The Creative Background of The Olive Tree

The Olive Tree was written in 1978. At first, Li Taixiang, a famous composer in Taiwan Province, asked Sanmao to write some lyrics for him. Sanmao wrote nine songs overnight, including this one, but the original name was Little Donkey. Finally, some changes were made to the song title and lyrics, which became the Olive Tree that we are now widely singing. However, Sanmao later pointed out that she was interested in the lyrics.

Little Donkey

San Mao's manuscript of The Olive Tree

Don't ask me where I come from. Why does my hometown wander far away? For the birds in the sky, for the little Donkey, for the big eyes of Spain, and for the olive tree of my dreams. Don't ask me where I come from. Why does my hometown wander far away? Why does it wander far away? For the olive tree of my dreams. Tree

Olive Tree (San Mao Ci Li Taixiang Qu)

Don't ask me where I come from. My hometown is far away.

Why do I wander far away?

Birds flying for the sky, streams flowing in the mountains,

Wandering far away for the wide grassland, and olive trees in my dreams.

Don't ask me where I come from. Why do I wander far away?

Why do I wander? For the olive tree in my dream

Don't ask me where I come from, why my hometown wanders far away

The first difference is the name of the song. The little donkey is Sanmao, who was impressed when he saw many little donkeys running freely in Spain, so he wrote this lyric in the name of little donkey, but when it was handed over to a composer or communicator, he felt that little donkey was somewhat indecent, so he changed it to an olive tree.

in fact, the biggest difference between the original and the revised version is what the wandering is for? San Mao's original intention was his native land (China) and Jose's hometown (Spanish, still the most important), but in the end, the sublimation of feelings was not his native land but love and freedom. However, the revised version is for the sake of hometown, and San Mao's personal thoughts have been deleted. From the original personalized color to a form suitable for popular tastes, Sanmao later said, "I won't wander for birds and grasslands", so we want to have a deeper understanding of Sanmao, or read Little Donkey, which is her own poem, and Olive Tree belongs to every wanderer with homesickness!