Overview
Chinese Name: 康定情歌/跑马溜溜的山上
English Name: The Love Song Of Kangding/Kangding Qingge/Kangding Love Song
Composer: Wu Wenji吴文季、Jiang Dingxian江定仙
The Love Song Of Kangding is a representative traditional folk song in Kangding, Sichuan. It was composed by Wu Wenji and Jiang Dingxian and sung by Yu Yixuan in Nanjing on April 19, 1947. Since then, Kangding Love song has spread all over the country and is well-known overseas.
Composition Story of The Love Song Of Kangding
In 1946, Wu Wenji, a composition student of Nanjing National Conservatory of music, who was wandering in Kangding city to understand the people’s feelings, was attracted by the melody of Liu Liu tune hummed by a groom. After recording, sorting, adapting and processing, he compiled the Xikang folk song – Running Horse on the Liu Liu Mountain（跑马溜溜的山上）.In order to fully and clearly show the high freedom of marriage and love of Kangba people, he specially added the lyrics of :
世间溜溜的女子, 任你溜溜的爱哟.
世间溜溜的男子, 任你溜溜的求哟.
Lovely maidens of the world, I cannot but love you.
Gentlemen of the world, they cannot but woo you.
In order to sing at the Teachers and Students’ Party of Nanjing National Conservatory of Music, Wu Wenji gave his teacher, Mr. Jiang Dingxian, the Kangding folk song discovered and artistically processed by him, and asked him to arrange a piano accompaniment. At that time, Jiang Dingxian had no piano around him, but he enthusiastically used the organ to match the accompaniment. He renamed the song “The Love Song Of Kangding” and included it in his collection of staff folk songs.
In the spring of 1947, singer Yu Yixuan went to Nanjing for a solo concert. Jiang Dingxian, an old classmate invited to accompany her, gave her a collection of folk songs. The last one was The Love Song Of Kangding. Yu Yixuan fell in love at first sight and decided to take her to a solo concert.
In the 1970s, “The Love Song Of Kangding” represented Chinese culture and world culture and was selected as the “ten most representative songs in the world” by the US space agency. With the “Voyager II” spacecraft flying into space, Kangding Love song became a veritable “sound of nature”.
In the 1990s, as the only Chinese folk song, it was listed as “the ten most influential folk songs in the world” by UNESCO.
Placido Domingo and Song Zuying singing “The Love song of Kangding” with Lang Lang piano in Beijing National Stadium Summer Concert 2009.
Lyrics of The Love Song Of Kangding
Chinese Lyrics
跑马溜溜的山上 一朵溜溜的云哟
端端溜溜的照在 康定溜溜的城哟
月亮~弯~弯~ 康定溜溜的城哟
李家溜溜的大姐 人才溜溜的好哟
张家溜溜的大哥 看上溜溜的她哟
月亮~弯~弯~ 看上溜溜的她哟
一来溜溜地看上 人才溜溜地好哟
二来溜溜地看上 会当溜溜的家哟
月亮~弯~弯~ 会当溜溜的家哟
世间溜溜的女子 任我溜溜地爱哟
世间溜溜的男子 任你溜溜地求哟
月亮~弯~弯~ 任你溜溜地求哟
English Translation
High upon the mountain side, floats a cloud so white.
There lies kangding town, bathed in silver moonlight.
Moonlight shines bright, over kangding town.
Lovely maid with a sweet smile, Li the woodcutter’s daughter.
Zhang the blacksmiths eldest’s son, came to court her in moonlight.
Moonlight shines bright, a courtship in moonlight.
First, he has fallen in love because she is talented and good-looking.
Second, he has fallen in love because she can take care of the family.
The crescent moon, can take care of the family!
Lovely maidens of the world, I cannot but love you.
Gentlemen of the world, they cannot but woo you.
Moonlight shines bright, they cannot but woo you.