Tou Ming by G.E.M. (Selfless) pinyin, lyrics, translation | 透明 鄧紫棋9 min read

See below for Selfless by G.E.M. Includes literal, colloquial, and singable English lyrics and video demos so that you can learn Chinese while you sing!

透明 Tou Ming by鄧紫棋 Deng Zi Qi (GEM):

  • Lyrics by G.E.M.
  • Music by G.E.M.
  • Sung by G.E.M.

“Selfless” by G.E.M. describes a singer losing herself in a romantic relationship. The song’s Chinese title, “Tou Ming” literally means “transparent,” so the English title is a kind of play on words: someone who has become so selfless in giving to her partner that she has less of herself left. This song came from an album whose theme involves animals (the name of the album is City Zoo) and the animal chosen as a symbol for this particular song is the chameleon–an animal that changes color according to its environment.

Original Lyrics / Pinyin / Translation

愛著你 也愛著我
Àizhe nǐ yě àizhe wǒ
Loving you, yet loving me
這是一種折磨 這是一種折磨
zhè shì yīzhǒng zhémó zhè shì yīzhǒng zhémó
It’s excruciating, it’s excruciating

今夜無數的街燈 沿路陪著我
jīnyè wú shǔ de jiēdēng yánlù péizhe wǒ
Tonight, innumerable street lights accompany me
卻把我孤獨的裂縫 照得更寂寞
què bǎ wǒ gūdú de lièfèng zhào dé gèng jìmò
Yet they only make my lonely cracks look even more alone
如果這是一個夢 註定沒結果
rúguǒ zhè shì yīgè mèng zhùdìng méi jiéguǒ
If this is a dream, and there is no possibility of a result

那就讓它是個夢 醒來就解脫
nà jiù ràng tā shìgè mèng xǐng lái jiù jiětuō
Then let it just be a dream, when (I) wake, I’ll be free
是否月光太煽情 讓我突然變得感性
shìfǒu yuèguāng tài shānqíng ràng wǒ túrán biàn dé gǎnxìng
Is the moonlight too sensational, making me suddenly emotional
孤掌難鳴 我孤身卻難以安靜
gūzhǎngnánmíng wǒ gūshēn què nányǐ ānjìng
A single hand can’t clap, I’m alone, but unable to be quiet (peaceful)
睜開眼睛 我們的路無法看清
zhēng kāi yǎnjīng wǒmen de lù wúfǎ kàn qīng
Open my eyes but can’t see our road clearly
想閉上眼睛 把一切暫停
xiǎng bì shàng yǎnjīng bǎ yīqiè zàntíng
Want to close my eyes and pause everything

當我的世界出現了你 出現了你
dāng wǒ de shìjiè chūxiànle nǐ chūxiànle nǐ
When you appear in my world, you appear
我看著自己變得透明 變得透明
wǒ kànzhe zìjǐ biàn dé tòumíng biàn dé tòumíng
I see myself become transparent, become transparent
怪我對你太執迷
guàiwǒ duì nǐ tài zhí mí
It’s my fault for being too obsessed with you
讓我變得不像自己
ràng wǒ biàn dé bù xiàng zìjǐ
Making me less like myself

在想念你的寂寞夜裡 寂寞夜裡
zài xiǎngniàn nǐ de jìmò yèlǐ jìmò yèlǐ
On this lonely night in which I’m missing you, on this lonely night
我想把自己變得透明 變得透明
wǒ xiǎng bǎ zìjǐ biàn dé tòumíng biàn dé tòumíng
I want to make myself transparent, become transparent
想把你忘得乾淨
xiǎng bǎ nǐ wàng dé gānjìng
Want to forget you cleanly
我的心卻被你佔領
wǒ de xīn què bèi nǐ zhànlǐng
Yet my heart has been occupied by you

感覺我遇上你 就像綿羊遇上獅子
Gǎnjué wǒ yù shàng nǐ jiù xiàng miányáng yù shàng shīzi
Feels like my meeting you was like a sheep meeting a lion
我徘徊在愛你 還是愛自己的十字
wǒ páihuái zài ài nǐ háishì ài zìjǐ de shízì
I’m stuck between loving you and loving my own cross
在應該赤裸的時候戴著面具
zài yīnggāi chìluǒ de shíhòu dàizhe miànjù
When we should be naked, we wear masks
我對你說的是我聽不明白的言語
wǒ duì nǐ shuō de shì wǒ tīng bù míngbái de yányǔ
What I say to you is a language I don’t understand

你是太陽 我的星光 顯得多黯淡
nǐ shì tàiyáng wǒ de xīngguāng xiǎndé duō àndàn
You are the sun, my starlight, yet it’s so dim
你是海洋 你的輕狂 我無從反抗
nǐ shì hǎiyáng nǐ de qīngkuáng wǒ wúcóng fǎnkàng
You are the ocean, your frivolousness, I have no way to resist
我越來越擅長 對自己說謊
wǒ yuè lái yuè shàncháng duì zìjǐ shuōhuǎng
I am more and more used to telling myself lies
我想要你的綻放 就把我埋葬
wǒ xiǎng yào nǐ de zhànfàng jiù bǎ wǒ máizàng
I want your blooming to entomb me

REPEAT CHORUS
當我的世界出現了你 出現了你
我看著自己變得透明 變得透明
怪我對你太執迷
讓我變得不像自己

在想念你的寂寞夜裡 寂寞夜裡
我想把自己變得透明 變得透明
想把你忘得乾淨
我的心卻被你佔領

INTRO
愛著你 也愛著我
這是一種折磨 這是一種折磨
難道愛著你 就要忘了我
Nándào àizhe nǐ jiù yào wàngle wǒ
Does loving you mean forgetting me?
這是一種折磨 這是一種折磨

CHORUS
當我的世界出現了你 出現了你
我看著自己變得透明 變得透明
怪我對你太執迷
讓我變得不像自己

在想念你的寂寞夜裡 寂寞夜裡
我想把自己變得透明 變得透明
想把你忘得乾淨
我的心卻被你佔領

愛著你 這是一種折磨 折磨

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Lyrics in Colloquial English

Loving you while loving me is excruciating. 
 
Tonight, innumerable street lights accompany me, but they only make my loneliness more obvious.
 
If this is just a dream that won’t come true, then let it be a dream–I’ll wake up and be free of it all.
 
Is the moonlight too beautiful? I suddenly feel emotional.
 
Silence is the sound of one hand clapping. I’m alone, and I can’t find peace.
 
I open my eyes but I still can’t see our road clearly. I want to close my eyes and press pause on everything.
 
CHORUS
Whenever you appear in my world, I turn transparent. I know it’s my fault–I’m too obsessed with you, and it’s making me lose myself.
 
On this lonely night, I’m missing you and I wish I could become transparent again. I want to forget you completely, yet I can’t–you’ve occupied my heart.
 
Me meeting you was like a sheep meeting a lion. Do I actually love you or am I just masochistically in love with my own cross?
 
When we should be open and vulnerable with each other, we end up wearing masks to hide ourselves. The words I say to you are as if I’m speaking in a foreign language.
 
You are my sun, my star, yet the light is so dim. You’re like the ocean, I can’t resist your carefree frivolity. 
 
I get more and more used to lying to myself. I want to bury myself in your beauty (?)
 
REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT INTRO, plus an added line:
 
Does loving you mean I have to forget myself?
 

Lyrics Explained

愛著你 也愛著我
Àizhe nǐ yě àizhe wǒ
Loving you, yet loving me

  • 愛著 / 你 / 也 / 愛著 / 我 = Loving / you / yet / loving / me

這是一種折磨 這是一種折磨
zhè shì yīzhǒng zhémó zhè shì yīzhǒng zhémó
It’s excruciating, it’s excruciating

  • 這 / 是 / 一種 / 折磨 = This / is / a kind of / torture

今夜無數的街燈 沿路陪著我
jīnyè wú shǔ de jiēdēng yánlù péizhe wǒ
Tonight, innumerable street lights accompany me

  • 今夜 / 無數的 / 街燈 / 沿路 / 陪著 / 我 = Tonight / no+number = innumerable / street lights / along the way / accompany / me

卻把我孤獨的裂縫 照得更寂寞
què bǎ wǒ gūdú de lièfèng zhào dé gèng jìmò
Yet they only make my lonely cracks look even more alone

  • 卻 / 把 / 我 / 孤獨的 / 裂縫 / 照得 / 更 / 寂寞 = yet / make / my / lonely / cracks / shine / more / lonely

如果這是一個夢 註定沒結果
rúguǒ zhè shì yīgè mèng zhùdìng méi jiéguǒ
If this is a dream, and there is no possibility of a result

  • 如果 / 這 / 是 / 一個 / 夢 / 註定 / 沒 / 結果 = If / this / is / a / dream / determined / no / result

 

那就讓它是個夢 醒來就解脫
nà jiù ràng tā shìgè mèng xǐng lái jiù jiětuō
Then let it just be a dream, when (I) wake, I’ll be free

  • 那就 / 讓 / 它 / 是 / 個夢 / 醒來 / 就 / 解脫 = then / let / it / (to) be / a dream / wake up / then / be free (extricated)

是否月光太煽情 讓我突然變得感性
shìfǒu yuèguāng tài shānqíng ràng wǒ túrán biàn dé gǎnxìng
Is the moonlight too sensational, making me suddenly emotional

  • 是否 / 月光 / 太 / 煽情 / 讓 / 我 / 突然 / 變得 / 感性 = is or is not / moonlight / too / emotionally arousing / let (make) / me / suddenly / become (change into) / emotional

孤掌難鳴 我孤身卻難以安靜
gūzhǎngnánmíng wǒ gūshēn què nányǐ ānjìng
A single hand can’t clap, I’m alone, but unable to be quiet (peaceful)

  • 孤掌難鳴 / 我 / 孤身 / 卻 / 難以 / 安靜 = idiom: single+palm+hard+produce sound, aka “a single hand clapping can’t produce much of a sound” / I / lonely / yet / difficult to / quiet down

睜開眼睛 我們的路無法看清
zhēng kāi yǎnjīng wǒmen de lù wúfǎ kàn qīng
Open my eyes but can’t see our road clearly

  • 睜開 / 眼睛 / 我們的 / 路 / 無法 / 看 / 清 = Open / eyes / our / road / no+way, cannot / see / clear 

想閉上眼睛 把一切暫停
xiǎng bì shàng yǎnjīng bǎ yīqiè zàntíng
Want to close my eyes and pause everything

  • 想 / 閉上 / 眼睛 / 把 / 一切 / 暫停 = want to / close / eyes / make / everything / pause, stop

 

CHORUS
當我的世界出現了你 出現了你
dāng wǒ de shìjiè chūxiànle nǐ chūxiànle nǐ
When you appear in my world, you appear

  • 當 / 我的 / 世界 / 出現了 / 你 / 出現了你 = when, at the time when / my / world / appeared / you / you appeared

我看著自己變得透明 變得透明
wǒ kànzhe zìjǐ biàn dé tòumíng biàn dé tòumíng
I see myself become transparent, become transparent

  • 我 / 看著 / 自己 / 變得 / 透明 / 變得透明 = I / see / myself / change into / transparent / become transparent

怪我對你太執迷
guàiwǒ duì nǐ tài zhí mí
It’s my fault for being too obsessed with you

  • 怪 / 我 / 對 / 你 / 太 / 執迷 = Blame / me / toward / you / too / obsessed

讓我變得不像自己
ràng wǒ biàn dé bù xiàng zìjǐ
Making me less like myself

  • 讓 / 我 / 變得 / 不 / 像 / 自己 = Let / me / become / not / like / self

在想念你的寂寞夜裡 寂寞夜裡
zài xiǎngniàn nǐ de jìmò yèlǐ jìmò yèlǐ
On this lonely night in which I’m missing you, on this lonely night

  • 在 / 想念 / 你 / 的 / 寂寞 / 夜 / 裡 / 寂寞夜裡 = at, on, in / missing / you / [possessive word] / lonely / night / in, inside / in, on this lonely night

我想把自己變得透明 變得透明
wǒ xiǎng bǎ zìjǐ biàn dé tòumíng biàn dé tòumíng
I want to make myself transparent, become transparent

  • 我 / 想 / 把自己 / 變得 / 透明 / 變得透明 = I / want to / make myself / become / transparent / become transparent

想把你忘得乾淨
xiǎng bǎ nǐ wàng dé gānjìng
Want to forget you cleanly

  • 想 / 把你 / 忘得 / 乾淨 = want to / take, make you / forget, forgotten / clean

我的心卻被你佔領
wǒ de xīn què bèi nǐ zhànlǐng
Yet my heart has been occupied by you

  • 我的 / 心 / 卻 / 被你 / 佔領 = my / heart / yet / by you / occupied (like a military occupation)

感覺我遇上你 就像綿羊遇上獅子
Gǎnjué wǒ yù shàng nǐ jiù xiàng miányáng yù shàng shīzi
Feels like my meeting you was like a sheep meeting a lion

  • 感覺 / 我 / 遇上 / 你 / 就像 / 綿羊 / 遇上 / 獅子 = Feels like / I / met / you / just like / sheep / met / lion

我徘徊在愛你 還是愛自己的十字
wǒ páihuái zài ài nǐ háishì ài zìjǐ de shízì
I’m stuck between loving you and loving my own cross

  • 我 / 徘徊 / 在 / 愛你 / 還是 / 愛 / 自己的 / 十字 = I / wander, hover between / in, at, on / love you / or / love / self+[possessive word] = my own / cross

在應該赤裸的時候戴著面具
zài yīnggāi chìluǒ de shíhòu dàizhe miànjù
When we should be naked, we wear masks

  • 在 / 應該 / 赤裸 / 的時候 / 戴著 / 面具 = At / should be / naked / (at the) time / wear / mask

我對你說的是我聽不明白的言語
wǒ duì nǐ shuō de shì wǒ tīng bù míngbái de yányǔ
What I say to you is a language I don’t understand

  • 我 / 對 / 你 / 說的 / 是 / 我 / 聽 / 不明白 / 的 / 言語 = I / toward / you / say / is / I / listen / not+understand = incomprehensible / [possessive word] / language

你是太陽 我的星光 顯得多黯淡
nǐ shì tàiyáng wǒ de xīngguāng xiǎndé duō àndàn
You are the sun, my starlight, yet it’s so dim

  • 你 / 是 / 太陽 / 我的 / 星光 / 顯得 / 多 / 黯淡 = You / are / sun / my / starlight / appear, seem to be / so / dim

你是海洋 你的輕狂 我無從反抗
nǐ shì hǎiyáng nǐ de qīngkuáng wǒ wúcóng fǎnkàng
You are the ocean, your frivolousness, I have no way to resist

  • 你是 / 海洋 / 你的 / 輕狂 / 我 / 無從反抗 = You are / ocean / your / frivolity, carefreeness / I / (have) no way to resist

我越來越擅長 對自己說謊
wǒ yuè lái yuè shàncháng duì zìjǐ shuōhuǎng
I am more and more used to telling myself lies

  • 我 / 越來越 / 擅長 / 對 / 自己 / 說謊 = I / more and more / used to / toward / self / speak+lies

我想要你的綻放 就把我埋葬
wǒ xiǎng yào nǐ de zhànfàng jiù bǎ wǒ máizàng
I want your blooming to entomb me

  • 我 / 想要 / 你的 / 綻放 / 就把 / 我 / 埋葬 = I / want / your / blossoming / just to / me / bury

REPEAT CHORUS
當我的世界出現了你 出現了你
我看著自己變得透明 變得透明
怪我對你太執迷
讓我變得不像自己

在想念你的寂寞夜裡 寂寞夜裡
我想把自己變得透明 變得透明
想把你忘得乾淨
我的心卻被你佔領

INTRO
愛著你 也愛著我
這是一種折磨 這是一種折磨
難道愛著你 就要忘了我
Nándào àizhe nǐ jiù yào wàngle wǒ
Does loving you mean forgetting me?

  • 難道 / 愛著 / 你 / 就要 / 忘了 / 我 = Can it be that / loving / you / results in, then equals, then must / forget / me 

這是一種折磨 這是一種折磨

CHORUS
當我的世界出現了你 出現了你
我看著自己變得透明 變得透明
怪我對你太執迷
讓我變得不像自己

在想念你的寂寞夜裡 寂寞夜裡
我想把自己變得透明 變得透明
想把你忘得乾淨
我的心卻被你佔領

愛著你 這是一種折磨 折磨

 

Singable English Lyrics

When I first laid eyes upon your dear face
I turned into a hopeless case
Wrote you a note carefully just to show
How deep my love for you has grown