Tattoos by Begonia-Folk Song by Li Tai-Hsiang (海棠紋身-李泰祥)
I. Lyrics (translated from Chinese)
Always forget …on the left chest.
There is a small scar.
Why was it there?
Was it caused by knife or sword?
Or by tender lips,
Kissed by a not gentle curse?
Until in the sunset of life, the day when heart hurts,
Oh…at the day when heart hurts.
From the naked body in the mirror, he found,
The scar, the scar has grown.
The imprint of the hand belongs to whom?
A blood crab.
A tattoo by begonia leaf, the already distorted pattern.
He looked at the begonia leaf pattern.
Is it a wound? Or an internal injury?
Can’t tell anymore. Can’t tell any more.
Summary/Story:
The music score stated a scholar’s moods concerning about the fate of the nation. He cleverly uses a begonia’s leaf to represent China territory. Under the political ideology at the time, he used a scar and a hurt heart to create sharp contrast to express Chinese people’s homesick complex.
III. Manuscript
Piano and voice manuscript (page 1) of “Tattoos by Begonia in D minor”
(1971)
Piano and voice manuscript (page 2) of “Tattoos by Begonia in D minor”
(1971)
Melody and interlude manuscript (page 1) of “Tattoos by Begonia in A minor”
(1971)
Melody and interlude manuscript (page 2) of “Tattoos by Begonia in A minor”
(1971)