Poster for The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (1984)
Chow Yun-fat
Rebecca Chan
Jaime Chik
1. Chinese Poem of the Day:
程顥 (1032 – 1085)
秋日偶成
閑來無事不從容，睡覺東窗日已紅；
閑來無事不從容，睡覺東窗日已紅；
萬物靜觀皆自得，四時佳興與人同。
道通天地有形外，思入風雲變態中；
富貴不淫貧賤樂，男兒到此是豪雄。
2. As a song, The Smiling, Proud Wanderer ("笑傲江湖") is one of my all-time favourites.
As Wikipedia has noted, "笑傲江湖" "literally means to live a carefree life in a mundane world of strife" ("The Smiling, Proud Wanderer").
I have other-worldly tendencies and whenever I listen to this song, it just takes me far, far away from this world.
This song really appeals to the would-be Taoist (or Daoist) in me.
Yet as a Christian, I have to remind myself that what happens in this world is meaningful and important and that this is demonstrated by Jesus Christ coming to save and redeem the world.
3. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer was the theme song of a Hong Kong TVB television drama of the same name that was first aired in April, 1984.
The TVB television drama in turn was based on a martial arts and chivalry novel of the same name by Louis Cha (pen name: Jin Yong).
Louis Cha wrote this novel between 1967 and 1969 when the Cultural Revolution in China was in full swing.
In is well known that The Smiling, Proud Wanderer has many political allegories.
The following is Wikipedia's take of the allegories ("The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", Wikipedia):
In his afterword, Jin Yong mentions that The Smiling, Proud Wanderer can be read as a political allegory disguised as a wuxia novel. As an allegory, it can happen in "any dynasty or organisation".
Although Jin Yong did not leave any unequivocal evidence, many people believe that characters and factions in the book are representations of people and great powers of the late 1960s, the time when the novel was written. One popular interpretation believes that the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance represents the Soviet Union, with its chief Zuo Lengchan as a personification of Joseph Stalin, while the Sun Moon Holy Cult emblematises China with Dongfang Bubai symbolising Mao Zedong. The other sects, including Shaolin, Wudang, and Emei, represent NATO and countries aligned with the United States. This idea relates very well to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, where the world is split into three superpowers: Oceania, Eurasia, and East Asia.
This heavily politics related book is written from an interesting perspective. Instead of looking at the situation from the point of view of a politician who is either seeking to start a rebellion or struggling to keep the world peaceful, the main character Linghu Chong is a lonely individual who does not seek supremacy in a power-driven world.
4. Many of Louis Cha's novels have been turned into films or TV dramas; and many more than once.
Wikipedia listed 4 films and 6 TV dramas that were adapted from The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.
The 1984 Hong Kong TVB production was the first TV adaptation of this novel and it was 30 episodes long.
This TV drama starred Chow Yun-fat (who is well-known to western audience), Rebecca Chan and Jaime Chik.
Both Rebecca Chan and Jaime Chik were very pretty in this TV drama.
5. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer - the videos are scenes and stills from the 1984 TV drama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1QLsg3rCMQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31BteUEeWeQ
6. The video quality of this recent upload is very good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga09VC8oNeg
7. This is uploaded on October 26, 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCYpF_tXxo
The video is very nicely done.
7a. Added: Thursday, November 8, 2012.
Johnny Yip and Frances Yip in concert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ss5eIVMxLc
8. Very nice instrumental of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxtbNUVH4J0
The actress in the first part of the video is Xu Qing, one of my favorite actresses of mainland China.
Xu Qing is the star of the 2001 adaptation of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer produced in mainland China.
But why would the producer of this video chose the star of the 2001 TV production for the theme song of the 1984 TV production?
Kind of confusing.
9. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:
笑傲江湖 -- 葉振棠 & 葉麗儀
女：那用爭世上浮名 世事似水去無定
男：要覓取世上深情 何懼奔波險徑
女：也亦知劍是無情 會令此心再難靜
男：那恩怨未曾問
女：縱是相聚也短暫
男：心中
合：此際情也可永
* 合：那懼千里路遙遙 未曾怕風霜勁
女：心中獨留
男：此生還剩
女：多少柔情
男：悲歡往影
女：過去悲歡往日情境
男：此際情
合：笑傲天際踏前程 去歷幾多滄桑
女：歲月匆匆再不問
男：心中
合：此際情也可永
Repeat *
女：歲月匆匆再不問
合：此際情也可永
10. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:
笑傲江湖 -- 叶振棠 & 叶丽仪
女：那用争世上浮名 世事似水去无定
男：要觅取世上深情 何惧奔波险径
女：也亦知剑是无情 会令此心再难静
男：那恩怨未曾问
女：纵是相聚也短暂
男：心中
合：此际情也可永
* 合：那惧千里路遥遥 未曾怕风霜劲
女：心中独留
男：此生还剩
女：多少柔情
男：悲欢往影
女：过去悲欢往日情境
男：此际情
合：笑傲天际踏前程 去历几多沧桑
女：岁月匆匆再不问
男：心中
合：此际情也可永
Repeat *
女：岁月匆匆再不问
合：此际情也可永
11. Names, Words and Phrases:
Cheng Hao (Traditional Chinese: 程顥; Simplified Chinese: 程颢).
Chow Yun-fat (Traditional: 周潤發; Simplified: 周润发).
Cultural Revolution (Traditional: 文化大革命; Simplified: 文化大革命).
Frances Yip (Traditional: 葉麗儀; Simplified: 叶丽仪).
Jaime Chik (Traditional: 戚美珍; Simplified: 戚美珍).
Jin Yong (Traditional: 金庸; Simplified: 金庸).
Johnny Yip (Traditional: 葉振棠; Simplified: 叶振棠).
Louis Cha (Traditional: 查良鏞; Simplified: 查良镛).
Martial arts and chivalry novel (Traditional: 武俠小說; Simplified: 武侠小说).
Rebecca Chan (Traditional: 陳秀珠; Simplified: 陈秀珠).
Xu Qing (Traditional: 許晴; Simplified: 许晴).
References:
"Cheng Hao", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheng_Hao
(accessed 2012-11-04).
"List of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer characters", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Smiling,_Proud_Wanderer_characters
(accessed 2012-11-04).
"List of TVB series (1984)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TVB_series_%281984%29
(accessed 2012-11-04).
"The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smiling,_Proud_Wanderer
(accessed 2012-11-04).
"The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (1984 TV series)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smiling,_Proud_Wanderer_%281984_TV_series%29
(accessed 2012-11-04).
End.
2. As a song, The Smiling, Proud Wanderer ("笑傲江湖") is one of my all-time favourites.
As Wikipedia has noted, "笑傲江湖" "literally means to live a carefree life in a mundane world of strife" ("The Smiling, Proud Wanderer").
I have other-worldly tendencies and whenever I listen to this song, it just takes me far, far away from this world.
This song really appeals to the would-be Taoist (or Daoist) in me.
Yet as a Christian, I have to remind myself that what happens in this world is meaningful and important and that this is demonstrated by Jesus Christ coming to save and redeem the world.
3. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer was the theme song of a Hong Kong TVB television drama of the same name that was first aired in April, 1984.
The TVB television drama in turn was based on a martial arts and chivalry novel of the same name by Louis Cha (pen name: Jin Yong).
Louis Cha wrote this novel between 1967 and 1969 when the Cultural Revolution in China was in full swing.
In is well known that The Smiling, Proud Wanderer has many political allegories.
The following is Wikipedia's take of the allegories ("The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", Wikipedia):
In his afterword, Jin Yong mentions that The Smiling, Proud Wanderer can be read as a political allegory disguised as a wuxia novel. As an allegory, it can happen in "any dynasty or organisation".
Although Jin Yong did not leave any unequivocal evidence, many people believe that characters and factions in the book are representations of people and great powers of the late 1960s, the time when the novel was written. One popular interpretation believes that the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance represents the Soviet Union, with its chief Zuo Lengchan as a personification of Joseph Stalin, while the Sun Moon Holy Cult emblematises China with Dongfang Bubai symbolising Mao Zedong. The other sects, including Shaolin, Wudang, and Emei, represent NATO and countries aligned with the United States. This idea relates very well to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, where the world is split into three superpowers: Oceania, Eurasia, and East Asia.
This heavily politics related book is written from an interesting perspective. Instead of looking at the situation from the point of view of a politician who is either seeking to start a rebellion or struggling to keep the world peaceful, the main character Linghu Chong is a lonely individual who does not seek supremacy in a power-driven world.
4. Many of Louis Cha's novels have been turned into films or TV dramas; and many more than once.
Wikipedia listed 4 films and 6 TV dramas that were adapted from The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.
The 1984 Hong Kong TVB production was the first TV adaptation of this novel and it was 30 episodes long.
This TV drama starred Chow Yun-fat (who is well-known to western audience), Rebecca Chan and Jaime Chik.
Both Rebecca Chan and Jaime Chik were very pretty in this TV drama.
5. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer - the videos are scenes and stills from the 1984 TV drama:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1QLsg3rCMQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31BteUEeWeQ
6. The video quality of this recent upload is very good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga09VC8oNeg
7. This is uploaded on October 26, 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCYpF_tXxo
The video is very nicely done.
7a. Added: Thursday, November 8, 2012.
Johnny Yip and Frances Yip in concert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ss5eIVMxLc
8. Very nice instrumental of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxtbNUVH4J0
The actress in the first part of the video is Xu Qing, one of my favorite actresses of mainland China.
Xu Qing is the star of the 2001 adaptation of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer produced in mainland China.
But why would the producer of this video chose the star of the 2001 TV production for the theme song of the 1984 TV production?
Kind of confusing.
9. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:
笑傲江湖 -- 葉振棠 & 葉麗儀
女：那用爭世上浮名 世事似水去無定
男：要覓取世上深情 何懼奔波險徑
女：也亦知劍是無情 會令此心再難靜
男：那恩怨未曾問
女：縱是相聚也短暫
男：心中
合：此際情也可永
* 合：那懼千里路遙遙 未曾怕風霜勁
女：心中獨留
男：此生還剩
女：多少柔情
男：悲歡往影
女：過去悲歡往日情境
男：此際情
合：笑傲天際踏前程 去歷幾多滄桑
女：歲月匆匆再不問
男：心中
合：此際情也可永
Repeat *
女：歲月匆匆再不問
合：此際情也可永
10. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:
笑傲江湖 -- 叶振棠 & 叶丽仪
女：那用争世上浮名 世事似水去无定
男：要觅取世上深情 何惧奔波险径
女：也亦知剑是无情 会令此心再难静
男：那恩怨未曾问
女：纵是相聚也短暂
男：心中
合：此际情也可永
* 合：那惧千里路遥遥 未曾怕风霜劲
女：心中独留
男：此生还剩
女：多少柔情
男：悲欢往影
女：过去悲欢往日情境
男：此际情
合：笑傲天际踏前程 去历几多沧桑
女：岁月匆匆再不问
男：心中
合：此际情也可永
Repeat *
女：岁月匆匆再不问
合：此际情也可永
11. Names, Words and Phrases:
Cheng Hao (Traditional Chinese: 程顥; Simplified Chinese: 程颢).
Chow Yun-fat (Traditional: 周潤發; Simplified: 周润发).
Cultural Revolution (Traditional: 文化大革命; Simplified: 文化大革命).
Frances Yip (Traditional: 葉麗儀; Simplified: 叶丽仪).
Jaime Chik (Traditional: 戚美珍; Simplified: 戚美珍).
Jin Yong (Traditional: 金庸; Simplified: 金庸).
Johnny Yip (Traditional: 葉振棠; Simplified: 叶振棠).
Louis Cha (Traditional: 查良鏞; Simplified: 查良镛).
Martial arts and chivalry novel (Traditional: 武俠小說; Simplified: 武侠小说).
Rebecca Chan (Traditional: 陳秀珠; Simplified: 陈秀珠).
Xu Qing (Traditional: 許晴; Simplified: 许晴).
References:
"Cheng Hao", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheng_Hao
(accessed 2012-11-04).
"List of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer characters", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Smiling,_Proud_Wanderer_characters
(accessed 2012-11-04).
"List of TVB series (1984)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TVB_series_%281984%29
(accessed 2012-11-04).
"The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smiling,_Proud_Wanderer
(accessed 2012-11-04).
"The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (1984 TV series)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smiling,_Proud_Wanderer_%281984_TV_series%29
(accessed 2012-11-04).
End.
