OPTIMISM ABOUT ROSES - 玫瑰玫瑰我愛你

One of the songs massacred by American pop-singers is the classic below, which, once you listen to the original, you will understand remains better in its home language than it could ever possibly be in English. There's a sprightliness and cheer to it that pleases the mind, and inculcates a positivity.

You'll recognize it; you've heard it before.
But this is the version you should have heard.

玫瑰玫瑰我愛你


[Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KMVtuURwjY.]


玫瑰玫瑰我愛你

曲：陳歌辛
詞：吳材
歌手：姚莉


玫瑰玫瑰最嬌美，玫瑰玫瑰最豔麗
長夏開在枝頭上，玫瑰玫瑰我愛你。

玫瑰玫瑰情意重，玫瑰玫瑰情意濃
長夏開在荊棘裡，玫瑰玫瑰我愛你。

心的誓約、 新的情意，潔的光輝照大地
心的誓約、 新的情意，潔的光輝照大地。

玫瑰玫瑰枝兒細，玫瑰玫瑰刺兒銳
今朝風雨來摧毀，傷了嫩枝和嬌蕊。

玫瑰玫瑰心兒堅，玫瑰玫瑰刺兒尖
來日風雨來摧毀，毀不了並蒂連理

Méiguī méiguī wǒ ài nǐ,

Méiguī méiguī zuì jiāo měi, méiguī méiguī zuì yànlì
Zhǎng xià kāi zài zhī tóushàng, méiguī méiguī wǒ ài nǐ.

Méiguī méiguī qíngyì zhòng, méiguī méiguī qíngyì nóng
Zhǎng xià kāi zài jīngjí li, méiguī méiguī wǒ ài nǐ.

Xīn de shìyuē, xīn de qíngyì, jié de guānghuī zhào dàdì
Xīn de shìyuē, xīn de qíngyì, jié de guānghuī zhào dàdì.

Méiguī méiguī zhī er xì, méiguī méiguī cì er ruì
Jīnzhāo fēngyǔ lái cuīhuǐ, shāngle nèn zhī hé jiāo ruǐ.

Méiguī méiguī xin er jiān, méiguī méiguī cì er jiān
Lái rì fēngyǔ lái cuīhuǐ, huǐ bùliǎo bìng dì liánlǐ


The person singing this song is the silver-voiced miss Yao Lee (姚莉 / 姚秀雲), born in 1922, presently retired. She was truly one of the all-time stars of Chinese music, with an impressive expressive range and a flexibility that spanned many styles.
Her version of the rose song is the original; all the others are lackluster copies.
The English version is unfortunate.

As a freebie, I include the song below.


重逢


[Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g126xGkNTAQ.]

重逢

曲： 莊宏
詞：嚴寛
歌手：姚莉

人生何處不相逢，相逢猶如在夢中。
連年為你呀留下春的詩，偏偏今宵皆成空。

人生何處不相逢，相逢猶如在夢中。
你在另個夢中把我忘記，偏偏今宵又相逢。

相逢又相逢，莫非是夢中夢﹖
以往算是夢，人生本是個夢。

人生何處不相逢，相逢猶如在夢中。
你在另個夢中把我忘記，偏偏今宵又相逢。

Chóngféng

Rénshēng hé chù bù xiāngféng, xiāngféng yóurú zài mèngzhōng.
Lián nián wèi nǐ ya liú xià chūn de shī, piānpiān jīnxiāo jiē chéng kōng.

Rénshēng hé chù bù xiāngféng, xiāngféng yóurú zài mèngzhōng.
Nǐ zài lìng gè mèngzhōng bǎ wǒ wàngjì, piānpiān jīnxiāo yòu xiāngféng.

Xiāngféng yòu xiāngféng, mòfēi shì mèngzhōng mèng﹖
Yǐwǎng suànshì mèng, rénshēng běn shìgè mèng.

Rénshēng hé chù bù xiāngféng, xiāngféng yóurú zài mèngzhōng.
Nǐ zài lìng gè mèngzhōng bǎ wǒ wàngjì, piānpiān jīnxiāo yòu xiāngféng.



The second song is about meeting, and meeting again. It may only be in dreams, or in far-off places. And possibly when you dream of me I will remember. It might even be tonight.



It's Saturday evening in the city. This blogger is heading out to spend an hour or two smoking his pipe in a place I hope will be quiet. I'll be dreaming there. Perhaps we'll meet.




==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================