāng tā mèng yī chǎng
English Translation: Now that I wake up, let’s treat it all like a dream.
Explanation: 是与非 都过往 means 'what’s right and wrong is a thing of the past'. 醒来了 就当它梦一场 means 'Now that I wake up, let’s treat it all like a dream.'
Chinese: 红尘中 毁誉得失如何去量
Pinyin: hóng chén zhōng huǐ yù dé shī rú hé qù liàng
English Translation: In the mortal world, how does one measure the gains and losses of reputation?
Explanation: 红尘 literally means red dust, but it actually refers to the mortal world, human society. 中 means in the middle of. Altogether, it means in the mortal world. 毁誉 means defamation (毁) and praise (誉). 得失 means gains (得) and losses (失). You may have noticed here that there isn’t a word for ‘and’ in between 毁誉 or 得失 here because it can be omitted in times where it flows better without having the word 与 or 和 in between. This is very common in songs or poetry. 如何 means how and 去量 means go to measure. So altogether, this means 'In the mortal world, how does one measure the gains and losses of reputation?'
Chinese: 萧萧血热刀锋凉
Pinyin: xiāo xiāo xuè rè dāo fēng liáng
English Translation: The hot blood is splattering on the cold blade.
Explanation: 萧萧 is an onomatopoeia of the sound of the rain, the 'pitter patter' sound. 血热 means the hot blood, 刀锋 means blade and 凉 cool. This verse means 'hot blood is splattering on the cold blade.'
Chinese: 山高水远
Pinyin: shān gāo shuǐ yuǎn
English Translation: The heights of the mountains and the lengths of the seas.
Explanation: 山高 heights of the mountains and 水远 the lengths of the water or in this case the rivers and the seas. It essentially means a long journey.
Chinese: 又闻琴响
Pinyin: yòu wén qín xiǎng
English Translation: Hearing the sound of the zither again.
Explanation: 又闻 means to hear again 琴响 the sound of the 琴 which is zither. The 琴 referred to here is this ancient Chinese instrument here. So altogether, hearing the sound of the zither again.
Chinese: 陈情未绝 笑世事多无常
Pinyin: chén qíng wèi jué xiào shì shì duō wú cháng
English Translation: This unrequited love hasn't stopped. Just smile at the ever-changing happenings in the world.
Explanation: 陈情未绝This unrequited love hasn’t stopped. 笑 means to smile at the 世事 means the matters in the world. 多 a lot and 无常 means temporary or changing. Altogether, this means 'This unrequited love hasn't stopped. Just smile at the ever-changing happenings in the world.'
Chinese: 煮一壶生死悲欢 祭少年郎 明月依旧何来怅惘
Pinyin: zhǔ yī hú shēng sǐ bēi huān jì shào nián láng míng yuè yī jiù hé lái chàng wǎng
English Translation: Let’s boil a pot of life, death, grief, and joy to commemorate the young men. The moon is still as bright as ever, why feel so sorrowful?
Explanation: 煮一壶 means to boil a pot of 生死悲欢 life, death, grief, and joy. 祭少年郎. 祭 means to make an offering to, pay worship to or mourn 少年郎 the 'youth' or literally 'the young men'. 明月依旧 means the moon is still bright as always, 何来怅惘. 何来 How comes 怅惘 sorrowful.
Chinese: 不如坦坦荡荡 历遍风和浪
Pinyin: bù rú tǎn tǎn dàng dàng lì biàn fēng hé làng
English Translation: Let’s be frank and open in facing all the hardships in life.
Explanation: 不如 means 'How about', 坦坦荡荡 means 'to be frank' or 'openly'. 历遍风和浪 'face the wind and rain.' So altogether this means 'Let’s be frank and open in facing all the hardships in life.'
The song then repeats the verses we have already covered above. If you would like to hear the pronunciation of the lyrics, please watch this video here and let us know whether this helped you in the comments!