帝女花之香夭 （龍劍笙 梅雪詩） Cantonese Opera Sacrifice of a Princess

帝女花 is a Cantonese Opera first made into a movie in 1959, starring Opera singers, Yam Kim Fei and Bak Suit Sin, both ladies, but Yam impersonated a man in all her movies. I choose to upload the 1976 version starring their pupils, Loong Kim Sang and Mui Suit See, who sing almost exactly like them because this newer version is superior in video and audio quality.
The Emperor of the Ming dynasty had just approved of his future son-in-law who won the heart of his daughter with poetry. At that moment, The Ching army attacked and took over the palace. The Emperor committed suicide with his family but Princess Cheung Ping survived. To win the favour of his subjects, the new Emperor of the Ching dynasty adopted the Princess and proceeded with the grand wedding. To show their loyalty to the Ming emperor, the newly-weds take their own lives on their wedding night. The Cantonese Opera is too beautiful to be translated. Something will be "lost in translation." The Song here, 香夭 (Fragrant Sacrifice) is the grand finale of the opera, sung on the wedding night, the couple are dressed in exquisite finery. The Princess and her groom express their love for each other and their loyalty to the former dynasty, especially the late Emperor, before they take their own lives, drinking wine poisoned with Arsenic. (In the video subtitles, 'cyanide' is a mistake.)
I have added English subtitles for my friends here on youtube. Hope you will like this as much as I do. Regards, Jeremy

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• 帝女花之香夭
• 龍劍笙
• 梅雪詩
• Cantonese
• Opera
• English
• Subtitles

[verymerry88]

Thank you for a very poetic translation. You bring forth strong emotional feelings as we listen and read the words. We are able to feel the sadness, the forlornless and the love and respect the characters feel for each other. In fact, we put ourselves into the scenes for a few minutes and cry and sing along with the prince and his bride. Please accept our thanks and appreciation for taking the time to share. A whole different audience can now enjoy. Thank you.

[canaanoptical]

@verymerry88

Thank you, rather, for such encouraging comments. The lyricist was a real poet. In translation, some things are lost. I did try my best to give a direct translation in addition to expressing what the characters were saying in words that would make sense in English.

God bless,

Jeremy

[khjcsh3020]

i m a teochew but i like this opera song very much. Used to listen to my cantonese neighbour's radio which was on practically the whole day long while she sewed for a living.

[canaanoptical]

@khjcsh3020

Thank you for taking the time to comment. You could have been one of my neighbours. Mom would put on the radio while she cooked and washed. Our neighbours would do their laundry, all depending on the Radio for entertainment. That was way back in the 1950's and 60's when I was a toddler in Carrew Street, Seremban when roads and streets still carried British names! Nostalgia!

[donnaaustralia]

可惜看不到升天那段，很想看

[canaanoptical]

@donnaaustralia

对不起。不好意思，我把那段戏编辑了。你看看别人上载的，好吗？

谢谢观赏。

Jeremy

[george6860]

粤剧“帝女花”是香港戏宝,跨越了香港半个多世纪,历久不衰,而­­由龙剑笙,梅雪诗演出的这部电影“帝女花”最为完美,无人能及­! 百看不厌! 百听不厌!永世难忘!

[george6860]

龍劍笙,梅雪詩演出的《帝女花》《紫釵記》《幻覺離恨天》至今無­人能及!

[sailorchibimoon1665]

@khjcsh3020 You can learn a new language

[siusiu6439]

一段可歌可泣 至死不渝的驚世愛情

在天願作比翼鳥

在地願為連理枝

[VLSMITH1000]

Very tender and so tragic,beautiful proformance!

 Can you tell me where can I get a recording of that opera please?

[38nacy]

唐滌生作品,確實不同凡響,可說前無古人,歌曲悅耳動聽,當中包­含著中國文學,劇情緊湊,當中包含著中國文化,中國舞蹈等,加上­龍劍笙,梅雪詩的靚聲,出色演藝,完美組合,配合起來,真令人百­看不厭,永世難忘!

[simon8583]

 good show ! excellent !

[38nacy]

從聲音到表情無一不完美! ! ! 百看不厌! 百听不厌!永世难忘!