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. 55 to 65. More will come in the following months.
55. Saang gai bo chut lung,
Birth chicken step out dragon,
M’ai lok sui di hei fung.
Not rain then windy, (a small problem escalates to a big problem).
56. Ngaan di bak, ngun-woot di hak.
Money is white, pupil is black, (money talks, pupil hides motive).
57. Thlei fook lai-tai, mo jan, mo hai.
Four sides straight, no disease, no sickness.
58. Geet doi, Geet po thlo,
Tangerines, tangerines abound,
Geem nyan ho-gwo giu nyan o,
This year better than last year,
BaBa jan tan, ngoi foon hei,
Papa makes money, I’m happy,
MaMa hong gai, ngoi ho bei.
Mama slaughters chicken, I get drumstick.
Fay said that Cheung Sim, (aka Mary Wong, married to Harold Wong,Yook Sook, from GomBenn village) sang this song.
59. Yiu tan nyan, diu, nguk, mo tan nyan fu mo
Have thousand years, wine, meat; no thousand years father mother.
60.-Doe hei, thlam jeow hong yeet ng’eet.
Early rise, three days equals one day.
61.-Lung wa thleung yeng sui.
Dragons a lot want to boss water. (Too many cooks in the kitchen…)
62.-Yeet yeung saang ngin, bak yeung jan.
One kind birth people, 100 kinds of disease.
M’ji nai hel jan-hai thlung lo nyan.
Don’t know which disease send old year.
63.-Yiu wa leung-han di ang ngat sui,
Have so many pavilions with hot water,
Kung nui mong go gah,
Poor girl hope high family,
No-pei chut seen di Ai-fu ngin.
Servant go out then King.
(There are many opportunities; a poor girl hopes to strike it rich.)
64.-O see m’chut di gong-a neck (or ngin) heng.
Poo not out (yet) tell people listen.
(Someone who is very talkative.)
65.-Lo gung m’hai lo-po no,
Husband not maid,
Ai gah foo sui ho swun po.
Together bail water make boat float.
