"Impressions of the West Lake" Translation
This song is very poetic, so if I've messed up or something needs more clarification, please tell me and I'll try to fix it. (Because a white American who has been studying Chinese for only a few years probably shouldn't be translating something like this...)
雨还在下，落满一湖烟
Rain is still falling, covering the lake in a mist.
断桥绢伞，黑白了思念
Under a silk umbrella on Duanqiao, my longings become black and white. (1)
谁在船上，写我的从前
Who's on a boat writing my past?
一笔誓言，满纸离散
An oath is scattered upon the paper. (2)
雨～～～ 站在湖边
Rain~~~Standing by the lake
雨～～～ 遥望北岸
Rain~~~Looking across to the Northern shore.
雨还在下，落满一湖烟
Rain is still falling, covering the lake in mist.
断桥绢伞，黑白了思念
Under a silk umbrella on Duanqiao, my longings become black and white. (1)
谁在船上，写我的从前
Who's on a boat writing my past?
一笔蝴蝶，满纸离散
A butterfly fills the paper. (2)
我的告别，从没有间断
My farewell still hasn't been interrupted.
西子湖上，一遍一遍
On the West Lake, verse by verse.
白色翅膀，分飞了流年
Time flies by on white wings.
长叹一声，天上人间
The angels sigh. (3)
雨还在下，淋湿千年
Rain is still falling, drenching a thousand years.
湖水连天，黑白了相见
The meeting of the lake and the sky becomes black and white.
谁在船上，写我从前
Who's on a boat writing my past?
一说人间，再说江山
The mortal world is man's domain. (4)
(1) A bridge over West Lake, which is a real place in the Zhejiang Province of China.
(2) The measure word here, "笔," refers to calligraphy or painting.
(3) Literally "the people in heaven."
(4) I'm not sure about the translation of this line, but "江山" refers to state power, but it's literally "rivers and mountains," which goes better with the use of imagery in this song.
雨还在下，落满一湖烟
Rain is still falling, covering the lake in a mist.
断桥绢伞，黑白了思念
Under a silk umbrella on Duanqiao, my longings become black and white. (1)
谁在船上，写我的从前
Who's on a boat writing my past?
一笔誓言，满纸离散
An oath is scattered upon the paper. (2)
雨～～～ 站在湖边
Rain~~~Standing by the lake
雨～～～ 遥望北岸
Rain~~~Looking across to the Northern shore.
雨还在下，落满一湖烟
Rain is still falling, covering the lake in mist.
断桥绢伞，黑白了思念
Under a silk umbrella on Duanqiao, my longings become black and white. (1)
谁在船上，写我的从前
Who's on a boat writing my past?
一笔蝴蝶，满纸离散
A butterfly fills the paper. (2)
我的告别，从没有间断
My farewell still hasn't been interrupted.
西子湖上，一遍一遍
On the West Lake, verse by verse.
白色翅膀，分飞了流年
Time flies by on white wings.
长叹一声，天上人间
The angels sigh. (3)
雨还在下，淋湿千年
Rain is still falling, drenching a thousand years.
湖水连天，黑白了相见
The meeting of the lake and the sky becomes black and white.
谁在船上，写我从前
Who's on a boat writing my past?
一说人间，再说江山
The mortal world is man's domain. (4)
(1) A bridge over West Lake, which is a real place in the Zhejiang Province of China.
(2) The measure word here, "笔," refers to calligraphy or painting.
(3) Literally "the people in heaven."
(4) I'm not sure about the translation of this line, but "江山" refers to state power, but it's literally "rivers and mountains," which goes better with the use of imagery in this song.