seven emotions, six desires

七情六欲 literally translated means 'seven emotions, six desires'. It is a chinese idiom and happens to be the title of a song that my boss likes very much. I sang it twice for him at karaoke last night and we had a little discussion on what this phrase means.

Simply explained, it means the various emotions and desires that human possess. A more detailed explanation (I Googled it as I promised my boss) is:

七情 (seven emotions) - 喜 (happiness), 怒 (anger), 哀 (sadness), 乐 (joy), 爱 (love), 恶 (hate), 欲 (desire)

六欲 (six desires) - of the 眼 (eyes ie from what you see), 耳 (ears ie from what you hear), 鼻 (nose ie from what you smell), 舌 (tongue ie from what you taste), 身 (body ie from what you touch), and 意 (passion from the heart)

The song 七情六欲 by 李翌君 has quite meaningful lyrics. I'm too lazy to try to translate so I went to some free online translator and got the below hilarious translation. To summarise and explain very simply, the song talks about how uncontrollable a human being's emotions and desires are. (Note: to my non Chinese friends reading this, please don't get the wrong idea that the lyrics are actually ermm... gibberish?)

醉了吧, 反正清醒更断肠

[was drunk, in any case sober more broken heart]

无力去原谅你背叛

[no energy forgives you to betray]

算了吧, 反正有你更孤单

[considers as finished, has you to be lonelier in any case]

你不会知道遗忘有多难

[you will not know that forgetting will have difficultly -- yes! difficultLY]

*给你的心不要你还, 痛不要你偿

[does not want you for yours heart also, the pain does not want you to recompense]

陪你走过一段, 七情六欲全都品尝

[accompanies you to pass through a section, the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures all taste]

爱你的苦不要你扛, 泪不要你挡

[likes you not wanting you to shoulder painstakingly, the tear does not want you to keep off]

七情六欲打翻, 笑着哭哭着笑去想, 你的模样*

[the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures overturn, smile are crying to smile thought that your appearance]

走了吗, 走到哪里都一样

[walked, where arrived at to be the same]

你不肯搬出我心上

[you are not willing to carry out on my heart]

断了吗, 断了见面想不断

[broke, broke has met wants unceasingly]

为何我总是为难我的慌

[why do i always feel embarrassed my hurried]