Oct 21, 2007

LISTEN TO THE TEXT BY SHIRLEY OCT 21, 2007
LISTEN TO SHIRLEY TO SING THE POEM OCT 21, 2007

Since I started to introduce Chinese classical poems in May, 2005 and I started to create music to match them in September, 2005, I have introduced 99 poems and have created 81 piece of music. However, most of the poems that I have chosen for you are Jue Jue, with 4 lines and 5 or 7 characters each line, for they are something easiest to be remembered.   

Since you have had some foundation on Chinese poetry, I would like to introduce a new kind of Chinese poem -- Lyrics to you.

Lyrics was started in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and be continued as an accessorial poem in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Lyrics was really developed and became one of the highest literature achievement in Chinese poetry and literature history in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).The Tang Poetry and the Song Lyrics are considered two high peaks of Chinese poetry/literature history.

My mother is a fan of Song lyrics, she can still recite some lyrics and sang them while to accompany for herself when she is 82 years old. By her reflecting, I had read all of the 20,000 lyrics and my dissertation of bachelor degree was just to discuss the lyrics of Xin Qiji in Song Dynasty.

Lyrics were from folk songs, it was just the lyrics of the folk songs and to be sung according to different tunes. People gave tunes different name as Ci Pan. Then, they filled their new lyrics into the ready tunes. Right now, most of the music has been lost; there are only about 660 names of the tunes and in the world.

As a great poet, Bu Juyi had learned a lot from the folk songs. So, he was also a good lyrics writer in his times. Chang Xiangci -- Everlasting Longing is just one of his lyrics works.

This lyric has written a young lady who was missing her husband or lover on a high tower by the water in a moon night.

I have created a piece of music to match it and you can review the other poems that I have introduced for you via the links below and to compare with them and lyrics, then, you will find something difference between a lyric and a poem, even though lyric is also a kind of poem. :-)


No. 4 Chinese Classical Poem 0099(By Bai Juyi) & Shirley Created Music-0080-07: Fu De Gu Yuan Cao Song Bie -- Sending Off On The Ancient Grassland.

No. 3 Shirley Created Music for Chinese Classical Poem --0072: Mu Jiang Yin --Singing by a River at Dusk

No.02: Chinese Classical Poem 0075 & Shirley Created Music-0065: Dali Si Taohua -- Peachblossoms of Dali Temple

No.01: Chinese Classical Poem & Shirley Sung It as an Art Song -- 014: Hua Fei Hua -- A Flower Is In The Fog

I do hope my effort will be a little bit help to you to know more about Chinese culture and to improve your Chinese level.


MEANING OF THE PEOM (FIRST PART)
LISTEN TO SHIRLEY TO SING THE POEM OCT 21, 2007

Everlasting Longing

The Bian River is flowing,
The Si River is flowing,
They are flowing to the ancient ferry of Gua Zhou,
The far away Wu Mountains is reflecting my sorrow.

My thought of you is endless,
My grief is endless,
They could not be ended until you come back to me,
So, now, I am leaning on the tower in the moonlight to miss you ...

Translation by Someone Else I:

Long Longing
Waters of Bian flow,
Waters of Si flow,
Flow to the old ferry of Guachow,
The hills in Wu bow in sorrow.

My longing seems to grow,
My grieving seems to grow,
Grow until comes back my yokefellow,
We lean on the rail in moonglow.

Translation II By Mr. Xu Yuanchong:

See the Bian River flow,
and the Si river flow!
By ancient Ferry, mingling waves, they go,
The southern hills reflect my woe.

My thought stretches endlessly,
My grief wretches endlessly,
So thus until my husband somes to me,
Alone on moon-lit balcony.

NEW WORDS:

Note: Please hit any Chinese character that you need helped, to see its Chinese pinyin, pronunciation, meaning and follow me to read it.


CHINESE CHARACTERS:

长相思

白居易（ 唐 ）

汴水流，
泗水流，
流到瓜洲古渡头,
吴山点点愁。

思悠悠，
恨悠悠，
恨到归时方始休，
月明人倚楼。

LISTEN TO SHIRLEY TO SING THE POEM OCT 21, 2007

If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn , or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, You are welcomed.

Shirley Zhang