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Although we've covered Pu Shu in the past, it's difficult for just one song to show how great this Beijing singer and songwriter really is. In his 2004 album "Life like Summer Flowers", Pu Shu stepped away from his roots an independent singer/songwriter and into full blown commercial success. The most popular song in that album was Colorful Days, its success fueled by its selection for a Toyota advertisement directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Hong Kong's Daniel Wu. Upset Only Fool is, to our knowledge, not being used to advertise anything but coffee, honey and life.
barrister
said on December 10, 2008
Good song from a great album. Pu Shu is getting better as he ages. I can live without subjecting myself to too much Zhang Yimou, but between Pu Shu and Daniel Wu, its clear Toyota's marketing department clearly has its eye on the ball.
Strange advertisement otherwise, especially with the guy who just appears in that traditional shirt to change the radio station. Does *he* come with the car too?
Rabelais
said on December 10, 2008
I'm putting a vote in for 'Song of the Yue boatman' (越人歌), of The Banquet (夜宴) fame: 今夕何夕兮，搴舟中流。 今日何日兮，得与王子同舟。 蒙羞被好兮，不訾诟耻。 心几烦而不绝兮，得知王子。 山有木兮木有枝，心悦君兮君不知。 Originally a Zhuang folk song, I actually find this hauntingly beautiful. But there's no music video as such, I suppose it'd have to be a clip from the movie?
Echo
said on December 11, 2008
@Rabelais,
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjU3MDczNDQ=.html --try this, made by an user of that site.
It seems that this poem turned to be famous because of the Banquet, but actually it is well known as the first translated poem in the history of Chinese literature. A boatman of Yue met the prince of Chu, and then fell in love . He sang this poem on the boat. The prince heard, but he didn't understand the dialect of Yue. He asked someone translated it for him. I guess you must have known all of this, and this is where this beautiful poem comes from. It's one of my favorite too.
--Echo
echo@popupchinese.com
trevelyan
said on December 11, 2008
I'd never actually run into that before, probably after skipping The Banquet on Brendan's recommendation.
Maybe we can do it sometime for KTV Wednesday. Great recommendation.
hotpotmike
said on December 11, 2008
Awesome stuff.
Brendan
said on December 11, 2008
@echo and Rabelais -- regarding the translation of Yue into Chu: E. Bruce Brooks has a fascinating page up about what little remains of the Chu lexicon. There's also a link there to a page that discusses the origin of the words for sword. Very cool stuff indeed.
Charlie
said on January 8, 2009
Interestingly, Ive found the translated Yue poem corresponding to modern Thai language. How is this POSSIBLE?
http://ling.uta.edu/~jerry/pol.pdf
1. 濫 兮 抃 草 濫
Old Chinese ɦgraams ɦee brons tshuuʔ glam
Thai script ค่ำ แฮ เพลิน เจอ, เจอะ ค่ำ
Phonetic value glam C ɦɛɛ A blɯɯn A ʨɯɯ(ʔ) glam C
English evening particle joyful meet evening
‘Oh, the fine night, we meet in happiness tonight.’
2. 予 昌 桓 澤 予 昌 州
Old Chinese la thjaŋ < khjaŋ gaa drag la thjaŋ < khjaŋ tju < klju
Thai script เรา ช่าง กระ ดาก เรา ช่าง แจว
Phonetic value rau A djaaŋ B kraʔ A ʔdaak D rau A djaaŋ B ʨɛɛu A
English we apt to shy ashamed we, I be good at to row
‘I am so shy, ah! I am good at rowing.
3. 州 湛 州 焉 ; 乎 秦 胥 胥
Old Chinese tju < klju khaamʔ tju < klju jen ȶiôg sa
Thai script แจว ข้าม แจว เยิ่นเย้อ ชื่น สะ สะ
Phonetic value ʨɛɛu A khaam C ʨɛɛu A jɯɯn B djɯɯn B saʔ A
English row cross row slowly particle joyful satisfy, pleased
‘Rowing slowly across the river, ah! I am so pleased.’
4. 缦 予 乎 昭 澶 秦 踰
Old Chinese mooms la ɦaa tjau < kljau daans ʣin lo
Thai script มอม เรา ฮา เจ้า ท่าน ชิน รู้
Phonetic value mɔɔm C raa A ɦaa ʨau C daan B djin ruu C
English dirty, ragged I particle prince Y. Excellency acquainted know
‘Dirty though I am, ah! I made acquaintance of your highness the Prince’
5. 渗 惿 随 河 湖
Old Chinese srɯms djeʔThai script ซุ่ม ใจ เรื่อย ใคร่ คะ
Phonetic value zum B ʨaɯ A rɯai B grai B gaʔ A
English hide heart forever yearn particle
‘Hidden forever in my heart, ah! is my adoration and longing.’
Echo
said on January 9, 2009
@Charlie,HiDavid read your post and said to me: "Errr...you'd better answer that."It is interesting and unbelievable, although I have no idea what the Thai translation is like. You speak Thai？Have some friends from Thailand, all very nice people, but surprisingly my first impression of this country when people ask is a number of horror films or stories I have seen and heard.--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
