I just began listening (truly listen) to Mayday’s discography pre the Born to Love days, finishing off titles/pinyin/title translations, when I ran into this song titled Masquerade (Male, Female, One Body) from their 2003 album, Time Machine (時光機). The thing is, the title of the song is Ci Xiong Tong Ti (雌雄同體), which is the term used to refer to “hermaphrodites” (which, by the way, isn’t longer a term accepted for people, who are now referred to as “intersex”). Perplexed, thinking that Google Translate was giving me a wonky translation, I checked the dictionary to double check.
On a quick google search, I found a pretty terrific (singable) translation of the song.
Rather than you understand me—I’d rather be a mystery
A puzzle you just cannot solve, of what’s false and real, it’ll play at your heartstrings
I’ll play you, or play your opposite form; partake in this game of love that you’ve borne.
via NoStarWords @ LJ + starriheavens
My mind was melted. I mean, it’s not VERY often you get playful duality in music, playing on gender-role conventions and completely avoiding the titillation that seethes from… well, everywhere now.
So… just to sing along!
Masquerade
*
PM qī diǎn jìngzi qián de zìjǐ
zhuómó shǔyú zìjǐ dì měilì
Qīng qīng guā qù zuǐjiǎo hú qīng
huà shàng wǒ de běnxìng
dàn zǐsè yǎnyǐng
Fěnsè shuāng chún de nán nán zì yǔ
La ~~~~ń ~~~
Lǐngdài yào pèi sūgélán qún
hé huǒ yībān de yǔmáo wéijīn
Zhǐshì wǒ réng zài fǎnfù kǎolǜ
dāpèi jǐ hào xiāngjīng
zuò jīn wǎn de nèiyī
Jíshǐ dào zuìhòu nǐ háishì kàn bù qīng
jíshǐ dào zuìhòu nǐ háishì kàn bù qīng
#
Wǒ yào nǐ kàn dào wǒ nǐ bù gāi cāicè yīnggāi xiǎngshòu
Wǒ yào nǐ ài shàng wǒ nǐ bù gāi cāicè yīnggāi ài wǒ
Wǒ kěyǐ shì nán shì nv
kěyǐ piāoyí bùdìng
kěyǐ tiáozhěng bǎifēnbǐ
Zhǐyào nǐ ài wǒ yīqiè dōu méi wèntí
zhǐyào nǐ ài wǒ yīqiè dōu méi wèntí
Yǔqí ràng nǐ liǎojiě wǒ
wǒ nìngyuàn wǒ shì yīgè mí
Yīgè jiě bù kāi de nántí
zhēn hé jiǎ de mìmì
kòu nǐ xīnxián de yóuxì
Mófǎng nǐ huò hé nǐ biànchéng duìbǐ
cānjiā nǐ lǐxiǎng de àiqíng yóuxì
Nǐ yěxǔ bì wǒ wéikǒng bùjí
nǐ yěxǔ bǎ wǒ dàng zuò yìxíng
Kěshì nǐ rúhé zhēn dí quèdìng
línghún zhǎodào zìjǐ
de yàng mào hé shēntǐ
Fāxiàn zìjǐ yuánlái de cíxióngtóngtǐ
fāxiàn zìjǐ yuánlái de cíxióngtóngtǐ
Repeat # *
