Here is the story about this song. Two college students worked as volunteer in highland in Qing hai (west sea) to protect Tibet goat not to be hunted by illegal hunter. They were boy friends and girl friend but stayed in different stations which were blocked by snow mountains. Winter was so long. The boy got sick and dead. The girl do not know the news because of big snow and communication was bad at that time. The girl got the news till next spring and broke her heart. Daolang heard the story and wrote the song for her.
What? I remembered I read the story which was slightly different! One (if I remember it was the boy) was on the high very cold mountain station that can't go back too soon due to the weather and must wait for the end of the cold season. It was not to protect goat, the job was weather studies. During the trip down to bring back the reports to the lower station, the car lost power and stopped. It was so cold that the engine could not start, so it stayed blocked, and so this lover died in the car due to the freezing temperature of the region during the night. If I remembered well, it was also mentioned there are wolves outside during the night.... The song translates somewhat the lover (the girl) from the lower station who blamed her lover for leaving her. Well, which story is true, all I know is through internet, not being on place after all :) T/F?
It's from a true love story. A girl named Ying and her loved boy Yong were uni students, and both were environmental protection volunteers being sent to Hoh Xil, which is minus 40 degrees Celsius, and is known as the "forbidden zone of life" due to the high cold and lack of oxygen. Yong was assigned to the Tuohe Observation Station with extremely difficult conditions, They fell in love with time after Yong went to Ying's station to hand over data. On her last day as a volunteer there, Ying was eager to see her lover who was supposed to meet her at the station. However, she learnt the very sad news from team leaders with white flowers in their hands and teary eyes. They brought all the belongings to her but could not say a single word. Ying was heart-broken cos she understood that her lover would never meet her again. Yong died on the way to collect data. This was the first volunteer who died in Hoh Xil. Musician Dao Lang heard this story circulating in Xihai during his travel through the remote western areas of China. He was moved and wrote "Xihai Love Song" to memorize the love story of Ying and Yong.
*Lyrics translation comparison：* • 1st. line by ck (note the near-rhyme scheme of "aabb" throughout. ) • 2nd. line in parentheses by Qin Jun, lyrics in this video. (note the lack of consistent rhyme. ) •------[ Stanza 1]------• *• 自你离开以后* Ever since you left, (Since you left years ago,) *• 从此就丢了温柔* Tenderness has been dead. (I've lost myself I lost you.) *• 等待在这雪山路漫长* In this long snow mountain path I wait, (Standing on this snowy mountain high,) *• 听寒风呼啸依旧* Bitter winds howling as always. (I feel the icy wind blow.) •------[ Stanza 2 ]------• *• 一眼望不到边* Couldn't see the land's edge (Watching the boundless lake,) *• 风似刀割我的脸* Wind's like knife cutting my face (With harsh wind biting my face.) *• 等不到西海天际蔚蓝* Blue sky in West Sea has not yet returned, (Failing to see the sunny blue sky,) *• 无言着苍茫的高原* And no words from this vast highland. (On the highland I set myself free.) •------[ Stanza 3 ]------• *• 还记得你答应过我 不会让我把你找不见* You won't ever let me lose you, I remember you've said. (I keep in mind you have told me, you would never ever leave from me.) *• 可你跟随那南归的候鸟飞得那么远* But with the south-migrating geese you've gone so far away. (But with those migrant birds to the south you fly far away,) *• 爱像风筝断了线* Love, like a break-away kite, (Like the kite that goes astray, ) *• 拉不住你许下的诺言* The promises you've made can't be tied. (Your promise now is losing its way) •------[ Stanza 4 ]------• *• 我在苦苦等待雪山之巅温暖的春天* For the warm spring at snow peaks, I've been bitterly waiting, (I have waited long for the coming spring that brings me warm days,) *• 等待高原冰雪融化之后归来的孤雁* Waiting for the lone goose to come home when the snow is melting. (I wait until the snow on mountain melts down into the sea,) *• 爱再难以续情缘* But fate has us torn apart, (Our love is to fade away,) *• 回不到我们的从前* There is no way back to the past. (Never will we be back to the past days.)
Wonderful translation. Yours is much more close to the original content/story. Wish someone can sing it that way to see the difference. QinJun's is also great.
*== Lyrics Translation (Revised) ==* Excellent rendition in English! Sensual and soulful. Love her singing! Good lyrics translation too. Here's my take on the translation. There are some differences in details though... *《西海情歌》* *Love Song Of The West Sea* 词 : 刀郎 (Lyrics : Dao Lang) 曲 : 刀郎 (Music : Dao Lang) 唱 : 刀郎 (Singer : Dao Lang) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JoNBsnqaHy8.html 唱 : 降央卓玛 (Singer : Jamyang Dolma) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l-tnffggSdU.html 唱 : 菲儿 (Singer : Fei Er) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fcFceo_s3NI.html 唱 : 苏小艾. 英文版 (译词 : 覃军) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VAWMfEz8h9M.html 谱 : • *Lyrics：* •-----[ Stanza 1 ]-----• 1 [ 0:27/0:33/0:39/0:46 ] *自你离开以后* Ever since you left, *从此就丢了温柔* Tenderness has been dead. *等待在这雪山路漫长* In this long snow mountain path I wait, *听寒风呼啸依旧* Bitter winds howling as always. •----[ Stanzas 2, 5 ]----• 2 [ 0:52/0:58/1:05/1:11 ] 5 [ 2:14/2:20/2:27/2:33 ] *一眼望不到边* Couldn't see the land's edge, *风似刀割我的脸* Wind's like knife cutting my face. *等不到西海天际蔚蓝* Blue sky in West Sea has not yet returned, *无言着苍茫的高原* And no words from this vast highland. •----[ Stanzas 3, 6, 8 ]----• 3 [ 1:17/1:26/1:32/1:35 ] 6 [ 2:39/2:48/2:54/2:57 ] 8 [ 3:55/4:04/4:10/4:13 ] *还记得你答应过我 不会让我把你找不见* You won't ever let me lose you, I remember you've said. *可你跟随那南归的候鸟飞得那么远* But with the south-migrating geese you've gone so far away. *爱像风筝断了线* Love, like a break-away kite, *拉不住你许下的诺言* The promises you've made can't be tied. •----[ Stanzas 4, 7, 9 ]----• 4 [ 1:41/1:48/1:54/1:57 ] 7 [ 3:03/3:10/3:16/3:19 ] 9 [ 4:19/4:26/4:32/4:35 ] *我在苦苦等待雪山之巅温暖的春天* For the warm spring at snow peaks, I've been bitterly waiting, *等待高原冰雪融化之后归来的孤雁* Waiting for the lone goose to come home when the snow is melting. *爱再难以续情缘* But fate has us torn apart, *回不到我们的从前* There is no way back to the past. Translated by ck 2020-04-14 ------------------------ Note : In this translation I tried to maintain the same number of syllables as the original sentences (+/- 1 syllable, except for one long sentence), so that it may be possible to sing in the translated verse. Also, I have tried to near-rhymed the sentences, but that's kind of hard. Any suggestion for improvement is highly welcome.
This is a better way to let the world taste Chinese culture, which has its beauty that can be shared and enjoyed by peoples from other cultures. Anyway, it works better than those Confucius Schools. 😂
