Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English on Sun, August 17, 2008Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese Aug 17, 2008
Shirley Created Picture & Calligraphy for the Song & Lyric Aug 17, 2008 
Since I came back from Australia, I have had a strong creative urge and also a strong feeling that I wanted to play the piano. So apart from painting 7 pictures, I played the piano as soon as I could, so much so that my fingers are hurting as I type this article.
I was so excited when I suddenly found that I could do an improvisatory accompaniment on the piano for myself this afternoon and could not help but call my piano teacher, who has been in Xian for more than a year now, so that I could share my happiness and let her feel proud of me. :-)
Since my first vocal music teacher went to Beijing, my new vocal music teacher has concentrated on my singing in her music classes and with my piano teacher being away from Shenzhen too, I always felt it was a pity that I did not know how to accompany myself at the piano when I wanted to make a recording. So, today, when I found that I could now do it, I felt that my heart was singing... :-)
I know clearly this is just the start of my music learning road. There is much that I need to learn in the future. I look forward to my piano teacher coming back and want to learn as much as possible from. I am lucky that she will come back next week.
The lyric of this song is a poem by Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi.
I sang it and introduced it to you in Oct, 2005. But
but could not sing in English.
Today, I tried to re-translate it and sing it in English. Even though I am not satisfied with my singing and piano playing yet, I hope my effort will be of some help to you in learning Chinese and in knowing more about Chinese culture.
Also, I created a new picture and calligraphy to go with this song/lyric and I hope you enjoy it.
MAIN MEANING OF THE SONGListen to Shirley Singing the Song In English on Sun, August 17, 2008Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese Sun, Auguest 17, 2008Shirley Created Picture & Calligraphy for the Song & Lyric Aug 17, 2008 A Flower in the Haze
It's a flower, it isn't a flower,
It's fog, it isn't fog.
(it) comes at midnight
goes at dawn,
comes as a spring dream,
can not stay for awhile,
goes as the morning clouds
can not be found anywhere.
Another translation by People's Education Publish House:
A Flower In The Haze
In bloom, she's not a flower;
Hazy, she's not a haze.
She comes at midnight hour;
She goes with starry rays.
She comes like vernal dreams that cannot stay
And goes like morning clouds that melt away.
I did use the pronoun “she” in my translation, I would like to give our readers more room for their imagination. I hope to hear your opinions about that as well...)
CHINESE CHARACTER AND PRONUNCIATION 花非花 -- Hua fei hua,
雾非雾 -- Wu fei wu,
夜半来 -- Ye ban lai,
天明去 -- Tian ming qu。
来如春梦不多时 -- Lai ru chun men bu duo shi,
去似朝云无觅处 -- Qu si chao yun wu mi chu。
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English on Sun, August 17, 2008Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese Sun, Auguest 17, 2008Shirley Created Picture & Calligraphy for the Song & Lyric Aug 17, 2008 
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to
shirley@ebridge.cn, or
shirleyz004@yahoo.com, You are welcome to publish your opinions in
Forum For Friends. :-)
--Shirley ZhangEdited, Translated and Recorded on Sun, August 17th, 2008.
