The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

"Now let's admire the peach blossoms."

"The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms are bright and beautiful." Peach blossoms are a traditional Chinese garden tree. They are beautiful in shape, with graceful branches and trunks, and abundant and colorful flowers. They are one of the important flowering trees in early spring.

The peach tree is famous for its fruit; peach pits can be pressed for oil; its branches, leaves, fruit, and roots can all be used in medicine; peach wood is fine-grained and hard, and can be used for carving.

Pick fresh peach blossoms, soak them in wine, and drink some daily; this will make your complexion rosy and beautiful, like a peach blossom. "Fortunate to have seen your peach-blossom face, from then on, the fields and paths are filled with the warmth of spring"—this is the meaning behind this saying.

As Zhao Qianfan spoke, the lights dimmed, and Li Zichun, dressed in ancient costume, leaned drunkenly on a huge peach branch, took a small sip of wine, and then climbed down the tree to recite the poem "Peach Blossom Hermitage Song":

In Peach Blossom Valley, there is a Peach Blossom Hermitage; in the Peach Blossom Hermitage, there lives a Peach Blossom Immortal. The Peach Blossom Immortal plants peach trees and picks peach blossoms to exchange for wine.

When sober, I sit before the flowers; when drunk, I sleep beneath them. Half-awake, half-drunk, day after day; flowers fall and bloom, year after year.

I'd rather grow old and die amidst flowers and wine than bow before carriages and horses; the dust of carriages and the hooves of horses are the pleasures of the rich, while wine cups and flowering branches are the companions of the poor.

If you compare wealth and poverty, one is on the ground and the other is in the sky; if you compare poverty and hardship to carriages and horses, they have to drive and I have leisure.

Others laugh at my madness, but I laugh at their blindness; the tombs of heroes of the Five Mausoleums are nowhere to be seen, now only fields are tilled, devoid of flowers and wine.

As Li Zichun recited his poem, he held a wine bottle in one hand and drew a long sword from his waist with the other. He performed a sword dance amidst the falling petals, then sheathed his sword, finished the entire bottle of peach blossom wine, and collapsed drunk among the fallen flowers. He smiled suddenly, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

Zhao Qianfan was sitting in a tree with several staff members, slowly scattering a whole bucket of fallen flowers. His elegant and graceful figure captivated everyone present.

After the film ended, Zhao Qianfan smiled and gestured for the band to start playing. He then sang along to the rhythm of "Where the Peach Blossoms Bloom":

在那桃花盛开的地方

My lovely hometown

The peach tree was reflected in the clear water.

The beautiful village is surrounded by peach orchards.

Ah, my hometown, the place that gave me birth and nurtured me.

No matter where I am on guard duty

I always yearn for you with deep affection.

在那桃花盛开的地方

My enchanting hometown

The peach orchard was filled with the laughter of children.

The peach blossoms blushed the girl's face.

Ah, my hometown, a place I'll never forget.

To make your scenery even more beautiful

I am willing to stand guard on the snowy frontier.

Ah, my hometown, a place I'll never forget / For your scenery to be even more beautiful / I'm willing to stand guard on the snowy frontier.

Zhao Qianfan still sang with her penetrating and magnetic voice, making bel canto more accessible. The whole song was beautiful, smooth, passionate, and infectious.

After he finished singing, he took a deep breath, stood among the peach blossoms of the band, and softly said: "Last year on this day, in this very doorway, faces and peach blossoms reflected each other's redness. But where have those faces gone? The peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze. I dedicate this song, 'Peach Blossom Promise,' to everyone."

First meeting, tender feelings; vows made; wind blowing, clouds drifting.

As time goes by, I wonder what year it is tonight?

With hearts in harmony, I hope our unwavering devotion will endure through countless reincarnations.

In the blink of an eye, how many times have flowers bloomed and faded?

This lifetime's entanglements and complexities have touched my heartstrings.

Will we meet again in the next life?

Leaving a peach blossom as a memento of the passing of a fleeting life.

My longing is still etched in your eyes.

An inch of soil, a year of trees, a flower, a tree, a greedy heart.

Love is a kind of affection that blossoms on the wrong path.

Forget the road ahead, forget the old things, forget your heart, forget you, forget the beginning.

Mottled marks remain on the path of loving you.

This lifetime's entanglements and complexities have touched my heartstrings.

Will we meet again in the next life?

Leaving a peach blossom as a memento of the passing of a fleeting life.

My longing is still etched in your eyes.

An inch of soil, a year of trees, a flower, a tree, a greedy heart.

Love is a kind of affection that blossoms on the wrong path.

Forget the road ahead, forget the old things, forget your heart, forget you, forget the beginning.

Mottled marks remain on the path of loving you.

A devout wish for the next life

A single thought can lead to the crossing of peach blossom karma.

That one thought, repeated through countless moments.

Listening to the Rain, Gazing at the Sky Lake: Human emotions are few and far between, hard to express.

Memories linger on the path of loving you.

After Zhao Qianfan finished singing, the big screen displayed the words "In the course of time, what night is this? Years have passed," and ended with the words "If you don't keep your promises, why make them in the first place?"

The audience was overwhelmed with excitement, as the series of actions brought the atmosphere to a fever pitch. This is exactly what a concert is all about.

While everyone was still engrossed in the music, Li Zichun went on stage and said, "Not counting the beginning, that's already eight songs. Happy times always pass too quickly..."

Before he could finish speaking, a chorus of wails erupted from the crowd.

Before anyone could react, Li Zichun skipped the introductions and even just showed the names of the band members and songs on the big screen, signaling the band to start playing. Seeing this, Zhao Qianfan quickly joined in and sang along.

They didn't even bother looking at each other; they started singing "Butterfly Flower" to the music:

Do you still remember that butterfly flower in the sunshine of your childhood?

It blooms beautifully on your head, radiating innocence and purity.

As I grow up, the feelings I once had change imperceptibly.

A devoted first love and an eternal vow cannot withstand the test of time.

As time goes by, the butterfly has flown away; does it still remember it?

In today's fickle and beautiful world, everyone has to learn to grow up.

I've long been used to being sad alone; love is a complicated and messy affair.

I want to forget the past, but I always remember the days when I had no regrets.

Who can guarantee their heart will remain unchanged and clearly see through the vicissitudes of life?

Don't cry, don't cry, and tell me that there are no eternally youthful beauties.

Who has learned not to shed tears easily, and to laugh and talk about the vicissitudes of life?

Don't sigh, don't sigh, tell me there's no such thing as eternal youth.

......"

The melancholic melody of "Butterfly Flower" cast a gentle sadness over the entire audience. The audience wanted to continue watching, even though the performance lacked any dazzling operatic singing or other unnecessary elements; the lyrics and singing alone were enough to move them deeply.

Li Zichun said with a smile, "The last one..."

The audience was much quieter this time, not uttering a sound. Those people were screaming and howling just now; we couldn't hear a large part of the beginning. We'll have to wait for the online experts to extract their audio tracks and listen to the a cappella performances or the official video of the other party at the end.

Seeing that everyone had calmed down, Li Zichun continued, "The entire concert began with roses, so it should also end with roses. Kowloon Harbour is only the organizer of this International Flower and Horticulture Expo. Most of the people here for exchange and exhibition are foreigners. I see many foreigners in the audience. Hi, hello everyone. Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation in this Kowloon Harbour Flower Expo. I'll dedicate 'The Last Rose of Summer' to you all."

\u0027Tis the last rose of summer, left blooming all alone

The last rose of summer, a solitary flower's soul blooming alone;

All her lovely panions are faded and gone.

The beautiful sisters have all withered, and the lovely companions have all perished;

No flower of her kindred, no rose bud is nigh

There are no flowers to befriend, nor buds to approach;

To reflect back her blushes and give sigh for sigh.

Where is there a beauty to reflect her countenance, and where is there a sigh to respond to her sigh!

I\u0027ll not leave thee, thou lone one! to pine on the stem

I can't bear to leave you, you lonely spirit;

Since the lovely are sleeping, go sleep with them

All the flowers have entered a dream, yet you remain alone on the branch, heartbroken.

\u0027Thus kindly I scatter thy leaves o\u0027er the bed

With deep tenderness, I sweep away the fallen leaves you left in the flowerbed;

Where thy mates of the garden lie scentless and dead.

Here, the garden's companions have fallen to dust; here, all the flowers have faded and perished.

So soon may I follow, when friendships decay

When the flowers of affection turn to ashes, I will follow you closely behind;

And from love\u0027s shining circle the gems drop away

The halo of love is dazzling, but it's just a fleeting spring for flowers and grass;

When true hearts lie withered, and fond ones are flown

When soulmates depart from this world, when true love has passed away;

Oh! who would inhabit this bleak world alone

Ah! Who would still cling to life, endlessly enduring loneliness and desolation?

"The Last Rose of Summer" is an old Irish folk song and one of the most widely known Irish ballads in the world. Its original title was "Young Man's Dream," but a man named Milley King wrote new lyrics and renamed it "Blarney's Grove."

In the 19th century, the famous Irish poet Thomas Moore became interested in it, but he was not satisfied with the previous two versions of the lyrics. So, he wrote new lyrics and renamed it "The Last Rose of Summer." The lyrics are slightly melancholic, with the author using the last rose of summer as a metaphor for the impending fading of love and youth, expressing a lingering attachment to the passing of beautiful things.

Beethoven personally revised this song; Mendelssohn used it to write a piano fantasy in 1827; and later, the German composer Flotteau used this folk song in his opera Martha. Because "The Last Rose of Summer" received so much attention from so many famous composers, it became even more widely known.

The German film "Handsome Boy" also used this song, but with slight modifications to the rhythm and some individual notes, making the folk song more appealing to modern tastes.

Today, "The Last Rose of Summer" has become one of the most frequently performed pieces by soprano singers in concerts.

The song has a total of eight lines and 16 measures.

Li Zichun was singing in a soprano voice, using her diaphragm and focusing intently on the song.

In the past month, besides recording his previous music videos, he practiced his voice day and night. He didn't speak at all for three days before the performance.

At this moment, his clear, flawless, and beautiful voice, along with his pure and unrestrained natural singing style, slowly flowed from his throat, like a clear spring seeping into people's hearts.

Most of the audience members didn't understand English and had originally planned to just watch for entertainment and pass the time with the poems on the screen. But the moment his voice appeared, it was like the chanting of an angel descending, striking straight to their hearts.

When the song ended, many foreigners in the audience stood up and applauded. In their opinion, this was at least a professional-level stage performance, a unique bel canto male diva.

After the accompaniment ended, Li Zichun sang a line of "bleak world alone" a cappella to prove it was his own voice.

He chose this song to dedicate to his former wife, whose spirit lives on even though she has passed away.

Zhao Qianfan stood aside listening to the song, but when he saw the lyrics on the big screen, he still frowned: It seems that the beautiful figure that the heavenly tribulation had conjured up was still lingering in his mind. He was afraid that next time it would be a real person. He hoped that the person would not be assimilated by this world.

The applause lasted for several minutes. Li Zichun bowed to express his gratitude and then said after a while, "Originally, the ten songs should have ended here, but it wouldn't be right if we hadn't sung about the city flower in the three performances, so I wrote this song about the Bauhinia flower. Would you like to hear it?"

The crowd cheered. Of course, people would rather hear more than pay the same amount of money, especially for a live performance by a master like this.

During a lull in the cheers, Li Zichun quickly adjusted his voice, and Zhao Qianfan stepped forward to signal everyone to be quiet. Once he had finished adjusting, he signaled that the band could continue.

Zhao Qianfan said with a smile, "I'd like to dedicate a song called 'Bauhinia Blossoms' to everyone. I hope you enjoy it."

"Bauhinia Blossoms" is a song sung by Li Ronghao and Gigi Leung. It is a duet in Mandarin and Cantonese, with Zhao Qianfan providing the male vocals and Li Zichun providing the female vocals.

Zhao Qianfan: Bauhinia blossoms flutter, flying towards a sheltered harbor.

Li Zichun: Swaying gently in a bay, all that remains is my deepest love and unwavering commitment.

Zhao Qianfan: Innocence is your smile, a hug that lasts forever.

Li Zichun: Love is as deep as parental love, always applauding and singing for me.

Zhao Qianfan:

The eternal Bauhinia flower, under the influence of love, sprouts strong and healthy.

Smiling flowers bloom in the sunlight, warm and inviting, as they gracefully embark on their journey.

Under the same roof, it's like a painting.

Day and night, watching over each other

Sparkling starlight illuminates your face

Li Zichun:

The Bauhinia flower in my heart blooms with love, we are one family.

How clear this sky is! Sunshine and rain embrace each other; let's pursue our dreams together.

Upholding my faith, I excelled all the way, undaunted by the fierce winds.

Thank you for your warm wishes; flowers bloom in love.

La la la......

combine:

The eternal Bauhinia flower, under the influence of love, sprouts strong and healthy.

Smiling flowers bloom in the sunlight, warm and inviting, as they gracefully embark on their journey.

Under the same roof, like a painting, we watch over each other day and night.

Twinkling stars

Illuminate your face

The eternal Bauhinia flower, soar high, even amidst the waves!

Words cannot express my longing. I'm here for you, in our warm home.

Love flows, embracing each other's hearts, cherishing every moment.

"How proud the branches are, they will bloom again after spring warms up."

After the two finished singing together, Li Zichun said with satisfaction, "Now, the flowers in Kowloon Harbour have also bloomed."

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Where the Peach Blossoms Bloom" is a song sung by Dong Zhenhou, with lyrics by Wu Dawei and Wei Baogui and music by Tie Yuan [1]. It was included in the album of the same name, "Where the Peach Blossoms Bloom," released in 1980. In 1987, the song won the first prize in the national "Most Popular Songs Among Youth" selection. Jiang Dawei has performed this song twice on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala stage.

"Peach Blossom Promise" is a song performed by G.E.M. (Deng Ziqi), and is also the theme song of the TV series "Ancient Love Song". The lyrics are by Zhang Ying, the music by Luo Kun, and the arrangement by Luo Kun and Chen Xueyan. It is included in the 2017 music album "Ancient Love Song Original Soundtrack".

"Butterfly Flower" is a song performed by Shui Mu Nian Hua (during the Lu Gengxu and Li Jian era). The lyrics and music were written by Lu Gengxu, and the arrangement was done by Su Mu. It was included in the album "You'll Be With Me All My Life" and was released in 2001.

"The Last Rose of Summer" was written by Thomas Moore, and the original singer of the well-known movie song is Heinze Simmons.

"Bauhinia Blossoms" is a music video produced by CCTV News, a subsidiary of China Central Television (CCTV), to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. It was released on June 30, 2022. The lyrics were written by Lu Wentao, Yi Bai, and Li Wei, with music composed and arranged by Lu Wentao, and sung by Li Ronghao and Gigi Leung. On December 27, 2022, the song won the NetEase Cloud Music 2022 Top Ten Singles Award.