An interesting talk about folk nursery rhymes in northwest Guizhou

Nursery rhymes mostly refer to simple rhymes sung for children. It is short in length, has smooth rhythm, and is generally passed down by word of mouth. The contents of nursery rhymes vary from place to place and cover a wide range of topics. Dialect is the main language form of nursery rhymes.

Nursery rhymes are closest to life. Therefore, the ancient Chinese believed that nursery rhymes were the prelude to major social events. Many rebels also used nursery rhymes to promote their ideas, create fatalism, and incite the people. No discussion here.

My hometown is Bijie, a place in northwest Guizhou with a wild culture. But when I was a child, I also heard some nursery rhymes taught by my ancestors. I have probably forgotten it. Some time ago, I saw someone posting a nursery rhyme on WeChat Moments. I remember my grandma taught me it when I was a child. This aroused my interest in collecting nursery rhymes from my hometown. In the past few days, I have asked people to collect and organize some of them. Everyone is also welcome to add that these folk cultures will disappear if they are not saved.

In rural areas, children usually sing nursery rhymes in the fields, and adults teach them to sing nursery rhymes, mostly during breaks. I still remember that the first nursery rhyme was on a summer night, when the moon was like water, the adults were sitting in the courtyard, and the old man was holding a long dry tobacco pole, which was so long that he couldn’t light the fire with his hand. We children liked to help him light the fire, and then Look at the smoke coming out from under his silver-white beard. Summer insects chirp, the moonlight is peaceful and peaceful, children in twos and threes sing this nursery rhyme:

? The moon is shining brightly, and the hemp rice seedlings grow. The second sister of the He family goes down to the river to wash clothes, and they are washed white. Send your brother to school. When the school is full, draw the penholder; when the penholder is leaking, draw the stars; when the stars come out to worship, the yellow dog pulls the golden belt; the golden belt, a pair of geese, clatters down the river; there is an egg in the river, give it to your brother to make breakfast. My brother doesn't eat fried eggs, but eats duck eggs beaten in boiling water. Egg intestines (the last one is read as Yinping), duck eggs intestines, thanks to the eldest sister for washing clothes.

This nursery rhyme is a cliché, but it sounds nice to sing. There is no change in the melody, just chanting loudly in Bijie dialect, but in my memory, the childish voice, in the moonlight, is pure, transparent and carefree.

Nursery rhymes in northern Guizhou are spread in Bijie, Dafang, Qianxi, and Zhijin areas. The dialect is very colorful, and many words are pronounced in dialect. The content is roughly divided into the following categories.

1. Family life.

There are many nursery rhymes in northern Guizhou that reflect family life and family relationships, and are humorous and spicy, with childish words that are uninhibited, and adults are just slightly offended and worried about it, such as:

The golden scholar, the silver scholar, my mother scolded me for not being a talented person. I bit my mother's hand and she burst into tears.

The child sang like this with a strong rebellious spirit, and the mother probably had nothing to do with it.

Another example:

Beat cakes and serve tea. If the tea is fragrant, please invite the empress (Yinping, that is, the girl). If the tea is smelly, please invite the uncle. The uncle will eat and fall behind the door.

After hearing this, my uncle would probably only smile and blame the child for making a joke.

Another example:

The root of the ear is broken, and it grows all over the slope. I am my uncle's nephew. My uncle told me to eat more, while my aunt bulged her eyes.

My uncle here is a good person, but my aunt is not good.

Another example:

Shanchazi, with a long tail, makes a cake to see my mother; my father is kissing me, my mother is thinking about it, my brother leaves me to accompany my mother. Mountain fork, tail flower, carrying a pot of old wine to see mom. My father was thinking about me, my mother was sweet, and my brother kept me here for three years. My sister-in-law said I ate too much, so I smashed her big casserole!

This is a bit like the Ming Dynasty storybook "Kuaishui Li Xiulian".

Another example:

A small bench with crooked feet. When you open the back door, peach blossoms bloom; the eldest sister has money to buy Duo Dai, but the second sister has no money to wait for her mother to come. When mom goes to the street, mom buys powder; when dad goes to the street, dad buys flowers. Get the eldest sister to marry into the Zhang family. The Zhang family's brother-in-law sat in the hall, leaving his second sister to accompany his mother when she was hungry.

The second sister here is the target of ridicule. If a child sings out, he will usually be chased and beaten by the second sister in the family.

Another example:

If he is crying, he will get firewood to burn; if it doesn’t burn, he will pull a few scimitars from him.

When we were children, if anyone cried, a group of children would sing after him until he was embarrassed to cry.

Second, animal fun.

This category is the favorite of children. Animals are the best companions in the era of rebirth. By anthropomorphizing animals, children can experience the sense of accomplishment in shaping their own world.

For example:

The pigs pull firewood, the dogs make the fire, and the cats cook. It makes me laugh to death.

Another example:

A wandering man picks up the mother-in-law; an ant carries a sedan chair; a lantern moth carries a mother-in-law; a dry toad (read Ke Ma) blows a trumpet; a big praying mantis , making a new house; the whole family is overjoyed.

Another example:

Buzz, buzz, the official of the Li family asked me to be a matchmaker; the ox carries rouge and the horse carries powder, like twelve bundles of coarse cloth, I want to ask you, the eldest sister of the Zhang family, if you are willing. .

Another example:

A pair of chickens picked up rice grains and their tails grew properly. Long and long, marry the iron girl; the iron girl has a sharp mouth, marry the plow shaft; the plow shaft arches the back, marry the peach sister; the peach sister runs away, marries the hairy dog; the hairy dog ??is smelly, marries the uncle; the uncle dislikes it She married the Tian family; the Tian family laughed to death and married a mouse; the mouse climbed out of the rock. The flower's waist is white, its belly is white, and it can climb rocks and trees.

The thimble technique is used here to facilitate memory and make it easy to sing.

Third, social life.

The themes of this type of nursery rhymes are derived from social reality, but have no specific political significance. They are just sung for fun by children.

For example:

A little nest, a cow dung pot; the Zhang family cooks, the Li family moves the nest, and it depends on which house it is moved to.

Another example:

The salesman (pronounced Yinping) ran to the countryside. Selling your mother's brains and bones, don't make my baby cry.

This is the dissatisfaction of the adults in line with the salesman. The children sang it and chased the salesman, which also embarrassed the salesman. As soon as the salesman rushed away, everyone dispersed.

Another example:

Dangdangdang, selling sesame candy, breaking the original, selling a woman. The mother-in-law refused and rolled all over the place.

The sesame candy seller was so angry that he could not drive away a group of children. The scene is awkward and sweet.

Another example:

A lame man limps across the street and eats a pig's granny; a lame man limps across a river and eats a pig's head. Missing teeth, digging out dog poop. If you get a liter, the couple will get points; if you get a bucket, they will use it to make sweet wine; if they get a stone, they will use it to make New Year's dinner; if they get one stone, the couple will build a cage in the corner of the door.

This is also a mischievous nursery rhyme, making fun of cripples and people with missing teeth, and using vulgar language. Children experience the stimulation of verbal violence and bring pleasure. Cripples and those with missing teeth will not come to the door, and most of them will come cursing, but well-educated families will give their children a hard lesson and not allow them to sing such songs.

Fourth, parent-child themes.

Some nursery rhymes are not limited to children, but can also be used by adults to coax children. The children spread the song, imitating the tone of adults, and gained a sense of joy in growing up. But still can't help but play pranks.

For example:

Yao Yao was sleeping obediently, and his mother went to pound the rice bran. She got half a liter of chaff and gave it to Yao Yao to stir the noodle soup. Stirring again and again, it's not done yet, so I pick up the pot and cry.

Another example:

Push Mo Ga, press Mo Ga, Yaoyao does not eat bean sprouts; push Mo Go, press Mo Go, Yaoyao does not eat bean sprouts.

There are many more nursery rhymes about Bijie, but when I write this article, my memory is as soft as a dream, as if I have returned to my innocent childhood. Life is like a dream. In childhood, there was only happiness. Many of the bitterness and helplessness in life can only be experienced in adulthood. I am grateful to my hometown. During my childhood, the folk customs were simple and the people in the farming culture at that time were simple and kind-hearted. Thanks to my parents for giving me a perfect childhood and a joyful home. I still love my family despite the hardships in life and firmly believe that home is the source of happiness.

As Zhang Zhentao said in the article "Pursuing the Unparalleled Genealogy of Folk Manuscripts": "The most glorious history of dissemination of folk genealogies has ended. The most ideal thing we can do is to transfer the records of agricultural civilization to The most complete state is left to future generations - this is naturally another way to protect the homeland." Isn't this the nursery rhyme? The nursery rhymes that are gradually being forgotten are just like the lingering sounds of the demise of agricultural civilization. The memories and emotions they carry are gradually fading and turning yellow, but they contain a heavy sense of nostalgia!

Finally, a Bijie nursery rhyme is used to commemorate our lost childhood.

The feet are on the Nanshan Mountain. There is a throne in Nanshan, and treasures of gold and silver. The golden cauldron, the silver cauldron, the son of straw sandals is subject to running around. Run to find a golden nest. A golden nest and a silver nest are not as good as your own straw nest.