Soprano: Xia Liu
Pianist: Hong-Yi Zhang
5pm, Jan 8th, 2023
KHG Köln–Aula

Concert program

  1. Huang Zi - Over the Snow for Plum Blossoms
    黄自 - 踏雪寻梅

  2. Huang Zi - The Flower or the Haze
    黄自 - 花非花

  3. Huang Zi - Missing Home
    黄自 - 思乡

  4. Huang Zi - Longing for the Beloved in Spring
    黄自 - 春思曲

  5. Zhao Yuanren - Listening to Rain
    赵元任 - 听雨

  6. Deng Yuxian - Spring Wind
    邓雨贤作曲，萧泰然改编 - 望春风

  7. Ran Tianhao - Joy of Snowflakes
    冉天豪 - 雪花的快乐

  8. Liu Qing - Song of the Yue Boatman
    刘青 – 越人歌 楚辞

  9. Chinese Guqin Music - Parting Tune at the Yangguan Pass
    古琴曲 - 阳关三叠

  10. Guangdong Folk Song - Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon
    广东民歌，王建中改编 - 彩云追月

  11. Xinjiang Uyghur Folk Song – A Glass of Wine
    维吾尔族民歌 - 一杯美酒

  12. Xinjiang Tatar Folk Song – In the Silver Moonlight
    塔塔尔族民歌 - 在那银色的月光下

  13. Xinjiang Kazakh Folk Song – Mayra
    哈萨克族民歌 – 玛依拉

  14. Zhu Jian’er - Days of Emancipation
    朱践耳作曲，储望华改编 - 翻身的日子

  15. Jiangsu Folk Song – Jasmine Flower
    江苏民歌 – 茉莉花

  16. Sichuan Folk Song – When Will the Locust Tree Bloom
    四川民歌 – 槐花几时开

  17. Huang Youyi - Back from the Fair
    黄有异 - 赶圩归来阿哩哩（彝族民歌）

Lyrics

(Translated/adapted by Xia Liu.)

1. Over the Snow for Plum Blossoms
Poet: Liu Xue’an (1905-1985)
Composer: Huang Zi (1904-1938)

Snow wanes, the day so fine;
The winter plum blossoms, sweet as wine.
On my donkey, o’er the bridge,
The bell goes tinkling-tine. Tinkling-tine! Tinkling-tine!
Tinkling-tine! Tinkling-tine!
O flowers, gleaned for a vase of mine,
Be with me while I read or chime,
We’ll share a time divine.

2. The Flower or the Haze
Poet: Bai Juyi (772-846)
Composer: Huang Zi (1904-1938)

Not a flower, nor haze,
It comes at midnight hours and goes with starry rays.
It comes like vernal dreams that cannot stay,
And goes like morning clouds that melt away.

3. Missing Home
Poet: Wei Hanzhang (1905-1993)
Composer: Huang Zi (1904-1938)

Willow silk is green, just after the Qingming,
leaning on the railing, alone and speechless
let alone the cuckoo singing outside the wall,
“It is better to go home!”
Aroused all kinds of feelings, full of other thoughts,
Ask the fallen flower: “flow with the gentle wave to the south?”
I would like to go with him!

4. Longing for the Beloved in Spring
Poet: Wei Hanzhang (1905-1993)
Composer: Huang Zi (1904-1938)

Rain drops falling on the front steps
Keep me awake all night
The mirror this morning
Still shows the faint dimples
My hair falls back limply
Without any ornaments

Here I am alone in the house
It is hard not to see the willows
Swaying against my drapers
How I envy those clueless swallows
Chirping and flitting past my windows

By now, my love has left for years
why can’t I turn into a cuckoo
and call him to raise horsewhip soon.

5. Listening to Rain
Poet: Liu Bannong (1891-1934)
Composer: Zhao Yuanren (1892-1982)

I have been in the north for half a year,
and just heard raining today.
If the rain moves south of the Yangtze River,
How many new bamboo shoots would grow in the home garden?

7. Joy of Snowflakes
Poet: Xu Zhimo (1897-1931)
Composer: Ran Tianhao (1973-)

Were I a snowflake,
A graceful dancer in the air,
I’d make my way clear—
Soar, soar, soar—
I see my way on the earth down there.

I’d never head for some cold valley
Or some desolate mountain so lonely,
And the empty street I won’t linger ,
Soar, soar, soar—
You see I know my way so clear.

Gracefully dancing in mid-air
I spot the peace place she dwells,
Waiting for her presence in the garden
Soar, soar, soar—
Oh, her delicate aroma of plum blossom.
Then with the lightness of myself
Gently, I stick to her skirt,
So close with her soft rippled heart–
Melt, melt, melt,–
Melt into the gentle wave of herself.

8. Song of the Yue Boatman
Poet: Unknown, 528 BC?
Composer: Liu Qing (1974-)

Oh! What night is tonight,
we are rowing on the river.
Oh! What day is today,
that I get to share a boat with a prince
The prince’s kindness makes me shy,
I take no notice of people’s mocking cries
Ignorant but not uncared for,
I made acquaintance with a prince.
There are trees on the mountains and there are branches on the tree
I adore you, oh! you do not know.

9. Parting Tune at the Yangguan Pass
This is a parting tune at the Yangguan Pass with a thrice repeated refrain (Sandie). Yangguan Sandie is an ancient Chinese song, also known as Yangguan Song or Weicheng Song. The song is based on Wang Wei’s (699-759) seven-character quatrains “Seeing off Yuan Er on His Mission to Anxi” :

Morning rain at Weicheng has the light dust sprinkled clean;
Refreshing green willow brightens th’ travelers inn.
Empty one more cup of farewell wine, I pray thee,
West of Yangguan you’ll have no more friends like me.

The poem was composed as a Guqin song in the Tang Dynasty. It was divided into three sections and sung in addition to the original poem, with some words developed from the original poem, which was widely sung by the Liyuan musicians at that time. In the poem, “West of Yangguan you’ll have no more friends like me “ is sung three times, hence the name “Yangguan Sandie”.

11. A Glass of Wine

My love is like a glass of wine, a glass of wine
Sweetheart, please accept it
The eagle on the Tianshan Mountains will only hover but will not fly away
Lovers surround me and don’t want to leave
Ah…lover
Your appearance always attracts me
I am suffering for you
Please accept a glass of wine from my heart
a glass of wine, a sweet wine, a scented wine
Drink it, it will definitely be drunk you

12. In the Silver Moonlight

On that golden sandy shore which was fully sprinkled with silver moonlight,
I was looking for the traces of past happenings,
However, the traces of past happenings were vast and indistinct.

The traces of happenings were vast and indistinct,
They were just like fantasies and dreams
Where were you hiding? The lady who abandoned me

I am riding on the horse, flying like a sword
Fly, fly my horse toward the direction where she went away

13. Mayra
“Mayila” (Mayra) is a Kazakh folk song, collected and adapted by Wang Luobin (1913-1996).

People call me Ma Yi La, Poet Mayra;
Teeth white, Voice good, Singer Mayra.
When I am happy, I sing a song,
play my Dongbula, Dongbula.
coming and going poeple
are crowding under my roof,
Mayra, Mayra

I am the chief’s girl named Mayra
The edges of my white handkerchief
are embroidered roses.
Young Kazakhs,
all envy me, envy me,
whose singing can compete with mine.
Mayra, Mayra

The edges of my white handkerchief
are embroidered roses,
who can sing like Mayra
Young Kazakhs,
All know me, know me,
They are running from the far away mountains,
Mayra, Mayra

15. Jasmine Flower

How we adore pretty jasmine flowers!
How we adore pretty jasmine flowers!
Fond and moreish over branches
You share your fame all ranges
Lower you and gently pick down
Soon give you to doors ajar.
Jasmine flowers are never afar.

16. When Will the Locust Tree Bloom

There is a locust tree on a high mountain,
looking at the man with the railing in her hand.
The mother asked: “What are you looking for?”
The daughter: “I am watching when will the locust tree bloom.”

17. Back from the Fair
Lyrics: Gu Di (1932-2013)
Composer: Huang Youyi (?-)

The sunset comes Alili
the fair ends Alili
Back home joyfully
Alili, Alili, back from the fair Alili

Sweet as honey, Alili
Wonderful life, Alili
Beautiful as a flower Alili
Yi girl Alili
Alili, Alili, back from the fair Alili

A silver necklace Alili,
A gold ring Alili
Dress a girl Alili
More beautiful Alili
Alili, Alili, back from the fair Alili

The birds are singing Alili
Singing with us Alili
The sunset clouds Alili
are flying Alili
Alili, Alili, back from the fair Alili