Cantonese Poetry – 落雨大,水浸街
Rain~~~! 落雨啊！
Thanks to my good friend Jeff from Jeffinous Tang Poetry I have this following CANTONESE poem. Yes you heard it right, it’s a Cantonese poem; in fact this is one of those songs you would sing as a little kid in Cantonese. I’d say it’s similar to how you would recite things such as “I’m a little teapot, short and stout” or “Rain rain go away” or “Ring around the rosie”. This poem, or nursery rhyme if you want to call it that, is singing about what happens when it rains. So picture looking outside your window right now with the rain and try to embody this poem. You’d do the same with an English or Mandarin poem wouldn’t you? Without further ado, here is the poem that I personally translated and romanized in Yale for you guys.
落雨大，水浸街，
lok6 yu5 daai6, seui2 jam3 gaai1
It’s raining hard, the streets are flooded
阿哥擔柴上街賣，
a3 go1 daam1 chaai4 seung5 gaai1 maai6
Big brother’s taking firewood up the street to sell
阿妹出街著花鞋，
a3 mui6 cheut1 gaai1 jeuk3 fa1 haai4
Little sister’s wearing flowery shoes on the street
花鞋花襪花腰帶，
fa1 haai4 fa1 mat6 fa1 yiu1 daai2
Flowery shoes, flowery socks, flowery belt
珍珠蝴蝶兩邊排，
jan1 jyu1 wu4 dip6 leung5 bin1 paai4
Pearl Butterflies on both sides
有錢打對鈴琳鼓，
yau5 chin2 da2 deui3 ling1 lam1 gu2
If you have money, hit some tambourines
冇錢打個石樓牌。
mou5 chin2 da2 go3 sek6 lau4 paai4
If you don’t have money, hit some signboards
Some key things to point out is that right from the first line you’d see 落雨 (C: lok6 yu5) and 水浸 (C: seui2 jam2). Let’s break that down for you right now in the three languages.
English: to rain
Cantonese: 落雨 (C: lok6 yu5)
Mandarin: 下雨 (M: xia4 yu3)
English: to flood
Cantonese: 水浸 (C: seui2 jam2)
Mandarin: 水淹 (M: shui3 yan1)
Although you can read the Mandarin words in Cantonese and still have it make sense properly, it loses the essential Cantonese feel to the text. If you speak Cantonese and say 下雨 instead of 落雨, or 水淹 instead of 水浸 most people will just think you speak Mandarin and are doing badly learning Cantonese. So if you want to keep the spirit of Cantonese alive and well, you know what to do 
.
Now for some more difficult stuff: 鈴琳鼓 (C: ling1 lam1 gu2) I called tambourines also known in Mandarin as 搖鼓 (M: yao2 gu2) but they are more like these in this picture below. Typically only those who have enough would be able to afford one as you can see through the poem. Spin these in the palm of your hand back and forth and the spheres will rattle the drum!
Strike one of these and they'll go 鈴鈴琳琳!
However, as the poem also states, there’s also those who cannot afford such a toy. So what exactly is a 石樓牌 (C: sek6 lau4 paai4)?
English: Paifang
Cantonese: 牌樓 (C: paai4 lau4)
Mandarin: 牌坊 (M: pai2 fang1)
These are the memorial arches or gates at the entrance of a city classically. If you don’t have money to rattle your drum, then why not join the rest of the little kids in the city and start rattling on the city sign? (Not saying that was a good thing to do haha)
For in depth reference, check out this video.
Pictures from:
http://becozwoo.blogspot.com/2010/06/blog-post_24.html
http://tw.ttnet.net/ttnet/gotoprd/TY105/010/0/054303030313636333.htm
Remember, all romanizations are either in Cantonese or Mandarin. Either they’re specifically stated or inferred by the context of the sentence. When in doubt, it’s probably Cantonese.
Related posts:
Differences between Mandarin and Cantonese; Written and Spoken
Arguments Over the Cantonese Language
Simplified Characters Might Cause Lost in Pronunciation for Cantonese
Cantonese in Other Cultures – Jackie Chan Adventures
Why I Choose to Defend Instead of Run
Comments
Here’s a link to the recitation in Cantonese of the Tang poem, Song of Unending Sorrow,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv21tdqXW7Y&feature=player_embedded
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I didn’t know there was more after 花鞋花襪花腰帶. This was one of the first songs I learned when I came to Canton. People still get a kick out of it. Especially 嗰啲老婆! Ha ha!
Thanks for posting the rest of this. My local friend gave me a link to a song version of this with a bit of rap in between these verses. I’ll post the link if I find it.
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MakMak - Cantonese Language Reply:
April 13th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
No problem! I remember you’ve lived in Guangzhou for a good while. Any other things you’ve learned such as this?
P.S. I think the singer that sang that was 東山少爺? maybe?
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Nice work But should 浸 be jam3 (tone 3, not tone 2)?
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MakMak - Cantonese Language Reply:
April 13th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
OOPS! Didn’t notice that. Thanks for catching that! 
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This is great, thank you so much for sharing it!
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MakMak Reply:
April 14th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Thank you for reading I hope you can share this site with friends too and subscribe
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No it’s not by that Singer. The version I was referring to is here:
http://mediainfo.tvscn.com:8088/medialib/download/20091111-20/467344-100189.mp3
My friend helped me track it down (she had given it to me originally).
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How can I hear this poem recited so I can follow along the romanization and learn too? :p
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Eldon Reply:
May 1st, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Find ye a microphone and a native pronto pronto?
@MakMak – sweet, is this something you just always knew?
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MakMak Reply:
May 2nd, 2011 at 12:46 am
Must I really recite this?
@ Eldon, you mean the whole poem? No. Bits and pieces of it? Definitely. Read things completely off from what it was supposed to be and thought it was right cuz it rhymed? Definitely
But there mutability of it makes it beautiful does it not?
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LOL. I love the conversion of Cantonese and Mandarin and you’re right, it will lose the meanings if you use Mandarin! Just wondering what melody should I use to sing the song.. !
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MakMak Reply:
May 12th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
Hmm…. perhaps the “original” one? I only know of one. Where the first line is played
A C1 A G F A
Don’t know if you can read that musically… but if you’re Cantonese and your parents drilled you as well like most of them would, I’m sure you know either Piano or Violin so that wouldn’t be a problem.
Source: I was a “victim” too haha
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Jin @ HKGirlTalk Reply:
May 12th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Oh..I learned it in primary and high school and forgot it all..LOL, will just make up the rhythm by myself.
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MakMak Reply:
May 12th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
So they teach you this in school in Hong Kong? Perhaps all hope for Cantonese is not lost hahaha.
P.S. you’re the first person I think that has noticed the “reply” button of all previous commentators on my site since the layout changed. Congrats.
What song is “A C1 A G F A” (I suppose: 6 1′ 6 5 4 6)?
Go here for an almost-finished **singable direct**
translation of “I am a thousand winds”, and my fun
variation of “Rain”:
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com SLASH jw!mOyH3.qeHwNTGJX7043NHIxJcC9DzxiUo1I-
Send me an e-mail at to request
PDF versions **with Romanisation**
of “Don’t cry for me” (from Argentina), “Que sera, sera”
(What will be, will be), and “Rainbow Connection”.
Romanised version of “Sunrise, Sunset”, “Perhaps Love”,
and “The Rose” (Some say love) are not available, yet.
Thanks.
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Zhong Qiyao Reply:
June 28th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
As a supplement, lyrics to the earliest three songs
were posted here:
http://bbs.cantonese.asia SLASH forum-133-1.html
Thanks.
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Does anyone know the name of this poem? I would like my child to recite it at a poetry recital competition in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Thank you,
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MakMak Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 10:29 am
I don’t think there’s actually a name to it aside from “落雨大,水浸街” the first lines. You know how English nursery rhymes are typically like that too? The title is just the first line.
However, I do want to say I’m intrigued, what’s the details of this SF poetry recital competition? My friends in the Bay area tell me that Cantonese is still very much so dominant in that area.
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Here is the link for the contest:
http://www.sfsu.edu/~ci/events/2012/8thChineseBridgeContest.html
And yes, I do believe the Cantonese is the dominant language in the Bay Area. As a matter of fact, my child attends a school in SF that immerses children in Cantonese in the primary grades and then teaches Madarin as a second language in middle school.
Is the poem yours?
He’s is 10 – would you recommend the poem for him at his age? I unfortunately do not speak any cantonese, Spanish is my primary language.
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MakMak Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Wow, on the Cantonese Immersion part
As for the poem hmmm… it’ll be just about equivalent to having him recite Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is how I would see it.
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MakMak Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 11:55 am
Personally, I like 月光光 照地堂 more, but that’s a childhood thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw-FMVcVUVo
But that’s more something a mother would sing to a child before he/she goes to sleep
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eva Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
could you please translate that youtueb clip in english for me and in words for me to learn? not chinese characters but letters (mh goi etc) i do not know cantonese at all but my friend is and i would love to perform this for her!! she will love it!
please??????
thanks
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MakMak Reply:
November 5th, 2012 at 11:39 pm
I haven’t updated this forever… but since you said PLEASE.
月光光，照地堂，蝦仔你乖乖瞓落床，
yuet gwong gwong, jiu dei tong, ha jai ni gwaai gwaai fan lok chong
聽朝阿媽要趕插秧囉，阿爺睇牛去上山崗，啊…
ting jiu a ma yiu gon chaap yeung lo, a ye tai ngau heui seung saan gong, a
蝦仔你快高長大囉，幫手阿爺去睇牛羊，呀…
ha jai ni fai gou jeung dai lo, bong sau a ye heui tai ngau yeung, a
月光光，照魚塘，蝦仔你乖乖瞓落床，
yuet gwong gwong, jiu yu tong, ha jai nei gwaai gwaai fan lok chong
聽朝阿媽要捕魚蝦囉，阿嫲織網要織到天光，啊…
ting jiu a ma yiu bou yv ha lo, a maa jik mong yiu jik dou tin gwong a
蝦仔你快高長大囉，划艇撒網更在行。
ha jai nei fai gou jeung dai lo, wa teng saan mong gang joi hong
月光光，照地堂，年三晚，摘檳榔，
yuet gwong gwong, jiu dei tong, nin saam maan, jaak ban long
五穀豐收堆滿倉囉，老老嫩嫩喜洋洋，啊…
ng goek fung sau deui moon chong lo, lo lo ngan ngan hei yeung yeung a
蝦仔快啲眯埋眼囉，一覺瞓到大天光，啊…
ha jai fai di mei maai ngaan lo, yat gaau fun dou dai ting gwong a
sorry for mistakes, I rushed. Cheers.
Eva garnas Reply:
November 6th, 2012 at 2:39 am
Thankyou for your reply!!!! So appreciate it and when I perform it for my friend she will die!!! Is it possible for you to translate it in English coz I have no idea what it says and what it’s about. It’s a childhood story right a very popular one???
Thanks again for your help!!
I’m desperately looking for a poem that he may use for the competition.
Can you help? Is there other poems that you recommend? This is his first time competing and unfortunately today is the deadline for submissions – hence, the rush.
If I had more time, I would have done furter research.
Thanks for any help you may be able to provide.
[Reply]
MakMak Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
No idea if I can be of any help, but Jeff, the first commenter here can if you can grab a hold of him.
http://jeffinous.blogspot.com/
If you’re pretty desperate, then you can take this poem, it almost never fails because almost everyone knows it.
春 眠 不 覺 曉，
處 處 聞 啼 鳥。
夜 來 風 雨 聲，
花 落 知 多 少。
as for pronuciation… it’ll help so much if you can have a friend help you with that. As I am across the internet, I can’t be of much help with that. The title of it is 春曉 which literally means “Spring Daybreak”
good luck! Cheers!
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I just found more songs… There are some repeats but I just cut and copied from this person’s entry.
《萝卜头》萝卜头，点豉油（沾酱油），点得多，咸过头，点得少，淡茂茂（没味道）。佢（他）以为，好正斗（very good），点不知（怎知道），畀人踢箩柚（被人踹屁股），一踢踢到西门口（广州地名）。
《丫蝉喊》阿蝉喊（叫），荔枝熟；阿婆喊，买猪肉；大人喊，畀滚水渌（烫）；细蚊仔喊（小孩子叫/哭），畀米升焗（被米升打）。(米升是拿铁罐或是竹桶做来量米用的,和茶杯差不多高,放得进鸭蛋的口)
《猪头丙》猪头丙（猪脑袋、笨蛋、呆瓜），扮老醒（扮醒目），其实唔值个斗令（不值一个五分钱）。
《肥腾腾》肥佬肥腾腾（“腾腾”是助词），买旧（块）猪肉去拜神，行到（走到）半路屎忽（屁股）痕（痒），返到（回到）屋企（家）冇晒人（没人，“晒”是助词）。
肥腾腾,买旧猪肉去拜神,以为佢好醒,原来系个猪头丙；以为佢好Fit,原来系个大水瀄.
《又喊又笑》又喊（哭）又笑，乌蝇（苍蝇）打俏，蠄蟧（蜘蛛）赖尿（尿裤子），老鼠行桥（在桥上走），猫衣（猫儿）偷笑。
落雨大，水浸街，阿哥担柴上街卖，阿嫂系企绣花鞋，花鞋花袜花要带，珍珠蝴蝶两边排
凼凼转，菊花圆，炒米饼，糯米团，阿妈叫我睇龙船，我吾睇，睇鸡仔，鸡仔大，摞去卖，卖得几多钱？卖得三百六十五个仙……… ……卖得几多钱？卖左几多只呀？我有个风车仔，距转得好好睇，睇距凼凼转，啊转，啊转……
鸡公仔尾弯弯 做人呢点可以怕艰难 清早起床返学去 执齐的书本啊上学堂 一分耕耘自有一分收获 懒惰去做人呀 又点会有所成啊
1)落雨大 落雨大,水浸街,阿哥担柴上街卖,阿嫂出街着花鞋,花鞋花袜花腰带,珍珠蝴蝶两边排.排排都有十二粒,粒粒都係解放牌.
2)排排坐 排排坐,吃果果,猫衣担凳比姑婆坐,坐烂个屎忽,唔好赖我,赖番隔离个二叔婆
3)捉大贼 点指兵兵,点指贼贼,点着谁人做大兵,点着谁人做大贼.
4)跳橡筋 董存瑞,十八岁,为国牺牲炸堡垒,炸到堡垒咯咯脆,全国人民流眼泪.
5)月光光 月光光,照地堂,虾崽你乖乖瞓落床 听朝阿妈要捕鱼虾啰,阿爷看牛要上山坡
哦哦哦…… 阿崽你快高长大啰 帮手阿爷去看牛羊 哦哦哦…… 月光光,照地堂,虾崽你乖乖瞓落床 听朝阿妈要捕鱼虾啰！ 阿嫲织网要织到天光 哦哦哦……
虾崽你快高长大啰 撑艇撒网就更在行 哦哦哦……
6)点虫虫 点虫虫,虫虫飞,飞到荔枝基,荔枝熟,摘满屋,屋满红,陪住个细蚊公.
7)氹氹转 氹氹转,菊花圆,炒米饼,糯米团,阿妈叫我睇龙船,我唔睇,睇鸡仔,
鸡仔大,摞去卖,卖得几多钱?卖得三百六十五个仙.
8)猜呈沉 呈沉剪,呈沉包,呈沉糯米叉烧包.老鼠唔食香口胶,要食豆沙包.
9)骑牛牛 骑牛牛,牛牛走,牛牛响前咪回头,若然回头就打箩柚.
10)掟砖头 掟砖头,斗大够,一掟掟到西门口,溅起浪花抛浪头.
11)劈友 劈友,劈友,快啲走,走得快,好世界,走得磨,无鼻哥.
12)咕碌咕碌 纸皮纸皮打纸皮,上上下下左左右右前前后后,咕碌咕碌一,咕碌咕碌二,咕碌咕碌三,准备开炮打敌人！
13)拍大骳 拍大骳,唱山歌,人人话我无老婆,嘀起心肝娶返个,有钱娶个娇娇女,
无钱娶个豆皮婆,豆皮婆,食饭食得多,屙屎屙两箩,屙尿冲大海,屙屁打铜锣.
14)暧姑乖 嗳姑乖 ,嗳姑乖 ,嗳大阿姑乖要嫁后街.后街有啲乜嘢卖, 有啲鲜鱼鲜肉卖
重有鲜花戴 ,戴唔哂,落床头畀老鼠拉 ,拉去边 ,拉去大新街.
[Reply]
hi, sorry i do not know cantonese at all, my friend is cantonese and i would like to play the song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw-FMVcVUVo
its a childhood song… can someone PLEASE translate this song in english for me and write the lyrics to the song in cantonese. Not the chinese characters but in letters like mh goi etc….
i would be so grateful and its a wonderful surprise for her!
[Reply]
Love your translation! It’s witty and approaches the same feeling and rhythmn, as in the original language. However, being a stickler for details and perfection, corrected some grammatical mistakes and added a tinge of pidgin English to retain the flavour.
It’s raining hard, streets are flooded.
Big brother taking firewood up the street to sell
Little sister wearing flowery shoes on the street
Flowery shoes, flowery socks, a flowery belt
Pearly Butterflies hanging on both sides
…
[Reply]
MakMak Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Marvelous =]
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