米粉姆仔

半屏山中有羌仔
跳啊走啊佇山內
米粉姆仔細漢有聽過
伊落雨進前會大聲哼

米粉姆逐工的生活
割菅蓁仔閣採槺榔
向望我著緊大漢
欲共厝內鬥相共
彼隻老羌仔
伊落雨進前會大聲哼

米粉姆仔結婚生了一個囝
囝喂你著乖乖緊大漢
欲泡牛奶粉予囝啉
水道水哪會攏烏烏
工廠已經起起來
壁堵一堵閣一堵
煙筒一支閣一支
黃雨一陣閣一陣
奇怪彼隻老羌仔
已經足久無聽著聲

囝兒攏去台北讀大學
阮嘛認真咧提學分
阮讀西門大飯店
專攻煮糜炒米粉
經過三年兩個月
查囝出業欲揣頭路
阮米粉抑炒甲欲畢業
院長出席阮典禮
幻幻有聽遠遠轟轟的聲
敢是羌仔轉來欲講話

一個無夠起五個
壁堵一堵閣一堵
煙筒一支閣一支
黃雨一陣閣一陣
一年破空是䆀油槽
有時火燒厝閣兼中毒
一年爆炸窗仔攏煞無
毋捌看過工廠代誌無

米粉姆仔今年欲八十
講來工廠抑已經關六冬
壁堵後面親像辦桌欲散席
亻因 講後一個「會更好」
敢有人會記得老羌仔
伊落雨進前會大聲哼

In Banping Mountain there is a barking deer
Who roams within the mountains
Bi-Hun-m-a has heard it when she was young
Barking loudly before the rain.

Bi-Hun-m-a lives day to day
Gathering silver grass and date palm leaves
Hoping to grow up soon
So she can help with the family.
The old barking deer
Would bark loudly before the rain

Bi-Hun-m-a got married and had a child
Grow up nicely, my child.
To make some powdered milk for my child to drink.
Why is the water so dark and murky?
The factory is getting built.
Wall after wall.
Chimney after chimney.
As the yellow rain falls.
Isn’t it strange that we haven’t heard
From that old barking deer lately?

The children have all gone to Taipei for college.
I also have to study hard.
I go to study at the Hotel Ximen.
I major in porridge and rice noodles.
After three years and two months.
My child is now looking for a job
I also graduated from rice noodles
Even the premier attended the ceremony.
Hazily I hear a distant rumbling.
Is it the old barking deer coming to talk?

One is not enough, there must be five.
Wall after wall
Chimney after chimney
As the yellow rain falls.
One year there was a hole in an oil tank,
Sometimes there would be fire and poisoning.
One year there was an explosion, the windows were gone
No factories are without incidents.

Bi-Hun-m-a is approaching eighty this year
The factory has been closed for six years already.
Beyond the wall, it’s like the end of a dinner party.
They say the next one will be better.
Does anyone remember the old barking deer.
Who would bark loudly before the rain?