Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-01-07 04:37
過南洋 Guo Nanyang (Traveling to Nanyang)
Near the north of the town, Shangkeng (上坑), in Fujian province (福建省
), is the river of Jiuxian (舊縣河) which joins another river called Tingjiang
(汀江) that flows south. Another tributary called Huangtan (黃潭河), in
the northeast, also joins Tingjiang near Yongding (永定). After flowing
through Pucheng (埔成), in Guangdong province (廣東省), Tingjiang meets
Meijiang (梅江) at Sanheba (三河壩), in the northwest of Da Pu (大埔). After
the confluence of Tingjiang and Meijiang, the river changes its name to
Hanjiang (韓江) which flows south through a little town call Yixi (意溪)
near Chaoan (朝安). Hanjiang empties into the South China Sea at the town called Chenghai (澄海) near the city of Shantou (汕頭 Swatow).
http://yn.chung.id.au/Hanjiang.jpg
In the olden days, this was the route that most of the Hakka Chinese from
Meixian, Dapu, Wuhua, Yongding or the vicinity counties took when they traveled to Nanyang (南洋 the present day Malaysia and Singapore). Small boats took them by sailing along the river of Hanjiang to the town of Chaoan. From Chaoan they might have to walk to the harbour city of Shantou (Swatow). They then stayed in Swatow for several days before they embarked on a steamer for Singapore. Please refer to the above map
These new migrants were so sad for leaving their wives and families behind that they sang away their sadness by singing their mountain songs (Hakka Shan Ge 客家山歌). This is one of them.
潮安一出到汕頭,
住在旅店二層樓;
想起賢妻刀割肉,
日添優慮夜添愁.
Once the boat is out of Chaoan it is Shantou,
I stay in a two-storeyed hotel in Shantou,
Thinking of my virtuous wife is like the knife cutting my flesh,
I am anxious in the day and worried at night.
汕頭行出七洲洋,
七日七夜水茫茫;
行船三日唔食飯,
記妹言語當乾糧.
Out of Shantou is the ocean,
For seven days and seven nights there is nothing but the vast sea,
Having sailed for three days I did not eat anything,
Remembering my wife's words is like my solid food.
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CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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