Rebecca Pan Di-Hua (Poon Dik Wan, Pan Wan Ching) 潘迪華

Rebecca Pan 潘迪華 was another singer to rise to prominence during the burgeoning early 1960s cabaret scene in Hong Kong. A mixed of Mandarin and English repertoires were the rave. Rebecca’s bilingual interpretation of Rose, Rose, I love you in 1961 was classic. She followed up in 1965 with another Chinese song that had successfully translated into the West earlier: Second Spring (第二春), composed by Yao Min 姚敏 and sang by Dong Bei Bei 董佩佩 in Shanghai, and also was recorded by Tsai Chin (also known as Irene Chow, 姚莉) as Ding Dong Song in 1959 after it featured in the London stage musical The World of Suzie Wong. The English lyrics were composed by Lionel Bart.

Rebecca Pan has enjoyed a very successful career which now spans five decades. Her Live In The Eagle’s Nest was Hong Kong’s first live album and Pai Niang Niang – The Legend of the White Snake 白孃孃 was also the first original Mandarin musical on the island.

Rebecca Pan’s acclaimed bilingual version of Ding Dong Song and The isle of Pulau Bali are featured here, followed by the original Mandarin version of Second Spring by Dong Bei Bei.

Dong Bei Bei 董佩佩

(Original Chinese lyrics of Second Spring by Dong Bei Bei)
明明是冷冷清清的長夜
為甚麼還有叮叮噹噹的聲音
聽不出是遠還是近
分不出是夢還是真
好像是一串鈴
打亂了我的心

明明是模模糊湖的黃昏
為甚麼還有清清楚楚的燈影
看不出是喜還是驚
分不出是夢還是真
好像是一支箭
穿透了我的心

窗外不再有淒淒切切的幽靈
只聽到喜鵲兒齊鳴
今夜的輕風吹來了第二春
又把消沉的夜鶯吹醒

明明是模模糊湖的黃昏
為甚麼還有清清楚楚的燈影
看不出是喜還是驚
分不出是夢還是真
好像是一支箭
穿透了我的心
穿透了我的心