This is a nonsense poem which my Hokkien-speaking friend from Malaysia says is well known and popular.
The only thing I wasn't able to work out was what a "旋鰡鼓" (suan-liu-koo) is.
Hope you like it.
Regards,
Sim.
P.S. After years of being resistant to -oo (and -ee) and -nn, I have finally switched to TLPA (Taiwanese Language Phonetic Alphabet) for writing Hokkien. I just got tired of never being satisfied with -O, and -ò, and -E, and -è, and ~. I thought: "why not use a standard which has been designed and accepted by official organisations". I still sometimes find it a bit odd, but will continue using it until it seems perfectly normal
.天乌乌
====
天乌乌要落雨，阿公仔举锄头要掘芋，
thinn-oo-oo, be loh-hoo; a-kong-a gia tu-/ti-thau be kut oo
The sky is dark, it’s going to rain; granddad takes a hoe to dig for yams.
掘啊掘，掘啊掘，掘著一尾旋鰡鼓，
kut-a-kut, kut-a-kut; kut-tioh cit-be suan-liu-koo
He digs and digs, digs and digs; finds a <?>.
依哟嗄都真正趣味。
"i-a-het-to" cin-ciann chu-bi
[nonsense syllables] very interesting
阿公仔要煮咸，阿妈要煮淡，
a-kong-a be cu kiam, a-ma be cu ciann
Granddad wants to cook (it) salty; Grandma wants to cook (it) plain.
俩人相打弄破鼎，
neng e sio-phah long phua tiann
The two of them fight and break the pans
依哟嗄都啷当叱当枪，哇哈哈。
"i-a-het-to long-tong-cit-tong-ciang", "wa-ha-ha"
[Nonsense syllables reflecting the sounds of pots and pans clashing]; Ho-ho Ha!
