Folk Song: 今夜月明 Bright Moon Tonight

Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2008 shows the performance at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony in the National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) in Beijing. The Closing Ceremony began at 8 p.m. (GMT/UTC +8) on Sunday.

The folk song peroformed at the closing ceremony “今夜月明 Bright Moon Tonight” is originally titled as “xiăo hé tăng shuĭ  (小河淌水) The Stream Flows”, a famous folk song from Yunnan Province.

xiăo hé tăng shuĭ 小河淌水 (The Stream Flows)
 

   
yuè liàng chū lái liàng wāng wāng ，
月亮出来亮汪汪，
   
The rising moon shine brightly;

   
xiăng qĭ wŏ de ā gē zài shēn shān 。
想起我的阿哥在深山。
   
It reminds me of my love in the mountains.

   
gē xiàng yuè liàng tiān shàng zŏu ，
哥像月亮天上走，
   
Like the moon, you walk in the sky,

   
shān xià xiăo hé tăng shuĭ qīng yōu yōu 。
山下小河淌水清悠悠。
   
As the crystal stream glows down the mountain.

   
yuè liàng chū lái zhào bàn pō ，
月亮出来照半坡，
   
The rising moon shines brightly,

   
wàng jiàn yuè liàng xiăng qĭ wŏ de ā gē 。
望见月亮想起我的阿哥。
   
It reminds me of my love in the mountains,

   
yī zhèn qīng fēng chuī shàng pō ，
一阵清风吹上坡，
   
A clear breeze blows up the hill,

   
nĭ kĕ tīng jiàn ā mèi jiào ā gē 。
你可听见阿妹叫阿哥。
   
My love, do you hear me calling you?.