I.    Lyrics (translated from Chinese)

When it is able to love, I don’t know what love is. When I know what love is,
The sincerest time has past. This is a tragedy,
Or a comedy? But everyone, sheds tears.
But at the same time, has glorious smiles on face,
All are far from me. As if they never show up in my life.
I am unable to push, or even has no mood to re-decorate.
Only feel that I am an, old man who is clearing up the mess at this moment.
Once I have a foolish idea, wanting to go back.
In fact, there is no way back. But this is also.
One story in the very old legend. There is no way back.
This is one story in the very old legend.

Lyrics written by Chi Hsiu-Yu (姬秀愚)

能夠愛的時候　不懂愛是什麼 懂得愛的時候
卻又過了真摯的時光　這是一椿悲劇
還是喜劇呢　然而每個人　都落淚了
卻同時　洋溢著燦爛盈笑的臉
一切離我遙遠　彷彿不曾在生命中出現
我已無力再提攜　甚至沒有心情重新佈置
只感覺自己是一個　正在收拾爛攤子的老人
曾經有過一個荒謬的念頭　忽然想走回頭路
其實回頭已無路　但這也是
極為古老傳說中的一樁　回頭已無路
這是極為古老的傳說一樁

Audio
Tang Hsiao-Shih (唐曉詩)
http://lth.e-lib.nctu.edu.tw/data/sound/lied-005-sd19710001a-t.mp3

II.    About this Song

Exposition of the music:
The three songs, “Outcome” and “Anticipation,” in which the lyrics were from associate professor Lu Fei-Yi in the Dept. of Radio and Television, National Chengchi University, and “Missing,” in which the lyrics were from Chi Hsiu-Yu, were all sung by Tang Hsiao-Shih to express a woman’s lifetime anticipation, waiting, and pursuance.
Chi Hsiu-Yu wrote the lyrics of “Missing” and Li Tai-Hsiang used stringed music to express a woman’s sadness. In the song, the feeling of regret and disconsolation was expressed by the alternation of vibraphone and pipa. And later on, he added in the disco-like accompaniment and made the song have full tension.

III.    Manuscript

Handwritten manuscript (lyrics and score) of “Missing” (1986)	Handwritten manuscript (page 1) of “Missing in E-flat minor” for violin I (1986)

      
  


To view the story of Li Tai-Hsiang, please go to Li Tai-Hsiang, the Native Musician of Taiwan.
Text and images are provided by The Native Musician of Taiwan－Tai-Hsiang Li Digital Archive, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan