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This folk song comes from Hebei Province, China. Constructed in the years 595–605, the Zhaozhou Bridge (also called Ānjì Qiáo 安济桥) is the oldest standing segmental stone bridge in the world. (source)
Pinyin - Xiǎo fàng niú
(Folk song from China)
zhào zhōu qiáo lái shén me rén xiū？
yù shí lán ɡǎn shén me rén liú？
shén me rén qí lǘ qiáo shànɡ zǒu？
shén me rén tuī chē yā le yī tànɡ ɡōu me yī yā hāi？(repeat)
zhào zhōu qiáo lái lǔ bān xiū，
yù shí lán ɡǎn shènɡ rén liú，
zhānɡ ɡuǒ lǎo qí lǘ qiáo shànɡ zǒu，
chái wánɡ yé tuī chē yā le yī tànɡ ɡōu me yī yā hāi. (repeat)
English Translation - The Young Cowherd
Who built Zhaozhou Bridge?
Who left the stone banisters?
Who passed the bridge on a donkey?
Who pushed a cart and made a line of depression? (repeat)
Lu Ban¹ built Zhaozhou Bridge,
The sage left the stone banisters,
Zhang Guolao² passed the bridge on a donkey,
Lord Chai³ pushed a cart and made a line of depression. (repeat)
¹Lu Ban was an architect who lived c. 507–444 BCE and is now revered as a Deity and Patron of builders in the Chinese folk religion. Legend says he built the Zhaozhou Bridge, but in actuality, it was built by Li Chun.
²Zhang Guolao (one of the Eight Immortals) is said to have carried the sun and moon while riding backward on a donkey.
³Legend says that Lord Chai pushed a cart which held the weight of the Five Sacred Mountains.
Chinese- 小放牛
赵州桥来什么人修？
玉石栏杆什么人留？
什么人骑驴桥上走 ?
什么人推车压了一趟沟么咿呀嗨？(repeat)
赵州桥来鲁班修，
玉石栏杆圣人留，
张果老骑驴桥上走，
柴王爷推车压了一趟沟么咿呀嗨，(repeat)
See also
- Country: China
- Subjects: building / donkeys / religions
- Meter: 2
- Scale: pentatonic
- Tones: s,l,drmsld’
- Article
YouTube
- PDF of song with chords
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody
