Chóng ér fēi | Chinese Folk Songs Project - Chinese Folk Songs for Music Teachers

Chóng ér fēi
(Fireflies)

This is a beautiful song best sung by a small group, one class as opposed to a whole school. There are strong emotions in this song. It focusses on friendship and makes a good farewell song.

There is a great website with YouTube videos and
translation information for this song: Mandarin for Me.

Pinyin Version

Hēi hēi dē tiān kōng dī chuí,
Liàng liàng dē fán xīng xiāng suí,
Chóng ér fēi, chóng ér fēi, nǐ zài sì niàn shuí.
Tiān shàng dē xīng xīng liú leì,
Dì sháng de méi guì kū wěi,
Lěng fēng chuī, lěng fēng chuī,
Zhǐ yào yǒu nǐ péi.
Chóng ér fēi, huā ér shuì,
Yī shuāng yòu yī duì cái měi,
Bú pà tiān hēi, zhǐ pà xīn suì,
Bù guǎn leì bú leì,
Yě bù guǎn dōng nán xī běi

English Translation

The dark sky hangs low,
Studded by bright countless stars.
The fireflies fly here and there,
Who are you longing for?

Stars in the sky begin to cry,
Roses on the ground begin to wither.
The cold wind blows here and there,
Nothing matters as long as you are by my side.

Fireflies fly while flowers sleep,
So beautiful to be a pair.
I fear not the darkness, but only a broken heart.
Doesn’t matter if I’m tired,
Ignoring everything around.