Thousands of miles, a common dream

Thousands of miles, a common dream (万里梦同心)

(Tang) Zhang Jiuling ( 作词： (唐) 张九龄 - (Táng) zhāngjiǔlíng)

Kevin (凯文 - Kǎi wén)

Composer: Xu Letong (作曲： 徐乐同 - Xúlètóng)

Arranger: Xing Chi (編曲： 邢迟 - Xíng chí)

Singer: Dimash (演唱： 迪玛希 - Dí mǎ xī)

## History

"Everlasting Classics 3rd Seasons” was recorded on 8th of January 2020 at China Central Television Studio in Langfang, city of Hebei, China ("经典咏流传第三季", 廊坊大广影视基地录制). However, due to COVID-19 pandemic the premiere was postponed and official release was in CCTV Network on 26th of June 2020.

The Everlasting Classics (Chinese: 经典咏流传 ) is a poetry culture music program. It aims to interpret classic Chinese poetry and literary works with popular music to spread Chinese traditional culture.

The poem 送韋城李少府 used in the song was written by Zhang Jiuling from Tang Dynasty:

送客南昌尉，離亭西候春。野花看欲盡，林鳥聽猶新

別酒青門路，歸軒白馬津。相知無遠近，萬里尚爲鄰    - this part of the poem is used in the song

The rest of the song was was written by 凱文 (Kevin).

## Video

https://tv.cctv.com/2020/06/26/VIDEydRhzFsTbgXzX1HN5vsj200626.shtml

The full episode:

Translation based on  zhongxindeying Dimash YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNY3wsMlkjk.
Dimash started with reciting part of the Zhan Jiulin poem "相知無遠近，萬里尚爲鄰" (Xiāngzhī wú yuǎnjìn, wànlǐ shàng wèi lín) - "Bosom friends don't care if the distance is far or close, even if they are thousands of miles apart, they are still neighbors" and saying "I turn this poem into a song, hoping to build a bridge of friendship between China and Kazakhstan through my singing."

Xiao Zhan **:**Dimash is from Kazakhstan. I heard that the traditional culture of China and Kazakhstan are very similar. Do you know this?

Judge 1: Yes, it is. This is because the Great Silk Road connected our countries. It starts from Chang'an，it must go to the west. Walking on the land will go through the "Hexi Corridor", Shanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang. The Silk Road is opposite the Alashan port in Bole City, Xinjiang. It is the first friendly country to go out of China to the West, it is Kazakhstan.

Xiao Zhan: Dimash, did you have any contact with traditional Chinese poetry before? Antient poems.

Dimash: Isn’t it a pleasure for one to have like-minded people coming from faraway places?

(This is what Confucius said, and the host repeated it again)
Xiao Zhan: I have heard that Dimash can say tongue twisters.

Judge 2: Really?

Xiao Zhan: And this tongue twister is very western-style… can you guess which tongue twister it is?

(Dimash said a tongue twister about eating grapes）

Dimash: Actually, Chinese is very difficult for me. You need to teach me again and again, but I don't know why, I inadvertently remembered this.

Xian Zhan: So for you, the song you are going to sing today... I don't know… Is it a little difficult in Chinese? Because I don't know which ancient poem you chose.

Dimash: Today I bring the work from Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Jiuling.

Xian Zhan: Zhang Jiuling... aaa...

Dimash: Yes, it's a work by Zhang Jiuling, who dedicated this poem to his friend. I will try my best to sing this song well. No matter where I am, whenever I have the chance, I am trying my best to integrate dombra into my works. So today this song will also be accompanied by a dombra.

Judges: Ooo... Dombra...

Xian Zhan: Dimash just revealed that he is about to sing the song which is a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Jiuling dedicated to his friend who is far away. [Presenter to the audience] Next, please classic singer Dimash go in for the classic sing moment.

Dimash: I’m the classic singer Dimash, I will sing "Thousands of Miles, A Common Dream" to you.

[Here Dimash sings the song]

Judge 2: Give the applause to the classic singer Dimash. Dimash, do you know? All three of us were very surprised, because you used chinese pronunciation.

Dimash: Because to perform in front of the audience, we need to try our best to present the most perfect effect, therefore I put all my energy and efforts to pronunce the lyrics correctly. As for the effect, it depends on the evaluation of teachers and audience

Judge 2 [to the audience]: What do you think?

[loud applause]

Dimash: Thank you

Judge 1: The instrument that was accompanied just now, because this instrument, in fact, our Chinese audience should be, many people should be very familiar with it. Because this is not only in Kazakhstan, but also in our Xinjiang. It should be said that in Kazakhstan everyone can play this instrument, maybe every family has this instrument, right?

Judge 2: Dimash, is that true?

Dimash: Dombra is a traditional instrument located in the most honorable place of every Kazakh home. And it is the most important instrument in everyone’s heart.

Judge 1: Yes, so it has been set up in Kazakhstan since 2018,  specially set up, called "Dombra Day".

Judge 2: I would like to ask you, this song: "Thousands of Miles, A Common Dream", do you know what you sang?

Dimash: It's about two people, though thousands of miles apart, friendship lives in each other's hearts. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team and the interpreter who helped me a lot to understand the lyrics when preparing this song.

Judge 3: Then I want to tell you more about it, because I think for a singer, the depth of understanding of a poem directly determines the height of the singer's singing. This poem is, Zhang Jiuling who is going to say farewell to his friend. They are bosom (very close), good friends. This man is going to leave him, of course he feels sad, but at the end of the poem, he said: as long as we are bosom friends, even if we are far away, it is as if we live in the in neighbor's position, the distance is still very close. In ancient China, there was another poet named Cao Zhi , he had two verses: "The ambition of true men is everywhere / the whole world, thousands of miles away, still like neighbors" . [The professor is explaining the meaning of these two verses]:Ture men have aspirations, their ambition is everywhere / the world. No matter where he goes, between these ture men, between these ambitious people, they are very close. It's like you came to China from Kazakhstan, thousands of miles away, you sing not only Kazakh folk songs, but also Chinese songs. You are the ture man in Cao Zhi's poem. Your ambition is based in Kazakhstan, but you are looking at China and even the whole world. This is the meaning of you standing on this stage of "Everlasting Classics" today.

Judge 2: We will always expect you to continue to come to China, and we believe that your Chinese will be better and better.

Dimash: Thank you very much.

Judge 2: Thank you, thank you Dimash. Next please open the sharing passageway.

Dimash: I’m the classic singer Dimash. If you like this song "thoughts of miles, a common dream", please scan the QR code on the screen and join us to "share poems and sing classics"

During this performance Dimash also played dombra. However, it was cut out from the final footage:

## Lyrics

### English tranlation

The ever-budding willows in farewells

The ever-growing clouds in sights

The ever-echoing birdsong in ears

The ever-haunting lovesickness in hearts

The farewell had put us on the gateway

On horse I left for the ferry, seeing you away

Together or apart, near or far

Sharing a heart, friends still we are

In my arms sleeps the moon

Casting velvety dreams to lane and road

The twittering slwallow, please

Bestow spring jasmines to every household

Guests from the east and the west

Travelers from the north and the south

Beyond all the mountains and rivers

We are bonded by an angelic soul

Through effort common dreams loom

In every home sprint will bloom