Pidgin-English sing-song or songs and stories in the China-English dialect | ||
Wang-ti.
T'his spling much plenty snowflake all-same he plum-tlee blow.
He snowflake fallee, meltee, he led leaf turnee blown,
My makee first-chop sing-song how luck go uppy-down.
He wantchee be one mandalin, he wantchee gettee high.
In Folest of the Pencils he hopee name to see,
He wantchee go in Gate of Hung an' takee first deglee.
Supposey pigeon no hab wing, can no make fly all-same.
Wang-ti he tly fly-up-can-go, he workee hard for some,
But all-same one fire-locket stick he makee fly-down-come.
One tim you catchee angel s'pose you look-see devil—kwei.
Wang-ti no pass—he no can do—he no can catch deglee,
You make ear-hear, I talkee how t'his all come good fo' he.
How állo study, 'm-chung-yung—he never hit t'he use.
How some man pass an' catch deglee while he stick fass' behind,
Like one big-piecee lock while waves fly pass' him on t'he wind.
Wat-tim he healee bobbely where olo Joss-house stood.
Wang-ti he tink 'um devilos an' wantchee walkee wide,
He neva tink t'hat Joss-house hab got one-man room-inside.
Hab wantchee kill one foleigner, an' catchee állo had.
T'his fan-yun he get knockee-down he look-see colo clay,
But Wang-ti pull he 'volver out an' lobber-man lun 'way.
He find 'um one young fa-ke-kwok —a flower-flag-nation-man.
Wang-ti he take t'hat Melican—he velly good can do,
An' put 'um in he littee bed an' pay 'um some samshu.
And muchee-much chin-chin Wang-ti fo' all he nicee acts.
T'hey gettee flin, so muchee flin t'hey each belongey half;
T'hat Yankee name he Doolittle; he makee photoglaf.
You sartin sure some mornin' t'hat rice swim down to sea.
If flin catch someting inside heart, he not'her flin can know,
So Wang-ti talkee Doolittle he tubble an' he woe.
My tellee all, galaw, suppose you give ear-hear to me;
My wantchee be one first-class man an' pass examination.”
“I see,” said Mister Doolittle; “you missed it—like darnation.”
Suppose my no pull thloo dis tim my life be állo vain,
My be all-same one lô flower wat-tim he fadee dead.”
“That ain't the way,” said Doolittle; “I vum to go ahead.”
Man hide 'um in he pigtail—or some-side—hookey-clook.
T'hat book belongey Classics, but Government be pat,
An' talk he killee plinta-man wát makee book like t'hat.
My'd walk chop-chop light thloo Fo-shee —for my could neva fail.
“I vum!” said Mister Doolittle, “I'll fix that thing for you.
They let you wear your spectacles?”—“T'hey do,” say poor Wang-ti.
“Wall, then,” say Mister Doolittle, “if you expect to pass,
You've got to get yourself a pair—of magnifyin' glass.
I can photograph the Scriptures—complete—inside a pea.
In fact I've seen the London ‘Times’—and that's exactly true—
On the leetle end of nothin'—and read it easy too.
I'll photograph them Classics upon your finger-nails;
I see you wear 'em awful long (for gougin', I suppose)—
I'd put the Astor Library upon such nails as those.”
We'll ring into them College dons—and mighty han'some, too;
And you shall shine as Number One and do the thing first-chop,
And be the Grand Panjandrum with a button on your top.
T'he books of olo Kung-fou-tsze were all on Wang-ti's t'hum.
He blessy goodee Melican t'hat day t'hey makee flins
When allo larnin t'hat he wantch' was at he fingains.
Fo' Gland Examination—wát 'um call he Tai-fo-neen.
T'hey look-see allo student-men insidee he pigtail,
But neva tink of littee spots on Wang-ti's finga-nail.
Hab catch one piece new spectacle t'hat sit top-side he eyes.
An' t'hen Wang-ti come out Tai-pai —first-chop an' Numpa One!
He go top-side all-not'ha in állo China land.
But allo tim no man can tell or savvy what it meant
How Doolittle catch contlacts flom he China Govelnment.
It b'longy betta makee flin t'han catch one inimy.
You makee my one iron-face—my tink you betta tly
To do all-same he Doolittle long-side he flin Wang-ti.
You betta make all-same, you two, to cheatee ot'ha folk.
Chinee an' Yankee in one firm could squeezee whole worl' dly:—
Dis my glate molal-pidgin of he stoly of Wang-ti.
Note.—My no savvy dat man Wang-ti, no can talkee supposey dis be pukkha stoly. Wat-tim Massa leed my dis sing-song, my talk he, “No plintee dat befo' you tinkee-leason top-side 'um. S'posey dat sing-song go China-side—more dan tlee handirt millium Chinee get he nailos specklum an' go fo' examination. Allo he China Govelnment wailo devilo top-side-bottom-side. No man makee good-pidgin outside allo dat bobbely, 'cept he one photoglaph-man or one look-see-speckle-man.” But Massa makee velly much bad-heart—talk he plintee allo-same. My no tinkee he so bad-heart-man.
Ah Chung.P. S.—Any gentleum dat look-see dis, who savvy how to make photoglaphs, an' wantchee give lesson cheapee, may catchee one scholar, s'posey he lite to my 'dress. Also s'posey any man wantchee sell or consign magnifyum look-see speckles, he can hearee of one piecee gentleum who go China-side, fo' long.
Cho-yap-hung-moon (Canton), entering the Gate of Hung, i. e., obtaining the first degree in the school of Confucius.
Pidgin-English sing-song or songs and stories in the China-English dialect | ||