Fossils from a Rural Past: A Study of Extant Cantonese Children's Songs

Appendix: The Cantonese songs and their translations in English

Appendix: The Cantonese songs and their translations in English Fossils from a Rural Past ftAf#3^^ll฀'฀ if฀#&#^#M®฀•฀ 3H@^M#£AH• Appendix 37฀ 1. Slap Your Thighs Slap your thighs , And sin g a mountain song . They say I haven't got a wife. I've made up my mind t o marry one. If I've money I'll marry a dainty, delicate maid ; If I've no money I'll marry a pock-marked woman . When she eats rice she eats a lot of it; When she shits, her shit fills several baskets ; When she pees, it's a flood rushin g down to the sea; When she farts, it's like hitting a loud loud gong . One pock mark on the face may be of a little worth; Two pock marks are cheaper than dirt . Who says that I've no wife ? They make me so angry I'll marry a few. I'll marry a peasant girl, to treat her badly. I'll take a concubine, and make her serve my great grand mother . If I've money I'll marry a dainty, delicate maid ; If I've no money I'll marry a bald-headed woman . Clickity-clack, clickity-clack , She knows how to burn the incense and worship the gods. She can empty the night-soil bucket for us too. ^฀ J฀ I /\W^฀ V A///! m h A • • • Touch th e Bu g Appendix 2. Touch the Bug Touch the bug with your fingers . The bug is flying away . Where is it flying to ? It's flying to the lychee fields. The lychees are ripe. It cannot find a place to land . Where will it land? On the tip of your nose. If the lychees are ripe, Pick enough to fill a house. If the lychees are not, Pick enough to fill a jar. m Fossils from a Rural Past ##* > #/itA° Appendix 3. Clap Your Little Hands Clap your little hands, And sel l some fish . The fish tastes insipid . Sell some olives then. The olives are sweet . Buy another one . They're so sweet they make your teeth fall off . Then drink a mouthful o f tea. The tea is very cold . Well, take some water from a water jar. In the jar there is a worm , And it' s crawling into your nose . 4. Sitting Side by Side We're sitting side by side, Eating little dumplings made of flour an d meat . The pig is pulling some firewood , The dog is making a fire, The cat has brought a stool for Great Aunt to sit. Now don't you put the blame on me, if she hurts her botto m sitting on it. 5. Row a Big Boat Row a big boat, Work the big oars. Cross the sea to marry a pretty bride. What dowry does the bride bring? She brings a big capon and a salted fish . I* -l*%% ii \. • ,« ^ —฀»฀»฀ Turn Round and Round Appendix 43฀ 6. Turn Round and Round Turn round an d round, in a circle we will go. The Chrysanthemum garden . Fried rice cakes and dumplings made of sticky rice! Mama tells me to watch the dragon-boats . I don't want to watch them . I watch the chicks instead. The chicks are growing bigger . I'll catch them to sell them. How much can I sell them for ? I can sell them for three taels of silver. I'll use the money to buy cakes and salt . 2 ^฀all฀ IMf฀A฀»฀ & £*฀•฀ f # = W $ °฀ Fossils from a Rural Past Appendix 45฀ I can sell them for three hundred silve r coins. One hundred I'l l use to buy a golden pin , Two hundred I'l l use to make a silver brooch. A belt made of silver, and one of gold. Here come my Grandpa and Grandma to worship the gods. They worship a lot, And that's the way it goes. Three jugs of wine, a pair of geese. Where are the geese going? The geese are going to see Great Aunt . Great Aunt is not at home. She's closed the door to collect pig manure. If she picks a lot, it's too salty, If she picks a little, it tastes insipid. 7. Row, Row, Row Row, row, row your boat , Row to the bridge near Grandma...