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Chinese Popular Song--007: The Shadow of the Fence Wall

LISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG

Now that we are experiencing a wonderful change in China with the opening and reform of our country, and when we see the young city people living their happy lives freely, it is difficult to imagine what China was like as recently as 20 years ago, especially in the countryside.   

This week I learned a new Chinese popular song   -- The Shadow of the Fence Wall, which is from a Television Play called Fence, Woman and Dog. This play tells a story that took place in a small, remote mountain village, in maybe the 70,s or 80's. A young girl was married to her husband in accordance with their respective parents' prior agreement, reached before either of them was born. She suffered so much pain because of this arranged (forced) marriage and she asked to divorce her husband. Anyway, that seemed like a dream in that little village in those times, the family refused to allow it and she was censured by almost all the local people as well as her family... However, with the support of the of the village leaders, this strong lady finally ended her arranged (forced) marriage and went forward to her new life.

This song is about the how the village changed with time...

I thought this song has very strong folk song quality about it and so I wanted to sing it as a northern Chinese folk song. My vocal music teacher did not agree with me, but my piano teacher did and she supported me in stinging it in the style of a folk song.

What are your feelings when listening to this song?



MAIN MEANING OF THE SONGLISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG:

The Show Of the Fence Wall

The star is still the star,
the moon is still the moon,
the mountain is still that mountain,
the ridge is still the ridge.

The roller is just roller,
the crock is just crock,
the father is just father,
the mother is just mother.

The sesame oil lamp is sounding,
it is still the little light.
Ah, ah,
Why is only the shadow of the fence still so long?
Why does the dog gnarr so crazy?


Why the star is not like that star,
the moon it not like that moon,
the river is not like that river,
the house is not like that house,

A mule has a little foal
a black chicken has changed to be colored phoenix,
There is no oil in the sesame oil lamp,
why is the night of the mountain village so bright?

Ah, ah,
Why is only the shadow of the fence still so long?
there are so many seedling of the bean on the wall.
Ah.

CHINESE CHARACTER AND PRONUNCIATION LISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG:

篱笆墙的影子-- Liba Jiang de Ying Zi
  
星星还是 那 颗 星星哟 ? Xingxing hai shi na ke xingxing,
月亮还是那个月亮 ? yueliang hai shi na ge yueliang,
山 也 还 是 那 座山哟 ? shang ye hai shi na zuo shang,
梁 也 还 是 那 道 梁 ? liang ye hai shi na dao liang。

碾子是碾子 ? nianzi shi nianzi ,
缸是缸哟 ? gang shi gang ,
爹是爹来娘是娘 ? die shi die lai niang shi dinang ,

麻油灯呵还吱吱地响 ma you deng hai zhi zhi di xiang ,
点的还是那么丁点亮 ? di yian de hai shi namo dingdian liang。
哦,哦 ? Wo, wo ,
只有那篱笆墙影子咋那么长 ? zhi you na liba qiang ying zi za hai namo chang ,
还有 那 看 家 的 狗 ? hai you na kan jia de gou,
叫的, 叫的, 叫的, 叫的咋就这么狂 ? jiao de, jiao de, jiao de, jiao de za jiu zhemo kuang 。

 

星星咋不象 那 颗 星星 哟 ? Xingxing za buxiang na ke xingxing ,
月亮也不象那个月亮 ? yueliang ye bu xiang nage yueliang,
河也不是那条河哟 ? he ye bushi natiao he yao,
房也不是 那 座 房 ? fang ye bu shi na zhuo fang。

骡子下了个小马驹哟 ? luozi xia le ge xiao maju,
乌鸡变成了彩凤凰 ? wuji biancheng le cai fenghuang,
麻油灯呵断了油 ? ma you leng e duan liao you ,
山村的夜晚咋就这么亮 ? shancun de yewan za jiu zhemo liang。
哦,哦 ? Wo ,wo ,
只有那篱笆墙影子还那么长? zhi you na liba qiang ying zi za hai namo chang ,
在那墙上边爬满了爬满了豆角秧 ? zai na qiang shangbian pa man le doujiao yang。

哦 -- wo!

LISTEN TO SHIRLEY SINGING THE SONG:

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn, or shirleyz004yahoo.com, You are welcome to publish your opinions in Forum For Friends. :-)   

--Shirley
Written, Translated, Sung and Recorded It on Sat, August 26, 2006