The Girl from Dabancheng

The Girl from Dabancheng (Chinese: 达板城的姑娘, Uyghur: Qamberxan) is a well known folk song with Chinese lyric translated by Wang Luobin, and adapted from the Uyghur folksong Qamberxan. One of the early recordings of the song Qamberxan was done by a German ethnomusicologist on the singing of a Turpan Taranchi farmer's 16-year-old daughter. The song was most likely composed by an Uyghur soldier back in the time of Yaqub Beg, when the soldier was posted from southern Xinjiang to the north (Ili) or east (Turpan). Indeed, there are many songs dated back that time associated with a soldier's courtship, such as Havagul (mispronounced and adapted by Wang Luobin as Avargul), which talks about a girl in Ili. However, Qamberxan talks about a girl in Dabancheng (or Davanching in the Uyghur language) which lies between Turpan and Urumqi, and is a district of Urumqi. This district is well known as an entrepot on inter-oasis travel. The reputation of the beauty of local girls is partly due to the mixing among the different populations that traveled through it.

Following is the Uyghur and Chinese lyrics of the song Qamberxan (Uyghur transliteration uses the TB31 alphabet):

Qambarxan
达板城的姑娘
Uyğur Xeliq Naxşise
维吾尔民歌
Davançiñniği yeri qattiq tavuzi tatliq
达坂城的石路硬又平啦 西瓜大又甜啦
Davançiñda bir yarım bar Qambarxan atlıq
那里住的的姑娘辫子长啊 两个眼睛真漂亮
Qambarxanniği saçı uzun yerge tegemdu
你要是嫁人不要嫁给别人一定要你嫁给我
Qambarxandın sorap beqiñ erge tegemdu
带上你的钱财连着你的妹妹赶上那马车来
Uşşaqqina ünçilirim çeçilip ketti terip berseñçu
Soyey disem boyum yetmes egilip berseñçu
Atlarıñnı xaydaydiken muz davan bilen=(birlen)
Bir yaxşını qiynaydiken bir yaman birlen
Qarısam görenmeydu Davançiñdiği qorğan
Ecep bir yaman iken Qambarxandin ayrilğan

English Translation

Qambarhan

The soil of the Davanching is hard
But the water melon is sweet
My darling is in Davanching
Qambarhan is so sweet.
Qambarhan’s hair is so long
It touches the ground
Please ask darling Qambarhan
Does she want to get a husband.
My tiny pearls spilled on the ground
Please help me to pick them up
I’d like to kiss you, but can’t reach
Please bow your head down.
One can ride a horse
Around icy mountains.
One tortures a good soul
By an evil man
It is hard to see
No matter how hard I look.
The separation with Qambarhan.
Is extremely hard to endure


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/9/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.