nendil: (kamineko)
nendil ([personal profile] nendil) wrote2010-02-17 06:42 pm
Entry tags:

龙文 - Dragon Script

I usually leave the posting of Chinese stuff to [livejournal.com profile] summercomfort, but I am completely in love with this song that was played at the 2010 New Year's Gala. Even the CG background was as elegant and classy as the song itself.

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龙文

* 一弹戏牡丹 一挥万重山
一横长城长 一竖字铿锵
一画蝶成双 一撇鹊桥上
一勾游江南 一点茉莉香

洒下床前明月光
上下千年一梦长
古今如一龙凤凰
黑眼黑发真善良


** 宫商角徵羽 琴棋书画唱
孔雀东南飞 织女会牛郎
深爱这土地 丝路到敦煌
先人是炎黄 子孙血一样


* repeat

** repeat

读懂千年金钩银画样
习惯故乡白米面或汤
一杯清茶道汉唐
妙笔丹青画平安

** repeat

(Need pinyin? Make a request. :P)

---

"Dragon Script"

* One Flick teasing peony; one Sweep layering mountain ranges
One Crossbar long as Great Wall; one Staff strengthening the letter
One Stroke pairing butterflies[1]; one Slant upon magpie bridge[2]
One Hook touring Yangtze South[3]; one Dot the fragrance of jasmine[4]

Spilling moonlight by bedside[5]
Previous and next millennia one-dream long
Past and present as dragon and phoenix united
Black eyes, black hair filled with kindness


** Court, business, commons, occasion, material[6]; music, chess, script, art, song[7]
Peacocks Flying East and South[8]; Cow-herd meeting Weaver-Girl[9]
Deeply love this soil; Silk Road to Dunhuang[10]
Ancestors the Yan and Yellow Emperors[11]; descendants the same bloodline


* repeat

** repeat

Having understood thousand years of fine ink-brush arts[12]
Having accustomed to hometown's white rice, noodle, or soup
A cup of clear tea quoth the Han and Tang dynasties[13]
Nimble brush paints peace in crimson and azure

** repeat

(Feel free to suggest corrections.)

---

1. ^The Butterfly Lovers, a classic Chinese love story.
2. ^See [9].
3. ^Jiangnan, an area reknowned for arts, tourism, and beautiful water scenery. Locales include the "heaven on earth" pair: Hangzhou, my hometown, and Suzhou, "Venice of the East".
4. ^This set of lyrics more-or-less reference the eight different types of Chinese calligraphy strokes.
5. ^One of the most famous pieces of Chinese poetry by one of the most famous Chinese poets, Thoughts on a Still Night.
6. ^The names of the five notes in the classic Chinese pentatonic scale, corresponding to do-re-mi-so-la (C-D-E-G-A).
7. ^The classic Chinese "Four Arts"... plus singing. "Music" refers to playing the zither; "chess" is Chinese chess and Go; "script" is brush calligraphy; and "art" is ink painting.
8. ^A tragic love story, the first epic poem in Chinese literature.
9. ^The myth behind the Qixi Festival, aka Tanabata in Japan.
10. ^Dunhuang, a major location on the Silk Road.
11. ^A common way to refer to the Chinese people.
12. ^Literally "Gold hooks and silver strokes", meaning strong, forceful calligraphy or painting.
13. ^Two dynasties with the most historical significance and development in Chinese art, science, and cultural identity.


I'm hosting an MP3 download for you because I love it so much! (sung by 谭晶 only, no duet)

[identity profile] ctrl-a.livejournal.com 2010-02-18 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
Hm, I think we must've missed that one (or I was too busy paying attention to my mahjongg tiles). But there were lots of cool songs at the Gala. I liked the duet by the two women. Such beautiful second soprano harmonies. :D

[identity profile] nendil.livejournal.com 2010-02-18 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
Well AREN'T YOU GLAD I DE-MISSED IT FOR YOU :P Now go download it and make all my ridiculously extraneous effort worthwhile. :P
summercomfort: (Default)

[personal profile] summercomfort 2010-02-19 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I am impressed by all the translations and footnotes! :D

[identity profile] nendil.livejournal.com 2010-02-19 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm glad they are well appreciated ;D Really it's lovely what the Chinese Wikis (and other fellow uncultured swine confused about lyrics on Baidu Answers) will volunteer up with a quick Google ;)
summercomfort: (Default)

[personal profile] summercomfort 2010-02-19 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I <3 Baidu Answers