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（Play All）Songs and sayings: Sayings
This page contains a selection of poems and traditional proverbs.
Contents
6.3.1: Poem
6.3.2: Ditty
6.3.3: Proverbs
6.3.4: Two-Part Sayings
6.3.5: Maxims
6.3.1: Poem
Tian Xintao, Daba Township, Yongshun County
recorded on 05 August 2002
| 01 |
qing1ming1
si3jie3
me2
ce3
ze3, la4qiu1
luo4die1
bu1ce3
bie4.
清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。 During the Qingming Festival the rain falls, Passers-by are bowed down with sadness. |
| 02 |
re2
tu2
luo4die1
kei2-bo3
zu2, wu2
ka4
luo4bi3
a2re1
xing2hua1cun1
xie2.
借问酒家何处去，牧童遥指杏花村。 Where are the people who serve wine? "Xinghua Village," the young cowherd replies. |
6.3.2: Ditty
Peng Wanjiao, Pojiao Rural Township, Longshan County
recorded on 03 April 2002
| 01 |
ang2ni1
da4ha3
bi2zi1ka3,
a4se3
pa1
li3
nga2
nie4-ca2; nga2
guo2
zong1gang1
la2
ze2
li3,
a4se3
pa1
li3
pa1
kuo3ha3.
我们都是土家族，谁说汉语我就想笑；我说一句中间话，谁说汉语就像乞丐。 We are all Tujia, if anyone speaks Chinese I want to laugh; I say something as a middleman, someone who speaks Chinese is like a beggar [borrowing a language]. |
6.3.3: Proverbs
Tian Jinggui, Dianfang Township, Longshan County
recorded on 19 June 2002
| 01 |
ka3
wu2
me3
tong1-duo3,
luo4
ri1
me3
zi2-duo3.
为人谚：烧柴要空心，做人要忠心。 Unless the heart of a fire is open [to draw in air], wood will not burn; unless your heart is honest you cannot be a man. |
| 02 |
ni2
ca2
nga2
ye1
ca2,
ra3lie3
la2
bu2
ga2-ji2-da2.
交往谚：你好我也好，一个鸡蛋吃不完。 If you are good friends, then you will share even your last egg. |
| 03 |
la4
hhi2-duo3-da2
song1kuo1-de1xi3,
sa3li3-duo3-da2
song1kuo1-ta1ti1.
谨慎谚：路走错了可以回头，话说错了难以收回。 Wrongly taken steps can be retraced, but wrongly spoken words cannot be recalled. |
| 04 |
pa3pu1
ka3mong3
se1,
re4-die1
me2lu1
ye4.
祖德谚：前人栽树，后人乘凉。 The grandfather plants the tree, and his grandchildren benefit from its shade. |
| 05 |
jie2ri1
long1
ca2-duo3,
pe2ti1
se3
tu2-duo3.
农耕谚：农务年成好，地里肥莫少。 He who would see a harvest from his toil must also put manure on his fields. |
| 06 |
la2bu1
gu1ce3-zu2,
lao2zi1
me2ze3-hu3.
天气谚：午盐出汗，明天雨降。 When salt weeps, rain is on the way. |
| 07 |
sa3li3-hu3
die2-li1la1di3,
ong3-bo3-hu3
mie2-li1la1di3.
细心谚：说话时想一想，坐下时吹一下。 Think before you speak; and blow your seat clean before you sit on it. |
| 08 |
luo4
li2a4
ru1ga3-da2,
ra3
li2a4
luo4
ge4-ta1.
哲理谚：人饿了不怕丑，鸡饿了不怕人。 A hungry man will do anything for food; a hungry chicken will not avoid people. |
6.3.4: Two-Part Sayings
Tian Jinggui, Dianfang Township, Longshan County
recorded on 19 June 2002
| 01 |
kuo3ha3
ye3
wo4-hi1ce1:
guo2duo3
guo2-bo3-xi2.
乞丐背不起东西--自讨的。 A beggar unable to shoulder the fruits of his begging - just deserts. |
| 02 |
ji3la1pi3
se3si2
za4:
ra2-lu3.
脚底板擦油--开溜。 Oiling the soles of your feet - slipping off quietly. |
| 03 |
zuo2ku1,
guo2
ra3
ba4:
me3
cai2
tai2.
野猫看鸡--不怀好意。 A wildcat eyeing a chicken - bad intentions. |
| 04 |
re3
qi4
ga3
gu3:
guo2duo3
qi4.
老鼠上秤勾--自称。 A rat on a steelyard - measuring oneself. |
| 05 |
ka3mong3
ta1nie1
ye4-bo3
ze4ga3
ha3:
ta1nie1
ye4-bo3
a1ye3
ri1.
躲在树后打松鼠--幕后作鬼。 Hiding behind a tree to catch squirrels - making trouble behind the scenes. |
6.3.5: Maxims
Tian Jinggui, Dianfang Township, Longshan County
recorded on 19 June 2002
| 01 |
a3ti3ke3
peng2peng1-bo3
ji3ti3ke1
ha3.
搬石头打膝盖（自讨苦吃）。 Moving a rock and banging your knee - asking for trouble. |
| 02 |
ra3lie3
huo3lie3
a3ba3
ha3.
用鸡蛋打石头（以卵击石）。 Using an egg to break rocks - an impossible task. |
| 03 |
me2
ong3-xi2
ci4,
me2ze3
ze3
suan4.
雷声大雨点小（说大话，欠实效）。 Loud thunder but little rain - all words and no action. |
pn: 清明 / Qingming (grave-sweeping) festival n: 时节 / period of time n: 天 / sky n: 水 / water vt: (下雨) / (to rain) expr: 路边 / by the roadside pron: 人家 / (other) people n: 眼泪 / tears vt: 掉 / to leave, fall, shed n: 酒 / wine, spirits vt: 倒掉 / to pour pron: 哪里 / where nsuff: 去 / [towards] vi: 起/出 / to go out n: 牛 / cow vt: 守 / to guard n: 儿子 / son n: 声音 / sound, voice pn: 杏花村 / (name of a village) vt: 有 / to have pron: 我们 / we advm: 一起 / all, together n: 土家族 / Tujia minority pron: 谁 / who(ever) n: 汉语 / Chinese language vt: 说 / to say pron: 我 / I, me vi: 笑 / to smile, laugh vsuff: 想 / [want to] pron: 他 / he n: 中间 / middle num: 一 / one cl: 嘴/口 / mouthful, sentence n: 乞丐 / beggar n: 柴/木 / firewood vt: 烧 / to burn n: 肚子 / belly vt: 通 / to pass through vsuff: 要 / [want] n: 人 / person vt: 做 / to work, do vi: 直 / to be upright pron: 你 / you vi: 好 / to be good advm: 也 / also n: 鸡蛋 / hen's egg cl: 个 / (for compact round items such as eggs, stones, millet, firecrackers, and for events of brief duration) vt: 吃/咬 / to eat, bite vsuff: 完 / [end] vsuff: 不 / [not] n: 路 / road vt: 走 / to go vsuff: 到 / [reach] vi: 回来 / to return vsuff: 可以 / [can] n+vt: 说话 / to speak vsuff: 不能 / [can't] n: 祖父 / grandfather n: 树 / tree vt: 种 / to sow n: 孙子 / grandchild nsuff: 复数 / [plural] n: 树荫 / shade (of a tree) vt: 躲 / to hide from vi: 劳动 / to labour cl: 年 / year n: 地 / field (non-irrigated) n: 屎 / excrement, waste n: 盐 / salt n: 汗 / sweat suff: 时 / [then] advt: 明天 / tomorrow vi: 下雨 / to rain vsuff: 快开始 / [imminent] vt: 记得/想 / to think of vsuff: 一下 / [a little] vi: 坐 / to sit vsuff: 着 / [stative] vt: 吹 / to blow vi: 饿 / to be hungry vi: 害羞 / to be shy n: 鸡 / hen vt: 怕 / to fear vsuff: 不肯 / [won't] n: 东西 / thing vt: 背 / to carry on the back vsuff: 不起 / [not manage] pron: (他)自己 / (him)self vt: 讨 / to beg vsuff: 的 / [that which] n: 脚底 / sole of foot n: 油 / oil vt: 擦 / to rub vi: 飞 / to fly vsuff: 去 / [go] n: 野猫 / wild cat vt: 看 / to look at n: 好的 / good (one) vi: 没有 / to not have n: 老鼠 / rat n: 秤 / steelyard balance n: 上面 / on vt: 上 / to go up vt: 秤 / to weigh n: 后面 / back n: 松鼠 / squirrel vt: 打 / to hit n: 鬼 / ghost n: 石头块 / stone vt: 碰 / to collide n: 膝盖 / kneecap vt: 用 / to use n: 石头 / stone vi: 响 / to sound vi: 大 / to be large n: 雨 / rain vi: 小 / to be small