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婁藝瀟 × 黃齡 - 凌霄話 (Loura Lou & Isabelle Huang – “Transcendent Chat”)

Be patient for about 40 seconds. I think the payoff is worth it.

The official title is given above, but I like to call it instead "Song To Fuck With Foreign Perception".

《凌宵话》 is a musical toast to friendship, urban life, and the delightful weirdness that comes from bringing different backgrounds together. It’s playful, heartfelt, and a little bit cheeky—just like the singers themselves. (Both singers are known to be boundary-pushers and just a little bit "off" in their approach to things.)

To explain the video, it's two friends: one native-born Shanghai, one outsider to Shanghai, playfully teasing each other over their different upbringings, habits, etc. This divide is emphasized by one (Huang) singing in the Wu dialect of Shanghai while the other (Lou) singing in Mandarin. They're playfully making fun of how each does things differently, but the chorus hits the core of the song:

“No matter where you’re from, you’re my sister, and we’ll always have each other in this big city.”

So go watch the video before you open the spoiler. Think about what the video is trying to communicate. Then read the explanation.

So why did I put it in WomensStuff? Because I really did not need to hear the male view of the singers and how they look. 😂

3 comments
  • Here's a translation, best I can manage, of the lyrics (paired with the original). Since this is a conversation I've made it like a play's script. Where noted, Isabelle Huang sometimes sings in Shanghaiese; I've tried to change the register of the translation at those points but I'm not sure if that comes across. Difficult concepts or important symbols I've footnoted.

    Yes. I'm more than a little obsessive. Sue me!


    娄 (Lou)

    檀香薰衣草
    抓一把味道
    香囊绣年少
    辰砂 风随舞飘
    煮酒熬尘嚣
    相思 一分一秒
    酒不醉今宵
    换盏破晓

    Sandalwood¹ and lavender²,
    I gather a handful of their fragrance.
    Sachets embroidered with memories of youth,
    Cinnabar³, drifting as the wind dances.
    Brewing wine to simmer away the world’s noise,
    Longing, measured out in every moment.
    Tonight, the wine cannot intoxicate me;
    We change cups until dawn breaks.
    You—


    黄 (Huang)

    字字珠玑 绕乱内心涟漪

    看准时机 戳破他的叹息

    Every word is a gem, stirring ripples in my heart.
    You—
    Seizing the moment, you pierce through his sighs.


    娄 (Lou)

    谁的胡琴 拔断日月光阴
    我的手心 还有你扣紧
    金钗杏靥 有你在身边
    胭脂红颜

    Whose huqin⁴ has plucked apart the days and nights?
    My palm still holds yours, tightly clasped.
    With golden hairpins⁵ and dimpled cheeks, you’re by my side—
    Rouge upon a youthful face.


    黄 (Huang) — 上海话 (Shanghainese)

    侬了组撒啦
    吾了窝里香呀
    了窝里相组撒拉
    了窝里香发花痴呀
    个么册来白相伐啦
    阿拉切切夜饭嘎嘎三胡
    侬朋友 伐嘎啦
    还是要吾做的电灯泡啦

    You are ever so delightful;
    I am the fragrance of home.
    You, the joy within my hearth;
    The scent of home makes one quite lovesick.
    Shall we not while away the hours in gentle amusement?
    Let us, perchance, share supper and pass the evening in cheerful discourse.
    Are you, then, my friend?
    Or am I, after all, but the third wheel⁶ in your story?


    黄 (Huang)

    弄堂的巷子口
    缝一件烟罗裙
    穿一缕如意云

    囡囡啊 一生只爱一人
    囡囡啊 一世只为沸腾
    沐浴四季的怨恨
    与你陪衬

    At the mouth of the alley,
    I sew a gauzy dress,
    Slip on a wisp of auspicious cloud⁷.
    Ah—
    Girl, in this life I love only one,
    Girl, in this world I live only for passion.
    Bathed in the grievances of all four seasons,
    I stand beside you,
    Spirit—


    娄 (Lou)

    字字珠玑 绕乱内心涟漪

    看准时机 戳破他的叹息

    Every word is a gem, stirring ripples in my heart.
    Spirit—
    Seizing the moment, you pierce through his sighs.


    黄 (Huang)

    谁的胡琴 拔断日月光阴
    我的手心 还有你扣紧
    金钗杏靥 有你在身边
    胭脂红颜

    Whose huqin has plucked apart the days and nights?
    My palm still holds yours, tightly clasped.
    With golden hairpins and dimpled cheeks, you’re by my side—
    Rouge upon a youthful face.


    黄 (Huang) — 上海话 (Shanghainese)

    侬了组撒啦
    吾了窝里香呀
    了窝里相组撒拉
    了窝里香发花痴呀
    个么册来白相伐啦
    阿拉切切夜饭嘎嘎三胡
    侬朋友 伐嘎啦
    还是要吾做的电灯泡啦

    You are ever so delightful;
    I am the fragrance of home.
    You, the joy within my hearth;
    The scent of home makes one quite lovesick.
    Shall we not while away the hours in gentle amusement?
    Let us, perchance, share supper and pass the evening in cheerful discourse.
    Are you, then, my friend?
    Or am I, after all, but the third wheel in your story?


    娄 (Lou)

    一生只爱一人
    有谁为我在沸腾
    金兰 易结不易散 推开世俗的城门

    In this life, I love only one.
    Who else burns with passion for me?
    Sisterhood⁸ is easily formed, yet not easily broken—let us push open the gates of the mundane world.


    黄 (Huang)

    未来有多远
    随你一路去荣烟
    把酒欢歌啊 这人间

    How far does the future stretch?
    With you, I’ll go wherever the road leads.
    Let us raise a glass and sing with joy—ah, this world of ours!


    黄 (Huang) — 上海话 (Shanghainese)

    侬了组撒啦
    吾了窝里香呀
    了窝里相组撒拉
    了窝里香发花痴呀
    个么册来白相伐啦
    阿拉切切夜饭嘎嘎三胡
    侬朋友 伐嘎啦
    还是要吾做的电灯泡啦
    侬了组撒啦
    侬了组撒啦
    侬了组撒啦

    You are ever so delightful;
    I am the fragrance of home.
    You, the joy within my hearth;
    The scent of home makes one quite lovesick.
    Shall we not while away the hours in gentle amusement?
    Let us, perchance, share supper and pass the evening in cheerful discourse.
    Are you, then, my friend?
    Or am I, after all, but the third wheel in your story?
    You are ever so delightful,
    You are ever so delightful,
    You are ever so delightful.


    Footnotes

    1. Sandalwood (檀香): In Chinese culture, sandalwood is not just a fragrance but a symbol of purity, spirituality, and tranquility. It is widely used in incense, religious rituals, and literature to evoke a sense of calm, sacredness, and connection to the divine[1][2][3][4][6][7][8].
    2. Lavender (薰衣草): While globally known for its calming scent, in Chinese and Buddhist symbolism, lavender also represents purity, protection, and a bridge between the earthly and the spiritual[5].
    3. Cinnabar (辰砂): A bright red mineral (mercury sulfide) historically used in Chinese art, alchemy, and medicine. It symbolizes vitality, protection, and sometimes immortality, but also carries connotations of mystery and the esoteric.
    4. Huqin (胡琴): A traditional Chinese bowed string instrument, similar to a fiddle or violin, often used in Chinese opera and folk music. The sound of the huqin is associated with deep emotion and nostalgia.
    5. Golden hairpins (金钗): Traditional Chinese hair ornaments, often worn by women as symbols of beauty, femininity, and sometimes status or marital affection.
    6. Third wheel (电灯泡): In Chinese slang, “being a light bulb” means being the awkward extra person when two people are together romantically—what English speakers call a “third wheel.”
    7. Auspicious cloud (如意云): Cloud motifs in Chinese art symbolize good fortune, harmony, and the celestial. Wearing “a wisp of auspicious cloud” is poetic for donning luck and grace.
    8. Sisterhood (金兰): “Jinlan” (golden orchid) refers to a sworn sisterhood, a bond of deep, chosen friendship that is considered as strong as family.