Music Video from Kham: "Hold Onto The Ancestral Land"

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a song called “Hold Onto the Ancestral Land” performed by six young singers all from Kham, eastern Tibet. The singers are Dawoe, Ugyen Tenzin, Yeshe Senge, Tenzin, Dakpa Gyaltsen and Tringyal.
“Hold Onto the Ancestral Land” is an extraordinary and powerful song with bold lyrics. It is unclear from the video exactly when it was recorded and where but it was probably sometime in early 2012. The upload of the music video on YouTube from June 24, 2012, has amassed over 25,000 views to date.
The six singers from Kham are well known for their strong characters and songs, for example see Dawoe’s “Song of Sorrow” which was the first music video is our Wednesday series back in November 2012 in which he explicitly refers to the ongoing self-immolations in Tibet.
Another singer in the music video, 25 year old Ugyen Tenzin, was detained in February 2012 as reported by Radio Free Asia, and later sentenced to two years in prison following the release of his album, “An Unending Flow of My Heart’s Blood”. For those interested in Ugyen Tenzin’s album, it has been uploaded in its entirety (all the songs have their own music video) onto YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3x-YQlfEIw At the beginning, by way of introduction, Ugyen Tenzin addresses a small gathering of friends in which he says that he himself, his blood from heart, his blood from his body and everything is dedicated to Tibet and for that he is willing to give his life if necessary.
The live performance of “Hold Onto the Ancestral Land” shows the singers gradually being given more and more khatas (white silk scarves) as a sign of appreciation from the audience. The rousing chorus of “So ya la so! So ya la ne so!”  is an untranslatable expression used in Tibetan songs generally expressing something wonderful or joyful.
This is the twentieth music video translated by High Peaks Pure Earth since the music video series started. Be sure to go back and watch our other videos using this link: http://highpeakspureearth.com/category/music-from-tibet/ Check back next Wednesday for another great music video from Tibet.
Below are the subtitled music video and translated lyrics of “Hold Onto The Ancestral Land”:

“Hold Onto The Ancestral Land” from HPeaks on Vimeo.

“Hold Onto The Ancestral Land”

Singers: Dawoe, Ugyen Tenzin, Yeshe Senge, Tenzin, Dakpa Gyaltsen, Tringyal
Lyrics: Norgyal

If there were no dark clouds
The bright light of the sun
Warmth and happiness will spread over the land
The sun’s rays will touch Tibet

If there were no oppressive red laws
With a just and honest law
The land will be ruled with peace
Freedom will come to Tibet

So ya la so!
So ya la ne so!

The land will be ruled with peace
Freedom will come to Tibet

If there is pride in one’s nationality
The fully living culture
Will establish a religious land
The ruddy-faced Tibetans will spread

If there is loving unity
Tibetans living inside and outside
Waiting for the unifying sun
Hold onto the three provinces of the ancestral land

So ya la so!
So ya la ne so!

Waiting for the unifying sun
Hold onto the three provinces of the ancestral land
Hold onto the three provinces of the ancestral land

[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