The Girl from Dabancheng

The Girl from Dabancheng (Chinese: 达坂城的姑娘, Uyghur: Qamberxan) is a well known folk song with Chinese lyric translated by Wang Luobin, and adapted from the Uyghur folksong Qamberxan. One of the early recordings of the song Qamberxan was done by a German ethnomusicologist on the singing of a Turpan Taranchi farmer's 16-year-old daughter. The song was most likely composed by an Uyghur soldier back in the time of Yaqub Beg, when the soldier was posted from southern Xinjiang to the north (Ili) or east (Turpan). Indeed, there are many songs dated back that time associated with a soldier's courtship, such as Havagul (mispronounced and adapted by Wang Luobin as Avargul), which talks about a girl in Ili. However, Qamberxan talks about a girl in Dabancheng (or Davanching in the Uyghur language) which lies between Turpan and Urumqi, and is a district of Urumqi. This district is well known as an entrepot on inter-oasis travel. The reputation of the beauty of local girls is partly due to the mixing among the different populations that traveled through it.

Following is the Uyghur and Chinese lyrics of the song Qamberxan (Uyghur transliteration uses the TB31 alphabet):

Qambarxan

达坂城的姑娘

Uyğur Xeliq Naxşise

维吾尔民歌

Davançiñniği yeri qattiq tavuzi tatliq

达坂城的石路硬又平啦 西瓜大又甜啦

Davançiñda bir yarım bar Qambarxan atlıq

那里住的的姑娘辫子长啊 两个眼睛真漂亮

Qambarxanniği saçı uzun yerge tegemdu

你要是嫁人不要嫁给别人一定要你嫁给我

Qambarxandın sorap beqiñ erge tegemdu

带上你的钱财连着你的妹妹赶上那马车来

Uşşaqqina ünçilirim çeçilip ketti terip berseñçu

Soyey disem boyum yetmes egilip berseñçu

Atlarıñnı xaydaydiken muz davan bilen=(birlen)

Bir yaxşını qiynaydiken bir yaman birlen

Qarısam görenmeydu Davançiñdiği qorğan

Ecep bir yaman iken Qambarxandin ayrilğan

English Translation

Qambarhan

The soil of the Davanching is hard

But the water melon is sweet

My darling is in Davanching

Qambarhan is so sweet.

Qambarhan’s hair is so long

It touches the ground

Please ask darling Qambarhan

Does she want to get a husband.

My tiny pearls spilled on the ground

Please help me to pick them up

I’d like to kiss you, but can’t reach

Please bow your head down.

One can ride a horse

Around icy mountains.

One tortures a good soul

By an evil man

It is hard to see

No matter how hard I look.

The separation with Qambarhan.

Is extremely hard to endure