Translation of Anthony Wong's 1994 我们不是天使 (We Are Not Angels)
Anthony Wong-Ming was one half of Tat Ming Pair, the experimental duo that made some of Hong Kong's most well-known queer anthems during the Golden Age. He sang in both Cantonese and Mandarin, but began releasing more Mandarin music in the late 1990's, after Tat Ming Pair's (amicable) split.
我们不是天使 is my first Mandarin-English translation. When I first heard the song, I was struck by the bitterness in Wong's voice. Mandarin is the language of mainland China, as well as the language of the CCP rhetoric that Wong mentions (and mocks). In 我们不是天使, Mandarin is made--quite literally--into the embodiment of Wong's many political and personal turmoils.
It's also worth noting that Wong grew up Christian, but walked away from his church upon realizing its attitude towards homosexuality. His music is rife with religious motifs: Angels, Heaven, and eternity positioned next to political oppression, which is then positioned next to the viscerality of queer love and longing. I love this song to pieces, and it's actually been the soundtrack to some of my own writing.
Translation:
生命该尊敬自强 They tell us to live a life of respect and self-improvement (1) 爱情该地老天荒 They tell us that proper love should outlast the heavens and earth (2) 他们都不可能说谎 And they wouldn't lie, right? 要是我爱得疯狂 If my love is half-crazed and reckless 要是我不懂隐藏 If I don't know to hide it 是否我还没有成长 Does this mean I am still a child? Have not yet grown into myself? 如果真爱不一定光明 Well, if my love cannot bring light (3) 就让黑暗将天地埋葬 Then I would let darkness bring ruin to the heavens and earth
不希望天天向上 i've never harbored hopes of rising above this (4) 只知道生命无常 After all, I know my life isn't long, 这是我孤独的信仰 And that's religion enough for this lonely man. 是人间没有天堂 Is there truly no heaven between our bodies? 还是我没有翅膀 Or was I born without the wings 飞不出欲望的围墙 To flee from my desire? 总是堕落在谁的胸膛 I've only/always known the depravity of crashing into another's arms 总是让这个世界失望 The world has only/always been ashamed of me
我们不是天使 We are no angels 我们只是孩子 We are just children 寻找可以安躺的海港 Looking for safe harbors 不管天地苍茫 I don't care how vast the heavens and earth are 不怕迷失方向 I'm not scared of losing my way 总有互相拥抱的臂膀 We only/always have each other's arms to fall into 我们不是天使 We are no angels 我们终将飞逝 And in the end, we'll lose ourselves 沦落在五光十色里流浪 But maybe we can lose ourselves in a million colors (5) 难道他们想像的天堂 Tell me, is their heaven 是一个没有欲望的地方 A land without desire?
不希望天天向上 i've never harbored hopes of rising above this 只知道生命无常 After all, I know my life isn't long, 这是我孤独的信仰 And that's religion enough for this lonely man. 是人间没有天堂 Is there truly no heaven between our bodies? 还是我没有翅膀 Or was I born without the wings 飞不出欲望的围墙 To flee from my desire? 总是堕落在谁的胸膛 I've only/always known the depravity of crashing into another's arms 总是让这个世界失望 The world has only/always been ashamed of me
我们不是天使 We are no angels 我们只是孩子 We are just children 寻找可以安躺的海港 Looking for safe harbors 不管天地苍茫 I don't care how vast the heavens and earth are 不怕迷失方向 I'm not scared of losing my way 总有互相拥抱的臂膀 We only/always have each other's arms to fall into 我们不是天使 We are no angels 我们终将飞逝 And in the end, we'll lose ourselves 沦落在五光十色里流浪 But maybe we can lose ourselves in a million colors 难道他们想像的天堂 Tell me, is their heaven 是一个没有欲望的地方 A land without desire? 难道我们垮掉的翅膀 No wonder our broken wings 早已被这个世界遗忘 Have been forgotten by this world
Translation Notes:
(1) 尊敬自强 (cultivating the the spirit of self-improvement and shaping moral character) is a phrase lifted from the CCP's patriotic education campaign, and refers to a moral uprightness that is nationalistic by nature.
(2) A more accurate translation would be, "outlast the end of the earth and the ruin of the heavens." I thought this was a bit clunky, though, and "heavens and earth" fit more nicely with all the other lines that refer to something vast.
(3) A more accurate translation would be, "if my love is not bright," but I thought the action implied in "bringing light" stood in clearer contrast to the line about "ruining the heavens and earth" with darkness.
(4) 天天向上 (ascend every day) is another phrase lifted from the CCP, and also refers to cultivating your moral uprightness/spirit. Ironic, because it refers to ascension (to Heaven) in a very literal way.
(5) A more accurate translation would be, "five brilliances and ten colors," but I thought that was too clunky. I could be missing out on some nuance, though--let me know if I am. :)
Fun fact: Anthony Wong co-founded the Big Love Alliance and Renaissance Foundation, two LGBTQ+ rights organizations. Go check them out if you want to support his non-profit work!
