Light Years Away by GEM: lyrics, pinyin, translation | 光年之外 by 鄧紫棋 (Guang Nian Zhi Wai) 歌詞翻譯8 min read

See below for Light Years Away by GEM: lyrics, pinyin and English translation! (aka 光年之外 Guang Nian Zhi Wai by 鄧紫棋 Deng Zi Qi)

“Lightyears Away” is the Chinese theme song for the 2016 sci-fi movie Passengers. Written and sung by Hong-Kong singer GEM, the song describes the relationship between the two main characters.

The haunting opening melody evokes a sense of the dark emptiness of outer space (where the movie is set) and erupts into a desperate chorus where the speaker describes his/her desperate and overwhelming love for the other person.

Original Lyrics / Pinyin / Translation

感受停在我髮端的指尖
Gǎnshòu tíng zài wǒ fàduān dì zhǐ jiān
(I) feel the fingers that stop in my hair
如何瞬間 凍結時間
rúhé shùnjiān dòngjié shíjiān
How a moment freezes time
記住望著我堅定的雙眼
jì zhù wàngzhe wǒ jiāndìng de shuāng yǎn
(I) see the pair of eyes looking steadily at me
也許已經 沒有明天
yěxǔ yǐjīng méiyǒu míngtiān
Maybe there already is no tomorrow
 
面對浩瀚的星海
miàn duì hàohàn de xīnghǎi
Facing a vast sea of stars
我們微小得像塵埃
wǒmen wéixiǎo de xiàng chén’āi
We are as small as dust
漂浮在 一片無奈
piāofú zài yīpiàn wúnài
Floating in helplessness
 
 
BRIDGE
 
緣份讓我們相遇亂世以外
yuán fèn ràng wǒmen xiāngyù luànshì yǐwài
Fate had us meet outside a chaotic world
命運卻要我們危難中相愛
mìngyùn què yào wǒmen wéinàn zhōng xiāng’ài
Destiny made us fall in love in the middle of danger
也許未來遙遠在光年之外
yěxǔ wèilái yáoyuǎn zài guāng nián zhī wài
Maybe in the future, far beyond light years
我願守候未知裡為你等待
wǒ yuàn shǒuhòu wèizhī li wèi nǐ děngdài
I am willing to guard an unknown location, waiting for you
 
 
CHORUS
 
我沒想到 為了你 我能瘋狂到
wǒ méi xiǎngdào wèile nǐ wǒ néng fēngkuáng dào
I never thought that for your sake, I would go insane to the point of
山崩海嘯 沒有你 根本不想逃
shānbēng hǎixiào méiyǒu nǐ gēnběn bùxiǎng táo
Landslides, tidal waves. Without you, I don’t want to escape
我的大腦 為了你 已經瘋狂到
wǒ de dànǎo wèile nǐ yǐjīng fēngkuáng dào
My own mind. For your sake, I’ve already gone insane to the point of
脈搏心跳 沒有你 根本不重要
màibó xīntiào méiyǒu nǐ gēnběn bù chóng yào
(feeling like) my pulse and heartbeat are totally unimportant without you
 
一雙圍在我胸口的臂彎
yī shuāng wéi zài wǒ xiōngkǒu de bì wān
A pair of arms encircling my chest
足夠抵擋 天旋地轉
zúgòu dǐdǎng tiānxuándìzhuǎn
are sufficient for resisting the rotation/revolution of the Earth
一種執迷不放手的倔強
yīzhǒng zhí mí bù fàngshǒu de juéjiàng
A type of stubborn persistence not willing to let go
足以點燃 所有希望
zúyǐ diǎnrán suǒyǒu xīwàng
Is enough to light up all hopes
 
宇宙磅礡而冷漠
yǔzhòu pāngbó ér lěngmò
The universe is immense and cold
我們的愛微小卻閃爍
wǒmen de ài wéixiǎo què shǎnshuò
Our love is small yet shining
顛簸 卻如此忘我
diānbǒ què rúcǐ wàngwǒ
precarious, yet selfless
 
[Repeat BRIDGE]
 
[Repeat CHORUS]
 
也許航道以外 是醒不來的夢
yěxǔ hángdào yǐwài shì xǐng bù lái de mèng
Perhaps outside of this path is a dream from which (we) do not wake
亂世以外 是純粹的相擁
luànshì yǐwài shì chúncuì de xiāng yōng
Outside of this chaotic worold is the most pure embrace
 
[Repeat CHORUS]
 
相遇亂世以外 危難中相愛
xiāngyù luànshì yǐwài wéinàn zhōng xiāng’ài
(We) met outside a choatic word, (we) fell in love in the midst of danger
相遇亂世以外 危難中相愛
xiāngyù luànshì yǐwài wéinàn zhōng xiāng’ài
 
[Same as above]

Lyrics in Colloquial English

I feel your fingers stopping in my hair and sense how a moment can freeze time. I remember your steady gaze, and think that perhaps there is no more tomorrow.

Facing a vast sea of stars, we are as small and insignificant as dust, floating helplessly.

BRIDGE

Fate led us to meet each other outside this troubled world, destiny made us fall in love in these dangerous times. Maybe our future is in a distant place, lightyears away from here. I’m willing to wait for you in that unknown place.

CHORUS

I never thought that for your sake I’d go crazy, it feels like landslides and tidal waves. Without you I don’t even want to escape my own mind. Because of you, I’ve gone crazy to the point where even my pulse and heartbeat are unimportant without you.

A pair of arms wrapped around my chest are enough to protect me from the revolution of the earth and sky. A type of stubborn persistence is enough to light up all my hopes.

The universe is majestic yet cold, and our love is tiny, yet shining, precarious and bumpy, yet selfless.

Perhaps outside this road there is a dream from which we don’t wake. Perhaps outside this path there is a pure embrace.

 

Lyrics Explained

感受停在我髮端的指尖
Gǎnshòu tíng zài wǒ fàduān dì zhǐ jiān
(I) feel the fingers that stop in my hair
  • 感受 / 停在 / 我 / 髮端 / 的  / 指尖 = Feel / stopping in / my / hair end / ‘s / fingertips
如何瞬間 凍結時間
rúhé shùnjiān dòngjié shíjiān
How a moment freezes time
  • 如何 / 瞬間 / 凍結 / 時間 = how / a moment / freezes / time
記住望著我堅定的雙眼
jì zhù wàngzhe wǒ jiāndìng de shuāng yǎn
(I) see the pair of eyes looking steadily at me
  • 記住 / 望著 / 我 / 堅定 / 的 / 雙眼 = Remembering / watching / me / steady / (possessive word) / pair of eyes
也許已經 沒有明天
yěxǔ yǐjīng méiyǒu míngtiān
Maybe there already is no tomorrow
  • 也許 / 已經 / 沒有 / 明天 = Maybe / already / no / tomorrow
面對浩瀚的星海
miàn duì hàohàn de xīnghǎi
Facing a vast sea of stars
  • 面對 / 浩瀚 / 的 / 星海 = facing / vast / (possessive word) / star+sea=sea of stars
我們微小得像塵埃
wǒmen wéixiǎo de xiàng chén’āi
We are as small as dust
  • 我們 / 微小得 / 像 / 塵埃 = we / small / like / dust
漂浮在 一片無奈
piāofú zài yīpiàn wúnài
Floating in helplessness
  • 漂浮 / 在 / 一片 / 無奈 = floating / in / a piece of / helplessness
 
BRIDGE
 
緣份讓我們相遇亂世以外
yuán fèn ràng wǒmen xiāngyù luànshì yǐwài
Fate had us meet outside a chaotic world
  • 緣份 / 讓 / 我們 / 相遇 / 亂世 / 以外 = Fate / let or made / us / meet / chaos or trouble / outside
命運卻要我們危難中相愛
mìngyùn què yào wǒmen wéinàn zhōng xiāng’ài
Destiny made us fall in love in the middle of danger
  • 命運 / 卻要 / 我們 / 危難 / 中 / 相愛 = Destiny / yet wanted / us / danger / midst / love (each other)
也許未來遙遠在光年之外
yěxǔ wèilái yáoyuǎn zài guāng nián zhī wài
Maybe in the future, far beyond light years
  • 也許 / 未來 / 遙遠 / 在 / 光年 / 之外 = Maybe / future / distant / at / light years / beyond or outside
我願守候未知裡為你等待
wǒ yuàn shǒuhòu wèizhī li wèi nǐ děngdài
I am willing to guard an unknown location, waiting for you
  • 我 / 願 / 守候 / 未知裡 / 為你 / 等待 = I / (am) willing / wait / inside the unknown / for you / wait
 
CHORUS
 
我沒想到 為了你 我能瘋狂到
wǒ méi xiǎngdào wèile nǐ wǒ néng fēngkuáng dào
I never thought that for your sake, I would go insane to the point of
  • 我 / 沒 / 想到 / 為了你 / 我能 / 瘋狂到 = I / not / think of / for you / I can / go crazy to the point of
山崩海嘯 沒有你 根本不想逃
shānbēng hǎixiào méiyǒu nǐ gēnběn bùxiǎng táo
Landslides, tidal waves. Without you, I don’t want to escape
  • 山崩 / 海嘯 / 沒有你 / 根本 / 不想 / 逃 = landslide / tidal wave / without you / totally / don’t want / escape
我的大腦 為了你 已經瘋狂到
wǒ de dànǎo wèile nǐ yǐjīng fēngkuáng dào
My own mind. For your sake, I’ve already gone insane to the point of
  • 我的 / 大腦 / 為了你 / 已經 / 瘋狂到 = my / head / for your sake / (I’ve) already / gone crazy to the point of
脈搏心跳 沒有你 根本不重要
màibó xīntiào méiyǒu nǐ gēnběn bù chóng yào
(feeling like) my pulse and heartbeat are totally unimportant without you
  • 脈搏 / 心跳 / 沒有你 / 根本 / 不重要 = Pulse / heartbeat / without you / totally / not important
一雙圍在我胸口的臂彎
yī shuāng wéi zài wǒ xiōngkǒu de bì wān
A pair of arms encircling my chest
  • 一雙 / 圍在 / 我胸口 / 的 / 臂彎 = a pair (of) / wrapped around / my chest / (possessive word) / bent arms
足夠抵擋 天旋地轉
zúgòu dǐdǎng tiānxuándìzhuǎn
are sufficient for resisting the rotation/revolution of the Earth
  • 足夠 / 抵擋 / 天旋地轉 = enough / (to) withstand / sky+spin+land+turn=rotation
一種執迷不放手的倔強
yīzhǒng zhí mí bù fàngshǒu de juéjiàng
A type of stubborn persistence not willing to let go
  • 一種 / 執迷 / 不 / 放手 / 的 / 倔強 = A type of / obstinate / not / letting go / (possesive word) / stubbornness
足以點燃 所有希望
zúyǐ diǎnrán suǒyǒu xīwàng
Is enough to light up all hopes
  • 足以 / 點燃 / 所有 / 希望 = enough to / light up / all / hopes
宇宙磅礡而冷漠
yǔzhòu pāngbó ér lěngmò
The universe is immense and cold
  • 宇宙 / 磅礡 / 而 / 冷漠 = Universe / majestic / and / cold or indifferent
我們的愛微小卻閃爍
wǒmen de ài wéixiǎo què shǎnshuò
Our love is small yet shining
  • 我們的愛 / 微小 / 卻 / 閃爍 = our love / tiny / yet / twinkling
顛簸 卻如此忘我
diānbǒ què rúcǐ wàngwǒ
precarious, yet selfless
  • 顛簸 / 卻 / 如此 / 忘我 = Bumpy / yet / so / self-forgetful
[Repeat BRIDGE]
 
[Repeat CHORUS]
 
也許航道以外 是醒不來的夢
yěxǔ hángdào yǐwài shì xǐng bù lái de mèng
Perhaps outside of this path is a dream from which (we) do not wake
  • 也許 / 航道 / 以外 / 是 / 醒不來 / 的 / 夢 = Maybe / channel, path, road / outside / is / can’t wake up / (possessive word) / dream
亂世以外 是純粹的相擁
luànshì yǐwài shì chúncuì de xiāng yōng
Outside of this chaotic worold is the most pure embrace
  • 亂世 / 以外 / 是 / 純粹 / 的 / 相擁 = troublesome (world or times) / outside / is / pure / embrace
[Repeat CHORUS]
 
相遇亂世以外 危難中相愛
xiāngyù luànshì yǐwài wéinàn zhōng xiāng’ài
(We) met outside a choatic word, (we) fell in love in the midst of danger
相遇亂世以外 危難中相愛
xiāngyù luànshì yǐwài wéinàn zhōng xiāng’ài
  • Same as above

 


Singable English Lyrics

I feel your fingers linger in my hair
And a moment from time borrow
I am arrested by your piercing pair
of eyes looking; no tomorrow

Seeing this unending sky
We seem to be no more than dust fly-
-ing in a helpless timeline

BRIDGE

In the midst of chaos we have come to know
Love that supercedes all danger, even so
Maybe in the distance, lightyears far from here
I am willing to stay and wait for you dear

CHORUS

Never knew that
For your sake I would go insane
Waves and landslides
Without you I cannot escape
From my own mind
For your sake I can only say
My heart will die
Without you I can’t live one day

Your arms are wrapped securely around me
They can hold up both earth and sky
And your persistent love is all I need
to fill me up with hope and light

The universe is boundless and cold
But I know that our love will always hold
and enfold us within its mold

Maybe
Beyond this road
Are dreams that do not wake
Outside this world
Is the only pure embrace

[Repeat CHORUS]