Learning a Chinese Song with GPT
Sunflower, by Xie Tian Xiao and rock band Cold Blooded Animal
Welcome to a newsletter dedicated to explore AI’s ability to explain language and cultural norms and references. Weekly, these series of articles will find interesting ways to learn Chinese, beginning with chinese rock songs and their metaphorical meanings, and later on explore literature from buddhist and taoist texts, step by step, detailing the chinese characters and important grammar to learn, entrancing you in this fascinating culture, script and language.
Sunflower, by XTX (Part 1)
(The series’ Part 2. covering the song’s bridge and chorus, is now online here)
This song is a rock ballad by Chinese singer-songwriter Xie Tian Xiao and band Cold Blooded Animal, released in 2004. Characterized by its soft, emotive vocals, melodic guitar riffs, and poignant lyrics, it falls within the broad genre of Chinese pop rock music. Many other songs by XTX, which will be covered in next installments, fall more into grunge territory and are heavier-sounding.
Xie Tian Xiao is a prominent figure in the Chinese pop and rock music scene. He first gained recognition in the 1990s as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Black Panther, one of the pioneering rock bands in China. Xie's solo career began in 1999, and he has since released several critically acclaimed albums and won numerous awards for his music. He is known for his poetic lyrics, soulful vocals, and skillful guitar playing, and is considered one of the most influential musicians in Chinese pop and rock music.
"Sunflower" is a reflective, simple ballad that showcases XTX's talent as a songwriter and performer, in the rich landscape of Chinese rock music. So let’s start by hearing an energetic live performance of the song:
那美丽的天
(Na meili de tian)
The song starts with the verse Na meili de tian, zong shi yiwang wubian, let us decompose it piece by piece and analyze each expression or word in detail.
那 (na) - a pronoun that translates to "that" in English, and it's used to refer to a specific noun previously mentioned or easily identifiable to the audience.
美丽的 (meili de) - adjective phrase, made up of two words. 美丽 (meili) means "beautiful" and 的 (de) is a particle used to link the adjective to the noun that follows, indicating possession or modification.
Therefore, this literally translates to "that beautiful."
"天 (tian)," is a noun that means "sky" or "heaven."
When combined, the sentence means "That beautiful sky." The use of "that" implies that the sky is a specific, well-known object, perhaps even one that the speaker and the audience are both familiar with!
This full verse, 那美丽的天,总是一望无边 (na meili de tian, zong shi yiwang wubian), describes the sky’s beauty, boundless to the eye.
In the verse’s second half, the phrase "一望无边 (yiwang wubian)" here is used for the limitless nature of that sky. "一望 (yiwang)" means "one look" or "at a glance," and "无边 (wubian)" means "without bounds", "boundless."
Put together, the phrase "一望无边" conveys the idea that the beautiful sky is so expansive and vast that it cannot be contained within the limits of one's vision. It is so expansive that even if you look at it, you cannot fully take it in and it appears to go on forever.
This adds to the overall meaning so far, by emphasizing the pretty, awe-inspiring sky. It highlights its majesty. It adds to the mood and tone of the song, creating a sense of wonder and mystery about the breathtaking scene described.
This Chinese song portrays the beauty of nature and how it provides sustenance and growth to all living things.
The first stanza, or first half, of the song, describes the sky as vast and gorgeous, with seeds buried under the clouds, and nutrients coming from the dirt. The song recounts the growth of these seeds, following the will of heaven.
Bucolics and austerity in suave cushions or an experimental soundscape, the hallmarks of orientalism.
If you have not heard the video of the live performance in the beginning of the article, you might expect either of these from chinese music. XTX is a different animal, that is, rock, with serene things in-between goth grungy things. Here’s a Dutch band rather that nails being experimental world music.有粒种子埋在云下面
(You li zhongzi mai zai yun xiamian)
The second line is a continuation of the theme established in the first line. There is a grain of seed buried under the clouds. "有 (you)" is the verb "to have" in this line, expressing the existence of the seed.
"粒 (li)" is a measure word used to describe the count of small and round objects, such as seeds. In Chinese there are specific words for referring to different types or shapes of objects, like when we say, a round of applause, you could not say just “an applause” or “applauses”, but “a round” is the standard collective word to use. But in Chinese every noun requires always a word like this, so there is a word for referring to a pen or many pens, for example, and the same word is used for any long thin objects. These words, called measure words, must be used even if you refer to a single unit of the object.
"种子 (zhongzi)" means "seed" in this context. It is the object that is being described in the sentence, with the help of the measure word explained above. "埋 (mai)" is a verb meaning "to bury." In this line, it is describing what has been done to the seed.
"在云下面 (zai yun xiamian)" is a prepositional phrase indicating the location of the seed. "在 (zai)" is the preposition "at" or "on" in this context. "云下面 (yun xiamian)" means "under the clouds."
Together, the second line is saying that there is a grain of seed buried under the clouds. This line reinforces the idea of the natural cycle of life that was introduced in the first line, and suggests that new life is hidden and waiting to grow, just as a seed is hidden and waiting to grow into a plant. "Seed" is an allegory for something with potential for growth and development. It can symbolize an idea, a dream, or a goal. The line is saying that this seed is buried, symbolizing that it is hidden, obscured, or unclear. Clouds can symbolize a number of things, including uncertainty, confusion, or obstacles.
营养来自这满地污泥
(Yingyang laizi zhe man di wu ni)
The verse Yíngyǎng lái zì zhè mǎn dì wū ní can be translated to "Nutrition comes from the black earth." Yíngyǎng means nutrition.
Continuing with the previous idea of the seed being buried under the clouds, then, the seed’s path is obscured by the challenges that it faces. But the song does not give up hope in the seed's growth and development, championing the idea that growth and development are possible even in difficult circumstances.
In the same vein, I asked ChatGPT to create a parable, and this is what turned up:
A farmer once had a seed that he wanted to grow into a beautiful sunflower. But the seed was buried under a thick layer of clouds that blocked the sun's light. Despite this, the farmer still believed that the seed could grow and prosper. And one day, as the clouds began to clear, the seed sprouted and grew into a magnificent sunflower, reaching towards the sky and basking in the light of the sun. The farmer realized that even when things seem obscured or uncertain, growth and development are still possible, as long as one holds onto hope and belief.
生根发芽,仍然顺从天意
(Shēng gēn fā yá, réngrán shùn cóng tiānyì)
The growth of the seed introduced in the second line, using plant imagery, continues now, relating a process of rooting, sprouting, and yielding to the will of nature. Here is a breakdown of grammar and meaning:
"生根发芽" (shēng gēn fā yá) means "to take root and sprout". This phrase is often used to describe the initial growth of a plant from a seed.
"仍然" (réngrán) means "still" or "yet". It implies that despite the growth that has taken place, the plant is not yet fully mature.
"顺从" (shùn cóng) means "to yield to" or "to comply with". This verb is used to describe the plant's response to the forces of nature, indicating that it grows in accordance with the will of the universe.
"天意" (tiānyì) means "the will of heaven" or "the will of the universe". This phrase is often used in Chinese culture to describe a higher power or fate that guides the course of human and natural events.
Overall, these lines depict the growth of the plant from the seed in accordance with the natural order of things. The use of plant imagery to describe this process suggests the idea that the plant is a metaphor for the human experience, and that the challenges and hardships we face are all part of a larger cosmic plan.
This closes up our analysis of the song for this week. Next week we’ll continue reading through the lines and between the lines of Sunflower, by XTX/Cold Blooded Animal. You can subscribe for free, further below, to get all future Mandarin language articles. Before that, let’s see a last bit of chinese culture and language.
For the closing paragraphs of this introductory article, I told ChatGPT that a parable was not necessary like in the previous verse, but GPT got creative on its own in any case, and said:
"There is no need for a parable this time, but I can provide an example of a Chinese proverb that illustrates the same idea"In keeping with the theme of plant metaphorical imagery described above, the chinese proverb "树欲静而风不止，子欲养而亲不待" (shù yù jìng ér fēng bù zhǐ, zǐ yù yǎng ér qīn bù dài), roughly translates to "the tree desires calm, but the wind will not subside; the child desires nurturing, but the parents will not wait". This proverb expresses the idea that sometimes, despite our best intentions and efforts, we must yield to the forces of the universe and trust in the larger plan that governs our lives.