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Bilangual Song--044: Shirley Sings A Chinese(North) Folk Song -78 "Wang Ningmei -- Frowning In Vain" in English & Chinese in the US--011

Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English May 23, 2009 in the US
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese May 23, 2009 in the US

Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In Chinese Oct 7, 2007 in China

This is a popular Chinese love song that was created according to a famous Chinese poem by one of the greatest Chinese litterateurs who lived in Qing Dynasty (1644 -- 1912) Cao Xueqin - Ts'ao Hsueh-ch'in( 1724 -- 1763) in his famous Chinese classical novel Hong Lou Meng -- A Dream in Red Mansions.   

Before 1949, almost all of Chinese, included the emperors lived in the arranged marriages by their parents or family. People who pursued free love could not been accepted by the society and public.

This song/poem just writes a sad love story between a young girl -- Lin Daiyu and a young man -- Jia Baoyu. Both of them grew up together and fell in loved each other freely. But their love could not be admitted by their families. With endless sadness and sorrow, the girl was dead in the night that boy was tricked to get marry another girl. After knowing to be tricked and the girl had been dead, the boy was mad and he gave up his rich life in the rich family and became a Buddhist monk...

I have been enjoying this song since I heard it first time about 20 years ago. I had been wishing someday I could sing it in person since it seemed like having a too high tone at that time.   

Then in 2006 and 2007, I learned to sing it in my music lessons.

Friday afternoon and night, I felt serious stomach-ache, rather than to lie in the bed to suffer the ache, I wanted to do something meaningful while to reduce my pain with my own sport of breath ?   singing and painting not only my hobbies and dreams, but also they are often some effective medicine of mine.

Then I re-translated, re-sang this song in Chinese and in English. I really hope that my effort will be some help for you to know more about Chinese culture and Chinese language, to improve your listening ability.   

Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English May 23, 2009 in the US
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese May 23, 2009 in the US

MAIN MEANING OF THE SONG

One is a flower in the fairyland,
The other is a jade flawless.
If we have no luck,
why I have met him?
If we have a luck,
why my love to him is nothing?

Ah... Ah... Ah...

One is sighing alone,
the other is missing for nothing.   
One is a flower in the mirror,
the other is the moon in the water,
How many tears are in my eyes (ah)?
How can I be weeping one year and one year?

Ah...Ah... Ah...


CHINESE CHARACTER AND PROMUNCIATION:

-- Wang Ningmei
-- Cao Yueqin

筝筝-- yige shi langyuan xian pa鐚
筝筝-- yige shi meiyu wuxia
-- yao shuo mei qiyuan鐚
-- jinsheng pian you yu zhuo ta鐚
-- ruo shuo you qi yuan鐚
篋 膸 -- ruhe xinshi zhong xuhua鐚

筝筝 -- yige wangzi jie ya 鐚
筝筝 -- yige kong lao qiangua鐚
筝筝 -- yige shi shui zhong yue鐚
筝筝 -- yige shi jing zhong hua
-- xiang yan zhong鐚
-- neng you duoshao leizhu er鐚
-- zen jing de qiu liu dao dong jin鐚
紊 -- chun liu dao xia鐚

Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English May 23, 2009 in the US
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese May 23, 2009 in the US

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn, or yiping007@missouristate.edu, You are welcome to publish your opinions in Forum For Friends. :-)   

--Shirley Zhang
Translated, Sang & Recorded in 2006, 2007 in China
Re-Edited, Re-sang and Re-recorded on May 23, 2009 in the US.