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As a child, he used to live in the central area of Singapore and would be listening to it every day, five days a week. You know how a melody affects the listener when it is played repeatedly. It just sticks in the mind. He knows it as Qilai (起来) or 'rise up'. This story goes back to 1945 and he was about 7 years young.
Anthem of China - 中国国歌 - Video: balancedaustralia
"Here's my story of my first encounter with what became China's National Anthem. It was the end of the Japanese Occupation in Singapore. I was barely five when the Chinese school on a hill above my attap and timber house would end the day with the Qi Lai song blaring from a loudspeaker.Not long after, the song was no more: it was banned by the British colonial government. But it lingered on in my memory over many years.
Today thanks to the internet I can sing the whole song as a tribute to a people who have risen to great heights of achievement from the depths of imperialism, disunity and poverty."
An Original Post: Edwin Goh.
Pinyin:
Qilai! Buyuan zuo nuli de ren men,
Ba women de xuerou zhucheng women xin de chang cheng.
Zhonghua ! Minzu dao liao zui weixian de shihou,
Meigeren beipo zhe fachu zuihou de housheng.
Qilai! Qilai! Qilai!
Women wanzhong yixin,
Mao zhe diren de paohuo,
Qianjin!
Mao zhe diren de paohuo,
Qianjin! Qianjin! Qianjin! Jin!
English:
Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves;
With our very flesh and blood
Let us build our new Great Wall!
The peoples of China are in the most critical time,
Everybody with one mind,
Brave the enemy's gunfire,
March on!
Brave the enemy's gun must roar his defiance.
Arise! Arise! Arise! Millions of hearts ire,
March on!
March on!
March on, on!
Copyright:
Lyrics © Original Writer and Publisher.
Source:
https://www.lyricsondemand.com/n/nationalanthemlyrics/chinanationalanthemlyrics.html
Images: Google.
YouTube Video from balancedaustralia.
Pinyin:
Qilai! Buyuan zuo nuli de ren men,
Ba women de xuerou zhucheng women xin de chang cheng.
Zhonghua ! Minzu dao liao zui weixian de shihou,
Meigeren beipo zhe fachu zuihou de housheng.
Qilai! Qilai! Qilai!
Women wanzhong yixin,
Mao zhe diren de paohuo,
Qianjin!
Mao zhe diren de paohuo,
Qianjin! Qianjin! Qianjin! Jin!
English:
Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves;
With our very flesh and blood
Let us build our new Great Wall!
The peoples of China are in the most critical time,
Everybody with one mind,
Brave the enemy's gunfire,
March on!
Brave the enemy's gun must roar his defiance.
Arise! Arise! Arise! Millions of hearts ire,
March on!
March on!
March on, on!
Copyright:
Lyrics © Original Writer and Publisher.
Disclaimer:
The writer recalls a song he appreciates. There is no political agenda to this posting; peace is the key to a better world.
Source:
https://www.lyricsondemand.com/n/nationalanthemlyrics/chinanationalanthemlyrics.html
Images: Google.
YouTube Video from balancedaustralia.
11 comments:
I like the anthem too. The music expresses the emotions whipped up by the words of a people who had been bullied for too long and it's time to wake up and drive these bullies away.
Like George Yeo's father I too am drawn towards my ancestral homeland in my old age. The irony is I can't read and write Chinese.
I don't remember listening to this anthem during my early childhood days. Very likely it was no longer played over the airwaves then?
No they don't, Jimmy.
The song wafted through the air from a Chinese school and since Edwin Goh used to live nearby, listens to it daily, as explained on the post.
Possibly a free 'broadcast'. Like YouTube without its moving images.
Thanks for the visit.
Guess music like anything else can be addictive and if heard long enough can blend with the mind. Glad it has no side effects like narcotics but therapeutic. Enjoy the feeling
Hi Cedric,
Thanks for the very learned comment. It is addictive but without the side effects of narcotics.
I lived in China, and I love China.... Love from a Sikh.
A well written piece by Edwin Goh. The Chinese anthem is an impassioned plea, a clarion call to rise up and defend the nation.
Our generation has sung 3 anthems: 1] God Save The Queen 2] Negara-ku. 3] Majulah Singapore.
[This comment has been edited.]
Thanks Eddy for your comment that meaningfully explains the lyrics.
Wow! I didn't know China's national anthem was once sung in Singapore, it's truly a song of courage, empowerment and unity. Really love what Eddy shared above as well about how so many different anthems have been sung in Singapore, our history is so diverse!
According to author Chan Kwee Sung, senior citizens, who have lived through the days of the British, "the fearful Japanese" and the Malay peninsula, "can modestly claim to vocalise five, or maybe six anthems (page 130)."
These songs would include:
1. God Save The King,
2. Kimigayo,
3. God Save The Queen, and
4. Negara Ku.
5. San Min Zhu Yi, Nationalist China's anthem was sung during colonial days by Chinese students.
The Indians had their own anthem in Hindi spurred on by their "patriotic fervour" of Indian nationalism. (As a child I learnt the two British National Anthem, the Malayan one and remember a little of San Min Zhu Yi.)
https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-many-national-anthems-did-singapore.html
[copy link and paste.]
The above was taken from this blog post.
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