Traditional Cantonese folk song played by five musicians at the home of Dr. Selia Tan of Wuyi University on June 14, the final day of the UBC Asian Canadian and Asian Migrations Studies ACAM 390 class that took place in Cangdong Village, where Dr. Tan has for the last 15 years since 2009 worked with the villagers to restore both the tangible heritage of the village (buildings, decorative elements, arts and crafts work) as well as the intangible cultural heritage, including traditional agricultural techniques and cuisines, as well as cultural practices such as the lion dance, cultural festivals, and most pertinent for this video, traditional Cantonese music. www.sixthtone.com/news/1003700
This traditional version of 彩雲追月 "Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon" is being played by the five musicians using the gouhu 高胡, a higher pitched version of the more well known yihu 二胡 (which is also being played by another of the musicians), a deksi 笛子 (Chinese flute), a pipa 琵琶 (lute/guitar) and in the middle a dulcimer, originally given the name yongkum 洋琴 or "foreign instrument" because it was based upon the Persian instrument the sanṭūr, which made its way to China and became the backbone of the five musician group.
This song evokes a cool autumn night with clouds in the sky, musicians playing under the village banyan tree during the mid-autumn moon festival, a happy yet wistful tune..
彩云追月
明月究竟在哪方
白昼自潜藏
夜晚露毫茫
光辉普照世间上
漫照着平阳
又照着桥梁
皓影千家人共仰
人立晚风月照中
独散步长廊
月浸在池塘
欢欣充满了心上
静听乐悠扬
越觉乐洋洋
夜鸟高枝齐和唱
难逢今夕风光
一片欢欣气象
月照彩云上 熏风轻掠
如入山荫心向往
如立明月旁 如上天堂
身躯摇荡 俯身遥望世界上
海翻浪千