In A Far Away Land – A True Fairy Tale
In A Far Away Land – A True Fairy Tale
This is a touching song, but also a moving story.
This song, everyone can sing; the story, not many people know.
In the spring of 1939, Mr. Zheng Junli, one of China’s film pioneers was directing a film in Qinghai, and invited Wang Luobin who was also in Xining to join the work. Together, they came to Qinghai Lake.
Zheng got a local Tibetan governor’s daughter Dolma to act as a shepherd girl. Wang Luobin was assigned to be Dolma’s assistant. He put on his Tibetan robes, followed Dolma herding sheep, morning to evening.
Accidentally, Wang Luobin lashed a whip on Dolma’s horse, and her horse jumped up. Droma looked back at the Wang Luobin, seemed very happy, but also angry. Because of the language barrier, Luobin did not know how Dolma thought.
After a while, Luobin walked ahead of Dolma. She hit Luobin gently toward his back with her whip by surprise, probably as revenge to his previous accident.
They spent three days together till the film was done. Then the team left on the forth morning off Qinghai Lake for Xining. Dolma and his father rode horses, saw them off for a long way, eventually stopped on a hill.
Wang Luobin looked back on camel again and again. With the hump up and down, he was immersed in the dream world. Dolma turned into a goddess appearing in front of him: her fit body, charming smile, her gentle whip hit, … … turned into a lyrical melody in Luobin’s heart.
“In the far away land, there was a fairy girl … …”
中文 | English |
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在那遥远的地方 有位好姑娘 人们走过了她的身旁 都要回头留恋的张望 她那粉红的笑脸 好像红太阳 她那活泼动人的眼睛 好像晚上明媚的月亮 我愿抛弃了财产 跟她去放羊 每天看着那粉红的笑脸 和她美丽金边的衣裳 我愿做一只小羊 跟在她身旁 我愿她那只细细的皮鞭 不断每天打在我身上 |
In a far away fairy land, there is a fairy girl. Everbody who passes by her tent will go back and linger around there. She gets pink-cheek face with her smile like a glory sun, and her eyes are charming and pretty like a moon that shinning in the midnight. I would give up my property, and go to graze with her. Looking at her face with a smile and her dress with golden-lace works. I’d become a tiny lamb running by her side, let her always swing her whips flipping tenderly on my body. |
English Version by Liu Huan
World-wide popularity
This masterpiece soon became popular since its debut in 1939. World-renowned singers, such as John Denver (as shown at the top), Paul Robertson, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, and lots of others, have this song as a reserved track, singing all over the world.
Conservatoire de Paris included this song into its Oriental Music curriculum. Once, Luobin had dreamed about studying in Paris. Although he did not set his foot on Europe all his lifetime, his work has been selected into this splendid palace of art.
Wang Luobin wrote both the lyrics and music. However, “In A Far Away Land” has been known as “Qinghai Folk Song” for decades. Qinghai people are grateful to Wang Luobin for the honor he has brought to the remote land.
They invited Wang Luobin back to Qinghai in 1988, in particular for the old man to re-visit where the story had taken place. Unfortunately, Dolma had passed away long before. But the Tibetan people’s legendary goddess Dolma will be remembered for generations.
In October 1991, the Ministry of Culture awarded Wang Luobin’s music work “In a far away land” the “Gold Record Award for Special Creation”.
In 1992, “In a far away land” was voted as one of “Chinese Music Classics of the Twentieth Century”.
Instrumental version with Erhu, Pipa, Dizi(flute)
[Chinese Keywords]
民乐 在那遥远的地方
Cool story! I knew the music and had heard of it… I think.