Gu Yao Yan 古謡諺 :: :: University of Virginia Library

A song sung by an old couple in the city market of Nan Chang during the Kai Pao era. The words say that because this world is messy and unpeaceful, one would be better off to sell some herbs, get wine to drink, and then to go back to the deep valleys and sing.

高酒禿醉歌

馬氏南唐書浮屠元寂傳

酒禿酒禿。何榮何辱。但見衣冠成古邱。不見江河變陵谷。

A song sung by Yuan Ji who was a Buddhist monk and an alcoholic. The words are: A drunk bold man (only the monk is bold), has no honor or insult. One sees people die and never sees rivers becoming mountains.

李後主時童謠

南唐近事逸文

索得娘來忘卻家。後園桃李不生花。豬兒狗兒都死盡。
養得貓兒患赤瘕。

A children's song predicting the end of the Nan Tang dynasty.

吳王稱號時廣陵黃冠道人歌

釣磯立談

盟津鯉魚肉為角。濠梁鯉魚金刻鱗。盟津鯉魚死欲盡。
濠梁鯉魚始驚人。
橫排三十六條鱗。箇箇圓如紫磨真。為甚竿頭挑走。
世間難得識魚人。

A song sung by a Daoist predicting the rise of the Tang dynasty.

武義中童謠

釣磯立談

江北楊花作雪飛。江南李樹玉團枝。李花結子可憐在。
不似楊花沒了期。

A children's song describing strange events such as a poplar tree turning into a plum tree, and a plum tree growing out of an existing plum tree. According to the notes, this song is indicating the transition of power in the Wu kingdom.

蜀中丐者醋頭呼語

蜀檮杌

不得燈。燈便倒。

The lamp fell before he even got the lamp. Words said by a beggar implying the fate of Meng Zhi Xiang who died soon after declaring himself to be an emperor.

桂管兒童呼語

三楚新錄

大蟲來。

The tiger is coming. This is said by children of Gui Guan, predicting the attack of Gu Guan by Li Xun, who is nicknamed Tiger.

楊渥時謠言

五國故事

楊老抽嫩鬢。堪作打鐘槌。

A folk saying predicting the attack of Jiang Xi, Zhong's territory, by Yang Wo.

淮南市井小兒唱

五國故事

檀來也。

Words that children sang in Hui Nan predicting the coming of some nothern troops to the south of Hui River.

吳越文穆王治世子府時謠言

吳越備史

何處有鹿脯。

A folk saying correctly predicting the death of a crown prince.

閩人楊葉謠

吳越備史

風吹楊葉鼓山下。不得錢郎戈不罷。

A song sung in the Min area predicting their future ruler's surname as Qian.

商賈為永昌騰越界謠

滇載記

冬時欲歸來。高黎共上雪。夏秋欲歸來。無奈穹甸熱。
春時欲歸來。囊中資糧絕。

A folk saying spread by traders about an area in the southwest of China where the weather was extreme. The words say that the area has too much snow in the winter and is too hot and humid in the summer and fall.

段寶據滇時妖巫女歌

滇再記

莫道君為山海主。山海笑諧諧。園中花謝千萬朵。
別有明主來。

A song sung by a witch in the southwest of China concerning the short reign of Duan family in that area during the transition period between the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The song predicted that eventually this place would be under the Ming dynasty's reign.

金大定間謠言

蒙韃備錄

韃靼去。趕得官家沒去處。

A folk saying concerning the threat posed by the Mongolians living in northern China.

宣州人為弘農王言

十國春秋吳沈顏傳

何獨後予。徯其來蘇。

Words said by the people of Xuan Zhou expressing their appreciation of Prince Hong Nong's rule.

華姥山童子歌

十國春秋吳劉得常傳

靈菌長。金刀響。

A song sung by a child in Hua Lao Mountain indirectly predicting the death of Liu De Chang.

眉州民為張琳歌

十國春秋

前有章仇後張公。疏決水利粳稻豐。南陽杜詩不可同。
何不用之代天工。

A song sung by people of Mei Zhou praising their governor Zhang Lin's ingenious engineering skill in building a very sound irrigation system.

揚州人為彭玕語

十國春秋楚彭玕傳

十金易一筆。百金易一篇。

Words said by people of Yang Zhou about Peng Gan, who was rewarding people with money for bringing him scriptures carved in stone.

拓拔恆引諺

十國春秋楚拓拔恆傳

足寒傷心。民怨傷國。

Words said by Tuo Ba Heng to advise his emperor to change his extravagant lifestyle, which the people could no longer support. The words say that: Haiving cold feet hurts one's heart, and having people complaining hurts the nation. The emperor was angered by his words.

虞皋歌

十國春秋閩虞皋傳

朝為雄兮暮為雌。天地終盡兮。人生幾時。

A song sung by Yu Gao expressing his feelings about life. His message is that nothing is permanent.