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Peach Tree Love Song — Wuming Zhuang
by Teng Ming Xin & Chen Jin Feng
In this Zhuang love song, a young man remembers the days when he used to play under a peach tree with his childhood girl friend. The girl has now grown into a woman, but does not return his affections anymore. He wishes that she had not left those playful days behind.

Listen to the Song:

Song Lyrics:
 1. Zhuang: Doengh baez raeuz lij iq
   English: In the past, when we were small

 2. Zhuang: Riq riq laj godauz
  English: We ran around beneath the peach tree

 3. Zhuang: Seizneix nuengx baenz sau
  English: Now you have become a lady

 4. Zhuang: Vut godauz gag youq
  English: And forsaken the peach tree to live on your own.

Poetic Features:
  • 4 lines of 5 syllables each.
  • End-Waist rhyme. Ideally, for lines 1 and 2 (and also 3 and 4), the last syllable of the first line should rhyme with the middle (3rd) syllable of the next line (hence waist).
    Picture
    Young ladies doing a traditional bamboo dance during the Sanyuesan festival.

    Wuming, Guangxi
    Sometimes, if this is not possible, it rhymes with the 1st or 2nd syllable of the next line. In this song, for lines 1 and 2, the last syllable of line 1 (iq) rhymes with the first two syllables of line 2 (Riq riq). For lines 3 and 4, the last syllable of line 3 (sau) rhymes with the third syllable of line 4 (dauz).
  • End rhymes for lines 2 and 3, (dauz) and (sau)