Untitled（情歌）

Untitled

u pacucunan sun na i zalja zalja

su calivadan aku u maqaljinavia

u pacucunan sun na i lau lau

su calivadan aku kinsaljinadupa

sikuda aya sun da supaqaljemu lja

uri kemuda a en ta u tjengelai a en tjanusun

mamau a lja vuvu a kacalisian itjen 

ari senai ta 'hoinaluwan' (x 2)

This is a typical love song from my people Paiwan in the south of Taiwan. So typical are its minor key and melancholy lyrics often lamenting over unreturned love. 

Translation: I see you going up and down the hills, but you bypass me. What's the use? What can I do, since I am in love with you. Like our common indigenous ancestors, let's just sing 'hoinaluwan' (vocables without particular meanings in indigenous songs). 我看著你上山、下山，卻總不未為我停留。有什麼用呢，我畢竟愛上了你。像我們的祖先一樣吧，來，讓我們唱歌吧。

I learned this song from two teachers of Eastern Paiwan language. Though my mother has heard of the song before from my sister-in-law who speaks Central Paiwan and became quite fond of it, she couldn't exactly follow the lyrics, for she is a native speaker of Southern Paiwan. 

Obviously, differences among the four varieties of Paiwan language - Northern Paiwan, Central Paiwan, Southern Paiwan (which my mother and I speak) and Eastern Paiwan - exist also in songs, though the sentiment about love remains the same, so people connect here. 

Besides, Mother said song lyrics are usually written with vocabulary of a different (higher) level from (than) that spoken by people in daily life. Paiwan living to our north especially master such language; therefore, it is also natural why she found the song  a bit  difficult. A good point.

Aww..., but the song's killing me. I can't stop, so won't my tears... Am I just too Paiwan or whom should I blame?