Following a break of several weeks, High Peaks Pure Earth today resumes the weekly music video series with songs by Chakdor and Pema Trinley.
In April 2013, High Peaks Pure Earth translated a song by Chakdor titled “This Is How It Is”, at the time there was very little information available about the song and the singer. On June 13, 2013, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) released the news that Chakdor, 32, and Pema Trinley, 22, had been “secretly sentenced to two years in prison in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County in Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province”.
On June 17, 2013, TCHRD published more background information about the singers, including translations of six of their songs. High Peaks Pure Earth has translated the song “Protector of the Snowland” and, with kind permission from TCHRD, used their translation to subtitle the music video “Lamentation”. The music video for “This Is How It Is” is also included at the bottom of the post. To watch more videos from their album “Agony of Unhealed Wounds”, see this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm7RfNZjol2eMcAcT5val2Q?feature=watch
As noted by TCHRD, in the song, ‘Protector of the Snowland’, “Lobsang Tashi aka Tapey and Lobsang Phuntsok are monks from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County who respectively became the first and second Tibetan to self-immolate in Tibet. Lobsang Tashi self-immolated on 27 February 2009 and Lobsang Phuntsok on 19 March 2011”.
Below are the subtitled music videos and translated lyrics of three songs by Chakdor and Pema Trinley. Be sure to go back and watch our other videos in the series using this link: http://highpeakspureearth.com/category/music-from-tibet/ And check back next Wednesday for more music from Tibet.
“Protector of the Snowland” By Chakdor from HPeaks on Vimeo.
“Protector of the Snowland”
Tune: Bamboo Garden
Singer: Chakdor
In the once treasured Land of Snows
Tossing his mane, he showed a great path for victory
For the sake of freedom, his life was set on fire
Hero Lobsang Tashi is a protector of the Snowland
In the dark clouds covering the high sky
His roar overpowers the trichilliocosmic world
For the sake of freedom, his life was offered without hesitation
Hero Lobsang Phuntsok is a protector of the Snowland
In the dense forest of storming dust
The roar of the tigress echoes the sound of truth
For the sake of freedom, their lives were offered as proof
The heroic men and women are protectors of the Snowland
The heroic men and women are protectors of the Snowland
[Translation by High Peaks Pure Earth]
“Lamentation” by Pema Trinley from HPeaks on Vimeo.
“Lamentation”
Lyrics: Nyagdompo
Singer: Pema Trinley
Alas
The white snow mountains are engulfed in darkness
Talented cubs of the snow lion are exiled
In the cold boundless desert
Alone and unprotected
Alas
Soldiers surround the monasteries
Patriots are put in prison
From the land of death devoid of karmic law
Tibetans are defenseless and powerless
Alas
The heroism of the martyrs is seen as ignorance
Unity and solidarity seen as enemies
In the times of the ruthless Chinese Communist Party
How can there be a future for the Land of Snows?
In the times of the ruthless Chinese Communist Party
How can there be a future for the Land of Snows?
[Translation by Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy]
“This Is How It Is” By Chakdor from HPeaks on Vimeo.
“This Is How It Is”
Lyrics: Nyagdompo
Singer: Chakdor
Our precious minerals
Being deceptively destroyed by authorities
Making this sacred land hollow
It is a force against our will
The accomplishments of our past scholars
The five major and minor supreme sciences
Using all means to destroy them
It is a force against our will
The inheritors of the Snowland
The heroic male and female youths
Being murdered by authorities
It is a force against our will
The protector of sentient beings
His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso
Cut off from us by authorities
This is our fate
This is our fate
[Translation by High Peaks Pure Earth]
For those unable to view the videos on Vimeo, there is also a High Peaks Pure Earth YouTube channel here with our music videos: http://www.youtube.com/highpeakspureearth
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