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Posts
Modern Poetry Around the World
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009Cross Cultural Poetics has podcasts featuring modern poets from different countries around the world.
The first podcast features Egyptian poets Mohamed Metwalli and Maged Zaher and Chinese poet Zhang Er. They compare Chinese and Arabic poetry to English poetry.
Zhang Er points out that Chinese poetry has no tense – so it has an eternal feeling to it. It has no plurals, no articles and no pronouns. Whereas English poetry is more static – it’s set in time.
Maged Zaher points out that the spoken Arabic language is different from the written language. He said the written Arabic language is more ornamental and rhetorical and that made his poetry more sentimental. To be free of this he writes his poetry in English.
Mohamed Metwalli said he writes in Arabic because that’s the language he dreams in. He speaks English and studied English literature growing up, so there is an influence of it on his poetry. He writes in a modern Arabic form that’s influenced by English.
You can listen to the 1st podcast here.
Chinese Song, “Little Sister Carries Her Doll” With a Video
Monday, May 11th, 2009This song is called “Mei mei bei zhe yang wa wa” in Pinyin, literally it’s, “Little Sister Carries Her Foreign Doll”. (Pinyin is the system used to transliterate Mandarin Chinese using the Roman alphabet.) “Foreign” doll refers to a western style doll as opposed to a traditional Chinese doll.
Here’s a Chinese song in the original, with the Pinyin transliteration, an English translation followed by a YouTube video…
Traditional Chinese Text
妹妹背這洋娃娃，
走到花園來看花，
娃娃哭了叫媽媽，
樹上的小鳥笑哈哈
Pinyin
Mei4 mei bei1 zhe4 yang2 wa2 wa,
Zou3 dao4 hua1 yuan2 lai2 kan4 hua1,
Wa2 wa ku1 le jiao4 ma1 ma,
Shu4 shang4 de xiao3 niao3 xiao4 ha1 ha1.English Translation
Little sister carries her foreign doll
To the garden to see some flowers.
The doll cries for its mother.
A bird up in a tree laughs.In this YouTube video “Mei mei bei zhe yang wa wa” is being sung by a class while dancing to the song…
Many thanks to Anna-Marie for contributing the Chinese version, the transliteration of this song and for translating it into English. Thanks also to James Yannucci for help with the Pinyin.
You can visit the “Mei mei bei zhe yang wa wa” Song Page for more info about this song including French and Spanish translations and the simplified Chinese text.
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
Qingming Poem by Du Mu with an MP3 Recording
Friday, April 3rd, 2009Yesterday, I posted the poem Qingming by the poet Du Mu (803 – 852) that mentions the Qingming Festival (also called Ching Ming). I asked my friend Ray Lee about it. He grew up in Hong Kong and I wanted to hear his impression about the poem and also my translation of it (below). Here’s what Ray wrote:
This is indeed a very well known poem. We were taught this poem when we were in school. I don’t know if they still teach this in school. Even if they don’t, the school kids are bound to hear it from their parents or on TV or read about it somewhere.
The translation you have is pretty good. I am not sure about the second line though. I have always thought it said, “pedestrians on the road are like ghosts,” because of the rain.
Below you can find the Chinese text, the Pinyin and an English translation I had done of the poem Qingming plus an mp3 of Qingming being recited…
Ching Ming
It’s raining hard at the time of the Ching Ming Festival,
The mourner’s heart is overwhelmed on the road upland.
May I ask where there’s a tavern to drown my sorrows?
The shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village in the distance.清 明
清 明 时 节 雨 纷 纷，
路 上 行 人 欲 断 魂。
借 问 酒 家 何 处 有，
牧 童 遥 指 杏 花 村。
qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn
lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún
jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu
mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūnRay later wrote to me about the second line:
There is another translation on the Internet that is somewhere between my translation and yours. This one says something like travelers all look gloomy and miserable.
Thanks, Ray, for letting us know more about this poem!
The poem was read by Jia Zhou for Librevox.
If anyone would like to comment about the translation, please feel free to let us know what you think in the comments below or to email me at lisa@mamalisa.com .
Below you can read posts about the Chingming Festival…
-Mama Lisa
Qingming Festival in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009The Qingming Festival is on April 4th this year in China, and on the 5th in Taiwan. In Taiwan it’s called Tomb Sweeping Day.
This day is a remembrance of ancestors – it’s similar to All Saints Day and The Day of the Dead. People clean the tombs of their ancestors and offer them food, drink, joss (paper gifts) and spirit money (not real currency). Some people carry willow branches to ward off the evil spirits that are thought to roam the earth on this day.
Qingming is also a celebration of the spring. People have picnics, play on swings and fly kites.
There is a well-known poem by the poet Du Mu (803 – 852) that mentions this day. Below you can find the Chinese text, the Pinyin and an English translation I tried my hand!
Ching Ming
It’s raining hard at the time of the Ching Ming Festival,
The mourner’s heart is overwhelmed on the road upland.
May I ask where there’s a tavern to drown my sorrows?
The shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village in the distance.清 明
清 明 时 节 雨 纷 纷，
路 上 行 人 欲 断 魂。
借 问 酒 家 何 处 有，
牧 童 遥 指 杏 花 村。
qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn
lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún
jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu
mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūnBelow you can read other posts about the Chingming Festival…
Feel free to share your holiday photos or traditions by commenting below or emailing me at lisa@mamalisa.com.
Mama Lisa
The poem was read by Jia Zhou for Librevox.
Can Anyone Help with a Mandarin Song with the Line “Xiao me xiao er lang”?
Thursday, March 5th, 2009Heather wrote asking for help with a Chinese folk song…
Lisa,
I’m not sure if you can help me but I am searching for the lyrics for a children’s folksong in Mandarin that is about a little boy who carries a backpack on his back and doesn’t want to disappoint his father. I sang this about 13 years ago with my college choir. I remember the melody but only parts of the words.
Phonetically, the first line is: Xiao me xiao er lang
If possible, your help will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Heather Ramirez
Houston, TXIf anyone can help with this song, either with the transliterated Mandarin, the Chinese characters and/or an English translation, please either let us know in the comments below or by emailing me at lisa@mamalisa.com .
Thanks in advance!
Mama Lisa
UPDATE: Evan wrote: “Ah! The good ol’ days… I sang this as part of my elementary school music class, quite some time ago. With the repetitions, it goes…”
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不怕太阳晒
也不怕那风雨狂
只怕先生骂我笨
没有学问无颜见爹娘
没有学问无颜见爹娘
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不是为做官
也不是为面子管
只为穷人要翻身
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不怕太阳晒
也不怕那风雨狂
只怕先生骂我笨
没有学问无颜见爹娘
没有学问无颜见爹娘
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不是为做官
也不是为面子管
只为穷人要翻身
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
小二郎嘛小二郎
小二郎嘛小二郎
小二郎嘛小二郎
小二郎嘛小二郎
小呀嘛小二郎
背着那书包上学堂
不是为做官
也不是为面子管
只为穷人要翻身
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊
不受人欺负
哎不做牛和羊Thanks Evan! If anyone can provide a transliteration, the Pinyin and/or an English translation, that would be great! Thanks! Lisa
Mama Lisa Now Has a Facebook Group
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009We’d love it if you’d join the Mama Lisa Facebook Group. You can post anything you’d like about your culture. You can post your own musical recordings or YouTube videos… Links to culture and musical sites… Photos of your country… Questions about songs or cultural issues… Anything related to World Culture and Music…
Click on the icon below to access the group. If you have a Facebook account already, you just need to click on “Join the Group” to join. If you’re not a member, you simply have to sign up for free to become a member and then you can join the Mama Lisa Group…
Looking forward to seeing you in Facebook!
Mama Lisa
Movie Recommendation – Kung Fu Panda
Sunday, January 25th, 2009
Kung Fu Panda is a really great movie. I’d highly recommend watching it with your kids. It looks pretty. It exposes your children to another culture (it takes place in China). It’s funny and has a nice moral to the story (one being, be true to yourself).
You can get an idea of what Kung Fu Panda’s like in the trailer below…
Beware, at the end of the film you’ll find yourself singing the Kung Fu Fighting disco song from the 70’s… Everybody was Kung fu fighting, those kids were fast as lightening, in fact in was a little bit frightening, but they fought with expert timing…
Enjoy the Show!
Mama Lisa
PS This movie is available on DVD now so you can take it out at your local library or rent it.
Chinese New Year
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009The Chinese New Year starts on January 26th this year. It’ll be the year of the Ox.
Here’s a composition by David W. Solomons that he created in honor of the holiday.
If you’re interested in learning more, you can read previous posts about the Chinese New Year.
If you’d like to find a festival near you, check out an article about some Chinese New Years Festivals around the world. If the weather permits, I’d like to bring my family to the one in Chinatown, in New York City.
Does Anyone Know the Song, “I’m a Little Chinese Doll from Across the Sea”?
Sunday, October 19th, 2008Sandy wrote looking for help with lyrics to a Chinese New Years song. Here’s what she wrote…
Looking for the entire words to an old song “I’m a Little Chinese Doll from across the sea. Where the lovely lotus blooms neath a cherry tree. Paper dragons you will meet on a Chinese New Year, Winding up and down the street on a Chinese New Year. Evil Spirits cannot stay when the dragon’s on his way. Firecrackers POP all day on a Chinese New Year…” Anyone ever heard this song and is there more of it? Please let me know, I need it for my little granddaughter to sing… She so loves it but we think there is more. Thanks for the help.
If anyone know of more lyrics to this song, or if you know anything about the origins of it, please let us know about it in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
The Monastery of Ten Thousand Buddhas
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008A couple of weeks ago, Ray Lee sent me photos from his trip to Hong Kong. Here are some more, from when he visited the The Monastery of Ten Thousand Buddhas. You have to walk up over 400 steps to get there. On the way up you pass by many Buddha statues, each one is unique…
Here’s what the temple finally looks like when you get to the top of all those steps…
Ray wrote, “The name Temple of 10,000 Buddhas refers to the number of Buddhas inside that temple (so it is not counting the statues that line the steps that take you to the temple). According to the tour book, there are actually about 12,000 Buddhas inside that temple.
Out of respect, Ray didn’t want to take any photos while inside the temple, but he took one from the outside looking in…
Outside the temple their are more statues…
Many thanks to Ray for sharing these great photos with us!
-Mama Lisa
Photos of Hong Kong
Friday, June 20th, 2008I recently posted a photo of a typical Hong Kong street. Below are some more photos that my friend Ray Lee took on a recent trip to Hong Kong. You might like to see them to get a feel for what Hong Kong looks like if you’ve never been there before.
Here’s a photo of the Hong Kong skyline…
Here’s a pretty bridge…
Below you’ll see the old clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui. This clock tower is now a historical landmark. It used to be part of a railroad station…
Ray wrote, “The tram. It’s a rather inefficient and inflexible mode of transportation. However, it is deemed a characteristic of Hong Kong that is worth preserving.” Here’s a photo of a tram in Hong Kong…
Here’s a store where they sell ducks…
Ray wrote, “The bright light in the distance is from street vendors. This is the Temple Street night market. After the sun sets, street vendors open ’shop’.”
Here’s the Bank of China lit up at night…
Below is a night view of Hong Kong from “The Peak”. Ray wrote, “We took the Peak Tram to “The Peak”. Hong Kong Island, as its name suggests, is an island. There’s the Peak Tram that you can take to go up to the top of the island.” Here’s the spectacular view you can see from “The Peak” at night…
Many thanks to Ray Lee for sharing his photos of Hong Kong with us!
-Lisa
Hong Kong Photo
Saturday, June 14th, 2008My friend Ray, who spent most of his early childhood in Hong Kong, sent me this photo from his recent trip there. He said, “This is a pretty typical side street in Hong Kong, with a lot of small stores and signs.”…
Many thanks to Ray Lee for sharing this photo with us!
If you would like to share a photo of your country or a trip you’ve taken, please email me.
-Mama Lisa
The Dragon Boat Festival
Monday, June 9th, 2008
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth moon (month) in the Chinese New Year. This year that’s today!
According to Andrew Sullivan, it falls on this day, “in remembrance of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet who committed suicide in the Miluo River on the day in 221 BC.” Depending on which story you follow, Qu Yuan was either protesting the corruption of the government, or was so depressed by it, that he killed himself!
The legend is that the villagers raced out onto the river to try to save Qu Yuan, but it was too late. So they threw rice into the river to keep the fish from eating his body. They also beat the water with their paddles to scare away the fish. This race in search of Qu Yuan’s body became the tradition of the dragon boat race.
Every year on the fifth day of the fifth month the villagers threw rice in the river to feed Qu Yuan’s spirit. According to the legend, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared one night and told the villagers that he was eaten by the river dragon. He said the river dragon was eating the rice they were throwing into the river. So he asked them to wrap the rice in silk and tie it with different colored strings before throwing it in (this became known as zongzi). The colors will scare away the dragon and he won’t be able to untie the strings. He said they should also throw in loose rice. The loose rice would be to feed the dragon and the zongzi would feed Qu Yuan. Today, the tradition is to eat zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival. Nowadays, zongzi is typically made with rice wrapped in bamboo leaves.
The Dragon Boat Festival is known as the Duanwu Festival in China and Taiwan. It’s known as the Tuen Ng Festival in Hong Kong and Macau.
The Photo is from Dragonboat Racing Festival in Macau 2005 by Iidxplus on Wikipedia, and was slightly edited by Mama Lisa.
The Symbolism of the Egg
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008As Easter approaches, it’s natural to think a little about eggs!
In days gone by the egg, due to its shape, was a symbol of the earth. Thanks to its obvious association with the beginning of life, it has also been the basis of many ancient creation stories. It has been a symbol of fertility, rebirth and the cycle of life. These latter symbols are so close to what Springtime is all about that it’s no wonder it’s been an important part of Spring celebrations since pre-Christian times.
As Europe became Christian, eggs became a symbol of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. In the past, Christians gave up eggs for Lent (the 40 days before Easter when it’s customary to give up different types of food). But even though people didn’t eat them, the hens kept laying them! So people would hard boil and decorate them. This would help preserve them longer and serve as part of the holiday festivities.
The egg is also part of the Jewish Passover holiday that takes place in the Spring. The egg is placed on the Seder plate and is a symbol of sacrifice and loss. Yet to some it also symbolizes the full cycle of life, and therefore hope and rebirth. (The egg is a more recent addition to the Seder plate compared to the other symbolic items that are found there and its symbolic meaning seems to be more open to interpretation.)
In China, red eggs are given out at the one month birthday of a new baby. It’s customary to hold a Red Egg and Ginger Party at this time. Once again, the source seems to be the egg’s role as a symbol of fertility and the beginning of life.
So here we come full circle (or oval) with the egg as a wonderful symbol of birth, renewal and rebirth. This is something wonderful to consider as Springtime approaches in the northern hemisphere, where the Earth will soon come back to life!
Feel free to let us know about any special symbolism of the egg in your culture in the comments below.
Valentine’s Day Around the World
Thursday, February 7th, 2008GUEST BLOGGER
Lisa Smith of Regionz Kidz has graciously shared this interesting post about international Valentine’s Day traditions.February 14th has come to mean red and pink hearts, flowers, chocolates and Hallmark cards here in the US. But, how did Valentine’s Day become a day that we celebrate with our loved ones? Valentine’s Day began as a saint’s day commemorating Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr. The day became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
The day is most closely associated with the exchange of love notes in the form of “valentines.” Modern Valentine symbols include the winged Cupid and the heart. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.
We are all familiar with the US version of the Valentine’s Celebration – but how do other cultures celebrate the Holiday?
In the UK a character called ‘Jack’ Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children.
In Wales many people celebrate St Dwynwen’s Day on 25 January instead of, or as well as, St Valentine’s Day. The day commemorates St Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers.
In Finland, Valentine’s Day is called Ystävänpäivä which translates into “Friend’s day”. As the name says, this day is more about remembering your friends than your loved ones.
In Slovenia, a proverb says that “St Valentine brings the keys of roots,” so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Another proverb says “Valentin – prvi spomladin” (”Valentine – first saint of spring”), as in some places, Saint Valentine marks the beginning of spring.
In Chinese culture, there is a counterpart to Valentine’s Day, called “The Night of Sevens”; according to legend the Cowherd and the Weaver Maid meet in Heaven on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar.
To put a unique spin on Valentine’s Day try incorporating some of the other special traditions practiced by cultures around the world.
1. Leave a present for your child on the doorstep from Jack Valentine
2. Spend time with your friends and encourage your children to do the same. Focus on fellowship more than the feelings of love.
3. Plant flowers, trees or bushes in celebration of the coming of Spring
4. Read the story of the Night of Sevens and discuss it with your children.
Please take a minute and consider that Valentine’s can be a fun and memorable day for children, families, parents and singles alike if we look at the Holiday through a different pair of eyes.
Lisa Smith has a BA in psychology, & is the Owner of Regionz Kidz a multi-cultural infant and toddler clothing line with ethnically diverse characters and designs. She publishes a blog on the Regionz Kidz website that features articles about cultural diversity and children & she is a guest blogger on several other websites and blogs relating to parenting and children’s issues. She is also a monthly contributor to Educated Mommy Magazine. You can contact Lisa directly at: lisa@regionzkidz.com
The Custom of Eating Dumplings for the Chinese New Year
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about symbolic foods that are eaten around the world for the New Year.
There are symbolic foods that are eaten for the Chinese New Year too. This year, the Chinese New Year celebrations start on February 7th. (It will be the year of the Rat!)
Dumplings are one customary food that’s eaten for the New Year. One reason is that they resemble the old gold money used in China. Thus, dumplings symbolize the hope for prosperity in the coming year. Usually the dumplings are filled with meat.
In parts of Northern China, they even insert a coin into a couple of dumplings. It you’re lucky enough to be served one of those, it’s thought you’ll acquire even more wealth!
Lin wrote to me about the custom in Tianjin, a city that’s southeast of the capital of Beijing, China:
As the Chinese New Year is coming up, there’s something interesting to note here about New Year’s food. In Tianjin, China, people will make vegetarian dumplings, apart from the meat ones for the New Year’s Eve. They eat the vegetarian ones especially at midnight, usually with the fireworks going outside the windows. The vegetarian dumplings signify a coming year which is very clean, with no accidents, no serious affairs, etc.
“Su”, as vegetarian, implies something simple, calm.
The contrary is “Se” as in colour/lust, or “Rou” as in meat/flesh/therefore lust.Interestingly, in other parts of China this habit is not often observed. Not even in Beijing, as far as I can determine, though it’s just 120 kilometers away.
I mentioned this custom to Ray Lee, who was born in Hong Kong. Ray said:
Yeah, that’s interesting. I’ve never heard of it. But then, China is a big country with a lot of different local customs. I am sure there are a lot I haven’t heard of. I remember we would eat a certain kind of vegetable around the New Year simply because its name sounded like “getting rich”. The name of the vegetable is “Fat Choy” (it’s a long black sea moss), which as you may recall sounds just like the “fat choy” in “kung hey fat choy”!
“Kung Hey Fat Choy”, means “Congratulations and Be Prosperous”. It’s something that people say to each other in Cantonese during the Chinese New Year.
To all of you celebrating the Chinese New Year, “Kung Hey Fat Choy”!
-Lisa
Here’s a post I wrote last year about how Yuan Xiao is eaten for the Chinese New Year.
Feel free to comment below about foods you eat for the Chinese New Year!
Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years
Saturday, December 29th, 2007In many parts of the world, the foods eaten on New Years Eve and New Years Day have important symbolic meanings. These symbols seem to fall into several major categories.
The first class symbolizes financial prosperity. This type of food is round like coins. Often, the dish will be round beans, like lentils, that will expand when it cooks, symbolizing expanding fortunes. Another financial symbol is food with big green leaves, representing paper money. The green may also be for growth. Foods like this are cabbage, collard greens and kale. Golden colored foods are also good for financial rewards in the New Year.
The second type of New Years food symbol represents the hope of having food on the table throughout the year. Pork is one important symbol of eating well year round. It’s also a sign of prosperity. In the olden times, if your family had a pig, you were doing well!
In some countries, actually having food on your table and/or plates at the stroke of midnight is a sign that you’ll have food throughout the year.
A third symbol involves eating sweet food in order to have a sweet year. In some countries people bake a coin in a sweet cake and the person who gets the coin will have good luck throughout the year. In Spain, Portugal, and parts of South and Central America, 12 sweet grapes, one for each month of the year, are eaten at midnight. The hope is to eat 12 sweet grapes to have 12 sweet months!
Fish is thought to symbolize good luck in many countries.
Another symbol for good luck involves eating food in a ring shape – like doughnuts or ring shaped cakes. This represents coming full circle to successfully complete the year – that’s good luck.
In Japan, long Buckwheat Soba noodles symbolize long life. Just don’t break them while you’re eating them!
Here’s a list of some symbolic food types and the places where they’re eaten for the New Year. Feel free to let us know what’s eaten for New Years in your country, in the comments below.
Round Food (Like Coins for Monetary Luck)
Italy, Brazil & Germany (Lentils)
Germany (Pancakes)
Philippines (Round Fruit)
Southern US (Black-eyed Peas)Green Leafy Vegetables (Like Paper Money for Monetary Luck)
Southern USA (Collard Greens & Turnips)
Denmark (Kale)
Germany (Sauerkraut)Golden Food (Like Gold for Monetary Luck)
Southern USA (Corn Bread)
Pig (Symbol of Plentiful Food in the New Year)
Hungary (Roast suckling pig with a 4 leaf clover in its mouth)
Italy (Cotechino con lenticchie – pork sausage with lentils)
Germany (Kassler mit Sauerkraut – financial luck)
Pennsylvania Dutch (USA – Pork with Sauerkraut)
Austria
ChinaFood on the Table or Plate at Midnight (Symbol of Plentiful Food in the New Year)
Germany
PhilippinesSweets (Symbolic of a Sweet Year or Good Luck)
Hungary (Doughnuts)
Greece (Round cake called Vasilopita – made with a coin baked inside – whoever gets the coin is lucky throughout the year)
Israel (Jewish New Year – Apple dipped in honey & grapes)
India
Egypt (Candy for kids)
Korea (Sweet Fruits)
Norway (Rice Pudding with an almond inside – good luck to the one who gets the almond)12 Grapes at Midnight (Symbolizing 12 Sweet Months)
Spain
Portugal
Mexico
Cuba
Ecuador
PeruRing Shaped Food (Good Luck)
Mexico (Rosca de Reyes – Luck)
Netherlands (Olie Bollen – Doughnut)Fish (Symbol of Good Luck)
Germany (Herring & Carp)
Poland (Pickled Herring)
Denmark (Boiled Cod)
Italy (Dried Salted Cod)
Japan (Red Snapper – Pink is a lucky color)
Vietnam (Carp)
China
Sweden (Seafood Salad)A Happy, Lucky and Prosperous New Year to All of You!
Mama Lisa
Many thanks to Ed Gawlinski for pointing out that they eat lentils in Italy for the New Year, which lead me on this long quest that resulted in this discussion!
Can Someone Help with a Chinese Song from an Album called “Children’s Folk Rhymes in Beijing”?
Friday, November 9th, 2007Kel wrote:
Hi,
I just found your web page and am interested in finding a song and lyrics. The song is called is “Looking at the Sights With My Small Eyes” (in Chinese its “Xiao Yan Jing Kan Jing Zhi Er”). It’s from an album called “Children’s Folk Rhymes in Beijing”…..
I’m trying to find somewhere I can download it and also the lyrics (in English) please.
Thank you in anticipation.
Kel
If anyone can help Kel (we’d also love to receive the lyrics in the original language if anyone knows them) – please comment below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
Chinese Musical Notation – Music without a Staff!
Thursday, June 28th, 2007I recently received a song from China called Little Swallow. The sheet music was very different from the notes on staffs that we use in the West. It consisted of numbers with dots and lines. Here’s what it looks like:
I asked Wang Li, who sent me the song, about it. She said, “In China this kind of sheet music consist of numbers 1-7 and is quite popular:
1-do (C)
2-re (D)
3-mi (E)
4-fa (F)
5-sol (G)
6-la (A)
7-ti (B)It’s called numbered musical notation (”jianpu” in Chinese – simple sheet music) and used to be the only musical score for the ordinary people.”
A dot above or below a number raises or lowers the note an octave.
A plain number is a quarter note. A line under the number cuts it in half – so if it has one line under it – it’s an eighth note.
A dash after the number adds a quarter note – so if it has one dash after it – it’s a half note.
Here you can hear the midi tune of Little Swallow
I can see an advantage to musicians using the Chinese numbered notation as a type of shorthand.
If you’re interested in more details, you can read about Chinese numbered musical notation on Wikipedia.
You can see the song page for Little Swallow with the lyrics, midi and staff sheet music by clicking on the link.
Many thanks to Wang Li for the Little Swallow score and to Monique Palomares for creating the midi music.
-Mama Lisa
I Need Help with the Chinese Text for a Kids Song called “Count Ducks”
Tuesday, May 29th, 2007I received a wonderful Chinese children’s song recently called Count Ducks. The text I received is a scanned in image – I had a hard time making it look crisp and clear. If anyone can send me the computerized text in Chinese, I’d be grateful. Here’s the graphic, followed by an English translation.
Count Ducks
(English)In front of the
Door under the bridge there are ducks.
Come on count them
Two four six
Seven eight.
Quack, quack
So many ducks.
Countless ducks.
Countless ducks.
Grandpa with a white beard
Chases the ducks away,
Sings in the local
Opera and tell jokes.
Kids, kids, go to
school quickly,
Don’t get a duck egg* on your exam and
Come home with it.
Don’t get a duck egg on your exam and
Come home with it.*This is using a duck egg to represent a score of zero.
Many thanks to Hanchao for contributing and translating this song. Thanks also to Ray Lee for help with the translation.
If anyone can provide the computerized Chinese text for this song, please email me. Thanks! – Lisa
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