!!-- Vocabulary
1. [O-nyau=] blackcat; 2. [ham\+] and; 3. [O-qau"] blackdog; 4. [tsi(E)Ng-] to wear/be wearing; 5. [qun+] skirt; 6. [ai'] to love/like/want to; 7. [hONg-so=(-)] going around for plays; 8. [kO'] trousers; 9. [qiK-] to do (some action) to attract attention; 10. [twa-tO+] to trail behind on the ground; 11. [nNg_laNg+] two people; 12. [syo_tzyo=(-)] to invite each other; 13. [ki(j)'] to go to; 14. [sam"bpO-] to take a walk (at leisure); 15. [ka- qut-] leg; 16. [sNg=(-)] sour/physical pain from strain or exercise; 17. [tze-] to sit down; 18. [tsau+(=)bpO-(=)] grassy field; 19. [qau'] to reach/ arrive at; 20. [bpwa~"mi+] midnight; 21. [am"mONg-mONg-(=)] pitch dark; 22. [qe'] (for a woman) to get married; 23. [aNg=(-)] husband; 24. [tzyo-(=)] to ask for (company/cooperation); 25. [hm_laNg+] matchmaker; 26. [mNg_(-)kau+(=) dtya~+] front yard; 27. [b(/w)eQ-] to wish/want to; 28. [na_\b(/w)eQ-] if you want to; 29. [kaQ"\qin"] hurry/make it quicker; 30. [lai+] to come; 31. [saNg"dtya~] to send gift for engagement; 32. [na_\bo+] if not; 33. [bpat_ laNg+] someone else.--!!
Before or after trying to pronounce these words as transcribed, you may click here to check with the audio play.
Reading in Hoyloy:
[O-nyau= ham_\O-qau"] [O-nyau= tsi(E)Ng_/qun+ ai"/hONg-so=] [O-qau" tsi(E)Ng_/kO' qi(E)K"/twa-tO+] [nNg_laNg+ syo-tzyo= ki"/sam"bpO-] [ka-qut- sNg=//tze_/tsau+(=)bpO=] [tze_/qau"/bpwa~"mi+ am"mONg-mONg=] [am"mONg-mONg=|a' am"mONg-mONg=] [hai_/in- qyONg_beQ"\bo_kwa~",i~"/lO-] [bo_kwa~",i~"/lO|a' bo_kwa~",i~"/lO-] [O-nyau= ai"/qe"/O-qau=aNg=] [ki"tzyo-/bpeQ_nyau= tzo(e)"/hm_laNg+] [hm_laNg+ lai_(-)qau"/mNg-kau+(=)dtya~+] [O-qau" tsya~+(=)/i- Rip_lai_(-)/tze-] [na_\beQ- kaq"qin" lai_(-)/saNg"dtya~-] [lai_(-)/saNg"dtyaN-|a' lai_(-)/saNg"dtya~-] [na_\bo+ O-nyau= qe"/bpat_laNg+] [qe"/bpat_laNG+|a' qe"/bpat_laNg+]
Translation:
Blackcat wears a skirt (and) is fond of plays.
Blackdog wears trousers (and) lets them trail.
The two invite each other for a walk.
With soring legs they sit on a grassy field.
On and on till pitch dark midnight comes.
Pitch dark (here) and pitch dark (there).
So that they can hardly see the road.
Hard to see (here) and hard to see (there).
Blackcat wants to marry Blackdog.
She asks Whitecat to be her matchmaker.
The matchmaker comes to the front yard.
Blackdog invites her inside to take a seat.
"Say yes, and send a gift for engagement quick."
Send a gift (thus) and send a gift (now).
"Say no, and let her marry someone else."
Someone else (thus) and someone else (then).
About this article:
Blackcat and Blackdog are generic nicknames coined and applied fashionablly during the period of Japanese colonization (1895 to 1945) to unmarried women and men meeting with their dates openly, regarded by many conservatives as defiant to traditional custom. Among other big social changes that took place during the period in Taiwan, both boys and girls were admitted to schools, a significant step toward improved feminine social status.
Many Taiwanese who were born on Taiwan in or earlier than 1940 may recall having heard this ballad of somewhat different version. In rendering this ballad I added a few theatrical lines while keeping the plot intact. The English translation was done quite freely with primary concern for intelligibility.
--written by Vunshik Zan--
Two provisional files for audio play are accessible if you'd like to try. Please click Play 1 or Play 2.
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