Pages: 26–27. Print quality clean. Two-column horizontal paired couplets.
Key cultural term — 山哈 (shānhā): Hakka self-designation meaning "mountain guests" or "mountain settlers." This is the ethnic/cultural identity name used by Hakka-speaking communities in southern China. Untranslatable as a single English word — rendered throughout as "Mountain Guest."
Theme: Origin narrative of the Hakka/Yao peoples. Traces the ancestry of the Pan (盘), Lan (蓝), and Lei (雷) surnames from Emperor Gaoxin through imperial grants, the scattering of the people across nine provinces, and their eventual settlement in Guangdong via Chaozhou.
Dialect stack: Cantonese/Yue with Hakka substrate. Stone stele references, nine-province geography, and Chaozhou origin are consistent with Hakka oral historical tradition.
Structural note: The song uses a catalogue structure — repeated phrases like 天下由你去乐仙 and 无日无夜无穷尽 function as oral refrains anchoring the narrative.
| # | Chinese | Pinyin (display) | Pinyin (database) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1L | 高辛皇帝管百姓， | gāoxīn huángdì guǎn bǎixìng, | gao1xin1 huang2di4 guan3 bai3xing4, | Emperor Gaoxin ruled over all the common people, C |
| 1R | 三男一女分四姓。 | sān nán yī nǚ fēn sì xìng. | san1 nan2 yi1 nv3 fen1 si4 xing4. | three sons and one daughter, divided into four surnames. |
| 2L | 姓盘男女分百姓， | xìng Pán nánnǚ fēn bǎixìng, | xing4 Pan2 nan2nv3 fen1 bai3xing4, | the Pan clan's men and women divided into many surnames, |
| 2R | 皇帝敕散居京城。 | huángdì chì sǎn jū jīngchéng. | huang2di4 chi4 san3 ju1 jing1cheng2. | the emperor decreed they scatter and settle in the capital. |
| 3L | 一女招入帅京城， | yī nǚ zhāo rù shuài jīngchéng, | yi1 nv3 zhao1 ru4 shuai4 jing1cheng2, | one daughter was recruited into the marshal's household in the capital, |
| 3R | 都做大官共朝廷。 | dōu zuò dàguān gòng cháotíng. | dou1 zuo4 da4guan1 gong4 chao2ting2. | all became high officials serving the imperial court. |
| 4L | 蓝雷子弟好名声， | Lán Léi zǐdì hǎo míngshēng, | Lan2 Lei2 zi3di4 hao3 ming2sheng1, | the Lan and Lei clan descendants had fine reputations, |
| 4R | 天下由你去乐仙。 | tiānxià yóu nǐ qù lèxiān. | tian1xia4 you2 ni3 qu4 le4xian1. | all under heaven was yours to roam and enjoy freely. |
| 5L | 免差减赋快乐仙， | miǎnchāi jiǎnfù kuàilè xiān, | mian3chai1 jian3fu4 kuai4le4 xian1, | exempted from corvée, taxes reduced, free and carefree as immortals, C |
| 5R | 天下由你去乐仙。 | tiānxià yóu nǐ qù lèxiān. | tian1xia4 you2 ni3 qu4 le4xian1. | all under heaven was yours to roam and enjoy freely. |
| 6L | 各州各县有石碑， | gèzhōu gèxiàn yǒu shíbēi, | ge4zhou1 ge4xian4 you3 shi2bei1, | in every prefecture and county there are stone steles, |
| 6R | 流传后代子孙知。 | liúchuán hòudài zǐsūn zhī. | liu2chuan2 hou4dai4 zi3sun1 zhi1. | passed down to later generations so descendants will know. |
| 7L | 千万遗落无穷尽， | qiānwàn yíluò wúqióng jìn, | qian1wan4 yi2luo4 wu2qiong2 jin4, | countless traces left behind without end, |
| 7R | 无日无夜无穷尽。 | wú rì wú yè wúqióngjìn. | wu2 ri4 wu2 ye4 wu2qiong2jin4. | without cease, day and night, without end. |
| 8L | 出个万余广东省， | chū gè wànyú Guǎngdōng shěng, | chu1 ge4 wan4yu2 Guang3dong1 sheng3, | more than ten thousand of them came out to Guangdong Province, |
| 8R | 传世地里管百姓。 | chuánshì dìlǐ guǎn bǎixìng. | chuan2shi4 di4li3 guan3 bai3xing4. | passing down through generations to govern the common people. |
| 9L | 木星出世出世盛， | mùxīng chūshì chūshì shèng, | mu4xing1 chu1shi4 chu1shi4 sheng4, | born under the Wood Star, born into flourishing times, C |
| 9R | 后来释迦也来争。 | hòulái Shìjiā yě lái zhēng. | hou4lai2 Shi4jia1 ye3 lai2 zheng1. | later the Buddha also came to contend. C |
| 10L | 释迦暗下来偷攀， | Shìjiā àn xià lái tōu pān, | Shi4jia1 an4 xia4 lai2 tou1 pan1, | the Buddha secretly descended to steal a climb, |
| 10R | 石头转身来争嬴。 | shítou zhuǎnshēn lái zhēng yíng. | shi2tou zhuan3shen1 lai2 zheng1 ying2. | the stone turned itself around to win the contest. |
| 11L | 十二兄弟是急嬴， | shíèr xiōngdì shì jí yíng, | shi2er4 xiong1di4 shi4 ji2 ying2, | the twelve brothers were quick to win, |
| 11R | 无日无夜无穷尽。 | wú rì wú yè wúqióngjìn. | wu2 ri4 wu2 ye4 wu2qiong2jin4. | without cease, day and night, without end. |
| 12L | 名差后商做古记， | míng chā hòu Shāng zuò gǔjì, | ming2 cha1 hou4 Shang1 zuo4 gu3ji4, | the name inscribed in the records of the Later Shang dynasty, |
| 12R | 莫分真假都是记。 | mò fēn zhēnjiǎ dōushì jì. | mo4 fen1 zhen1jia3 dou1shi4 ji4. | do not distinguish real from false — all of it is recorded. |
| 13L | 分散天下下九州， | fēnsàn tiānxià xià jiǔzhōu, | fen1san4 tian1xia4 xia4 jiu3zhou1, | scattered across all under heaven, down through the Nine Regions, C |
| 13R | 木星出世出世盛。 | mùxīng chūshì chūshì shèng. | mu4xing1 chu1shi4 chu1shi4 sheng4. | born under the Wood Star, born into flourishing times. |
| 14L | 冀洞青省在朝间， | Jì dòng Qīng shěng zài cháojiān, | Ji4 dong4 Qing1 sheng3 zai4 chao2jian1, | the Ji cave and Qing Province stood within the court's reach, A |
| 14R | 老虎亦做好马厩。 | lǎohǔ yì zuò hǎo mǎjiù. | lao3hu3 yi4 zuo4 hao3 ma3jiu4. | even the tiger could serve as a fine stable. |
| 15L | 有话亦做马厩间， | yǒu huà yì zuò mǎjiù jiān, | you3 hua4 yi4 zuo4 ma3jiu4 jian1, | there are words that can serve as a stable's quarters, |
| 15R | 先遗一纸分九省。 | xiān yí yī zhǐ fēn jiǔ shěng. | xian1 yi2 yi1 zhi3 fen1 jiu3 sheng3. | first a document was left to divide the nine provinces. |
| 16L | 出在河南潮州村， | chū zài Hénán Cháozhōu cūn, | chu1 zai4 He2nan2 Chao2zhou1 cun1, | originating in Henan, in the villages of Chaozhou, |
| 16R | 聪明伶俐又灵道。 | cōngmínglìnglì yòu língdào. | cong1ming2ling4li4 you4 ling2dao4. | clever, quick-witted, and spiritually attuned. |
| 17L | 都是柳林倒脸知， | dōushì liǔlín dào liǎn zhī, | dou1shi4 liu3lin2 dao4 lian3 zhi1, | all through the willow grove, faces turned to know each other, |
| 17R | 都是柳叶叶生遮身。 | dōushì liǔyè yè shēng zhē shēn. | dou1shi4 liu3ye4 ye4 sheng1 zhe1 shen1. | all through willow leaves growing to cover the body. |
| 18L | 先讲起二条述， | xiān jiǎng qǐ èr tiáo shù, | xian1 jiang3 qi3 er4 tiao2 shu4, | first speak of the two main lines of descent, |
| 18R | 以后变人结头对。 | yǐhòu biàn rén jiétóu duì. | yi3hou4 bian4 ren2 jie2tou2 dui4. | after which people transform and are paired together. |
| 19L | 二十八宿先变虫， | èrshíbā xiù xiān biàn chóng, | er4shi2ba1 xiu4 xian1 bian4 chong2, | the twenty-eight lunar lodges first transformed into creatures, C |
| 19R | 安平番国保万岁。 | Ānpíng fān guó bǎo wànsuì. | An1ping2 fan1 guo2 bao3 wan4sui4. | the Anping Foreign Kingdom guarded ten thousand years. A |
| 20L | 封官招贡在京城， | fēngguān zhāogòng zài jīngchéng, | feng1guan1 zhao1gong4 zai4 jing1cheng2, | officials appointed and tribute gathered in the capital, |
| 20R | 东南西北挂国兵。 | dōngnán xīběi guà guóbīng. | dong1nan2 xi1bei3 gua4 guo2bing1. | soldiers of the realm stationed at all four directions. |
| Line | Term | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| 14L | 冀洞青省 (Jì dòng Qīng shěng) | "Ji cave and Qing Province" — 洞 (cave/grotto) in a place-name context may be a Zhuang/Yao toponym suffix. Verify whether this refers to a specific historical location or is a generic phrase. |
| 19R | 安平番国 (Ānpíng fān guó) | "Anping Foreign Kingdom" — may refer to a specific historical polity or be a generic term for a foreign realm. Cross-reference against Hakka historical records. |
| 9R | 释迦 (Shìjiā) — Buddha | Unusual appearance in a Confucian ancestor-origin song. Signals a syncretic religious layer. Verify whether this is a narrative convention or a specific regional tradition. |
Cultural anchor glossary:
高辛 (gāoxīn) — Emperor Gaoxin (Emperor Ku): legendary ancestor of the Hakka/Yao peoples, father of the Pan-Hu myth lineage.
盘/蓝/雷 (Pán/Lán/Léi) — the three core surnames of Hakka/Yao clan tradition.
免差减赋 (miǎnchāi jiǎnfù) — exemption from corvée labor and tax reduction: imperial privileges granted to meritorious families.
九州 (jiǔzhōu) — the Nine Regions: classical poetic term for all of China.
二十八宿 (èrshíbā xiù) — the twenty-eight lunar lodges: Chinese astronomical/astrological system.