Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Xiao Xiao

and  A Spray of Plum Flowers

“雪花飄飄北風蕭蕭” 和《一剪梅》

Gisela Jia

Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Xiao Xiao - If you don't know any Chinese, just try to pronounce this line using your English phonetic knowledge. How did it go? Not quite hard to say, right? How does this line sound to you? Pretty, right?

Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Xiao Xiao - 即使不懂中文，你也試試根據英文的發音規則念一下這一句話。不難說吧？聽著怎樣？挺好聽的，對嗎？

This line has entered the non-Chinese speaking world in the past two years, taken a life of its own and it sort of means this to people "In life, hard times come to greet us, just like snow falls and wind blows. Let's take it!" 

這句話，過去兩年，進入了世界流行語，生發出了獨立的生命性。它被用來大約表示這樣的意思：“生活中總會有艱難的時刻，就像天會下大雪刮大風。我們就接受它吧！”

Now that Xue Hua Piao Piao might stay and even further spread in the world language, as Chinese speakers and learners, we'd better know what it is about.

“雪花飄飄北風蕭蕭” 很可能在世界流行語圈生存並繼續傳播，我們這些說中文、學中文的人，最好了解一下為什麼。

On January 20, 2020, at the outbreak of the worldwide pandemic, a Chinese man named Zhang Ai-qin posted a 12-second video of himself singing two lines from a 1983 Chinese song《一剪梅》yī jian méi A Spray of Plum Flowers.

2020年1月20號，在新冠病毒開始蔓延全球之際，一名叫張愛欽的中國人在快手平台上播放了一則12秒鐘的視頻，是自己即興唱了兩句1983年問世的中文歌曲 《一剪梅》。

雪花飄飄，北風蕭蕭  Xuě huā piāo piāo, běi fēng xiāo xiāo

Snowflakes drift in the roaring north wind.

天地一片蒼茫 Tiān dì yī piàn cāng máng

The sky and land merge into one boundless.

Wearing a yellow top, his egg-shaped head bare, Zhang Ai-qin was obviously purely enjoying the snow surrounding him and these two lines describing a heavy snow scene came to his mind. So he sang it, videotaped himself, and posted the video. 

上身不是很整齊地穿著一件黃色中裝，雞蛋狀的光頭舒服地迎風挺立。張愛欽的心情顯然是被一片皚皚白雪感染，便脫口唱出了以上自己認為最配得上眼前景緻的兩句歌詞。

When being immersed in nature, it's not uncommon for a Chinese person to sing a few lines from a song, or shout out a few lines from a poem. (My fondest memory of college life in Beijing was to sing with my classmates throughout the night sitting on top of Xi Shan 西山. I still catch myself singing on the NYC streets from time to time.)

身處大自然中時，中國人常會哼幾句歌、念幾句詩。（我大學時期最美好的記憶是和同學們坐在西山頂上徹夜歌唱。現在走在紐約的大街上，我也時不時情不自禁唱幾句。）

The rest is history. This video became viral in the next few months, together with the spread of the corona virus.

接下來的幾個月，“蛋哥”的這個短視頻在全世界被瘋狂轉發，與之同樣快速擴散的還有新冠病毒。

Non-Chinese speakers were probably initially attracted by the tune, the sounds and the unique looks of the singer who was already nicknamed as Dan Ge 蛋哥 Egg Brother before the video became viral. Then, one person finally dug up the meaning of these two lines, and told it to the world in a posting (this posting received 2 million likes for figuring this out). 

一开始，非中文使用者可能是被這句歌詞的旋律、这几个他们不懂意思的音节、蛋哥的长相所吸引。接着，其中一位查出来了这句歌词的意思，宣布給了網上世界，这一举动就得到了两百万个赞。

Once the world knows the meaning of these two lines, a new expression took off with its independent life - "Hey, snow falls, wind blows. That's life. No complaints." Since then, Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Xiao Xiao, as a blend of musical notes and non-sense syllables (to many) had comforted many souls, fueled by the memes after Dan Ge.

世界人民一旦知道了这句话的意思，就止不住地把它派上了用场。“天会下大雪、刮大风。生活中有磨难。不要抱怨好了。” 从那以后，Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Xiao Xiao，只是凭借着这小段旋律和几个音节，竟然给众多的心灵带来了慰藉。

Then, someone became curious, and dug out the whole song originally sung by Fei Yuqing 費玉清.  That led to the second explosion.

接着，有人去 “挖掘” 出了 《一剪梅》整首歌，听到了费玉清的原唱。一下子，第二次风暴又来临了。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKq2flvS7dw

click here to hear the original singing of this song Yi Jian Mei

點擊以上鏈接聽費玉清原唱

Listeners seemed to have been immediately captured by something supremely universal -

聽眾好像立馬被某種超級普世的力量震慑了。

"I literally play this song for hours. This song is so beautiful."

這首歌我會連續聽幾個小時。這首歌太美了。

"If 2020 becomes a movie, this should be the credit song."

如果2020年是一部電影，這首歌應該是電影的主題曲。

"This song is going to be played at the entrance to heaven."

這首歌會在進入天堂之門的一刻播放。

"I wish I understood Mandarin because this song sounds really emotional."

這首歌充滿感情，我真希望自己懂中文啊。

"I don't even speak Chinese but this song sounds so nostalgic. Amazing." 

雖然我不懂中文，可這首歌讓我感怀过去。真奇妙。

Of course such reactions had made guys like this one very proud -

当然，潮水般涌来的类似好评让說中文網友的心中荡漾着自豪感 --

"If only you guys know the meaning of the lyrics, you'll love the song even more."

要是你们这些人知道了歌词的意思，肯定会更爱这首歌的。

Listeners also showed sincere appreciation of the singing voice  -

聽眾也對費玉清的聲音表示極大讚賞 -

"This guy doesn't need autotune. He IS autotune."

這人可無需使用自動調諧機，他就是自動調諧機。

"Everyone is talking about the meme, but listening to this song, this man's vocal range is EXQUISITE."

大家說的都是 meme, 听了原唱，才知道这名歌手的声音精致无比。

"If this man is not on YouTube Rewind, I'm suing YouTube."

如果這名歌手的演唱不進入 YouTube 年度精選，我就控告 YouTube。

"Instagram brought me here but this man's beautiful voice has kept me coming back."

 起初是不經意被 Instagram 引到这里，听到了这名歌手的声音，我就不忍再離開了。

"The minimalist usage of instrumentals paired with this man's angelic voice is just a thing you can't find anywhere else."

簡約的樂器伴奏和歌手天籟般的聲音，是一種別無他有的完美結合。

Maybe people living in a pandemic needing such songs more? Not exactly. 

也許，在疫情中掙扎的人們特別需要這樣的歌曲？不見得。

Listeners found connections to their parents and grandparents who were once also obsessed in this song -

聽眾發現自己的父母、祖父母等長輩曾經都迷戀過這首歌 -

"Every Chinese dad can sing this song perfectly."

每一個華人父親都能完美地唱出這首歌。

"My dad sang this song for whole days when I was growing up."

我小時候，我爸爸會整天整天唱這首歌。

"I heard my grandma playing this song for hours."

我聽過我外婆幾小時不停地放這首歌聽。

Although below is a heavy duty comment, we cannot deny its validity to its writer.

雖然下面這位的評論頂級嚴肅，我們還是不能懷疑他/她的真誠 -

"Found this song through a meme now i have found the meaning of life."

在 meme 里我发现了这句歌。听完了这首歌，我发现了生命的意义。

Then, non-Chinese singers became inspired to sing this song and raving comments just poured in (not one dislike in a set of Ks) -

接著，母語非中文的歌手一個個開始唱起這首歌。他們得到的成千上萬的點贊中，我沒有看到一個 "dislike"。

(Among the ones below, 3, 4, 6 are most amazing. 3 = Nepalese singer who could pass as Fei Yu Qing, 4 = great singing in Mandarin and creative English translation, 5 = a great singing coach 強烈推薦以下標號為 3， 4，6 的三個視頻。3 = 尼泊爾歌手酷似費玉清；4 = 新西蘭歌手唱好、引文翻譯富有創意； 6 = 优秀的唱歌老师)

1 click here to hear the song sung by American singer JJSays 蘇雪蓮

I'm Chinese and I can hear a slight bit of accent in her singing. But it is impressive to be able to sing it that well! You've got a lovely voice and your Chinese is definitely not bad. You really puts emotions in your singing which is quite important in music. Keep up the good work!

我是中國人，我能夠聽出她有一點口音。但是，能唱得這麼好真不簡單！你的聲音優美、中文不差。你的歌聲充滿感情。繼續努力！

Beautiful cover, beautiful singer to this classic. It brings me comfort n hope when all else failed around us.

優美的經典重唱。當生活中諸事一塌糊塗的時候，你的歌給了我安慰和希望。

Egg man said he wants to do a duo collaboration.

蛋哥說他要和你二重唱。

2 click here to hear the song sung by American singer Sam Tsui

I don't understand nothing but your voice is amazing.

我一句都聽不懂，可是你的聲音真美妙。

3 click here to hear the song sung by Nepalese singer Sandesh 桑迪

這大哥唱的真好真好！讓人感動！(This big brother sang so well. I'm so touched!)

Wow Nepalese friend you sing so well. Nepal is also a beautiful place. I've been there several times.

尼泊爾的朋友，你唱得真好啊。尼泊爾是一個美麗的國家，我去過那裡幾次。

4 click here to hear the song sung by New Zealand singer Laurence Larson 羅藝恆

Surprisingly, the English version of the Chinese song is no less enchanting. Thumbs up for the vocalist.

令人吃驚的是，你的英文翻譯和中文歌詞同樣魅力十足。為你豎大拇指！

The tenderness of the interpretation, the delicacy of the voice, that tremor, touch the soul on a special way.

温柔的诠释，精美的声音，还有那抖音，都触及到了我的灵魂。

This is crazy ... the music arrangement out of the box .... great music combined with great voice... keep singing bro... you're awesome...!!!

太疯狂了吧 ... 音乐的创意... 优美的音乐配上优美的声音 ... 要堅持唱下去啊哥們...你太棒了...!!!

Hey Lawrence, love your music! Such an inspiration for me encouraging my children to learn Chinese! I showed them your songs and trying to get them speaking the language. 

羅藝恆，超喜歡你的音樂！我讓我的孩子們聽你的歌，鼓勵他們學習中文！

5 click here to hear the song sung by 陳彼得 Peter Chen the composer of Yi Jian Mei

陳彼得祖籍成都，是成都人的驕傲！(Peter Chen's ancestral hometown Chengdu is proud of him!)

有樸真之質、蒼涼之韻。好，陳彼得。(content delivery - Earthy and real; music delivery - far-reaching and fresh.)

陳彼得一剪梅作曲，影響我一生審美的歌，當時只有幾歲吧。(Peter Chen's Yi Jian Mei music has shaped my life-long esthetics. I was just a few years old when first being exposed to it.)

老爺子帥呆了！(What a shockingly handsome elderly gentleman!)

Now, do you want to learn it?  CCBG teachers introduced this song to most students Level 3 and up. Our own translation of the entire song has been sent to students. 

怎樣，你是不是也想學學 《一剪梅》？少兒華文書園的老師這週向三級和以上的大多數學生介紹了這首歌。我們自己翻譯的歌詞也已經發放學生手中。

If you'd like some coaching in the singing techniques of this song, here you go -

如果你想有人手把手教你唱這首歌，Nic Tan 在这儿教你 - 

6 click here to hear Nic Tan teaching you how to sing Yi Jian Mei

I first heard about this song's new popularity from Bo Hua, a parent of our program. She said her children (our students) love singing it.  

《一剪梅》這兩年的爆紅，我是前幾天從一位學生家長那裡得知的。她說自己的孩子很喜歡唱這首歌。

By reading its dramatic rise to popularity in the non-Chinese speaking world, I have a newly gained sense of urgency and hope. 

通过网上功课我了解了事件的经过后，新的紧迫感和希望油然而生。

I feel a bit anxious because Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Xiao Xiao, is just one drop of the vast ocean of Chinese expressions. How can a teacher or a language curriculum ever give its learners even a scoop of the ocean water? 

我有些焦慮，因為 Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Piao Piao 只是中文次於表达的汪洋大海中的一滴水。什么样的老师和课程能够给到学生哪怕有一捧水呢？

I have hope because I see that the potential for humans to connect is endless - if one Xue Hua Piao Piao can bond so many souls, how about Ai Wo Suo Ai Wu Yuan Wu Hui, just another line in the same song? How about the Xue Hua Piao Piao equivalent in other languages and cultures that can also be discovered and shared?

我也感到希望，因为从事件中我看到人们心灵的连接有着无限的可能性。如果 Xue Hua Piao Piao Bei Feng Xiao Xiao 都能够链接这么多的心灵，那么，仅仅同一首歌里的另一句 Ai Wo Suo Ai Wu Yuan Wu Hui 呢？还有，别的语言和文化里的等同于 Xue Hua Piao Piao 的表达呢？有多少美妙結實的人類心靈絲帶有待我們去發現和分享啊！

The egg-man Zhang Ai-qin, an odd role movie actor. Fei Yu-qing, the Taiwansese singer whose dad was from An-hui and mom from Hu-nan. Chen Bi-de, the Taiwanese musician who was born in Chengdu and came to Taiwan at the age 3. Chen Yu-zhen, the super low-key and mysterious Taiwanese lyric writer. JJ Says and Sam Tsui of the US. Sandesh of Nepal. Laurence of New Zealand. All the commentators of the song. These are the players of the Yi Jian Mei movement. 

蛋哥張愛欽差，明不見經傳的大陸演员。費玉清，母籍湖南、父籍安徽的台灣歌手。陳彼得，成都出生三歲隨父母離開大陸的台灣作曲人。陳玉貞，低調神秘多產的台灣歌詞作家。美國歌手 JJ Says 和 Sam Tsui。 尼泊爾歌手 Sandesh。新西兰歌手 Laurence。 所有的留下评论的听众。这些都是《一剪梅》风潮的推手。

May we also care and dare to join them, word by word, song by song, movie by movie, book by book, trip by trip, conversation by conversation, to reach and bind.  

希望我們也會有心、敢於去加入他們，一個個詞、一首首歌、一部部電影、一本本書、一趟趟旅行、一次次對話，用我們點點滴滴持續不斷的行動，走出我們自己的圈子，擁抱別樣的人、連結不同的心。