Laundry Song
Clothes-washing is the most common occupation of Chinese in America . Students studying abroad are thus often asked, “Does your dad work in a laundry?” Many cannot bear such insults. However, clothes-washing does contain an element of mystery. At least I've thought so, and so write this “Laundry Song”.
(one clothing, two clothing, three clothing)
Washing clothes must washing clean!
(four clothing, five clothing, six clothing)
Ironing clothes must ironing straight!I wash dry handkerchiefs grief get wet,
I wash white sweaty shirt guilt make black,
Grease of greed and ash of desire fire…
In your house every dirty things,
Give to me washing, give to me washing.Bronze is so stinky, blood is so smell,
Dirty things you can not no washing,
Clean things still get dirty again,
You stand these people or can you ignore?
Washing for them! Washing for them!You say laundry business low,
Low task only Tang person can do?
Your priest telling me, say:
Jesus his daddy do carpentry,
You believe that? You believe that?Soapy white water give you nothing pretty,
Washing clothes not building battleship.
I say too is no great big deal—
Wash yourself in blood washing other man's sweat?
Would you doing that? Would you doing that?Year come year go a drop of homesick tear,
Three in the morning one lamp of laundryman…
Low or no low you never mind,
Just see where no clean and where no straight,
Ask Chinaman, ask Chinaman.I wash dry handkerchiefs grief get wet,
I wash white sweaty shirt guilt make black,
Grease of greed and ash of desire fire,
In your house every dirty things,
Give to me washing, give to me washing.(one clothing, two clothing, three clothing)
Washing clothes must washing clean!
(four clothing, five clothing, six clothing)
Ironing clothes must ironing straight!
[ page 2 of 3 ]