Pekinese Rhymes/2

by Guido Vitale

II

上軲轆台
下軲轆台
張家媽媽倒茶來
茶也香
酒也香

十八個駱駝駝衣裳
駝不動
呌麻愣
麻愣含着一口水
噴了小姐花褲腿
小姐小姐你別惱
明兒後兒車來到
甚麽車
紅轂轆轎車白馬拉
裏頭坐着個俏人家
灰鼠皮襖銀鼠褂
對子荷包小針兒扎
解南來了個二等轄
把着車門兒問阿煞
阿煞阿煞你上哪兒去
我到南邊兒瞧親家
瞧完了親家到我家
我家現成兒的老米飯
達子餑餑就奶茶
安南檳榔夾四瓣兒
硌你這個厭物兒的老包牙

NOTES

軲轆台 ku¹ lu¹ t'ai², a rounded stone placed Some times outside the outerdoors to sit on. 麻愣 ma²-leng⁴ is the dragon fly (libellula virgo); it ought to be correctly written 螞螂 and pronounced ma¹-lang², I have however preferred the more popular and incorrect form as the sounds and the tones of the characters correspond to the Pekinese pronunciation, and the correct form is popularly unknown. 含 着 hen²-cho, holding something in the mouth without showing it. The correct pronunciation of the character 含 is han², as it is also pronounced in vulgar phrases as for instance 暗含着 an⁴ han² cho, hiddenly, without showing, said sometimes of a meaning hidden in words which pretend not to say anything. 褲腿 k'u⁴ t'uei³, cloth-bands wrapped around the ankles of ladies with small feet. 轎車 chiao⁴ ch'o¹， sort of cart longer than the ordinary one, used only by the upper mandarin classes. 悄人家 ch'iao⁴ jen² chia¹, a beautiful woman. 灰鼠 huei¹-shu³, the grey squirrel. 皮澳 p'i²-ao³, chinese overcoat lined with fur. 銀鼠 yin²-shu³, the white squirrel. 對子 tuei⁴-tzu, a pair; the numeral ― one is wanting. 荷包 ho²-pao¹， a small side-pouch in which the chinese keep banknotes, or even betel-nuts. 小針兒 hsiao³-chen¹-eur, a small needle used by women to work flowers on a cloth. This working different from the embroidery is called 扎 cha¹. 轄 hsia¹, the character ought to be pronounced in the second tone, but here is pronounced in the first because it is only used to represent the Manchu word hiya meaning a body-guard of the sovereign; this word is very often used in Peking instead of the Chinese equivalent 侍衞 shih⁴-wei⁴. 阿煞 a⁴-sha¹， two characters which represent the Manchu word asha meaning one's elder brother's wife, and is used in the same complimentary way and in the same meaning as the chinese 嫂子 sao³-tzŭ. 達子餑餑 ta²-tzŭ puo¹- puo¹， tartar-cakes many of which keep yet their old Manchu names, and are largely used in Peking. 奶茶 nai³-ch'a², "milk-tea". 安南檳榔 an¹-nan²-ping¹-lang²， Annamite betel-nuts. 夾四瓣兒 chia¹-ssu⁴-pan⁴'r， which are cut in four pieces. 硌 ko⁴ character not mentioned in any dictionary ； it means to stick in the teeth, and also to hinder, to hurt. 厭物兒 yen⁴ u⁴'r， despising term for a person who disgusts people; it could be translated "you worrying thing!" 包牙 pao¹ ya², it is said of the front teeth when they protrude under the upper lip.

TRANSLATION

Goes up the sitting-stone ― comes down from the sitting stone (!). The old lady Chang comes to pour tea ― the tea is fragrant ― the wine is fragrant ― ten camels are loaden with clothes ― they are unable to move on ― and they call the dragon-fly ― the dragon fly-with the mouth full of water ― spurts the young lady's figured ankle-bands ― young lady, young lady do not get cross ― to-morrow or after to-morrow the cart shall arrive ― what cart? ― a chair-cart with red wheels, drawn by a white horse ― and inside there sits a beautiful woman ― who wears an over coat lined with grey squirrel fur and a jacket lined with ermine fur ― and has with her a pair of side-pouches with flowers worked on it by the small needle ― then, comes from the south direction an Imperial body-guard of the second class ― who leaning to the cart-door asks his sister-in-law ― sister-in-law, sister-in law, where do you go? ― "I am going towards South to pay a visit to my family" ― "When you have already paid a visit to your family, come to my house. ― I have at home ready-cooked old rice ― tartar cakes and tea milk ― but the Annamite betel-nuts cut in four pieces ― shall break the protruding old front teeth of you worrying thing!"

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