世界崩塌
This Chinese lyric is a translation of the 1962 English song “The End of the World”, made famous by Skeeter Davis, reaching the top five on four different charts. The song was composed by Arthur Kent with lyrics by Sylvia Dee.
Although the song is about the aftermath of a romantic breakup, the lyricist was reported as saying that she drew on her sorrow from her father’s death to set the mood for the song.
The lyrics revolve around the irony created by the contrast between the vast, impersonal universe and the singer’s intensely personal despair. While the world continues its immense and indifferent cycles — sunrise, ocean tides, the sea and the birds — the singer’s inner world has utterly collapsed. The opening lines even suggest a quiet resentment toward the sun itself, as if it has the audacity to rise and shine while she is drowning in grief.
Note that Hong Kong singer 邓紫棋 released a Mandarin adaptation, titled 《后会无期》, as recently as 2014. As is more common, 后会无期 is not a direct translation of the original lyrics. The focus of her song is less on emotional paralysis and more on the inevitability of separation and disappearance.
When crafting the Chinese lyric, Chunjiro aims to preserve the original lyricist’s or composer’s intent as closely as possible, while also attending to rhythm and rhyme.
This Chinese lyric is singable to the original melody.
CLICK the respective link below to view the music video on YouTube:
Mandarin Rendition (Female vocals) of “The End of the World”.
Mandarin Rendition (Male vocals) of “The End of the World”.
为何太阳闪耀四方
为何海水涌上岸
Why does the sun go on shining
Why does the sea rush to shore
我的世界已变渺茫
当你说 爱情 本无常
Don't they know it's the end of the world
'Cause you don't love me any more
为何鸟儿继续歌唱
为何星星放光芒
Why do the birds go on singing
Why do the stars glow above
我的世界变得灰暗
失去你，我失去希望
Don't they know it's the end of the world
It ended when I lost your love
清晨醒来我轻轻问问自己
为何一切一样无变异
I wake up in the morning and I wonder
Why everything's the same as it was
我无法明白 我也不敢明白
为何生活始终没更改
I can't understand, no, I can't understand
How life goes on the way it does
为何我的心跳动如常
为何双眼泪满眶
Why does my heart go on beating
Why do these eyes of mine cry
我的世界崩塌万丈
离别惆怅令我迷惘
Don't they know it's the end of the world
It ended when you said good-bye
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