Story in Music 5? Scarborough Fair

? Years ago, during recess, I played Sarah Bly on the classroom computer Sarah Brightman's "Scarborough Fair", the ethereal singing echoed in every corner. Some students said it sounded really good and even sang along. So the next day I was still like this.

? A few days later, I came back to class again. During the break, I was walking in the corridor and heard this song being played in many classrooms, which made me laugh. Two students once asked me if this was a cover of Zhang Mingmin's song by someone else? I said, you are saying the opposite, it should be Zhang covering someone else's song, right? But I can't tell more. At that time, I just thought the song was good, and I didn’t know anything else.

? Later, when I watched the movie "The Graduate", apart from being deeply impressed by the slightly green Dustin Hoffman, this familiar melody appeared again. Only this time it’s a male voice, and it has a chorus that repeats itself thousands of times, giving it a unique charm and a real feast for the ears.

? So, driven by curiosity, I went to find the story behind the singing.

(1) Nostalgic version

? This is the tune of an ancient Scottish Liar song. "Li" reads "Li", and the meaning of the word is the same. Li Ge means "parting song". The most famous Scottish song is the well-known "Have a safe journey".

? Scarborough is a seaside town in North Yorkshire, England. Historically, the town held a 45-day continuous market every year, attracting merchants from all over England and even Europe. The origin of the folk song "Scarborough Fair" can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It was later adapted into an anti-war song that cherishes life and longs for peace.

According to research, this song comes from the Whittington Fair of the same period, and is not a real folk song circulated at Scarborough Fair. The reason why it was named Scarborough Fair was because thieves or suspects caught in Scarborough Market in the Middle Ages were often sentenced to hang from a tree in a kind of street court. So the English phrase Scarborough warning was later derived, which means "no warning". In this song, the protagonist's lover seems to have left without saying goodbye, leaving the protagonist unable to pursue her, as if there was no warning.

On the streets of the market, a criminal was about to be hanged. Before he died, he thought of the girl he had met when he landed at Scarborough Market, the girl who could sew the most delicate linen cloak in the world with her dexterity, and whose bright eyes and teeth could pick the most beautiful things from the cliff. The girl with flowers, an unknown girl, with a rosy face and a smile like flowers... A little tenderness stirred in the criminal's heart, and he asked the people watching on the street, "Friend, are you going to Scarborough Market?" "?"

So someone commented that this is an impossible task. This is a missing person notice from more than 1,000 years ago. This allusion is full of figures from medieval Europe, the dusty markets, the silks and satins from the ancient East, the vanilla seasonings from Naples, and the European characters that symbolize kindness, strength, gentleness and courage respectively. Celery, sage, rosemary and thyme were sacred herbs and flowers believed to resist death in that era. According to legend, thyme was named after the Greek goddess Venus witnessed the heavy casualties in the Trojan War and could not help crying. When her tears fell into the world, they transformed into thyme. It is quite similar to Li Shangyin's artistic conception of "the moon in the sea has tears".

? Scarborough Fair, looking back after thousands of years, ? They are smiling at the other end of the time tunnel, accompanied by mules, horses, cattle, sheep and village women and vendors, full of people The taste of the world, although there is no lack of cruel blood and boundless desire.

(2) Anti-war version

? In Europe in the 1950s, there was such a story: two lovers were separated because of the war. Before going to the battlefield, the young man He made a promise with his sweetheart to meet at Scarborough Market after the war. He bid farewell to his beloved girl, threw himself into the billowing smoke, and eventually died on the battlefield and was buried in a desolate mass grave. Lonely and homeless, his soul wanders along the roadside in forests and fields. Whenever he thinks that he will never be able to return to his familiar hometown, and will never be able to enjoy the sweetness of life with his sweetheart, the sadness and anger in his heart turns into a cry. A tear-jerking accusation. His soul could never return to the hometown he longed for. He could only stand at the intersection of the road leading to Scarborough Market and sing softly to every passerby: "You are going to Scarborough." Cabro Market, where there is parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, and my most beloved girl,” “If you see her, please tell her how much I miss her.” That kind of memory. , affectionate and desolate feelings move the listener. The dreamy melody and perfect low singing can easily put people into a meditative state, with endless charm.

? Wild flowers are fragrant, but only eternal time is the real sage!

? Hence, the song "Scarborough Fair". Between 1964 and 1965, American student Paul Simon learned this folk song from British folk singer Martin Carthy while studying in England, adapted it, and added a piece of his own composition. "The Side of A Hill" as the chorus. The chorus, composed and sung by Art Garfunkel, serves as the harmony of the song and is not particularly strong in auditory experience. Therefore, many people do not pay much attention to the chorus and think that the chorus is just a form of singing. , in fact the chorus is the soul of the entire song. Simon grafted the anti-war song "The Side of A Hill" he had previously composed into "Scarborough Fair" by borrowing money from others, realizing the habit of war songs, especially anti-war songs, often choosing love or family themes as the carrier, and succeeded. 'Scarborough Fair' was transformed from a simple love song into an anti-war song.

? This song was the episode of "The Graduate", the most popular movie among American college students in the 1960s. It was once regarded as the favorite of that generation, especially the young students of that generation. You know, it was an era of turbulent student movements, filled with hippies, rebellion, sexual liberation, and especially strong anti-Vietnam War sentiment. Many young students burned their military service cards and refused to serve. So this song became a favorite of that generation. Perhaps on the one hand, it is a memory of the innocence and beautiful love of youth, and on the other hand, it uses dreamy tunes and soft singing to weave stories about war. Fairy tale, its melody always touches everyone's heartstrings. The song's repeated "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme," is full of deep nostalgia and makes people yearn for the town of Scarborough. The lyrics are intertwined with long and short sentences. As the protagonist's prayer, the four colors are chanted repeatedly in the melody. Each section ends with "she'll be a true love of mine". Finally, he sings sadly "she once was a true love of mine", which corresponds to the end of the first paragraph. It seems to refer to hopeless expectations and prayers for love and lovers. A touch of sadness and restrained emotions are similar to Eastern forbearance.

? One flower, one world, lasting for thousands of years.

? Thanks to this song, she made me understand a corner of the world and a page of history. It also introduced me to the beautiful Moonlight, Sarah Brightman, and the talented Paul Simon and Garfunkel. It is said that Garfinkel is a mathematics teacher, and colleagues feel more cordial if they meet him.

Notes:

1.Scarborough is a coastal town in North Yorkshire, England. It was originally a regular market formed by the Vikings' frequent landings and exchanges. (Fair). There is also a saying that it evolved from Whittington Fair.

2. The four plants of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme represented kindness, strength, gentleness and courage respectively in Europe during the Middle Ages. This is also what the singer expected of the girl. But Carthy pointed out in his own version that these four herbs all have some connection with death in British tradition, and they are all considered to be herbs that can resist death. Thinking of the three impossible tasks that the singer asked the beloved girl to do in the song, it seems to imply that the girl is dead, and the song is praying devoutly to let the God of Death return her.

3.Scarborough Fair also has a homophonic meaning with Scar-Borrow-Fair, which means a fair that borrows pain. In reality, there is no fair where pain can be borrowed, but if you put it in an anti-war song, Scar-Borrow-Fair has an extended meaning, that is, Battle Field. Replace Scarborough Fair with Battle Field, and the starting sentence of this song becomes "Are you going to battle field?" (Are you going to battle field?), which directly makes the meaning clear.

4. Lyrics: Sarah Brightman version (/v/dXMvOTkwMzA2NTUvNjk3Njg5OTUuc2h0bWw=.htm)

Are you going to Scarborough Fair: You are going to Scarborough Fair City?

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

Remember me to one who lives there. Say hello

She once was a true love of mine. She once was my lover

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt: Ask her to make me a cambric shirt

(On the side of a hill in the deep forest green.)

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme; parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

(Tracing of sparrow on the snow-crested brown.)

Without no seams nor needle work, no seams on it , and no need for needlework

(Blankets and bedclothes the child of the mountain.)

Then she'll be a true love of mine. She will be my true love

(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call.)

Tell her to find me an acre of land : Ask her to find a piece of land for me

(On the side of a hill a sprinkling of leaves.)

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

(Washes the grave with silvery tears.)

Between the salt water and the sea strands, just between salt water and the sea

(A soldier cleans and polishes a gun.)

Then she' ll be a true love of mine. She will be my true love

Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather: Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather

( War bellows blazing in scarlet battalions.)

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

(Generals order their soldiers to kill.)

The generals ordered their soldiers to charge and kill)

And gather it all in a bunch of heather, tie the harvested heather into a bunch

(And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten.)

Then she'll be a true love of mine. She will be my true love

Are you going to Scarborough Fair: Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

Remember me to one who lives there. Say hello

She once was a true love of mine. She once was my lover.

5. Shijing style lyrics: I really like this translated lyrics. It is said that it was written by Lianbo, a talented Internet girl, and it shocked the heavens and humans.

Paul Simon Edition (/v?vid=10431375193206825236amp; pd=pcshare)

Ask you if what you said is appropriate. Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Cymbidium and coriander, Yuyu Xiangzhi. Parsely sage rosemary and thyme.

Lady over there, please send me your message. Remember me to one who lives there.

She was once there and knew me well. She once was a true love of mine.

I asked that lady to prepare my clothes. Tell her to make me a cambric shirt.

Cymbidium, coriander, and eucalyptus. Parsely sage rosemary and thyme.

Do not use a needle anvil, no gaps or defects. Without no seams nor needle work.

Where is the beauty? It comforts my lovesickness. Then she will be a true love of mine.

(Singing)

In the shadow of that mountain, there is a deserted site in the deep forest. On the side of hill in the deep forest green,

Looking for felt blankets in winter, old birds and swallows. Tracing of sparrow on snow crested brown.

The fields are covered with snow and the mountains are stagnant. Blankets and bed clothes the child of maintain

Sleeping without realizing it, the cold tea leaves clear hiss. Sleeps unaware of the clarion call.

I asked that beautiful lady to take care of my house. Tell her to find me an acre of land.

Cymbidium, coriander, and eucalyptus. Parsely sage rosemary and thyme.

The land is cultivated by fertile fields, and it is the slope of the sea. Between the salt water and the sea strand,

I should be there, letting me look at each other.

Then she will be a true love of mine.

(Singing)

In the shadow of that mountain, the leaves are sparse and moss-corroded. On the side of hill a sprinkling of leaves

My lonely grave is stained with tears. Washes the grave with slivery tears.

Cherish my long sword and wipe it clean every day. A soldier cleans and polishes a gun.

Silent and unconscious, the cold whistle grows. Sleeps unaware of the clarion call.

Tell that beautiful woman to accept my harvest. Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather.

Cymbidium, coriander, and eucalyptus. Parsely sage rosemary and thyme.

Gather them together, don’t throw them away, don’t lose them. And gather it all in a bunch of heather.

The beautiful woman is still there, but I swear to you. Then she will be a true love of mine.

The beacon fire seal roars, the master of blood. War bellows blazing in scarlet battalions.

The general has orders and is diligent in the king's affairs. Generals order their soldiers to kill and to fight for a cause.

The purpose of the fight has been forgotten for a long time. They have long ago forgotten.

Infatuated and ignorant, Hanjia hisses sadly. Sleeps unaware of the clarion call.