Wednesday 23 December 2015

“Alone Up the West Chamber” – a Chor Lau Heung 1984 MV


Since I listened to Teresa Teng’s rendition of Li Yu’s “Du Shang Xi Lou” (“Alone Up the West Chamber”), I’ve always wanted to make this MV. I just finished it, and I hope it touches many MB/CLH fans. The story is about Song Siu Ching reminiscing on her love story with Chor Lau Heung after he took her hairpin and left her in the Palace. I found the theme of Du Shang Xi Lou befitting her loneliness upon Chor tai-gor’s departure.

Du Shang Xi Lou is part of Li Yu’s poem titled "Grief" (哀思 ai si), which in itself is the segment of "Happy reunion" (相見歡 xiang jian huan). The late, angelic Teresa sang Du Shang Xi Lou as part of her Dandan Youqing (Light Exquisite Feeling) album.  If you’re a fan of Teresa Teng, or just found out about her angelic voice, you should listen to this album.

The original lyrics is from this site, while the English translation is from HKships4TeresaTeng2’s YouTube video of Dandan Youqing (Light Exquisite Feeling). The Pinyin lyrics are combined from the two sites. The MV version with Pinyin and English translation is below the break. Click here for my previous fanfiction on this theme. Click this to watch the MV at my new Jianghu blog.


"Alone Up the West Chamber" Chor Lau Heung 1984... by icha74


"Alone Up the West Chamber" Chor Lau Heung 1984 MV (Du Shang Xi Lou with Pinyin) from Icha74 on Vimeo.



Alone Up the West Chamber
Du Shang Xi Lou (独上西楼) 


无言独上西楼 
wu yan du shang xi lou
In silence I alone ascend the West Chamber

月如钧
yue ru gou
The Moon is like a hook

寂寞梧桐 
ji mo wu tong
A lone parasol tree

深院锁清秋
shen yuan suo qing qiu
A deep courtyard locking up the clear Autumn

剪不断 理还乱 
jian bu duan li huan luan
Unseverable, sorted but still tangled

是离愁
shi li chou
Is the sorrow of parting

别有一番滋味在心头
bie you yi fan zi wei zai xin tou
It is a special kind of taste on my mind


Another translation of this poem was provided by Chan Hong-mo as follows. I find I like both translation versions, though Chan's was more lyrical. Click here for my old post on Li Yu (Li Hou Zhu) 2006 series starring Nicky Wu and Liu Tao. 



無言獨上西樓Alone to silence, up the western tower, I myself bestow.
月如鉤Like silver curtain hook, so does the moon glow.
寂寞梧桐The fallen leaves of one forsaken parasol
深院鎖清秋Make deeper still the limpid autumn locked up in the court below.
剪不斷Try cutting it, it is still profuse –
理還亂More minding will but more confuse –
是離愁Ah, parting's such enduring sorrow!
別有一番滋味在心頭It leaves behind a very special taste the heart alone could know

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