Fossils from a Rural Past: A Study of Extant Cantonese Children's Songs 9622092691, 9789622092693 [PDF]

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fossils from a %uraC Past Si Study of'E^ant Cantonese Children s Songs



by Helen Kwok & Mimi Chan



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8. Oh Little Cockerel (1) Oh little cockerel, With your tail so curved, It's hard to be a daughter-in-law. I get up so early, still they say I'm late. I go into the kitchen, my tears not yet dried. In the kitchen there's a winter-melon. Mother-in-law wants it steamed; Father-in-law wants it boiled. Steamed or boiled I can never never please. I put in a handful of salt, and they say it's not enough; I scoop u p a tiny speck with my finger-nail, and they say it's too salty. In three days three sticks are broken, used to beat me; In four days four skirts are worn through, from my kneeling on the ground. Such a pretty floral skirt is worn through and torn; Even the jagged rock is cracked, from my kneeling. This way it's hard, That way it's hard. It's better to give up my life and go to the world below. They say the road in the world below is good to walk. I say the road in the world below is very hard. I have no Papa and Mama to comfort me. It's my own fate to be full of sorrow and woe. When I tell my Papa and Mama they will not believe. I loosen my belt, and here's a bloody sight!



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9. Oh Little Cockerel (2) Oh little cockerel, With your tail so high in the air, Strut off to Grandma's, And stay for a few days.



10. Oh Little Cockerel (3) Oh little cockerel, Other people row in the sea, I row in the stream. I row to a peach-blossom tree. The tree is full of blossoms, covered all in red. Eldest Sister comes to pluck a flower, Second Sister comes to pluck a branch. Why have you picked so many flowers? We've picked the red flowers to put in Little Sister's hair. The red flowers are in her hair, and it's combed into a bun. Then with flute and gong Little Sister is wed.



11. Oh Little Cockerel (4) Oh little cockerel, With your tail so curved, It's hard to be a younger brother. Elder brothers study their books, But those younger have to fetch their lunch.



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12. Oh Little Cockerel (5) Oh little cockerel, With your tail swaying, A child of three is learning to sing. I don't need my parents to teach me how. What a good and clever child I am! A jug of wine, a pair of geese. The heads and tails of the geese I'll leave for Great Aunt. Great Aunt is not at home. I'll leave them for Third Uncle. Third Uncle is riding on a white horse. Some mice are pulling a winter-melon. They're pulling it to the foot of a banyan tree. Pick u p a broken copper coin, And buy a big red flower. The flower is not so red. The mice are beating the drums.



13. Oh Little Cockerel (6) Oh little cockerels, See how they face each other and wave their tails. See how they face each other and crow. Eldest Brother brings a chair for me to sit. Second Brother tells me to stay until the fifth watch when the cocks crow. When the fifth watch comes we cannot hear the cocks crowing. Which thieving woman has stolen the chickens? Bring a ladder to climb a tree to see. I see one crowing on a flowering tree to the south of the stream. One is laying an egg; One is sitting in its nest. When the chicks grow feathers cut them off and bring them home.



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24. Go to Sleep, My Little Babe (3) Go to sleep, my little babe. Grow up to marry a king. The king is very old, So bring your scissors to cut his beard.



25. Go to Sleep, My Little Babe (4) Go to sleep, my little babe. All through the night, I'll lull you to sleep till morning comes. Mama only wants her babe to sleep. Baby wants his Mama to love the round moon. The clouds are covering the moon, and it cannot be seen. Sweet baby, quickly go to sleep. All through the night, I'll lull you to sleep till morning comes.



26. The Dragon Boats The dragon boats, They're going out to sea. When sisters get together they should not bicker or fight. Put some lucky money on the dragon's head, Head of dragon and dragon's tail, Giving many blessings and a long life, Protecting old and young from harm until their hair grows white.



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27. Oh Olive Pit Oh olive pit, With pointy ends, Eldest Brother wishes me to stay in the New Year. Eldest Brother buys an umbrella made of golden silk, Second Brother buys a golden phoenix bridal crown, Powder and rouge are what my Third Brother buys, Embroidered slippers Fourth Brother will provide, Fifth Brother buys a Soochow wooden chest, And sixth Brother buys me a serving-maid. Seventh Brother makes silver and pewter gifts, Eighth Brother has clothes sewn for me, Ninth Brother sews a red blanket made of wool, Tenth Brother buys an ivory bed. All ten brothers work together to prepare. They swear they'll not let people mock at me. There're rings and things — jingle, jingle, clink, clink. Ten big boats my dowry will bring.



28. The Cow Ploughs the Fields The cow ploughs the fields; The horse eats the grains of rice. Fathers work to make money; But sons lead a comfortable life.



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29. There is a Young Girl There is a young girl; She wears a braided bun. On the left she has a gold chrysanthemum in her hair; On the right she's put a rose. On the front of each shoe a small butterfly is embroidered there; On the back of the shoe there is a phoenix bird. She looks so graceful, and smells so sweet. She moves, all virtuous, elegant and frail.



30. The Rain is Pouring Down The rain is pouring down, The water is flooding the streets. My elder brother is carrying firewood to the streets to sell; My sister-in-law touches the floor in shoes of embroidered silk. Embroidered shoe and embroidered lace. The pearls on the shoes are streaming down the sides. My sister-in-law stays at home embroidering her shoes. Embroidered shoe and embroidered lace. How they all praise my sister-in-law for being so good!



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32. Scarface Twitches Scarface twitches. Scarface and chicken wings. Grandma is worshipping the gods, And Scarface steals the food. Grandma has a stick for Scarface, And beats him until he shakes.



33. Here's a New and Novel Tale Here's a new and novel tale. The cricket and the cockroach are friends. The cricket borrows a net from a spider made of thread. He borrows a box from another spider too. The wasp carries the box away. The grasshopper asks where he's taking it. He says he's taking it to the cicada's place. The dragonfly, making a buzzing sound, opens the box to take a look. He sees some fish scales and a little sticky rice. The fly then claps his hands and laughs. Hee hee, ha ha, we've passed another happy year.



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34.1 Remember Life was Better when I was Young I remember life was better when I was young. I went with Mama to the tea-house for tea; I rubbed sea shells in front of the door; In the alley I played with soil and sand. Bare-footed I rode on the back of a shaggy dog; I bent a needle into a hook to catch the fish and shrimps. Now that I'm grown, My heart is full of worries and care.



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