A POJ transcription of the Taiwanese classic "Tò-thè lo" (倒退嚕) and tentative English translation

To-the-lo.txt

# Tò-thè lo (倒退嚕; Sauntering Backwards) 

* By N̂g Khek-lîm (黃克林; Mandarin: Huang Ke-lin)
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPRtVb0s81c

嘿 拜請拜請
拜請 東海岸 西海岸
北投紗帽山
鶯歌出土炭
草山出溫泉

Eh~ pài-chhiáⁿ pài-chhiáⁿ
Pài-chhiáⁿ Tang-hái-hōaⁿ Sai-hái-hōaⁿ
Pak-tâu Se-bō-soaⁿ
Eng-ko chhut thó͘-thòaⁿ
Chháu-soaⁿ tī-teh chhut un-chôaⁿ

O come ye come
From East Coast West Coast
Pak-tau Se-Bo Mountain
Eng-ko has coal mine
Chhau Mountain has hotspring fountain


拜請你
東營兵 東營將
西營兵 西營將
北營 中營 兵中將
起雄兵 九千九百九萬千
滴滴工 擱勒春無玲

Pài-chhiáⁿ lí
Tang-iâⁿ-peng tang-iâⁿ-chiong
Sai-iâⁿ-peng sai-iâⁿ-chiong
Pak-iâⁿ tiong-iâⁿ peng-tiong-chiong
Khí-hiong-peng chit-ê káu-chheng káu-pah káu-bān-chheng
Tih-tih-kang koh-le̍k chhûn bô lêng

Come ye please come
Soliders commanders from the East Camp
Soliders commanders from the West Camp
North Camp Central Camp Solider of Soliders
An army of nine thousand nine hundred, hundreds of thousands
So much effort but none left


神兵噢 神兵啊
急急如律令 急急如律令
鳳梨 西瓜平 欠錢不要還
尖嘴是雞喔
扁嘴是番鴉
灣灣是豬肉
四角是豆干
白白是麵線

Sîn-ê peng-ê-oh sîn-peng-ah
Ké-ké-ké-lō͘-lêng ké-ké-ké-lō͘-lêng
Ong-lâi si-koe-pêng khiàm-chîⁿ bô-ài-hêng
Chhiam-chhúi sī koe-o͘h
Píⁿ-chhúi sī hoan-ah
Khiàu-khiàu sī ti-bah
Sì-kak sī tāu-koaⁿ
Pe̍h-pe̍h sī mī-sòaⁿ

Divine soliders, o divine soliders,
Hurry come heed my invocation
With pineapples and melons
No need to return the money you owed
The one with sharp beak is chicken
Flat beak wild duck
Curvy shaped pork
Squre shaped tofu jerky
And noodles are the white ones


拜請拜請你
大仙王爺公
小仙王爺子
我是假影請
你那來我就加了餅
天頂天公
地下母舅公
北海岸有十八王公

Pài-chhiáⁿ pài-chhiáⁿ lí
Tōa-sian ông-iâ-kong
Sè-sian ông-iâ-kiáⁿ
Góa sī kè-iáⁿ chhiáⁿ
Lí nā lâi góa tio̍h ke liáu piáⁿ
Thiⁿ-téng thiⁿ-kong
Tē-ē bú-kū-kong
Pak-hái-hōaⁿ ū cha̍p-poeh-ông-kong

Come do come
The big barons in heaven
The little barons in heaven
But I'm not really inviting you
If you came I would need more cakes
The god in heaven
The in-laws on earth
And the Eighteen Lords in North Coast


拜請
拜請 拜請
阮孝生去愛著
阿琴的查某子
不知有影也無影
有影就喊三聲
（沒影沒影沒影）

Pài-chhiáⁿ
Pài-chhiáⁿ pài-chhiáⁿ
Goán hāu-siⁿ khì ài-tio̍h
A-khîm ê cha-bó͘-kiáⁿ
M̄-chai ū-iáⁿ iá bô-iáⁿ
Ū-iáⁿ tio̍h hōa saⁿ-siaⁿ
(Bô-iáⁿ bô-iáⁿ bô-iáⁿ)

Come
Come do come
My son fell in love
With A-khim's daughter
Is it true?
Please say true if so three times
(Not true not true not true)


皇親啊 皇親
四果擺滿整張桌
紅柿番石榴和龍眼
要喫就自己撿
三碗 二碗做你排
煙雞古柳來殺
沒錢我不要
紅包大個做你來
拿嘎來噢

Hông-chhin-oh hông-chhin
Sù-kó pâi ka kui toh-téng
Âng-khī na pa-lá ka gêng-géng
Beh giat tio̍h ka-kī kiám
Saⁿ-oán nng-oán choe lí pai
Iam-koe koh-ka (?) liú (giú ?) lai tái
Bô-chîⁿ goá bô-ài o͘h
Âng-pau toā-ê choe lí lai
Na khiak (?) lai-o͘h 

Imperial family o imperial family
Fruits are all over the table
Persimmons guavas and longans
Peel by yourself if you want to eat
Three bowls or two bowls of rice all up to you
And castrated chicken will be killed
I don't want it if there's no money
Big red bags will be ready
Come to take it if you can!


阿公對啊阮啊
有啊有交代
叫阮麻雀粒阿
不通黑白排
碰啊你的碰啊
到啊我得到啊
槓頂開花是多一台 
噢....

A-kong--a tui--a gún--a
Ū--a ū kau-tāi
Kio gún--a bâ-chhiok-lia̍p-á (? ki-a?)
M̄-thang o͘-pek pai--a
Phong--a lí-ê phong--a
Kau--a goá tit kau--a
Kang-téng beh khui-hoe sī ke--a chi̍t-tâi--o͘h

Grandpa once gave me
This advice
Told me never mess up
With the mahjong tiles
Pong when you should pong
Call mahjong when you should mahjong
Dead Wall Draw earns you one more tai o


草埔嗎路上啊草青青噢
草埔嗎路上啊草掛墘 
有孝的媳婦是三餐燒
不孝的媳婦是過路搖
啊過路搖
搖你就搖過橋
噢....

Chháu-po͘ mā lō͘-siōng chháu chhiⁿ-chhiⁿ
Chháu-po͘ mā lō͘-siōng chháu koà kiⁿ
Iú-hàu ê sim-pū sī saⁿ-tǹg sio--o͘h
Put-hàu ê sim-pū sī kè-lō͘ iô
A kè-lō͘ iô
Iô lí tioh iô kè kio
o͘h...

The green meadow on the road o green grow the grasses
The green meadow on the road o the long grasses bow
"The pious daughter-in-laws cook you the three meals
While the impious in-laws wave all the way walking"
Ah waving all the way walking
People walk carrying you across the Bridge
O...


獻紙來你嗎燒錢去啊
獻紙啊燒錢
是要買路去喔
獻紙來你嗎燒錢去啊
獻紙啊燒錢
是要買路去喔
行你就行過橋
噢....

Hiàn-choá lai lí-mā sio-chîⁿ khì--a
Hiàn-choá ah sio-chîⁿ
Sī-beh bé lō͘ khì--a
Hiàn-choá lai lí-mā sio-chîⁿ khì--a
Hiàn-choá ah sio-chîⁿ
Sī-beh bé lō͘ khì--a
Kiaⁿ lí-tio̍h kiâⁿ-koè kio
O͘h....

Pay tribute with joss money and burn them
Burn the joss money
To pay the toll to the other world
Pay tribute with joss money and burn them
Burn the joss money
To pay the toll to the other world
Walk walk walk across the Bridge
O...


牛頭馬面啊二將軍
還有日夜雙遊巡
燒酒排 銀紙獻
阿公對人是很青採
行你就行
你就呼伊過橋喔

Gû-thâu Bé-bīn ah Jī-chiong-kun
Iā-ū Ji̍t-iā Siang Iû-sûn
Sio-chiú pái (lí-mā) gîn-choá hiàn
A-kong ah tùi-lâng sī chiok cheng-chhái
Kiaⁿ lí-tio̍h kiâⁿ
Lí-tio̍h hō͘--i koè kio--o͘h

Ox-Head Horse-Face the Two Generals
And the Day and Night Patrols
Rice wine and joss money lined up
Grandpa was kind to people
Walk thy walk
Walk across the Bridge


草埔嗎路上啊草青青噢
草埔嗎路上啊草掛墘 
有孝的媳婦是三餐燒
不孝的媳婦是過路搖
啊過路搖
搖你就搖過橋
噢....

Chháu-po͘ mā lō͘-siōng chháu chhiⁿ-chhiⁿ
Chháu-po͘ mā lō͘-siōng chháu koà kiⁿ
Iú-hàu ê sim-pū sī saⁿ-tǹg sio--o͘h
Put-hàu ê sim-pū sī kè-lō͘ iô
A kè-lō͘ iô
Iô lí tioh iô kè kio
O͘h...

The green meadow on the road o green grow the grasses
The green meadow on the road o the long grasses bow
"The pious daughter-in-laws cook you the three meals
While the impious in-laws wave all the way walking"
Ah waving all the way walking
People walk carrying you across the Bridge
O...


獻紙來你嗎燒錢去啊
獻紙啊燒錢
是要買路去喔
獻紙來你嗎燒錢去啊
獻紙啊燒錢
是要買路去喔
行你就行
行到觀音佛祖廟
噢....
(拜拜喔 來拜觀音菩薩喔)

Hiàn-choá lai lí-mā sio-chîⁿ khì--a
Hiàn-choá ah sio-chîⁿ
Sī-beh bé lō͘ khì--a
Hiàn-choá lai lí-mā sio-chîⁿ khì--a
Hiàn-choá ah sio-chîⁿ
Sī-beh bé lō͘ khì--a
Kiaⁿ lí-tio̍h kiâⁿ
Kiâⁿ-kàu Koan-im Hu̍t-chó͘ biō
O͘h....
(Pài-pài--o͘h lai pài Koan-im Phô͘-sat--o͘h)

Pay tribute with joss money and burn them
Burn the joss money
To pay the toll to the other world
Pay tribute with joss money and burn them
Burn the joss money
To pay the toll to the other world
Walk thy walk
So that you'll arrive at the Temple of Avalokiteśvara
(Worship time let's worship Avalokiteśvara the Koan-im Phô͘-sat)