Listen to Shirley Sang the Song In English June 20, 2009 in the USListen to Shirley Sang the Song in Chinese June 20, 2009 in the USListen to Shirley Sang the Song in Chinese April 27, 2007 in China
As soon as heard this Chinese song first time, I enjoyed it. I am not sure I should sort it into Chinese popular song or Chinese Folk Song, because it was sung by a Chinese popular singer first time but with a strong Chinese folk style. :-)
This is a typical Chinese Western love song. It expresses how a girl is sending-off his boyfriend/lover to join in the border army in the moonlight-- she has gone with him over 10 miles, she did not want to say "bye" to him, she pleases the moon rests for a while and gives them time more, she wishes him does good in the army and sends his good news back earlier...
Maybe for I am from a former military family, I enjoy this song not only for his beautiful music and lyrics, but also for this is a song for the army men. Do you know? Since I was 5 or 6 years, I was singing on a little bench for the army men, I have been respecting, trusting and like army men, for their brave, strong, following discipline and self-devotion, also, for their good-looked gesture of walking in the line... :-)
I learned this song first time in my music lesson April 21, 2007. But then, I felt its tone too high to master and also I felt it was too long and too difficult to translate and sung it in English then.
Now, the studying in the US, has given me the courage to translate it and to sing it in English.
So, I translated it into English first time Wednesday night, then I re-translated it and re-sang and recorded it on Saturday.
My heart was full of the grateful to my two music teacher Ms. Ma and Ms. Huang for their music lesson for me for 6 years, even though my throat has been in hoarseness since Wed, I tried to complete the singing and recording with the help of breath.
Once more, we meet an interesting cultural phenomena, that is, in many places of China, girls and women call their male colleagues, male friend, boyfriends, lovers, even husbands "Brothers" or what what Brothers -- such as John Brother, Green Brother... So, if a Chinese girl calls you as "Brother", you have to make sure her true meaning, to make you as her colleague, a common friend, a friendly "Brother" or a "Lover", to avoid making a misunderstanding... :-)
In Chinese culture, most of people are not easy to speak "Love" directly even though they have been lovers or husband and wife. Many people express their love with their actual activities of helping or caring for and so on.
So, in this song, you can not see any word of love directly in the lyrics. However, if you do understand the culture of China, then, you can feel a strong love feeling in the girl's heart to her “Brother”.
I did not satisfy my singing and translation yet. I will re-sing and re-translate it someday when I am in the emotion to sing.
I just hope that my effort will be some help to you to learn Chinese culture and language.
Also, I wish that you find that my singing and English level has been improved a little bit. :-)
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English June 20, 2009 in the USListen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese June 20, 2009 in the USMAIN MEANING OF THE SONGThe moon is going,
I am going.
I send my brother out of the village.
You will be a border guard,
Sending you ten miles,
it is hard to say "bye"
Ah... ah ...ah...
Clouds follow the moon in the sky,
Wind blows the willow on the land.
The moon (ah) the Moon (ah) rests for a while,
gives us a time to talk more...
Ah...ah..ah
The moon is going,
I am going.
I send my brother by the bridge.
You are a good boy,
you will show your talent in the frontier,
Ah...ah..ah ...
Night breeze is blowing gently,
little river is flowing silently.
Brother, brother, listent to me,
to send your good news earlier...
Ah...ah...ah
CHINESE CHARACTER AND PRONUNCIATION月亮走 -- Yueliang zou,
我 也 走 -? wo ye zou,
我送阿哥到村口 wo sou a he dao zen kou,
到村口 ? dao zun hou。
阿 哥 去 当 边 防 军 -- A ge qu dang bianfangjun,
十里相送难分手 -- shili xiangsong nan fen shou,
难分手 ? nan fen shou。
啊, 啊,啊 -- a ... a … a
天上云追月 ? Tianshang zhui yue,
地下风吹柳 ? dixia feng chui liu。
月亮,月亮歇歇脚 ? Yueliang yueliang xiexie jiao,
我俩话儿没说够 ? Wolia hua er mei shuo gou,
没说够 ? mei shuo gou。
I am sending my brother to the
月亮走 ? Yueliang zou,
我 也 走 ? wo ye zou,
我送阿哥到桥头 ? we shong a ge dao qiaotou,
到桥头 ? dao qiao tou。
阿哥是个好青年 ? A ge shi ge hao qingnian,
千里边疆显身手 ? qianli bianjiang xian shenshou,
显身手 ? xian shenshou。
啊, 啊,啊 a ... a … a
晚风悠悠吹 ? Wanfeng youyou chui,
小河静静流 ? xiao he jingjing liu。
阿哥,阿哥听我说 ? A ge a ge ting wo shou,
早把喜报捎回头 ? zao ba xibao sao huitou,
捎回头 ? shao huitou。
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English June 20, 2009 in the USListen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese June 20, 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 ZhangTranslated, Edited, Sang & Recorded Sat, April 21, 2007 in China, Re-Edited, Re-sang & Re-recorded Jun 20, 2009 in the US.