LISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG -July 15, 2006

Hi, friends, today, I would like to introduce and sing a Chinese popular song Chang Huijia Kankan -- Often Going Back Home to Visit Our Parents .

The lyrics of this song express one of the commonest human feelings in the simplest of words -- how parents look forward to their children coming back home often and how the children want to go back home to visit their parents... That is why as soon as it was sung on the New Year’s Eve Party on China Central Television in 1999 it has been popular in China.

Mr. Che Xing wrote the lyrics on a train in 1996, while he was on a business trip. He was thinking of his late father and he was missing his mother who was at home alone. He was feeling sorry for his parents because he had to go on many business trips and so could not spend much time with them; so the lyrics he wrote have a very complex feeling...

I have enjoyed the lyrics, music and the thoughts that this song brings since the first time I heard it. However, this is the first time that I really read all the lyrics, which I have now done to preview the song for my vocal music lesson.

I seldom sing a popular song, but, when I sing this song, I do feel very good indeed.

However, because a rainstorm is expected tonight, my vocal music teacher and I worked in a hurry because we wanted to finish our lesson before the rainstorm came. So, as a result, I feel that neither the piano accompaniment nor my singing is very harmonious.

I just hope that my singing will be a little help to you to in knowing more about Chinese culture and in improving your Chinese listing level. :- )

MAIN MEANING OF THE SONGLISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG:

Often Going Back Home to Visit Our Parents

To find a little bit leisure,   
to find a little bit time,
to take our children,
often going back parents’ home to have a visit...

With smiles,
with good wishes
to take our husbands/wives,
often going back parents home to have a visit…

Mothers have prepared some "constantly repeats";
fathers have prepared some good food.
To talk about the troubles in life to our mothers,
to talk about work with our fathers.

Often going back parents’ home to have a visit
Even though we can only help our mothers
to wash the chopsticks and dishes
The old parents do not ask us to do anything more for the family,
It is not easy for raising us the whole of their lives,
What they are just wishing is all of us lucky and safety...

Often going back parents’ home to have a visit,
Even though we can only do some massages
for our father on their back and shoulders.
The old parents do not ask us to do anything more for the family,
they are always worrying for us for whole of their life,
they are just wishing all of us having a reunion someday...

CHINESE CHARACTER AND PRONUNCIATION LISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG:

常回家看看 -- Chang Giujia Kankan

找点空闲 -- zhao lian shijian ，
找点时间 -- zhao lian shijian，
领着孩子 -- ling zhe haizi，
常回家看看 -- chang huijia kankan。

带上笑容 -- dai shang xiaorong，
带上祝愿 -- dai shang zhufu，
陪同爱人 -- peitong airen ，
常回家看看 -- chang huijia kankan。

妈妈准 备了一些唠 叨 -- mama zhunbei le yixie laodao，
爸爸张罗了一桌好菜 -- baba zhangluo le yi zhuo hao cai，
生活的烦恼向妈妈说说 -- shenghuo de fannao xiang mama shuoshuo，
工作的事情向爸爸谈谈 -- gongzuo de shiqing xiang baba tantan，

常回家看看 -- chang hui jia kankan，
回家看看 -- hui jia kankan，
哪怕帮妈妈洗洗筷子 -- na pa bang mama xixi kuaizi,
刷刷碗 -- shuashua wan，
老 人不图儿女为家做多大贡献啊--laoren bu tu ernǚ fei jia zuo duo da gongxian a，
一 辈 子不容易 -- yi beizi bu rongyi，
就图个平平安安 -- jiu tu ge ping ping an an，

常回家看看 -- chang hui jia kankan，
回家看看 -- hui jia kankan，
哪怕帮爸爸捶捶后背 -- na pa bang baba chuichui houbei，
揉揉肩 -- rong rong jian，
老 人不图儿女为家做多大贡献啊--laoren bu tu ernǚ fei jia zuo duo da gongxian a，
一 辈 子不容易 -- yi beizi bu rongyi，
就图个团团 圆 圆 -- jiu tu ge tuan tuan yuan yuan。

LISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG:

If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to info@ebridge.cn , or shirley@ebridge.cn, You are welcomed to publish your opinions in Forum For Friends. :-)   

--Shirley Yiping Zhang
Written, Translated, Sung and Recorded It on Sat, July 15, 2006