#hiperson

(2016)

this is one of the most beautiful songs i have ever heard in my life.

sina toki e ni: mi ike. mi pilin e ni: mi ike lili. mi wile e ni: tenpo kama la mi ken sama kon lili pi tenpo kasi. ni la mi kon tawa insa sina, li wile e ala. tenpo ni la sina olin ala e mi.

sina toki e ni: pilin mi li lete, mi pilin e moli. mi pilin e ni: lon li lawa e mi. tan ni la mi mama e kili pona mute, e kili suli mute.

lon anpa pi ma anpa, lon anpa pi ma anpa, jan pi sitelen tawa li toki tawa ona.

sina la seme li lon? sina lon toki. tenpo kama lili la toki ni li pini. sina pali mute tawa ni: sina pona wawa e ona. tenpo lili la pilin sina li ike. tenpo ale la sina lukin tawa sinpin. toki lon sina li sin tawa mi. sina ken ala ken lukin e toki ale? mi pilin e ni: ni li pana sina nanpa wan.

telo en kon li tawa e sina. sina powe mute e tawa noka. sina toki wawa, li kalama suli. sina kute e weka kalama taso.

taso ale sina la, taso ale mi la, ale ante li lon ala lon? lon ni la, ike en pona li pakala lili taso. lon ni la, ijo li weka e selo powe mute. lon ni la, lon tenpo ale la, sitelen li kama, li tawa. sina kama lon ni la, sina wile ala e awen e lukin. ken la mi ken pona e nimi ike mi. ma pi sona ala li lon poka ale. toki li lon ala. taso kalama li kalama kalama e ni: toki! toki kama! toki kama la sina o kama a! pona pi jan ale li nena ma lili taso lon ni.

(translated into Toki Pona from Mandarin Chinese)

MUSIC MONDAY 幕布/ Mùbù /The Curtain

Hiperson (Or  海朋森) is a five-piece rock band from Chengdu, Sichuan, China. While the Chinese rock scene has traditionally been associated with Beijing and, to a lesser extent, with Shanghai, Hiperson, coming from the comparatively ‘poppy’ Chinese South, have made a name for themselves in the last couple of years. When asked about the band’s name, one band-mate explained ‘It’s supposed to be the first thing an outsider would say to humans when he reaches earth. But the alien thing is just a metaphor – it’s about having a different point of view, which leads to different answers.’

Of the lyrics of their album ‘No Need For Another History’, released in 2015, songwriter Chen said  ‘In the songs, I’m most interested in maintaining a kind of childlike attitude toward oneself, toward society… They’re filled with fluctuating emotions about the things around us – the changes everywhere, the chaos of this time. We don’t know what this time in history will hold.’

Keep reading for lyrics in Simplified Chinese, Pinyin, and English…