胭脂扣

The lyrics describe a love remembered after it has brought disappointment and separation. At first, the speaker recalls intense devotion and promises, but those promises have faded. The feeling then shifts from hurt toward longing: the speaker hopes to meet the beloved again and explain all the love that remains. Even as time changes people, the attachment has not disappeared.

Several images show how love can be powerful but hard to sustain. A promise turning into “smoke and cloud” suggests something once vivid becoming impossible to hold. Love burning like fire conveys its intensity, while the question of whether it can last a whole lifetime hints that passion alone may not guarantee permanence. The image of water flowing east suggests feelings or devotion moving away, beyond the speaker’s control. “Entrusting” or pouring out a devoted heart implies giving love fully, perhaps without receiving the same care in return.

The speaker’s wish to have never met the beloved expresses deep regret, but it sits beside the hope of meeting again. This contradiction makes the emotion more complicated than simple anger or sadness: the speaker seems wounded, yet still wants closeness and recognition. The final question about when they will meet again leaves the future unresolved. “People are kept by love” may mean love binds someone emotionally, though it could also suggest that being loved offers a reason to stay.