<p>Cross-posted on Quora this morning, and the answer came in soon. I was told "ui" means "prick" (the verb, not the noun), so I turned that into Mandarin 刺, and my reference gave me 揻, with precisely that sentence as an example: 心肝像針揻。Sim-kuann tshiūnn tsiam ui. (心像被針刺一樣。); (other example: 揻一空　ui tst khang(戳一個洞)). So that's it.</p>

<p>Literal translation: My heart feels like pierced by a needle.
Singable translation: A needle's piercing my heart.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-23T18:56:50.667Z
2017-11-23T19:41:01.967Z
2017-11-23T19:41:01.967Z
MickG
<p>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL0CKd8cX5E&amp;pbjreload=10" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Min song mentioned in the title</a> has the following lyrics (conformed to the "guidelines" of <a href="http://twblg.dict.edu.tw" rel="nofollow noreferrer">台湾闽南语常用词辞典</a>):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>在阮的心目中<br>
  伊是一个男子汉<br>
  在阮的一生中<br>
  只爱伊一人<br>
  <br>
  伊的船只已经欲出航<br>
  毋知何时才会阁再入港<br>
  虽然装着笑容<br>
  来共伊相送<br>
  阿～～心爱的人<br>
  暗中目箍红<br>
  <br>
  踮故乡真稀微<br>
  孤单一个过日子<br>
  踮海边轻轻来<br>
  叫着伊名字<br>
  <br>
  阮的心肝已经缀伊去<br>
  毋知何时才会阁再相见<br>
  虽然装着笑容<br>
  来共阮安慰<br>
  阿～～心爱的人<br>
  心肝像针威<br>
  <br>
  (Repeat first verse and first "chorus")</p>
</blockquote>

<p>With the help of the above dictionary, I get the following Tai-lo:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Tsāi gún ê sim-bo̍k-tiong<br>
  I sī tsi̍t ê lâm-tsú-hàn<br>
  Tsāi gún ê it-sing tiong<br>
  Tsí ài i tsi̍t lâng<br>
  <br>
  I ê tsûn-tsiah í-king beh tshut-hâng<br>
  M̄ tsai hô-sî tsiah ē koh-tsài li̍p-káng<br>
  Sui-liân tsng-tio̍h tshiò-iông<br>
  Lâi kā i sio-sàng<br>
  Ah~~ sim-ài ê lâng<br>
  Àm-tiong ba̍k-khoo âng<br>
  <br>
  Tiàm kòo-hiong tsin hi-bî<br>
  Koo-tuann tsi̍t ê kuè li̍t-tsí<br>
  Tiàm hái pinn khin-khin lâi<br>
  Kiò-tio̍h i miâ-lī<br>
  <br>
  Gún ê sim-kuann í-king tuè i khì<br>
  M̄ tsai hô-sî tsiah ē koh-tsài sio-kìnn<br>
  Sui-liân tsng-tio̍h tshiò-iông<br>
  Lâi kā gún an-uì<br>
  Ah~~ sim-ài ê lâng<br>
  Sim-kuann tshiūnn tsiam ui<br>
  <br>
  (Repeat first verse and first "chorus")</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I render this in English as follows (note that this is not literal because it's supposed to fit the original tune):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>As far as my thoughts go<br>
  He is a hero for me<br>
  As far as my days go<br>
  I'll love him alone<br>
  <br>
  His boat's already about to leave<br>
  I don't know when he can come back on land<br>
  Though I make a happy face<br>
  As I see him off<br>
  Ah~~ he's my one love<br>
  I'm crying secretly<br>
  <br>
  Back home I'm so lonely<br>
  Living my days all alone<br>
  And on the beach I call<br>
  Call his name softly<br>
  <br>
  My heart has gone off to sea with him<br>
  I don't know when I can see him again<br>
  Though I make a happy face<br>
  I now comfort myself<br>
  Ah~~ he's my one love<br>
  (My heart is strong like a needle ??)<br>
  <br>
  (Repeat first verse and first "chorus")</p>
</blockquote>

<p>First of all, if there are any glaring mistakes in the above (keeping in mind it must fit the tune), please let me know. This question focuses on the sentence 心肝像针威. Now, 心肝 has a number of meanings, from "heart" to "character" to (in Min) "mind" to "darling", so that's already a choice to make; 像 means "like"; 针 means "needle"; 威 is given as "power" by Wiktionary. Hence my translation in brackets. But what does this mean? Is <code>ui</code> supposed to be 偎 as in <a href="https://mojim.com/twy100026x33x30.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this song</a>, with which this would be "Heart like needle cuddle", or in English "My heart feels like a needle is cuddling to it", implying utmost pain due to the needle stinging the heart? But then why do captions get it wrong? Also, I am skeptical of this guess since 偎 is not ui but ue (says Wiktionary at least), so it doesn't rhyme… Maybe it's even another character?</p>

<translation><topolect><hokkien>
About the last non-repeated sentence in 爱人是行船人
# About the last non-repeated sentence in 爱人是行船人

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-22)

The [Min song mentioned in the title](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL0CKd8cX5E&pbjreload=10) has the following lyrics (conformed to the "guidelines" of [台湾闽南语常用词辞典](http://twblg.dict.edu.tw)):

> 在阮的心目中  
> 伊是一个男子汉  
> 在阮的一生中  
> 只爱伊一人  
>   
> 伊的船只已经欲出航  
> 毋知何时才会阁再入港  
> 虽然装着笑容  
> 来共伊相送  
> 阿～～心爱的人  
> 暗中目箍红  
>   
> 踮故乡真稀微  
> 孤单一个过日子  
> 踮海边轻轻来  
> 叫着伊名字  
>   
> 阮的心肝已经缀伊去  
> 毋知何时才会阁再相见  
> 虽然装着笑容  
> 来共阮安慰  
> 阿～～心爱的人  
> 心肝像针威  
>   
> (Repeat first verse and first "chorus")

With the help of the above dictionary, I get the following Tai-lo:

> Tsāi gún ê sim-bo̍k-tiong  
> I sī tsi̍t ê lâm-tsú-hàn  
> Tsāi gún ê it-sing tiong  
> Tsí ài i tsi̍t lâng  
>   
> I ê tsûn-tsiah í-king beh tshut-hâng  
> M̄ tsai hô-sî tsiah ē koh-tsài li̍p-káng  
> Sui-liân tsng-tio̍h tshiò-iông  
> Lâi kā i sio-sàng  
> Ah~~ sim-ài ê lâng  
> Àm-tiong ba̍k-khoo âng  
>   
> Tiàm kòo-hiong tsin hi-bî  
> Koo-tuann tsi̍t ê kuè li̍t-tsí  
> Tiàm hái pinn khin-khin lâi  
> Kiò-tio̍h i miâ-lī  
>   
> Gún ê sim-kuann í-king tuè i khì  
> M̄ tsai hô-sî tsiah ē koh-tsài sio-kìnn  
> Sui-liân tsng-tio̍h tshiò-iông  
> Lâi kā gún an-uì  
> Ah~~ sim-ài ê lâng  
> Sim-kuann tshiūnn tsiam ui  
>   
> (Repeat first verse and first "chorus")

I render this in English as follows (note that this is not literal because it's supposed to fit the original tune):

> As far as my thoughts go  
> He is a hero for me  
> As far as my days go  
> I'll love him alone  
>   
> His boat's already about to leave  
> I don't know when he can come back on land  
> Though I make a happy face  
> As I see him off  
> Ah~~ he's my one love  
> I'm crying secretly  
>   
> Back home I'm so lonely  
> Living my days all alone  
> And on the beach I call  
> Call his name softly  
>   
> My heart has gone off to sea with him  
> I don't know when I can see him again  
> Though I make a happy face  
> I now comfort myself  
> Ah~~ he's my one love  
> (My heart is strong like a needle ??)  
>   
> (Repeat first verse and first "chorus")

First of all, if there are any glaring mistakes in the above (keeping in mind it must fit the tune), please let me know. This question focuses on the sentence 心肝像针威. Now, 心肝 has a number of meanings, from "heart" to "character" to (in Min) "mind" to "darling", so that's already a choice to make; 像 means "like"; 针 means "needle"; 威 is given as "power" by Wiktionary. Hence my translation in brackets. But what does this mean? Is `ui` supposed to be 偎 as in [this song](https://mojim.com/twy100026x33x30.htm), with which this would be "Heart like needle cuddle", or in English "My heart feels like a needle is cuddling to it", implying utmost pain due to the needle stinging the heart? But then why do captions get it wrong? Also, I am skeptical of this guess since 偎 is not ui but ue (says Wiktionary at least), so it doesn't rhyme… Maybe it's even another character?

**Tags:** translation, topolect, hokkien


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2017-11-23. Score: 2

Cross-posted on Quora this morning, and the answer came in soon. I was told "ui" means "prick" (the verb, not the noun), so I turned that into Mandarin 刺, and my reference gave me 揻, with precisely that sentence as an example: 心肝像針揻。Sim-kuann tshiūnn tsiam ui. (心像被針刺一樣。); (other example: 揻一空　ui tst khang(戳一個洞)). So that's it.

Literal translation: My heart feels like pierced by a needle.
Singable translation: A needle's piercing my heart.


---

