When was the last time you sang a Hokkien song together with your grandparents?
When I was growing up, my grandmother, aunt and mum would sing the Hokkien song 天黑黑 as they took turns to coax me to sleep. interestingly, everyone had their own version! Have you heard this song before? What does your version sound like?
At LearnDialect.sg, we are compiling different versions of this Hokkien song 天黑黑, as sung in Singapore. Do you have a fantastic 天黑黑 Hokkien music video to share too? Follow Facebook – Learn Dialect in Singapore or @LearnDialect on Instagram and tag your video with #learndialect. We want to hear from you!
Lyrics
天乌乌 | 欲落雨
Ti or or | beh loh hor
The sky is getting dark and the rain is coming
阿公啊攑鋤頭欲掘芋
Ah gong ah gia di tao beh ghut or
A grandfather digs for taro with his hoe
掘啊掘 | 掘啊掘
Ghut ah ghut | ghut ah ghut
Dig and dig, dig and dig
掘著⼀尾旋鰡鼓
Ghut dio zit bueh suan liu gor
He finds a slippery eel instead
咿呀嘿嘟 | 真正趣味
Yi ya heh toh | jin jia cu bi
How funny is this?
阿公啊欲煮鹹
Ah gong ah beh zi giam
Grandfather wants to cook a salty dish
阿媽欲煮汫
Ah ma beh zi zia
Grandmother prefers it bland
倆個相打弄破鼎
Nng eh sio pak long pua diah
They fought and broke the pot
咿呀嘿嘟隆咚叱咚嗆 | 哇哈哈
Yi ya heh toh long dong qi dong qiang | wa ha ha
*Lyrics are loosely translated to English
Now, who do you think has the best rendition of this Hokkien Song, 天黑黑? Leave a comment!
Love what you are reading? We’ve got lots more to share during our Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese express workshops. Join us to pick up words and phrases for everyday use in Singapore. More importantly, you can help to keep these languages alive!
Since 1950s Mainland dialect linguists have published articles in Fangyan and Zhonggio Yuwen plus nooks They are organized in Chinese Diakect Association all are in Beijing. with websites works may bi in uni libraries great stuff!!! Perhaps you and others can contact them and ask them to publish more especially complete teaching books and videos with original and changed tones. They may not know that there are potential overseas readers and customers. Maybe also ask them to publish online textbooks and especially character and word/ phrase dictionaries. paper if possible Also to ask for online courses maybe with live chats?
I hope that this helps. Gamsia. Dochia Doje. Siaria etc.
Ai cai khak ce