Pekinese Rhymes/23

by Guido Vitale

XXIII

樹葉靑
呀呀兒英
我跟姐姐過一冬
姐姐蓋着花花被
妹妹蓋着羊皮睡
姐姐穿着紬子襖
妹妹穿着破皮襖
姐姐戴着金簪子
妹妹戴着竹圈子
姐姐騎着高頭馬
妹妹騎着樹喀杈
姐姐登着銀鐙兒
妹妹登着牆縫兒
姐姐抱着個銀娃娃
妹妹抱着個癩蛤麻
走一步來哇兒呱哇兒呱又哇兒呱

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.

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