The Last Rose of Summer paraphrased in Chinese

“The Last Rose” is one of the many world-renowned songs composed by the Irish writer, poet, and lyricist Thomas Moore, who initiated the setting of English poetry to beautiful traditional Irish tunes. Click on this link to watch a wonderful performance of this song by the “Celtic Woman”. If you would like to play this tune on the piano, there is an easy version under “Free Music Sheets” on this blog site.

(Purple Rose)

这一朵夏日最后的玫瑰独自绽开着.
Zhè yī duǒ xià rì zuìhòu de méiguī dúzì zhànkāizhe.
This last rose of summer blooms alone.

它可爱的同伴们都已凋谢枯亡.
Tā kě’ài de tóngbànmen dōu yǐ diāoxiè kū wáng.
Its lovely companions are all withered and gone.

近旁没有任何其他玫瑰花朵, 甚或一个幼小的花蕾,
Jìnpáng méiyǒu rènhé qítā méiguī huāduǒ, shènhuò yīgè yòuxiǎo de huālěi,
There’s no other rose near, or even a young bud,

来与它相互映红或者齐声赞叹.
lái yǔ tā xiānghù yìng hóng huòzhě qí shēng zàntàn.
to reflect each other’s red complexion, or to sigh a praise together.

我不忍心让寂寞的你在枝头上独受煎熬.
Wǒ bù rěnxīn ràng jìmò de nǐ zài zhī tóu shàng dú shòu jiān’áo.
I can’t bear to let the lonesome you suffer alone on the branch.

既然你可爱的同伴们都已睡去,
Jìrán nǐ kě’ài de tóngbànmen dōu yǐ shuì qù,
Since your lovely companions are all asleep,

你也去睡吧!
nǐ yě qù shuì ba!
you go to sleep as well!

我好心地把你的叶子撒在花圃上,
Wǒ hǎoxīn dì bǎ nǐ de yèzi sā zài huāpǔ shàng,
I kindly scatter your leaves over the flowerbed,

覆盖住你和你香消玉殒的花园友伴们.
fùgài zhù nǐ hé nǐ xiāng xiāo yù yǔn de huāyuán yǒu bànmen.
to cover you and your deceased garden companions.

不久我也将如此随你而去.
Bùjiǔ wǒ yě jiàng rúcǐ suí nǐ ér qù.
Soon I will follow you in the same way.

当友谊都已变质,
Dāng yǒuyì dōu yǐ biànzhí,
When friendship has gone sour,

爱情的链圈上的珠宝都已陆续掉落,
àiqíng de liàn quān shàng de zhūbǎo dōu yǐ lùxù diào luò,
the jewels on the chains of love have fallen off one by one,

真诚的心都已凋零, 而喜爱的人也都已离去，
zhēnchéng de xīn dōu yǐ diāolíng, ér xǐ’ài de rén yě dū yǐ lí qù,
true hearts have withered, and loved ones have all left,

啊, 谁会愿意独自留在这苍凉的世界上?
a, shéi huì yuànyì dúzì liú zài zhè cāngliáng de shìjiè shàng?
ah, who would want to remain in this desolate world alone?

I hope this poem has not gotten you into a depressed mood by making you learn these sorrowful words:

独自 (dúzì) means alone or by oneself.
寂寞 (jìmò) means being lonesome or lonely.
凋谢 (diāoxiè) means to wither and fall.
凋零(diāolíng) is to wither and be scattered about.
枯亡 (kū wáng) is to wither and die.
煎熬 (jiān’áo) is to torment (such as being fried or cooked in a pan).
离去 (lí qù) is to leave or depart.
香消玉殒 (xiāng xiāo yù yǔn) is an idiom that translates verbatim to: “The fragrance has disappeared and the jade is gone”. It is used to refer to the demise of an elegant woman.
苍凉的 (cāngliáng) means bleak or desolate.

As an antidote to the sad mood, please click on this link to listen to the joyful song called “Hukilau”.

And better yet, if you feel like it, watch this video to learn the hula dance to this song.

Last but not least, get a copy of “Learn Chinee through Songs and Rhymes” and download the associated audio files to learn Chinese and enjoy singing at the same time.