![]() ![]() During the rule of the Five Dynasties from AD 907 to 960, Emperor Meng Chang arranged for large numbers of hibiscus trees to be planted along the town walls and streets, a tradition that continues to this day and provides the city with its nickname, Hibiscus City (Rong Cheng). It was under the Qin and Han Dynasty of around 316 BC that Chengdu became the political, economic, and cultural center of southwest China, as well as a hub for its breeding of silkworms and the weaving of brocade.īy the period of the Three Kingdoms from AD 220 to 280, Chengdu had become the capital of the state of Shu Han and, by the 8th century, it was an important center of trade, commerce, and industry, notable for its lacquered and silver filigree work. It is located in the province of Sichuan, one of the country's leading rice and wheat growing regions. Please see the Comment section for a beautiful English translation of the lyrics to “Autumn Cicada” provided by one of my readers, Bing Chang.The city of Chengdu has played an important role in China's history for thousands of years. It’s wishful thinking not to let the nice spring days slip away. 忙 means to be busy, while 急忙 (jímáng) or 匆忙 (cōngmáng), or 匆匆 (cōngmáng) means hastily, or hurriedly. It should read 秋去冬来 (qiū qù dōng lái Autumn leaves and winter arrives.) instead of 春去冬来 (chūn qù dōng lái Spring leaves and winter arrives.). There is a typographic error in the simplified Chinese lyrics. When autumn passes, the beautiful scenery will be no more, i.e. 浓 (nóng) means dense, concentrated or intense. 走 (zǒu) and 去 (qù) both refer to the seasons’ passing or leaving. 总归是 (zǒngguī shì) means “after all it is”. In 残冬 (cán dōng the last days of winter), the 残 (cán) is interpreted as 残留 (cánliú remaining). 过 (guò) here means to pass or to go through. This is reflected in both of the videos mentioned above. Many people in Taiwan only use the latter pronunciation regardless of the intended meaning. When pronounced as 薄 (bó), this word means ungenerous or meager. Then the cicada refers to his own flimsy wings as 薄衣 (báo yī), or thin clothing. They belong to the wild geese, or 雁 (yàn). 任 (rèn), in this case, means to give free rein to. In the second phrase, 红 (hóng) is used as a verb in the sense of coloring the maple leaves red. 花落红 (huā luò hóng) and 红了枫 (hóng liǎo fēng) are words put together to paint a picture and to sound good, but are not regularly used phrases. 落 (luò) is to fall down and 红 (hóng) means red. ![]() 幽幽 (yōuyōu) refers to distant, faint light or sound. 意 (yì) refers to meanings, ideas, intentions or feelings. 烟波 (yānbō) are mist-covered waters and 林野 (lín yě) are woods in open country. 愁 (chóu) means to worry or to feel depressed. 谁道 (shéi dào) is a literary way of saying 谁说 (shéi shuō), which means “Who is saying?”. In the first two lines, the cicada tells you that its calls has cooled the water that was temperate in spring and urged the green leaves to turn yellow. It’s warm in the spring and cold in the winter. 看我 (kàn wǒ) means to watch me doing something. 听我 (tīng wǒ) means to listen to me saying or singing something. The beautiful imagery of the autumn scenes float along with the soft, lilting melody. The wording tends to be literary rather than conversational. The song is written in the first person, which is the cicada. At that site the lyrics are provided in simplified Chinese characters. Lee’s long and successful song-writing career.Īt this link is a nice video of the song with the subtitles in traditional Chinese characters.Ĭlick on this link to hear the song sung by a female performer. The song won the 1980 award for that competition and paved the way for Mr. Without telling him, his girl friend submitted one of the demo tapes to a major music contest in Taiwan. Later he made a few demo tapes for his girlfriend. The song, 秋蝉 (Qiū Chán Autumn Cicada.), was composed by 李子恒 (Lǐ Zǐhéng) while attending an apparently boring military education lecture in Taiwan. I still remember hearing them sing in unison in the countryside, their loud chorus reverberating with the waves of the summer heat. The cicadas are also called 知了 (zhīliǎo). While enjoying a perfect autumn day, one that the Chinese describe as 秋高气爽 (qiūgāoqìshuǎng), with the sky clear and high, and the air cool and refreshing, I think of a song called 秋蝉 (Qiū Chán Autumn Cicada.).Īs mentioned in a lesson posted last fall, the word 禅 (chán Zen) sounds exactly the same as 蝉 (chán cicadas). ![]()
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