Tuesday, July 09, 2019

TWO OLDIES: CHOU HSUEN AND TUNG PEI-PEI

You've often read sneering remarks here about Mandarin speakers and their language. Yet my first exposure to Mandarin was sweet. Golden oldies sung by the stars of Chinese cinema in the thirties through the fifties.

So, to preserve them mostly for myself, I am parking two songs here.
They're sappy. Good thing most of you can't read the lyrics.


陋巷之春 SPRING IN A RUSTIC LANE
Sung by 周璇

[SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=5lRDLoaCoCM.]


陋巷之春 

作曲:李厚襄。作詞:陳蝶衣。演唱:周璇。

人間有天堂,
天堂在陋巷,
春光無偏私,
布滿了溫暖網。

樹上有小鳥,
小鳥在歌唱,
唱出贊美詩,
贊美著春浩蕩。

臨家有少女,
當窗曬衣裳,
喜氣上眉梢,
不久要做新娘。

春色在陋巷,
春天的花朵處處香,
我們要鼓掌,
歡迎著好春光。

春色在陋巷,
春天的花朵處處香,
我們要鼓掌,
歡迎著好春光。



春天是我們的 THIS SPRING BELONGS TO US
Sung by 董佩佩 and 黃河

[SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMJTItNVADc.]


春天是我們的

作曲:姚敏。作詞:李雋青。演唱:董佩佩、黃河。

一年最好是春季,多少的春天空拋棄,
花還是那樣的開喲,鳥還是那樣的啼,
為什麼今年樣樣都甜蜜?
為什麼今年樣樣都甜蜜?

一年最好是春季,為什麼今年更甜蜜,
花也為我們開放,鳥也對我們啼,
因為我身邊伴著一個妳!
因為我身邊伴著一個妳!

一年最好是春季,也有人說春勢利,
相思的它不關喲,失戀的它不理,
美滿的情侶才配在春風裡。
美滿的情侶才配在春風裡。

一年最好是春季,為什麼春天會勢利,
相思的莫懷疑喲,失戀的莫妒忌。
今年的春天總是我們的。
今年的春天總是我們的。


Themes of spring, flowers, young love, and little birds tweetering. There is an innocence in these lyrics that appeals to me, but it's primarily the sprightly tunes. In both ways very different from Grunge or Rap.
Which I both like also, make no mistake.
I headbang with the best of them.
Oh my heavens yes!

I am an old fart.


Zhōu Xuán
周璇 ('jau suen'), originally named 蘇璞 ('sou pok'), born in 1920, died in 1957, was a legendary star of Shanghai cinema. Over forty movies and innumerable songs.

Dǒng Pèi-pèi
董佩佩 ('tung pui pui') was born in 1928. Child star in Shanghai, moved to Hong Kong in 1949. The song above dates from 1956. She passed away in 1976 or 1978.




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