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NOTES
呀呀兒英 ya1 ya1 'r ying1, meaningless refrain which rhymes with the preceding verse. 花花被 hua1 hua1 pei4, a coverlet embroidered with flowers. 簪子, tsan1 tzǔ, chinese hair-pin. 竹圈子 chu2 ch'iüan1 tzǔ, ear-rings made of bamboo; in Peking ear-rings are generally called 鉗子 ch'ien2 tzǔ. 嘎杈 k'a1 ch'a1, a forked branch 癩蛤麻 lai4 ha2 ma1, a scabby toad. 哇兒呱 ku1 'r kuà1, imitates the voice of a toad.
TRANSLATION
The tree leaves are dark ― I spend a winter with my elder sister ― my elder sister covers her bed with a coverlet embroidered with flowers ― and I the younger sister cover my bed with a goat skin ― my elder sister wears a satin overcoat ― I the younger sister wear a broken skin overcoat ― my elder sister wears golden hair-pins ― and I the younger sister wear bamboo ear-rings ― my elder sister rides on a splendid horse ― and I the younger sister ride on a forked branch ― my elder sister leans her feet on silver stirrups ― and I the younger sister lean my feet on the wall crevices ― my elder sister holds in her arms a silver baby ― and I the younger sister hold in my arms a scabby toad ― which moves a step and then cries kurkuà kurkuà.
