Pekinese Rhymes/14

by Guido Vitale

XIV

張大嫂
李大嫂

上南坡
摘豆角
肚子疼
往家跑
撩炕蓆
鋪炕草
養了個兒子
呌豆保
豆保開大店
又賣饅頭又賣麪

NOTES

大嫂 ta⁴ sao³, general appellation for the eldest brother's wife; married women call each other ta⁴ sao³ for sake of ceremony. 豆角 tou⁴ chiao³, bean pods. 撩 liao¹, to grasp, to pull, here, "to pull away" 炕蓆 k'ang⁴ hsi², the mat wich is spread on the k'ang. Somebody could be curious to know which of the two ladies ran home, but the song does not satisfy the curiosity.

TRANSLATION

Mistress Chang ― and Mistress Li ― have gone to the Southern slope ― to gather bean pods ― (one of them) felt a pain in her bosom ― and ran home ― pulled off the k'ang-mat ― spread dry grass on the k'ang ― and bore a child whom she called Tou¹ pao³ ― Tou¹-pao³ not it has opened a shop ― and sells bread and flower.

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