One Smile Turns the World Upside Down (一笑傾城) - Lyrics Translation from Just one Smile is Very Alluring/Love O2O OST

Title: 一笑傾城(One Smile Turns the World Upside Down)
Drama:微微一笑很傾城 (Just one Smile is Very Alluring/Love O2O)
Singer/Song: 汪蘇瀧 (Wang Su Long/Silence Wong)
Lyrics: 林昌磊 (Finale)
Song style: Medium tempo, bubble gum, ballad
Theme: Falling for somone

Silence Wong Version (Just One Smile is Very Alluring/Love O2O OST)

Special Actor Version (performed by supporting Actors of the drama listed as follows):
張赫 (Ryan Zhang) as 甄少祥 [真水無香] Zheng XiaoShang [Zhen Shui Wu Xiang/Scentless True Water]
白宇 (White Bai) as 曹光 [微光] Cao Guang [Wei Guang/Dim Light]
鄭業成 (Zheng Ye Cheng) as 眉 [莫扎他] Hao Mei [Mo Zha Ta/Mozarta]
崔航 (Kyle Cui) as 丘永侯 [猴子酒] Qiu Yong Hou [Hou Zi Jiu/Monkey Wine]
張彬彬 (Vin Zhang) as KO

Previously, I noted Annual Ring from the Journey of Flower is written by Silence Wong, he also wrote a lot of songs for this 2016 Chinese drama.  This one is the opening theme. I know many people translate Yi Xiao Qing Cheng as alluring. It's not wrong but that's not what the words literally mean. Qīngchéng literally means taking down a city (and even downfall of an empire). See this wiki entry for the history on this word So in this context, it's not as simple as saying that a smile is just alluring/beautiful but that it's so beautiful it flips your world upside down, love at first sight kind of feeling. Hence I went with this expression.

LYRICS

Chinese Lyrics

Pin Yin

Literal Translation

我總是輕描淡寫告訴你我的願望 wǒ zǒng shì qīng miáo dàn xiě gào sù nǐ wǒ de yuàn wàng I always vaguely tell you my wishes
也給你千言萬語都說不盡的目光 yě gěi nǐ qiān yán wàn yǔ dōu shuō bu jìn de mù guāng And also give you glances of many endless words
這世界總有人在忙忙碌碌尋寶藏 zhè shì jiè zǒng yǒu rén zài máng mang lù lù xún bǎo zàng In this world, there's always someone who is occupied with looking for treasure
卻誤了浮世驕陽 què wù le fú shì jiāo yáng but neglect the blazing sun
也錯過人間萬象 yě cuò guò rén jiān wàn xiàng and miss out on the wonders of the world
古城裏長橋上 gǔ chéng lǐ cháng qiáo shàng In the ancient castle, on the long bridge
人如海車成行 rén rú hǎi chē chéng háng where people crowd like the sea and cars queue in lines
你笑得像光芒 nǐ xiào dé xiàng guāng máng You smile like a ray of light
驀然把我照亮 mò rán bǎ wǒ zhào liàng Suddenly shining on me brightly
(你笑得像光芒) (nǐ xiào dé xiàng guāng máng) (You smile like a ray of light)
(驀然把我照亮) (mò rán bǎ wǒ zhào liàng) (Suddenly shining on me brightly)
風輕揚夏未央 fēng qīng yáng xià wèi yāng The breeze flows lightly; summer has not ended
林蔭路單車響 lín yīn lù dān chē xiǎng Forests create shades along the road; bicycles make sounds
原來所謂愛情 yuánlái suǒwèi àiqíng So this so-called love
是這模樣 shì zhè móyàng looks something like this
就承認一笑傾城一見自難忘 jiù chéngrèn yīxiào qīngchéng yījiàn zì nánwàng So I admit that seeing once a smile that turns my world upside down was unforgettable 
說什麽情深似海我卻不敢當 shuō shénme qíng shēn sì hǎi wǒ què bù gǎndāng Saying love is deep like sea is not something I dare take lightly
最浪漫不過與你並肩看夕陽 zuì làngmàn bùguò yǔ nǐ bìngjiān kàn xīyáng The most romantic thing was only watching the sunset with you shoulder to shoulder
我心之所向 wǒ xīn zhī suǒ xiàng That's what my heart yearns for
(與你...夕陽) (yǔ nǐ...xīyáng) (with you...sunset)
(我心之所向) (wǒ xīn zhī suǒ xiàng) (That's what my heart yearns for)
想和你遊四方賞晴雨的風光 xiǎng hé nǐ yóu sì fāng shǎng qíng yǔ de fēng guāng I want to travel with you everywhere to enjoy the scenery of springtime rain
想和你鋪紙筆寫餘生的篇章 xiǎng hé nǐ pù zhǐ bǐ xiě yú shēng de piān zhāng and lay out paper and pen to write the rest of the chapters of my life with you
笑與淚都分享管情節多跌宕 xiào yǔ lèi dōu fēn xiǎng guǎn qíng jié duō diē dàng Sharing both smiles and tears regardless of unpredictable circumstances
我們不散場 wǒ men bú sàn chǎng We shall not part
你是我偶然聽聞銘感於心的歌唱 nǐ shì wǒ ǒu rán tīng wén míng gǎn yú xīn de gē chàng You are like a song I randomly heard that engraved a feeling in my heart 
也是我驚鴻一瞥而後擁抱的芬芳 yěs hì wǒ jīng hóng yī piē ér hòu yǒng bào de fēn fāng You are also like the fragrance that embraces me after a glance at your gracefulness
這世界風華正茂可別辜負好時光 zhè shì jiè fēng huá zhèng mào kě bié gū fù hǎo shí guāng The world is at its prime, so do not take good times for granted
六月風走街穿巷 liù yuè fēng zǒu jiē chuān xiàng June winds blow through streets and alleys
六月花陌上盛放 liù yuè huā mò shàng shèng fàng June flowers blossom on the paths
古城裏長橋上 gǔ chéng lǐ cháng qiáo shàng In the ancient castle, on the long bridge
人如海車成行 rén rú hǎi chē chéng háng where people crowd like the sea and cars queue in lines
你笑得像光芒 nǐ xiào dé xiàng guāng máng You smile like a ray of light
驀然把我照亮 mò rán bǎ wǒ zhào liàng Suddenly shining on me brightly
(你笑得像光芒) (nǐ xiào dé xiàng guāng máng) (You smile like a ray of light)
(驀然把我照亮) (mò rán bǎ wǒ zhào liàng) (Suddenly shining on me brightly)
風輕揚夏未央 fēng qīng yáng xià wèi yāng The breeze flows lightly; summer has not ended
林蔭路單車響 lín yīn lù dān chē xiǎng Forests create shades along the road; bicycles make sounds
原來所謂愛情 yuánlái suǒwèi àiqíng So this so-called love
是這模樣 shì zhè móyàng looks something like this
就承認一笑傾城一見自難忘 jiù chéngrèn yīxiào qīngchéng yījiàn zì nánwàng So I admit that seeing once a smile that turns my world upside down was unforgettable 
說什麽情深似海我卻不敢當 shuō shénme qíng shēn sì hǎi wǒ què bù gǎndāng Saying love is deep like sea is not something I dare take lightly
最浪漫不過與你並肩看夕陽 zuì làngmàn bùguò yǔ nǐ bìngjiān kàn xīyáng The most romantic thing was only watching the sunset with you shoulder to shoulder
我心之所向 wǒ xīn zhī suǒ xiàng That's what my heart yearns for
(與你...夕陽) (yǔ nǐ...xīyáng) (with you...sunset)
(我心之所向) (wǒ xīn zhī suǒ xiàng) (That's what my heart yearns for)
想和你遊四方賞晴雨的風光 xiǎng hé nǐ yóu sì fāng shǎng qíng yǔ de fēng guāng I want to travel with you everywhere to enjoy the scenery of springtime rain
想和你鋪紙筆寫餘生的篇章 xiǎng hé nǐ pù zhǐ bǐ xiě yú shēng de piān zhāng and lay out paper and pen to write the rest of the chapters of my life with you
笑與淚都分享管情節多跌宕 xiào yǔ lèi dōu fēn xiǎng guǎn qíng jié duō diē dàng Sharing both smiles and tears regardless of unpredictable circumstances
我們不散場 wǒ men bú sàn chǎng We shall not part

INTERPRETATION

Summary

This is a song about a guy falling for a girl at first sight for her beauty and grace during around June/early summer, and not confessing it directly but indirectly.

Detailed 

Disclaimer: this is my interpretation. This time, I did not translate as literally as I thought I would have because there were too many of these advanced phrases that translating them literally makes little sense. In fact, I'm taking my own little Chinese lesson since some of these words are foreign to me too.

First two lines describe the guy as being very indirect. He wants to confess but it's done indirectly. The first line uses 輕描淡寫, which literally is softly sketch lightly write, which means not being very thorough and understating key points. In other words, he tells his wishes but not directly, hence I used vaguely. The second line says he gives her glances, but packed in those intense stares, he actually has many many things to say (千言萬語) such that he can talk on forever and it won't end(說不盡).

The next two lines are fillers, saying other people are busy with material things (treasure) and miss out on interpersonal and natural things (maybe hinting at feelings?)

The next part is the chorus which will be repeated so I won't repeat this later twice. The next two lines are filler to set up imagery, probably describing even when there's so many people and cars surrounding him, with so many people busy with their own lives, yet he only focuses on her smile, which is like a shining light on him. You know that cliche scene when the worlds stops, and there is only him and her; that's what these lines are about.

The next four lines states that he finally understands what love is and describes what his love feels like, like a bike ride under the shades of tree in a summer breeze.

The next three lines is saying he acknowledged that he fell in love at first sight with her smile. He wouldn't dare say that it's love yet since the most that they have done is watch sunset next to each other...no hand holding?

The next five lines is describing his wishes. That's where his heart is going towards, to take her sight seeing everywhere and to spend the rest of their lives together (using writing a book as a metaphor) through laughter and tears and thick and thin. And that concludes the end of the chorus that repeats

The next two lines of the next verse describe more about him meeting her. He met her unexpectedly but the meeting was unforgettable and lingers like perfume. He was entranced by her grace and beauty. I didn't give the literal translation of 驚鴻 which is startled swan, since I don't have any way of linking that to grace other than swan. Other dictionaries I searched said wild goose...so I just stuck with the idiomatic translation which is a beautiful and graceful woman.

The next three lines is just filler saying now is a prime time in his life since he's met her so he shouldn't disappoint and take this opportunity to confess (in my opinion that is). And since earlier it was mentioned this was during summer time, so June scenery is described that wind fills all streets and alleys and caress the blooming flowers on the paths. Perhaps the blooming of flowers implies his blossoming love. It sounds like the chorus is the confession.

So my conclusion is, this song is about a guy who falls in love at first sight for a beautiful and graceful girl that he met by chance. And he's been dropping hints and is pursuing her with intentions of spending the rest of his life with her forever through thick and thin and laughter and tears. And the song implies he either intends to confess or has confessed (which is why June flowers are blossoming and spreading throughout his world perhaps).

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