曼丽-黄清元 Huang Qing Yuan and The Melodians - Man Li 1966 (original recording)

I have heard several versions of Man Li, and this one has to be the best, released in Singapore on the Happy label, as a 45rpm EP in 1966. Huang Qing Yuan was born in Singapore in 1944. He released 4 albums of A Go Go music and Garage Rock with local legends The Stylers from 1966-1970. Man Li was his defining moment, as well as being one of Chinese Pop Music's best loved songs. The combination of Huang Qing Yuan the 'crooner' and the nifty rock musicians who worked with him was very effective.

Man Li was based on Wang Luobin's Xinjiang folk song written in 1939. You see him in the video during the guitar break, with guitar and hat, and at the end you see his statue. It seemed only right to include him in the video! Wang Luobin (1913-1996) was a renowned Han Chinese songwriter who collected hundreds of Folk Songs. He specialized in composing Mandarin-language songs based on the music of various ethnic minorities in western China. Capricorn Ox has a capacity for work like no other person.

Man Li is a Kazakh Folk Song telling the sad story about two lovers in Mongolia during the time of the Sino-Japanese war. It was part of an unstaged musical drama "The Mongolia Youth Anti-Japanese War march". I haven't yet traced recordings of it before Huang Qing Yuan re-ignited it, appropriately, in Fire Horse Year! Songwriters Luò míngdào and Sūn yí adapting Wang Luobin's original.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
How can we forget our past, our affection
Man Li how you bear to leave quietly
I am very sad to not be able to see from now on you
Only left the scene of the past I often recalled Man Li
The Beautiful Castle Peak beautiful green water just me and you
Man Li still remember that we are always happy together
I am very sad today, do not never leave you
Only hope that in a dream, you can often see Man Li
According to the kind of blue sky just follow the plain just less you
Man Li how you so young to leave
I am very sad not to be with you forever
Only wait for our next life to together Man Li
PINYIN
Wǒmen de guòqù wǒmen de qíngyì zěnme néng wàngjì
Màn lì zěnme nǐ zhèyàng rěnxīn jìng jìng de jiù lí qù
Wǒ hěn shāngxīn cóng jīn yǐhòu bù nénggòu jiàn dào nǐ
Zhǐyǒu liú xià wǎngrì de qíngjǐng shǐ wǒ shícháng huíyì màn lì
Měilì de qīngshān měilì de lǜ shuǐ zhǐyǒu wǒ hé nǐ
Màn lì kě jìde wǒmen shícháng kuàilè zài yīqǐ
Wǒ hěn shāngxīn jīntiān yī bié yǒngyuǎn jiù líkāi nǐ
Zhǐyǒu xīwàng zài mèng zhōng nénggòu shícháng kàn dào nǐ màn lì
Yī yàng de qīngtiān yī yàng de píngyuán zhǐshì shǎole nǐ
Màn lì zěnme nǐ zhèyàng niánjì qīng qīng de jiù lí qù
Wǒ hěn shāngxīn bùnéng hé nǐ yǒngyuǎn zài yīqǐ
Zhǐyǒu děngdài wǒmen láishēng cáinéng zài yīqǐ màn lì
我们的过去 我们的情意 怎么能忘记
蔓莉怎么你这样忍心静静的就离去
我很伤心 从今以后不能够见到你
只有留下往日的情景 使我时常回忆蔓莉
美丽的青山 美丽的绿水 只有我和你
蔓莉可记得我们时常快乐在一起
我很伤心今天一别永远就离开你
只有希望在梦中能够时常看到你 蔓莉
依样的青天 依样的平原 只是少了你
蔓莉怎么你这样年纪轻轻的就离去
我很伤心不能和你永远在一起
只有等待我们来生才能在一起 蔓莉