Monday 16 May 2022

A poem from Tang Dynasty

I have written out a poem from Tang Ciao 唐朝 by Dou Pou 杜甫. You can hear the poem read out in Teochew in this video. 

I have written out its translation as well as in Romanised Teochew. 

Most Teochew people know this poem and children will have learnt this poem in school. 

清明時節雨紛紛

Cêng1mêng5 si5zioh4 hou6 hung1hung1

Raining continuously during Tomb sweeping season

路上行人慾斷魂。

lou7zion6 gian5ring5 ain3 duang3hung5

Travellers wanting to die [perhaps due to tiredness from travelling and the rain]

借問酒家何處有

zioh4mung7 ziu2gê1 ho5cu3 u6

May I ask where a wine shop is?

牧童遙指杏花村

mog8tong5 iao5 zi2 Hêng6huê1ceng1

A shepherd boy pointing at a distance village “Hêng’huê’ceng”.

 I think it should be gi2 and not zi2 because it means pointing to the village. 


Cêng1mêng5 清明

Tomb Sweeping Day

si5zioh4 時節|时节

season

hou6

rain

hung1hung1 紛紛|纷纷

continuously

lou7zion6 路上

on a journey

gian5ring5 行人

travellers, pedestrians

ain3 慾|欲

want to

duang3hung5 斷魂|断魂

to die [for the soul to be broken]

zioh4mung7 借問|借问

May I ask?

ziu2gê1酒家

wine shop, tavern, restaurant

ho5cu3何處|何处

Where?

mog8tong5 牧童

shepherd boy

iao5 遙|遥

far away, remote, distant

zi2

to point at and I think it should be gi2 as to point at

Hêng6huê1ceng1杏花村

a village of blossoming apricot trees where one can find a wine shop mentioned in the poem

 


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