This is my non-literal translation of the new Mayday song “Beginning of the End”. Comments are welcome!

終於結束的起點

Beginning of the end

還記不記得 我和你 最初的相信

Do you still remember the trust we had at the start?

還記不記得 孩子般 簡單的愛情

Do you still remember our love, simple as that of children?

我們彷彿天生在一起 用不完的默契和話題

We seemed to be made for each other, with an endless stream of conversation

戴上了耳機 沉入曾經的 回憶

I put on my headphones and sink into memories from the past

幸福的回憶 是追求 幸福的天敵

Happy memories don’t lead to happiness

[Literally ‘the enemy of happiness’]

寂寞的問候 是加深 寂寞的陷阱

Lonely greetings intensify the trap of loneliness

當時無限珍藏的回憶 變成無處躲藏的雨季

The bottomless treasure trove of memories has turned into a torrent of rain, with no place to hide

[雨季 is literally a ‘rainy season]’

讓最小事情 都變成最痛 嘆息

We let the smallest things turn into the most painful sighs

每一段傷痛的愛情 都困住兩顆想掙脫 傷痛的心

Every painful romance restrains two broken hearts that are desperate to escape

如果說可惜 就在下一章 更珍惜

If we can express our regret, the next chapter will be more precious

也許一個勇敢的決定 能換兩個重生的約定

Perhaps a decision made bravely can become the promise of two rebirths

「我們到了站」 這一站叫終於

“We’ve arrived”; this stop is called ‘finally’

CHORUS:

終於結束的起點

The beginning of the end

終於寫下句點 終於我們告別

At last has finished, at last we’ve said goodbye

[寫下句點 is literally “written a full stop”]

終於我們又 回到原點

We’ve finally returned to the beginning

流乾了眼淚 日日夜夜

Days and nights of tears have now dried up

未來的我們 也許能說聲「好久不見。」

In the future we might say “long time no see”

愛情並不是 對與錯 簡單是非題

Love isn’t right and wrong, it’s simply true or false

相愛的兩人 不一定 能相守相依

Love between two people doesn’t mean you can [always] depend on each other

[相守相依 is a chengyu]

因為相愛所以在一起 因為深愛所以又分離

It’s because we love each other that we’re together, and we part ways because we love too deeply

約在下一站 車票是你我 勇氣

We’ll meet at the next stop; the ticket is our bravery

每一段遺憾的曾經 當時名字都叫憧憬 我們的心

Every experience that we regret was once longing, our hearts

[當時名字都叫憧憬 is literally ‘at the time, name was called longing’]

不能忘懷的 至少釋懷吧 在風裡

Cannot forget, but at least we can let go, in the wind

「那些無法看破的嘆息 某天會是看淡的風景」

“Those inscrutable sighs someday will be part of a picture that won’t look so bad

[看淡 is something like ‘won’t look so bad’, whilst 風景 is ‘landscape’, but it’s a bit hard to use this metaphor directly in English]

雖然那風景 永遠有誰缺席

Although that picture will always be missing you

[有誰 literally means ‘someone’]

CHORUS x2

站在這起點

Standing at the start

其實沒有走遠 其實不願告別

We haven’t really been too far, and don’t really want to say ‘goodbye’

其實我心中 依然想念

In our hearts, we still miss [each other]

擁抱著遺憾 歲歲年年

Clinging onto regrets throughout our lives

卻要在今天 頭也不回的告別昨天 奔向明天

But today, we bid farewell to yesterday without hesitation, running towards tomorrow

[頭也不回 is literally ‘without turning our heads’, which idiomatically means ‘without caring’]

奔向明天

Running towards tomorrow

不回頭 不眷戀 的明天

Without hesitation, without sentimental attachments, tomorrow

Click here for other song translations…