The book shed light on a different aspect of the life of early Chinese
immigrants. They were not all illiterate laborers. Literati were among
the residents of the American Chinatowns at the turn of the twentieth
century, including prominent political refugees the likes of Kang Youwei
(康有为) and Liang Qichao (梁启超). The collection covers a wide variety of
everyday life topics including immigration, hardship and poverty in
America, homesickness, marriage and wedding, opium and gambling, etc.
It's been noted that the above mentioned two volumes published by Tai
Quong Company, a Chinatown bookseller and publisher, represent the
largest collection of Cantonese folk rhyme writings ever published
anywhere.
The poems were presumed to be written in Standard Cantonese. With
Cantonese being the most prestigious dialect spoken among the
immigrants, it is highly likely that the educated class would choose it
as the preferred vernacular for their poetic expressions. However, as
Taishanese represented the overwhelming majority of the Chinese
immigrant then, I couldn't help but wondering if at least some of the
folk rhymes were rendered in Taishanese. As I read along, my suspicion
was confirmed as many of the selections were rhymed much better in
Taishanese, and distinctive Taishanese terms were in use as well.
As an example, let's take a look at the very first piece from the book:
As soon as it is announced
the ship has reached America:
I burst out cheering,
I have found precious pearls.
How can I bear the detention upon arrival,
Doctors and immigration officials refusing
to let me go?
All the abuse --
I can't describe it with a pen.
I'm held captive in a wooden barrack, like King Wen in Youli;
No end to the misery and sadness in my heart.
一话船到美。
欢同得宝珠。
那堪抵埠受羁縻，
医生税员未准纸。
受太气。
笔尖难以纪。
板楼困入如羑里，
无限凄凉心里悲。
The rhyming final syllables of the lines, i.e. 美,珠,縻,纸,气,纪,里,悲, just
rhyme OK in Cantonese (injyutping: mei5, zyu1, mei4, zi2, hei3,
gei5, lei5, bei1), but perfect in Taishanese [mi21, dzi21, mi22, dzi55,
hi33, gi33, li21, bi33].