忏悔日 Confession Day by 林笛 Lín Dí

[pho50]

So it took a Chinese song to teach me what Shrove Tuesday is... keke.

Wiki says it's the term used in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Australia for Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.  "Shrove is the past tense for "shrive" - which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by confessing and doing penance.  Shrove Tuesday gets its name for the shriving (

Comments

[dustthouart]

Chanhui itself can mean repentance, but chanhui ri means something specific. And on their own website, Cold Fairyland itself translates it as Shrove Tuesday. So I think they looked up chanhui ri in their Chinese-English dictionary and got "Shrove Tuesday" (which they would get; I got it when I looked up chanhui ri in my dictionary; it's the term we use in Chinese Christianity), and then looked up just "chanhui" and got "repentance" as an option as well as "confession" and didn't realize that in this case "confession" was the only way to go.

And actually, and this is really interesting and I need to look into it further, I have heard that some sects of Buddhism actually had a confession ceremony that they called chanhui as well. But I only know that from my dictionary which had, under translations for chanhui, in addition to "repentance", "confession", "remorse" and "Catholic ritual of repentance", it had "Buddhist ceremony of repentance". I want to find out more about that.

Lin Di does NOT limit herself to only Chinese culture and Chinese things... otherwise, would she mention plants that don't grow in China and use guitars, etc etc?

[echowillow]

I think it really really depends on the context. I totally understand what you're getting at. In the context of Christianity, chanhui ri is Confession Day, no doubt about it. But looking at the lyrics to the other songs, they seem more incline towards eastern spirituality, very Zenish. I see the words reincarnation and nirvana. To keep into the theme, I think to translation it as repentance instead of confession is pretty apt.

You're right. But I don't think its in some sects only, its pretty much an integrated part of Buddhist practise to always repent your actions. It teaches humility and compassion. Although its different from confession. I'm not too sure how it works in Christainity, but you ask forgivness for specific thoughts and actions? In Buddhism, repentence is to recognise and be aware of one's negative thoughts and actions whether done intentionally or unmindfully due to our attachment, greed etc. Its not asking for forgiveness. So I guess there's a difference. But I may be wrong :D

I agree with you, with globalisation occuring at such a rapid pace, I doubt Lin Di will allow herself to be limited like that :D