Three More Cantonese Children Songs

 
3 More Cantonese Children Songs

Moonlight Bright     月光光.           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjalHSYgVng
The Bathing Song  洗白白         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu09xjG6osM
The Little Cowherd 睇牛仔         http://www.fyan8.com/tongyao/13.htm


Moonlight Bright 月光光

Moonlight shining bright, brightly over an earthly hall.
On the eve of the 30th day of the year1, pluck some betel nuts.
Betel nuts too aromatic, pick some baby ginger.
Baby ginger’s too spicy, buy bitter gourds.
Gourds too bitter, buy pork belly.
Pork belly’s too fat, buy some leather.
Leather too thin, buy water caltrops2.
Caltrops sharp, buy horsewhip.
Horsewhip long, raise roof beam.
Roof beam high, buy a knife.
Knife cuts vegetables, buy a basket cover.
Basket cover’s round, so buy a boat.
Boat has a leaky bottom, so drowned a barbarian lad3.
Gourd head stay a float, there goes the other head sinking to the bottom!


Variant as a lullaby

Moon’s bright, shining on an earthly hall.
O shrimpy4 better be good and sleep soundly on the bed
Lo! Next morning, mother has to hurry and plant padi seedlings,
Ah, grandpa’s going to look after the cows and sheep in the hills,
Oh ho Shrimpy grow up quick and be tall.
Help grandpa look after the cow in the hills... Yeah!
Moon’s bright, shining over a fish pond.
O shrimpy better be good and sleep soundly on the bed.
Lo! Next morning your mother has to catch some fish and shrimp.
Ah…Grandma’s weaving fishing nets till dawn.
O shrimpy grow up quick and be strong,
Row the boat out and cast your nets. Tis your call.
Moon’s bright shining on an earthly hall.
In the evening of the 30th day of the year, pluck some betel nuts.
Yo, all granaries are full with Five Grains5.
Ah… All the young and old bursting in happiness.
Oh Shrimpy quickly close your eyes,
And sleep soundly till dawn is here.

Notes:

1. Last day of the first lunar month. Actually there’s no moon on that day! Full moons are on the first and 15th of the month.

2. Water caltrops are a kind of water chestnuts.

3. A derogatory term for white people. The Cantonese word, ‘仔' can mean a son, a small lad or something small and insignificant. Most probably in this context it means an insignificant foreigner.

4.  Tiny shrimp ie toddler.
5.  Rice, wheat, barley, rye and millet.

Original

月光光，照地堂，
年卅晚，摘檳榔，
檳榔香，摘子薑，
子薑辣，買蒲達，
蒲達苦，買豬肚，
豬肚肥，買牛皮，
牛皮薄，買菱角，
菱角尖，買馬鞭，
馬鞭長，起屋樑，
屋樑高，買張刀，
刀切菜，買籮蓋，
籮蓋圓，買隻船，
船漏底，沉死個番鬼仔，
一個蒲頭，一個沉底。


As a lullaby

月光光，照地堂，
蝦仔你乖乖瞓落床，
聽朝阿媽要趕插秧囉，
阿爺睇牛去上山崗，啊...
蝦仔你快高長大囉，
幫手阿爺去睇牛羊，呀...

月光光，照魚塘，
蝦仔你乖乖瞓落床，
聽朝阿媽要捕魚蝦囉，
阿嫲織網要織到天光，啊...
蝦仔你快高長大囉，
划艇撒網更在行。

月光光，照地堂，
年卅晚，摘檳榔，
五穀豐收堆滿倉囉，
老老嫩嫩喜洋洋，啊...
蝦仔快0的眯埋眼囉，
一覺瞓到大天光，啊...

The Bathing Song 洗白白 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu09xjG6osM

A washing we’ll go, a washing we’ll go
Pour a pan of water and quickly we'll go a washing.
Don’t move my darling piggy1, least you’ll be naughty.
Pour a pan of water and quickly we'll go a washing.
Everybody likes a clean little boy.
Pour a pan of water and quickly we'll go a washing.
Dirt and grime is a problem.
Dirt and grime is a problem.
No one likes a dirty little boy.

Wash those little footsies,
Wash them shoulders.
Wash the face and
Wash them hands.

My fat little darling,
Oh how everyone likes you.
White and fatty that you are,
Still playing with the soap bubbles.

A washing we’ll go, a washing we’ll go
Pour a pan of water, quickly and we'll go a washing.
Don’t move my darling pigsy, least you’ll be naughty.
Wash them footsies.
Pour a pan of water and quickly we'll  go a washing.
Tomorrow nana will buy you a pair of new shoes to wear.
Wash them shoulders,
Grow up and be an engineer.
Draw plans and build skyscrapers.

A washing we’ll go, a washing we’ll go
Pour a pan of water and quickly we'll go a washing.

Notes:

1.  Cantonese affectionate term for one's child

洗白白啊洗白白
倒開盤水囉，快洗白白
乖猪咪亂郁，盞，聽話唔好曳咯
倒開盤水囉，快洗白白
亁净嘅细蚊仔呢人人都中意

倒開盤水囉，快洗白白
污糟邋遢有問題
污糟邋遢有問題
污糟嘅细蚊仔呢冇人歡喜你o架

洗下對脚
洗下膊頭
洗下块面
洗下對手
肥嘟嘟嘅细蚊仔
真係得人惜o架囉
肥嘟嘟又白雪雪
総喺度玩番梘泡

洗白白啊洗白白
倒開盤水囉，快洗白白
乖猪咪亂郁，盞，聽話唔好曳咯
洗下对脚
倒開盤水囉，快洗白白
廳日嫲嫲買對新鞋俾你着
洗下膊頭
長大做个建築師
劃則起高樓 [注：’則’，此處讀 ‘織’。’ 則師’即建築師]

洗白白啊洗白白
倒開盤水囉，快洗白白

The Little Cowherd1 http://www.fyan8.com/tongyao/13.htm

Little Cowherd with so many abilities!
In one breadth straight up the hill slope he ran.
Watching carefully over sheep and cows,
So mellifluous is his flute.

Little Cowherd with so many abilities!
In one breadth up the hill slope he ran.
Look how green the grass is growing,
Look how little calves and sheep so healthy and strong.

Notes:

1. This phrase is ambiguous. Without context it may also mean, “look at the little calf”.

睇牛仔，技藝多!
一口气，爬到上山坡
看守牛羊本領大
牧笛呢吹奏更悠揚

睇牛仔，技藝多
一口气，爬到上山坡
看山坡青青草長
看牛仔羊仔健又强