The following proverbs, colloquial sayings and nursery rhymes were told by Fay Hing Lee Wong to her children and grandchildren. They were collected and submitted to us by her daughter Linda Huang. Most are wise, many funny, more are wry, and a few are very earthy.
Fay Hing Lee Wong (1917-2000), recited them to Linda and her brothers and sisters, and their children, giving them, and us, a lifetime of loving wisdom. Her husband Voy Wong brought Fay to America in 1947, and, together with their children, they operated the Chungking Restaurant in Riverside for many years. The sayings, nearly 100 of them, are mostly accompanied by audio in Hoisan and English. You can click the audio button to hear the sayings in Linda’s Hoisan-wah. Here are Fay’s sayings, Nos. 32 to 42. More will come in the following months.
32.-Wah! Thlam seng, tan-sigh ann.
Cry! Three (times) sounds, fate will be decided.
33.-A jeck toe oh A siao, mei hom m’uht?
Put some grass on the ground (to) burn, what warming?
Hom see-foot, yeh m’eng nguk,
Warm butt hole, night won’t move,
Yeet lieu foon-a-ho.
One session sleep until light.
(A shortened version is audio recorded.)
A superstition to potty train a child, not audio recorded:
(Parent would take their child to a chicken coop. Lighting some incense at the entrance, they would recite the following:
Bai gai gung, bai gai po.
Bow to chicken grandpa, bow to chicken grandma.
Yiu see, yiu nell dee A gai oh.
Have poo, have pee, then give/let chicken defecate.
34.-Hai lung dee seung han, hai syeah dee dwun A.
If dragon then ascends heaven, if snake then crawls on ground.
35.-Jumma nei ga hai.
Cut off your head.
36.-Bei-bee mo look-nguet.
Baby has no 6th month
(June is a metaphor for warmth so be sure to keep the baby warm.)
37.-Yiu han saang ngin dee yiu han yeung.
There’s a heaven to give birth to people, then there’s a heaven to raise (them).
38.-Hang swun, po ma, thlam fu meng,
By boat, ride horse, three lives (chances),
Ai doi lo-po mo yeet saang meng.
Pregnant woman not one life (chance).
39.-Ngun mo cheung cheung, dui ba ba.
Eyelashes long (batting them), lips busy.
(Mischievous sassy child)
40.-Maan won yeet lieu foon-a-ho, heng goh nui.
Goodnight, one session sleep until light, obedient child.
41.-Thlai loi dee mun doi, bo m’bo?
(When) little, ask son full or not.
Ai loi dee mong doi hai.
Grown up then look son’s mouth.
Thlei, leung ngao-nguk bung ai nei.
Four, two beef carry big you.
M’gei neck ma, nei dee fei.
Forget your mother, you fly (away).
(You made sure your boy didn’t go hungry, yet when he grows up, you end up watching his mouth, he forgets you and leaves home.)
42.-Wah duke doi ma-ma ahm chung wei ai nei,
Say little bird mama carry bugs feed raise you,
Nei dee fei m’gei neck ma nei.
You then fly forget your ma, you.
