Bilingual Song--005: Shirley Sings A Chinese Art & Folk Song "In a Far Away Place" in English & Chinese

Complete Time:

Aug 26, 2007
Remarks:

Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese Dec 6, 2006
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English Aug 19, 2007

This is one of my favorite Chinese folk songs. I have learned it twice before, in 2005 and 2006, and I learned it again on Saturday night in my vocal music lesson.

I still did not think that I had really mastered it, so on Sunday morning I got up early in the hope of learning it once more from my new vocal music teacher; however we have not finished it yet, most of the time was taken up with vocal training and with correcting some fault with my technique and she also gave me lessons in composition and in accompanying myself at the piano.

As a result I think that the recording on here, which I made last night, is not satisfactory, and so I will re-record it sometime in the near future when I have the time.

I have re-translated it into English this week too. I feel that to translate the lyrics so that they keep in step with the music is more difficult than a pure translation, but, it is a very interesting job and it is a very useful to improve my English level. : - )

I really hope what I am learning to do is a little help to you in improving your Chinese listening level and in knowing more about Chinese culture.

--Shirley Zhang
Sun, August 19, 2007

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Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English

My vocal music teacher called me and she hoped to move her lesson time from Saturday night to Friday night so she could deal with something at the weekend.

Both of us had a good lesson and we rerecorded a Chinese Qinghai folk song -- In a Far Away Place.    I learned this song for the first time in August, 2005 , but then I felt very tired, really too tired to sing a song, so now I have sung it again and this time felt much enjoyment from singing it. :-)

This is a very famous Chinese folk song that was written by Wang Luobin.

Many people, not only Chinese people, but also Western people enjoy it very much. Last Oct, in a Concert by Carreras , I was lucky to hear him to sing it in Chinese

I do hope that what I have sung will be a little help to you to improve your listening ability in the Chinese language and to learn Chinese culture. :-) I also hope that you find that I have made a little bit of progress. :-

MAIN MEANING OF THIS LULLABY
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English

In a faraway place ah,
there lives a lovely girl.
People who go by her yurt,
turn their heads to look ? they don’t want to leave...

Her rosy, smiling face ah,
is like the setting sun.
Her lively, charming eyes are,
just like the bright and beautiful moon at night...

I would give up all I own ah,
and follow her to herd her sheep.
To see her rosy smiling face,
and her pretty clothes edged in gilt.

I wish I was a little lamb ah,
I would be near to her.
I wish she’d take her thin whip,
and touch my body lightly and tenderly...

CHINSE CHARACTERS AND PRONUNCIATION
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English:

在那遥远的地方 -- Zai na yaoyuan de difang，
有位好姑娘 -- you wei hao guniang。
人们走过她的毡房 -- Renmen zouguo ta de zanfang，
都要回头留恋地张望 -- dou yao huitou liulian de zhangwang。

她那粉红的笑脸 -- Ta na fenhong de xiaolian，
好像红太阳 -- haoxiang hong taiyang。
她那活泼动人的眼睛 -- Ta na huobo dongren de yanjing，
好像晚上明媚的月亮 -- haoxiang wanshang mingmei de yueliang。

我愿抛弃了财产-- Wo yuan paoqi le caican，
跟她去放羊 -- gen ta qu fangyang。
每天看着那粉红的笑脸 -- Meitian kanzhe na fenhong de xiaolian，
和那美丽金边的衣裳 -- he na meili jinbian de yishang。

我愿做一只小羊 -- Wo yuan zuo yizhi xiaoyang，
跟在她身旁 -- gen zai ta shenpang。
我愿她拿着细细的皮鞭 -- Wo yuan ta na zhe xixi de pibian，
不断轻轻地打在我身上 -- buduan qingqing de da zai wo shenshang。

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 Zhang
Written, Translated and Recorded on Sat, Dec 16, 2006
Re-Edited and Re- recorded on Sun, August 19, 2007

Bilingual Song--005: Shirley Sings A Chinese Art & Folk Song "In a Far Away Place" in English & Chinese

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