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Shirly Sung China (Northeastern) Folk Song--035: Yao Lan Qu -- Lullaby

 

LISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG

Since I set up this little web site, I have got about 4000 letters from several handred friends from 31 countries. Some of them asked me that why I have no a family and thought that I am an iced woman who just knows work and there is no a warm feeling and love in my heart.

In fact, I have parents, sister, brother and a son. I do love them and I had lived as a moon around my sun for many years unitl my son -- my only family went abroad when he was younger than 15 years old -- just the same age when I became to a corps soldier and a youngest teacher... :-)

I planed to see my son last National Holiday, but, my parents came back south -- Wuxi City to settle down, my education asked me to visit the old people earlier than a younger. So, instead of flying over the Ocean to see my son, I flied back Wuxi to see my parents. I planed to see him this national holiday, but, for some reason, I missed the time to apply a visa. I do feel sorry to my only child deeply, I did weep for my fail, anyway, last night, in the moonlight of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I got my son¡¯s phone call from the other side of the Ocean. It is the 5th year that he has been abroad in his second year as a university student in a beautiful city of a Western country.

When I heard his voice, I did feel the biggest comfort and happiness, whole of the tired from work and trip went away. With many happy tears, I want to sing a Lullaby for my beloved child just like I had done for him years ago... :-)

I do hope the song by a Chinese mother will also bring you a smile.

Now, I could not help to smile with tears for I think of that just 4 years ago, when he came back China from his high school abroad, he did not want to go back there again. Every night, he needed me to sit by him to talk for a while, to see him to close his eyes, turned off his lamp, said "Good night" and "I love you", then, I could leave from his bed room... :-)

Ha, what a happy time that was! :-)


--Shirley
Oct 7, 2006


------------------

Hi, friends, today I would like to introduce a Chinese Northeast folk "Yao Lanqu", in English is "Lullaby" for you.:-) I am sure all of us had heard a "Lullaby" when we were babies. Here, I would like to help you to know something about Chinese mothers, how do they sing Lullabies for their babies, what do they wish their children to be in the future and how do they help their children to get sleepy... :-)   

This song was sung by one of the most famous Chinese folk musicians -- Ms. Peng Liyuan first time. The lyrics and music were written by Mr. Zhen Jianchun.

MAIN MEANING OF THIS LULLABYLISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG
The moon is bright,
the wind is quiet,
leaves are cover the window lattices.
Crickets are singing "zheng zheng",
just like the sounds from the strings.
Music is light,
tone is lovely,
cradle is waving lightly.
Mom's baby,
closes your eyes,
you are getting sleepy in a dream.

Little doves,
opening their winging to fly.
they are keeping singing "Gu Gu".
Little baby in the dream,
you are smiling now.
Your eyebrow is comeliness,
your face is red,
just like a little hero.
Little hero will be a soldier,
to make contributions for the motherland.

Dews cover flowers,
the flowers out of window are red.
flowers are bloosing,
flowers are red,
baby you have to grow up.
The moon is bright,
the wind is quiet,
crickets are keeping singing,
Mom's baby,
closes your eyes,
you are sleeping in a dream...

CHINSE PRONUNCIATIONLISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG

Ô¶ùÃ÷ -- yue er ming ,
·ç¶ù¾² -- feng er jing,
Ê÷Ò¶ÕÚ´°èù°¡ -- shuye zhe chuangling a ¡£
òÐòжù½Ðï£ï£ -- ququ er jiao zhengzheng,
ºÃ±ÈÄÇÇÙ ÏÒ ¶ù Éù °¡ -- hao bi na qingxian sheng a ¡£   
ÏÒ ¶ù ÄÇ ¸ö Çá -- xian er nage qing ,
µ÷ ¶ù ¶¯ Ìý -- diao er dong ting,
Ò¡À¶Çá°Ú¶¯°¡ -- yaolan qing baidong¡£
ÄïµÄ±¦±´±ÕÉÏÑÛ¾¦ -- nian de baobei bi shang yanjing,
˯ÔÚÄǸö˯ÔÚÃÎÖа¡ -- shui zai na ge meng zhong a ¡£
  
С¸ë×Ó-- xiao ge zi,
Õ¹³á·É -- zhan chi fei,
¹¾ ¹¾ ½ÐÁ¬Éù°¡ -- gu gu jiao lian sheng a ¡£
С±¦±¦Ë¯ÃÎÖÐ -- xiao bao bao shui meng zhong,
΢΢µØ¶ÁËЦÈÝ°¡ -- weiwei de lu chu le xiaorong a¡£   
ü¶ùÄǸöÇå -- mei er na ge xing,
Á³¶ùÄǸöºì -- lian er na ge hong £¬
ºÃÏó¸öСӢÐÛ°¡ -- hao xiang ge xiao ying yong a ¡£
СӢÐÛ -- xiao yingxiong ,
Òª È¥ µ± ±ø -- xiao qu dangbing ,
ΪÁË×æ¹úÁ¢´ó¹¦°¡ -- wei le zuguo li da gong a¡£

¶ˮ¶ù -- lu shui er£¬
Èö»¨¶ù -- sa hua er£¬
´°Ç°µÄ»¨¶ùºì°¡ chuang qian de hua er hong a £¬
»¨¶ù¿ª -- hua er kai £¬
»¨¶ùºì -- hua er hong £¬
±¦±¦Äã¾ÍÒª³É³¤°¡ -- bao bao ni jiuyao chengzhang a £¬
Ô¶ùÄǸöÃ÷ -- yue er na ge ming ,
·ç¶ùÄǸö¾² -- feng er na ge jing ,
òÐòжù½ÐÁ¬Éù°¡ -- qu qu er jiao lian sheng a ,
ÄïµÄ±¦±´ -- niang de baobei £¬
±ÕÉÏÑÛ¾¦ -- bi shang yangjing £¬
˯ÔÚÄǸö˯ÔÚÃÎÖа¡ -- shui zai na ge meng zhong a ,
àÅ... àÅ...àÅ... -- en ... en... en ...
àÅ... àÅ...àÅ... -- en ... en... en...

LISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG

Please notice there are many "er" and "a" in this folk, this is one of the characteristics of this song and North east folks¡¯. They are used in the sentences to help to express the mother' feeling to her child, there is no any actual meaning.

Also, in this song, mother was read "Niang2"instead of "Ma   Ma" as I have told you in another song. Mother can be read "Ma1", "Ma1 Ma1", also can be "Niang2"or "A Ma1" in different Chinese dialects.

Ok, just hope my singing can help you to practice your Chinese aural comprehension and also help you to know something more about Chinese Folk music and literature :-) If you have any questions, comments, suggestions and requisitions, you are welcomed to write to shirley@ebridge.cn.

--Shirley
Written, Edited and Recorded on Sat., Sep 17, 2005