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A Cantonese song entitled Creoy Keok lrio Aa Gao
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 December 2009
Extract
Among the many ballads and popular songs of Canton appears one Southern Air 
called 
‘Apart from Number Nine’. Several stories are centred about the composition of this air. Around the 1820's and 1830's, the most sought after singing-girl in Canton seemed to be one named Number Nine. In a recent article by Jean Yow-wen (Kan Yau-man) 
there is a version of this song (pp. 25–6), attributed to Jrip Mrerng-shanqx 
with its background history. A few lines of another version of the same song were mentioned earlier by Sirn Jruk-chenqx 
This version, attributed to Zhiw Zir-jrunq (Jau Tzyy-yong) 
appeared side by side with an apparently impromptu composition by the girl herself, unmistakably addressed to Zhiw. There is yet another version which has been taped for me from a broadcast by Eadio Hong Kong. It differs greatly from the longer version given by Mr. Kan in his article. For the discussion of authorship it is necessary to include these pieces for comparison.
- Type
- Articles
- Information
- Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , June 1973 , pp. 446 - 459
- Copyright
- Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 1973
References
1 ‘Goangdong de minjian wenshyue’ 
Goangdong Wenshiann Jikkan 
(Taipei), I, 3, 1871, 18–31.Google Scholar
2 ‘ Jan Tzyy-yong yanjiow’ 
Lingan Joural: Liingnan Shyuebaw 
VII, 3, 1947 (dated by author), 97.Google Scholar
3 Having one's personal fortune of the moment told is 
quite distinct from getting a prediction as to whether one would come into money in gambling, the stock exchange, etc. (
) and getting one's personal horoscope (
). Most inquiries made to the gods by devotees involve these three aspects of life.
4 To be taken away from the painted barges in the gay quarters to live in a home on land.
5 It was necessary for a slave girl or singing-girl to be legally ‘bought’ out of bondage by the man she married. 
‘good man’ is a term for ‘husband’.
6 Debt of love and romance in the red-light quarter. Flower debt is only fully paid after one has paid back the debt of love incurred in one's previous life.
7 ‘Step by step mount the blue clouds’, rather, ‘the path of clouds up to the blue sky’ — a cliché for getting a high official position, taken from the roc's journey described in the Juangtzyy 
8 According to a well-known blind minstrel, Lraw Zrau 
of Hong Kong, ‘you are’ should read ‘she is’ and ‘you’ should read ‘her’.
9 This is said to be the most beautiful thing.
10 ‘Your’ should read ‘her’.
11 This pronoun in the first person is crucial, as Zhiw was the author, not just a go-between, according to Lraw Zrau.
12 ‘You walk’ should read ‘she walks’.
13 Not at all bright and alert. 
‘clever, quick-witted’ is often said of a child that is clever and well-behaved. In his song 
in his Jryt nghawx 
published in Canton, 1828, p. 36a, Zhiw used this term as the opposite of 
‘muddle-headed’.
14 Pitiably so, viewed by a young girl who had to employ quick wit and subtlety for her livelihood.
15 art. cit., 25–6.
16 A girl usually would not dare, but a ‘star’ singing-girl's tantrum, like a prima donna's, was acceptable.
17 art. cit., 97.
18 art. cit., 25.
19 See pp. 446–9, above.
20 As indicated in the lines of a poem by Lree Creong-wrenq 
in Ni Horng's 
Torng in ching huah 
4.1, 
‘Whann's bamboo drawn in ink and Zhiw's (paintings of) cra bs make the lovely girls (lit. “flock of flowers”) vie with one another to bow to them and call them their art masters (i.e. to learn painting from them)’.
21 This story is told in Zhiw's Jryt nghawx in a song entitled 
. It is also included in, inter alia, Hwang Tzuen-shiann's 
Renjinqlu shy 
in the poem 
referred to by sirn, art. cit., p. 96
22 Zhiw passed his 
examination in 1816; Jrip in 1839.