Info
This is a very old Chinese Yellow River Chant, one of many that were sung as sailors navigated the difficult passages on the river. The first version is the version I was given, as informed by Dr. Xun Pan, pianist, The Tell School of Music, Millersville University of Pennsylvania. I have created a second version in traditional Cantonese, and the pronunciation is very similar.
Lyrics - Unknown Chinese language / dialect
(Folk song from China)
Hoi yuk! Hoi yuk!
Yung lik lai ah. (repeat)
Hoi yuk! Hoi yuk!
Yung lik tui. (repeat)
Hoi yuk! Hoi yuk!
Yung lik da ah. (repeat)
Hoi yuk! Hoi yuk!
Yung lik ning ah. (repeat)
English Translation - Hey Yo
Hey yo, hey yo!
Pull it harder. (repeat)
Hey yo, hey yo!
Push it harder. (repeat)
Hey yo, hey yo!
Turn it harder. (repeat)
Hey yo, hey yo!
Twist it harder. (repeat)
Version 2
Lyrics - Pinyin
(Folk song from China)
Hēi yō, Hēi yō
Yònglì lā (repeat)
Hēi yō, Hēi yō
Yòng lì tuī (repeat)
Hēi yō, Hēi yō
Yònglì zhuǎnwān (repeat)
Hēi yō, Hēi yō
Yònglì niǔ dòng (repeat)
English Translation - Hey Yo
Hey yo, hey yo!
Pull hard. (repeat)
Hey yo, hey yo!
Push hard. (repeat)
Hey yo, hey yo!
Turn hard. (repeat)
Hey yo, hey yo!
Twist hard. (repeat)
Traditional Cantonese - 嘿喲
嘿喲, 嘿喲
用力拉 (repeat)
嘿喲, 嘿喲
用力推 (repeat)
嘿喲, 嘿喲
用力轉彎 (repeat)
嘿喲, 嘿喲
用力扭動 (repeat)
See also
- Country: China
- Subject: rowing
- Harmony: one chord (i)
- Meter: 2
- Scale: pentatonic
- Tones: l,drms
- PDF of song with chords + Lesson ideas
- MIDI file
- Listen to the song