Biān Huā Lán | Chinese Folk Songs Project - Chinese Folk Songs for Music Teachers

Cai Diao - The Riddle Song
From Yunnan Province

This song has strong regional characteristics. Each verse of the song presents more clues and in the last verse of the song, the answer is revealed. This is a well-loved children's song.

Pinyin Version

Xiǎo guāi lǎi xiǎo guāi guāi,
wǒ mán shuō gě nǐ mén cāi:
Shén me zhǎng zhǎng shàng tiān?
Nǎ yàng chǎng chǎng hǎi zhōng jiān?
Shěn mè cháng cháng gāi qián mài ma?
Nà yàng cháng cháng meì gēn
qián lòu lài?

Xiǎo guāi lǎi xiǎo guāi guāi,
wǒ mán shuō gě nǐ mén cāi:
Yuè liàng tuǎn tuǎn shàng tiān.
Nǎ yàng chǎng chǎng hǎi zhōng jiān;
zī bǎ mè cháng cháng gāi qián mài ma,
jìng zì chàng cháng cháng meì gēn
qián lòu lài

English Translation

Weave, weave, weaving flower baskets,
Weave a flower.
Asked and take it up the South Mountain.
The South Mountain is blooming with red peonies,
Every flower is blooming beautifully,
every flower is blooming beautifully.
Silvery peonies, ai, silvery peonies.
That silvery peony.