The Oral Transmission of a Late Nineteenth Century Harngjou Lyric

T h e O r a l T r a n s m i s s i o n o f a L a t e N i n e t e e n t h C e n t u r y H a r n g j o u L y r i c l Richard VanNess Simmons Rutgers University This paper presents a recording, transcription, and translation of a boudoir lyric in the Hamgjou m ,+1 vernacular. The lyric was transmitted orally from mother to daughter at the turn of the century. While it is unknown if a written version has survived, the lyric presented here was preserved in the memory of a woman native to Harngjou, Cherng Yeongfang fj 7J'( 7j who fondly recalls her mother singing this and many other similar lyrics to her as a young girl. It belongs to a genre known in Hamgjou as cheue-el EIE ~ (pronounced [t,?J ~£i'l2A '. '?inl ~ fiioD~ fiiaA ~fia'?~ g.~fiaU~ , 9~liieU~ 2 r5{~? ~ {*? A 5 tQ'i::>~ tQia-i ~fian~ 5 In Cherng Yeongfang's speech, the alternate {fl would normally be in tone 5 . 49 CHINOPERL Papers No. 18 ~ ~ ~ ~ m- e S fii~ ~fiUA tc;pin1 s\J.., vfia.!)2" .(}nUA vi£ rJ 2-l 3 f§ 0 ~ c;pia.!)1 kOIJ" ie 4 A B 7( ~ A~ .f.:E ? :fi ~ , -, *\ J3l:::a I Co' • tc;pin., ~fia?j t'ie., tc;p'i1 nfian~ ts'\J.'I ~fi\J.a? J 5 riJ £, $tl fiUA pie?1 t:>1 nQA f& -H- [iJ 9=t $: * '-L. 1~ {~ e fieiA hual'l fiya~ tSOIJ" tc;p'i1 g~fian~ lfiia.!)2A 6 A 'l • BE BE , ?~.c1 ~fian~ ?ua., ?ua., tc;p'ya?1 tc;p'ya?1 ?ua-l ?ua-l * itl ~± ft -Lr =2 , 'T lfice~ t:>1 m:>'1 ta\~ Qfiin~ 7 tt± ft -LJ : * f§ ~ I:::J , ? m:> 'I t~l~ gfiin~ ~fia.!)A lfice~ S e 7(j tc;p'in., tc;p'in., t'ei., tS'\J.a?1 lfiiaA sal'l tS'\J.a.!)l~ 9 71fiuc3.J hua1 c~ ~ t~ ~ Hm J§Jj "'" rnfiit ? ~ tfiUO.J ti -Hm T W ~ M 1~ 0 kuei1 hua-i rnfiei.J tS13.J fiuc3.J 6 Note that [taH] m is a Harngjou dialect word for 'bring, take, pick up'. 51 CHINOPERL Papers No. 18 ~ fj~ ~ JG fia?J g.fi~2-i ~fiO?J fi.ca«A • ~, ?I 1?P , ie2~ s\dei~ li3 .J ts'~~ 16 m [9 ~ g.fiiA S11 ~fiu5.J m -T ~ ~±~? ~ ~ '-L. n=o {/'jt 0 kua-i tS131 k~-i tsya~ 5-i lo>fiieA ts'y~ lfiia~ 6.J 17 m 3i fi g.fiiA ?u~ ~fiu5.J ~ E3 fJ3- ~ -HD ~? ~ 7 -===r {~ , A ~yn-f ~yn-f tS\dei1 27 ~ L 11& 11& ::E'" ~~ ,~ ~¥ {~ e san-f ~naIJ6-f vni.J vJii.J .J nJiueiA t~'i:>-f ?.c~1 k'o-f 29 A ~ =p, ?~.c1 ~Jian.J ?u5~ sei~ '?u~'i rPJ iT ~ Jf§ m- e -f tQin1 tsaIJ1 31 ~ ~ ~ ?f * , ~ tS1~ vi~ fii6-f tyia-f vfian2A Q?ofiie? J 35 ~ D ~? fj( m D ~~? W 0 ?ei~ fiie?J tfiiA ?it?1 Q~fi\ialJ.J 9~flalJ.J 36 ~ ?ffi ? m ~c? t1 f.r!1; ~ m tt , g 1 t~'i-l t~'i-l t~i::>1 lfiau.J 42 1M; T 1X *3~? , t'o?1 li::>~ ?i-l saU -l " 43 M T -YC 0 t'uei1 li::>~ kuaU-l 44 ~ ~ -++ft ~ ~ ~~ ~ 1~ ~ 0 tS1~ vfii.J hua-l tUei 1 tS1~ vfii.J lfiau.J lfi~~ A Translation: The Summer Day is Growing Long 1 The summer day is growing long for the gallant of the afternoon, 11 2 When the talented mistress of the house slips into the study.12 3 "Dear husband! 4 With the weather so sultry today, II The alternate reading in the character transcription would produce an alternate interpretation for this line: "gallant of the afternoon" would become "gallant of the Luh clan." 12 The alternate reading in the character transcription would produce an alternate interpretation for this line: "talented mistress of the house" would become...