In Khalil Fong’s soulful song “Nanyin,” the story of the blind Chinese folk musician Abing is told through a reflective, third person observational point of view. The narrator acts as a contemporary witness bridging the past and present, looking back at Abing’s tragic yet artistically profound life wandering the streets of Wuxi.
This point of view distinctly privileges the perspective of the marginalized artist and the intrinsic, transcendent value of traditional music. By focusing on the melancholy wail of his erhu echoing through dark alleys, the narrative elevates Abing from a destitute beggar to a revered cultural maestro. It celebrates his strong spirit and the idea that real vision comes from inside a person, rather than from wealth or physical sight.
Experiencing the story through this modern, empathetic lens deepens my emotional connection to the music. Instead of passively absorbing a dry historical account, I am guided by Fong’s rhythm and blues homage to feel the weight of Abing’s sorrow. The point of view invites the listener to sit in the darkness with the musician, recognizing the legacy of his art in today's rapidly moving world.
If the story were told by a busy, rich person walking by, it would be completely different. The beautiful notes of the erhu might be coldly dismissed as mere street noise, and society would simply view him as a problem to ignore. Alternatively, a strict first-person perspective from Abing himself might focus heavily on the immediate, grueling realities of survival and physical illness, potentially losing the sweeping, retrospective admiration that Fong’s narrator provides. Ultimately, this specific third person homage perfectly captures the immortal resonance of a musician who died in the shadows, but whose art lives on in the light.
in his sunglasses
在他的墨鏡裡
I can't see how hazy the moonlight in Erquan is
看不到二泉的月映有多麼矇矓
I only remember my youth
只記得少年時
When practicing the erhu, the strings became bloody red
練習著二胡時 琴弦勒出了血紅Blinded after 34 years old
34 歲後失明了
How to use his eyes to find his own glory
怎麼用他雙眼尋找自己的光榮
When I was a kid, I played the langtaosha
小時候拉奏著浪淘沙
They say he's a genius kid
他們說他是個天才兒童But in the next screen
可是下一個畫面裡
He just walks on the streets selling his childhood dreams
他就走在街頭販賣著他的童夢In a crowded alley in a noisy restaurant
喧嘩酒家中擁擠的小巷中
He is waiting for someone to be moved by him
他拉著等待著誰為他而動容
No one understands music. Rewards require people to understand.
音樂沒人懂 打賞要人懂
Because he is really poor
因為他真的很窮In the misty candlelight in the dark north wind
漆黑北風中飄渺的燭光中
He thought he could always play rainbows for people
他想他總能為人們奏出彩虹
If you understand music yourself, there will still be an audience
音樂自己懂 一樣有聽眾
Light the lantern of his destiny along the way
沿途點亮他命運的燈籠
Two springs reflect the moon. He doesn't care whether it's red or not.
二泉映月 他才不管紅與不紅In round sunglasses
圓圓的墨鏡裡
Self-satisfied, Zhaojun came out of the fortress and there will be people singing his praises
自圓其樂 昭君出塞自有人歌頌
Others are poor and famous
他人窮名不窮
When others are poor but ambitious, music proves their usefulness
他人窮志不窮 音樂證明他有用On the way home, his wife
回家路上由他老婆
I am most moved when I hold my hand and play that piece of music.
摻扶著拉奏著那一曲才最感動
I don’t know if I heard it from someone passing by.
不知道路過的聽到的
Is it heartbreaking to be free?
免費的有沒有因此心痛?But in the next screen
可是下一個畫面裡
He just walks on the streets selling his childhood dreams
他就走在街頭販賣著他的童夢In a crowded alley in a noisy restaurant
喧嘩酒家中擁擠的小巷中
He is waiting for someone to be moved by him
他拉著等待著誰為他而動容
No one understands music. Rewards require people to understand.
音樂沒人懂 打賞要人懂
Because he is really poor
因為他真的很窮In the misty candlelight in the dark north wind
漆黑北風中飄渺的燭光中
He thought he could always play rainbows for people
他想他總能為人們奏出彩虹
If you understand music yourself, there will still be an audience
音乐自己懂 一樣有聽眾
Light the lantern of his destiny along the way
沿途點亮他命運的燈籠
Erquan Yingyue He doesn't care whether it's red or not yeah
二泉映月 他才不管紅與不紅 yeahdearest listener
最親愛的聽眾
Imagine their faces with tears or a happy face
想像他們的臉孔流淚或滿臉春風
Dad is his hero, his kind face
老爸是他英雄 他慈祥的臉孔
Also gradually disappeared in the sound of Nanyin's piano
也漸漸地消逝在南音的琴聲中In a crowded alley in a noisy restaurant
喧嘩酒家中擁擠的小巷中
He is waiting for someone to be moved by him
他拉著等待著誰為他而動容
No one understands music. Rewards require people to understand.
音樂沒人懂 打賞要人懂
Because he is really poor
因為他真的很窮In the misty candlelight in the dark north wind
漆黑北風中飄渺的燭光中
He thought he could always play rainbows for people
他想他總能為人們奏出彩虹
If you understand music yourself, there will still be an audience
音樂自己懂 一樣有聽眾
Light the lantern of his destiny along the way
沿途點亮他命運的燈籠
Two springs reflect the moon. He doesn't care whether it's red or not.
二泉映月 他才不管紅與不紅Yeah, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Yeah, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh