Chinese & Art Classroom

Chinese Classical Poem 0106 -- Lyric 005(By Li Zhiyi ) & Shirley Created Music-0086-01: Bu Suan Zi--Song of Divination

Listen to the Text by Shirley Dec 23, 2007
Listen to Shirley Singing the Lyrics in Chinese Dec 23, 2007
Listen to Shirley Singing the Lyrics in English Dec 23, 2007

I created a piece of music to match this classical lyric on the airplane when I was flying to Hainan'from Shenzhen last Friday for a business trip. Then, this weekend, I translated it into English and sang it for you in English and in Chinese.

With a simple language, this lyric has expressed how a young lady who is living upstream of the Yangtse River would like to be loyal to her lover who is living downstream of the same river, but she is also worryinging something in her heart. After all, she does not make sure whether he also loves her, because she is missing him day and night, but he is not in view at all; what she can see is only the water, what is connecting them is only the river. So, the girl wonder whether the boy also loves her as she does, when her grief of missing will no longer grow...

This is a typical Chinese expressing style -- to talk about love, but, there is no any word to mention love directly. So, you have to feel something behind of the lines and the words... :-)

This is a very famous lyric and be chosen into many poetry anthology. I do hope that you enjoy it. And it is will be a little bit help to you to know about Chinese culture and to improve your Chinese level.

MAIN MEANING OF THE LYRIC
Listen to Shirley Singing the Lyrics in Chinese Dec 23, 2007
Listen to Shirley Singing the Lyrics in English Dec 23, 2007

I live upstream of the Yangtse River,
you live downstream of it.
Day and day I miss you,
but you are not in view,
though we drink from the same river.

When will the water no more flow?
when will my grief no longer grow?
I wish your hear as same as mine,
then not in vain for you I pine

NEW WORDS AND PRONUNCIATION :

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:

卜算子
李之仪

我住长江头
君住长江尾
日日思君不见君
共饮长江水

此水几时休
此恨何时已

相思

Listen to Shirley Singing the Lyrics in Chinese Dec 23, 2007
Listen to Shirley Singing the Lyrics in English Dec 23, 2007

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

Shirley Zhang
Sun, Dec 23, 2007

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