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Thursday, November 8, 2018

懐舊 - Nostalgia


All these classical Chinese orchestral works were used as background music of old HK Cantonese Kung Fu movie fighting scenes which form a great part of my childhood days. Finally I get to know their names. In the following order, 闖將令 (Shock Troops Order), 四川將軍令 (The Szechuan General's Orders) and 英雄們(We the Heroes Must Win at the Dadu River). Each time, I hear them, images of the fighting scenes would float into my mind. P.S. Kung Fu Hustle used most of them, although done in a more modern way.


The most famous song for such fighting scenes in my opinion is the third movement of "The Fisherman Song of the Eastern Ocean", aka "The Dragon Palace of the Eastern Ocean".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Ep-Gy5V48


During the more tender moments, the scene music is taken from the first movement of the piece, "The Butterfly Pea Blooms"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywu89A6jSdg

Looking back at these old Cantonese movies, the actors were so young and handsome, like an American kid growing up with a Jimmy Steward or Troy Donahue movie..., Or of later generations with Athreyu and Bastion in the Never Ending Story...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aacv0-Gv7_k

And thanks to them, the result of their inspiration for one...


雄壯精勃曾一刻, Once upon a brief moment, we were young and full of vitality,
嵗月
惜萬世隔. How the aeons had gone by, Time has no fondness for us all. 
東風只曉醉年華, And the East Wind only knows how to enthrall the youthfulness,
醒來酒去夢中客. Upon wakening, gone is the inebriation, realizing we are just but guests in our dreams.


恨今事舊杯再盡, Regretting that today's things had grown too old and to my cups - bottoms up once more, 
風催花魂辭古柏. The wind hastens the flower souls bade farewell to old cypresses. 
重渡瑤池春色回, To the Jasper Pools I cross, returning to eternal spring,
休顧紅塵
山白. Nary a care for the mortal world, whether the green mountain had capped in white or not.