Page:Pekinese Rhymes (G. Vitale, 1896).djvu/67

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

— 41 —

at all, wanting a character for them, not with standing I 、vill venture to write them down with homophonous characters. So for instance read ka〜 Ex. 我的 這個搭 連兒就 剩了叫 嘆了 uo^ ti' che-ko ta'-lien- ,r ciou' sheng la chiao huan* ka- la, there is noting left in my purse but noisy cash" meaning that the purse only contains two or three cash which at every step meet and ring. It is also said 古 Pg ku: ka-. Ex. 古 沒有 ku^ ka' niei- ioii、', I have no cash. Another term is 侧 ts'o?, or 側 羅 tsV lo-. Foreign words are sometimes used as chi'-ha', the Chinese transformation of the Manchu word jiha "money" and chao' su', said to be Mongol and generally used, peculiarly in the whole phrase chaoi sa' u kuei', which is meant for "I have no money" and is all in Mongol.

TRANSLATION

The autumn has set in, the autumn has set in ― on the fifteenth of the eighth month the moon illumines the high palaces ― crows and other birds are silent and men and houses are resting ― I have seen two watchmen who went round taking the watch-tally ― here, with only one wick in the lamp, I am sorry it is dark 一 but I am afraid to consume too much oil burning two wicks ― I intend buying a candle of mutton-tallow ― but, alas I I have not a single cash in the hands.