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 Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese
 Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English
 On Wednesday night I thought I would try a different route to my new vocal music teacher's home; however, it still took me over an hour to get there and when I arrived my car was covered with thick ash from the road works near her home. Anyway, when I was driving back in the moonlight after the lesson, I felt that I had learned many things from her and it was worth the drive of over 2.5 hours for a 1 hour lesson. :-) As a person who had missed something that I would have loved to have learned in the golden years of my youth, I cherish every opportunity to learn from a good teacher...
I am lucky that my new teacher is trying to teach me to "catch fish", instead of just giving the fish and I always take my computer with me and record the lesson. I then review it and make my own recording of the song I’ve learned in English and Chinese.
Mei Niang Qu -- A Song of Girl Mei is a famous Chinese song by Nie Er, written for a drama by Tian Hai in 30's. In 1931, the Japanese army occupied 3 provinces in Northeast China and then, in 1937, they occupied the whole of China. All patriotic Chinese people fought against the Japanese fascists and many overseas Chinese gave up their good lives abroad and came back to China to take part in the struggle.
This song just tells of a young girl who lived in Southeast Asia. She sent her lover back to China and then, she came back to China to look for him after breaking with her parents. But when she found him he had been wounded in the War and did not know who she was.
So, the girl sang this song for him by his sickbed and wished he would wake up during her song…
I tried to translated it into English and I do hope what I have learned to do will be a little help to you in knowing more about Chinese culture and in improving your Chinese listening level.
MAIN MEANING OF THE SONG
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English
Sweetheart, you can't forget me ya,
I am your dearest Girl Mei.
You sat in the window at home,
and chewed the red betel palm,
I played for you on the guitar,
accompanied you in a slow song,
when we were far away in South Asia...
Sweetheart, you can't forget me ya,
I am your dearest Girl Mei.
I was on the bank of the red river,
where our ancestors had bled,
sent the warriors off home,
I could not be back with you,
how I was disconsolate...
Sweetheart, you can't forget me ya,
I am your dearest Girl Mei.
I’ve forsaken my parents for you,
I have left South Asia far away...
How I wish I could use my tears,
to heal all your wounds.
But, but,
you do not know who I am,
your poor Girl Mei...
CHINSE CHARACTERS AND PRONUNCIATION
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English
梅娘曲 -- Mei Niang Qu
哥哥,你别忘了我呀-- Gege, you bie wangle wo ya!
我是你亲爱的梅娘 -- wo shi ni qinai de Mei Niang.
你曾坐在我们家的窗上 -- ni cen zuo zai women jia de chuangshang,
嚼 着 那 鲜 红的槟榔 -- jiao zhe na xianhong de binglang,
我曾轻弹着吉他 -- wo ceng qing tan zhe jita,
伴你慢声儿歌唱 -- ban ni man sheng gechang,
当我们在遥远的南洋 -- dang wowen zai yaoyuan de nanyang !
哥哥,你别忘了我呀-- Gege, you bie wangle wo ya!
我是你亲爱的梅娘 -- wo shi ni qinai de Mei Niang.
你曾在红河的岸旁 -- ni ceng zai Hong He de ai pan,
我们祖宗流血的地方 -- women zuzong liu xue de difang,
送我们的勇士还乡 -- song women de yongshi huan xiang,
我不能和你同来 -- wo buneng he ni tonglai,
我是那样的惆怅 -- wo shi nayang de chouchang!
哥哥,你别忘了我呀-- Gege, you bie wangle wo ya!
我是你亲爱的梅娘 -- wo shi ni qinai de Mei Niang.
我为你违背了爹娘 -- wo wei ni weibei le dieniang,
离开那遥远的南洋 -- lika na yaoyuan de nanyang,
我预备用我的眼泪 -- wo yubei yong wo de yanlei,
搽好你的创伤 -- cha hao yi de chuangshang.
但是,但是 -- danshi, danshi,
你已经 不 认 得 我 了 ni yijing bu rende wo le,
你的可怜的梅娘 - ni kelian de Mei Niang!
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song in Chinese
Listen to Shirley Singing the Song In English
 If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please write to shirley@ebridge.cn, or shirleyz004@yahoo.com, You are welcome to publish your opinions in Forum For Friends. :-)
--Shirley Zhang
Written, Translated and Recorded It on Sun, Sep 30, 2007
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Instrumental Music
