昭君怨-梁萍 Liang Ping - Wang Zhaojun (traditional version)

This is a rare version of the song that I have only ever heard at Ling's wonderful http://www.antiquepopmusic.com. It might predate the 1946 Art version which you can find at 昭君怨-梁萍 Liang Ping - Wang Zhaojun (Art.... The full story of the historical Wang Zhaojun can be found at my upload of  Qian Ding's 1970s version at Qian Ding - Wang Zhaojun  丁倩-王昭君 1970s  Here is a shorter version:

This song tells of Wang Zhaojun's feelings on leaving China, as a political bride, and moving to a new culture. She was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Zhaojun was born to a prominent family in Baoping Village, Zigui County. In 36 BC, Emperor Yuan chose her as his concubine from Nan county. Zhaojun left her hometown and entered the harem of Emperor Yuan in early summer. When choosing a new wife, the Emperor was first presented with portraits of all the possible women. Zhaojun refused to bribe the artist Mao Shouyan as other women did. So he made Zhaojun's portrait ugly.  She was never visited by the emperor, remaining a palace lady-in-waiting.

In 33 BC, Huhanye Chanyu visited Chang'an as part of the tributary system between the Han and Xiongnu governments. He requested to become an imperial son-in-law. Emperor Yuan ordered that the plainest girl in the harem be selected. Wang Zhaojun bravely accepted. When the emperor saw her beauty, he wanted to keep her! However, it was too late, and, the emperor, sadly, presented Zhaojun to Huhanye, who was delighted. Relations with the Xiongnu improved and Mao Shouyan, was put to death for his actions.

Once at Xiong-Nu, she persuaded Huhanye to abandon violence. As a result, peace reigned on the border with China for over 60 years. She also introduced Chinese culture. When Huhanye died in 31 BC, Zhaojun asked to return to China. Emperor Cheng, however, ordered that she follow Xiongnu custom and become the wife of the next shanyu, which she did. The Communist government of the People's Republic of China made her a symbol of the integration of Han Chinese and ethnic minorities of China. Today, her name symbolizes physical beauty, and goodwill between different cultures, even at the expense of one's own interests.

English Translation + Pinyin
Wáng zhāojūn
Wáng zhāojūn
Mèn zuò diāo ān
Menzuo carved saddle
Sī yì hàn huáng
Remember Han Emporer
Zhāo zhāo mù mù
Day and night
Mù mù zhāo zhāo
Evening twilight Zhao Zhao
Ànrán shénshāng
Feel dejected
Qiántú mángmáng
Bleak prospects
Jímù kōng qiáowàng
Seeing extreme emptiness
Yáng guān chū chàng wǎngshì nánwàng
Yangguan Pass early morning chanting unforgettable memories
Pípá yī dié huíshǒu xiǎng shēnshì
Pipa repeating itself as I remember my life
Piāolíng zǒng duàncháng
total heartbreak homelessness
Zhuāng xuān ēn zhòng lì è qíng cháng
missing Xuanen County... Attached to these feelings forever
Yuǎn bié jiāxiāng jiùmèng qiánchén
Far removed from my homeland Old dreams of the past..
Qiánchén jiùmèng kōng chóuchàng
Staring at empty melancholy dreams
Yáng guān zài chàng chù jǐng shénshāng
Yangguan Pass chanting again feeling such grief
Pípá sān dié níngmóu wàng yěcǎo
Pipa repeating itself ... I stare at the weeds
Xián huā yì lù cháng wèn tiānyá mángmáng
Wild flowers covering the roads, the other end of the world, vast and unknown
Píng shā yàn luò dàdào shuāng hán
Seeing the wild geese falling on frosty roads
Hú dì fēngguāng shèng shuǐ cán shān
Hu landscape with hills decayed by water
Cán shān shèng shuǐ wúxīn shǎng
Not in the mood to appreciate beauty
Yī qū pípá
One more play on the pipa
Hèn zhèng cháng
Just regrets forever

• #music
• #wang_zhaojun
• #
• #four_beauties_of_ancient_china
• #political_bride
• #ancient_china
• #shanghai_1940s