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. 42 to 54. More will come in the following months.
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.
43. Po lan dee, po lan hong,
Float lotus seed, float lotus canal,
Po o-nai, wah fong,
Float where all over, (north, south, east, west)
Wah fong yuan.
All over far (away).
Ai gah see hei sieu,
Everybody raise hands,
Ai gah fong ha sieu.
Everybody drop hands (and clap).
(Game where children hold hands in a circle)
44. Nei fong wong, ma fong em foon?
You sideways, or straightened (out) sleep?
Goi doi/nui gwa kai?
(Make) All boy/girl so naughty?
45. Gah geuk
False leg (little helper)
46. Thlei, leung ngin doi, bwun geen seng.
Four, two babies, half catty voice.
(1 geen (catty) = 1lbs,4oz)
47.-Op-doi yeung giu chut fah.
Ducklings raise long sprout flowers.
48. BABY TRAITS
Saang ngei-see nguk.
Born sneaky flesh. (Baby has hidden fat, chubby)
See-go
Nosy (a very curious child)
Chut tei doi
Chubby cheeks
(Tei doi are deep fried sesame seed covered balls, made of sweet potato w/flour filled with
sweet blk bean paste.)
Cho mei hai
Pronounced forehead
Gai nah
Hen (Baby’s cry sounds like a hen)
Meen ngun
Squinting your eyes
49. Ngin thlee jung, gai thlee lung.
People from seeds, chicken from cage.
(Son is exactly like you)
50. Maan ngeet yiu hai dee gok yiu jee.
10,000 days have head (president) then country (house) have landlord.
(Respect the landlord.)
51. Ngai seep-ngei saan
(You’re) crazy 12 truths
52. Ngin goh ngin m’ock deng,
People teach people can’t make smart,
Feng-sui dee goh ngin yiu hai-lan.
Wind, water teach people have logic/order.
53. Ai hai goon dee,
Big head handsome, smart, prosperous,
Thlai hai neung.
Small head pretty (bride).
(A compliment to Mark Huang’s big head when he was a baby by PoPo Fay.)
54. Ngin hai fu-lei geen,
Person must work,
M’fu, m’ock seng ngin.
Not work, not complete person.
