Song Bie Ge

"Song Bie Ge"(Chinese 送别歌, "Farewell Song"), is a song by Chinese artist Hong Yi (Li Shu Tong). Li arranged the lyrics to the melody of the mid-19th century song "Dreaming of Home and Mother" by American composer John P. Ordway. Li was introduced to this melody while studying in Japan, in the form of a Japanese song that was also set to this tune.

Poem

The original poem was only the first stanza, and so it is in early recordings. A 1935 recording published by EMI included the second stanza, which was added by someone else or by Li himself.
送别, Farewell Song
長亭外，古道邊，芳草碧連天， Outside the long pavilion, along the ancient route,^[1] fragrant grass green joins the sky,
晚風拂柳笛聲殘，夕陽山外山。 The evening wind caressing willow trees, the sound of the flute piercing the heart,^[2] sunset over mountains beyond mountains.
天之涯，地之角，知交半零落， At the brink of the sky, at the corners of the earth, my familiar friends wander in loneliness and far from home,
一瓢濁酒盡餘歡^[3]，今宵别夢寒。 One more ladle of wine^[4] to conclude the little happiness that remains; don't have any sad dreams tonight.^[5] tonight.

長亭外，古道邊，芳草碧連天， Outside the long pavilion, along the ancient route, fragrant grass green joins the sky,
问君此去几时来？来时莫徘徊。 I ask of you, as you go this time, when are you to return? When it's time to come please don't hesitate.
天之涯，地之角，知交半零落， At the brink of the sky, at the corners of the earth, familiar friends wander in loneliness and far from home,
人生难得是欢聚，唯有别离多。 In life it is happy reunions that are rare; most often we bid farewell.

天之涯，地之角，知交半零落， At the brink of the sky, at the corners of the earth, familiar friends wander in loneliness and far from home,
人生难得是欢聚，唯有别离多。 In life it is happy reunions that are rare; most often we bid farewell.

History

The song was adapted from a nineteenth century work Dreaming of Home and Mother by John P. Ordway. When Ordway's work was introduced into Japan, musician Kyuukei Inudou (Japanese: 犬童球渓) translated it (with a few modifications) into the Japanese version, 旅愁 (lit. "Loneliness on a Journey"), which was published in 1904. During 1905 and 1910, when Li was studying abroad in Japan, he heard this song by chance, and was moved by its melody. Accordingly, when Li returned to China, he wrote Song Bie Ge in 1915 based on Ordway's original work.

References

1. In old times a person would escort his friend several miles in parting. There were pavilions along the routes for travelers to rest.
2. In old times they played flutes to send off a friend. 残 means violent, destructive. Even in the term 残留, "left over," it does not mean waning down, because a violent act proceeded; a destructive act has happened which has resulted in 残留。 What 李 wanted to express was that at the sunset, the sound of flute makes the separation unbearably cruel, almost to the point of being destructively violent.
3. 一瓢 is often mistaken for 一觚, 一壺, or 一斛. 一瓢濁酒盡餘歡 alludes to a story in the Analects.
4. the word 濁, zhuo, murky, is only for the sake of the poem's meter
5. 寒 means 孤独凄清 which is a combination of loneliness and being devastatingly poor in either wealth or relationship