Chinese Translation - a Parable

This song is so haunting and cozy, I can't help myself
listening to it many times. Ward's voice reminds me
of other singers, maybe Hoagy Carmichael or something.
These lyrics have extra meaning for me as well, somehow
searching for answers that might not exist.

Sing along with me:

I sailed the wild wild sea
climbed up a tall tall mountain
I met an old old man
beneath the weeping willow tree
he said now if you've got some questions
go and lay them at my feet,
but my time here is brief
so you'll have to pick just three.

and I said,

what do you with the pieces of a broken heart?
and how can a man like me remain in the light?
and if life is really as short as they say
then why is the night so long?

and then the sun went down
and he sang for me this song

see I once was a young fool like you
afraid to do the things that I knew I had to do
so I played an escapade just like you
I played an escapade just like you

I sailed the wild wild sea
climbed up a tall tall mountain
I met an old old man
he sat beneath the sapling tree
he said now if you've got some questions
go and lay them at my feet,
but my time here is brief
so you'll have to pick just three.

and I said,

what do you with the pieces of a broken heart?
and how can a man like me remain in the light?
and if life is really as short as they say
then why is the night so long?

and then the sun went down
and he played for me this song
. . . .