The Prodigal Son in Penang Hokkien

"The Prodigal Son" is one of the beloved stories from the Bible. "The Prodigal Son in Penang Hokkien" is based on that story. I write it as part of a collection of Bible stories to help Christian parents get their children interested in the Bible. This is not a word-for-word translation, but rather a Hokkienised retelling of the story.

All words can be found in the Penang Hokkien Dictionary. To help with the reading, meaning of some words are provided with hyperlinks.

Gau3 Sng4-eh3 Knia4

Ku33ca4-eh3 si2, uh33 cit3-khien1 ho1giak3 lang2. Ie1 uh33 cin3 tua33-eh3 hnui2. Cai3 chek3, ceng1 chye3, cai3 ya3 cang2, liu3lien3 cang2, iu3 cang2, chie33 too33, chie33 gu2, chie33 kay1, chie33 ak3. Cit1-leh1 ho1giak3 lang2-eh3 chu3 ti1 snua3teng1si3, ta3pi1 cin3 tua3 keng1, uh33 cap3-leh3 pang2. Chia1 pun1 tua33-tua33 teng4, BMW, Mercedes pun1 uh33. Lor3li1 pun1 kui1 teng4. Ie1-eh3 kang3lang2 boek1 kau3 cit3-pak1 khien4.

Ie1 uh33 nor33-leh3 knia4. Si3tua33 eh2 mia3 Ah3 Huat3. Se1han3 eh2 mia3 Ah3 Seng2.

Ah3 Huat3 se1-se1 han3 khi4 tok33 toay3 ie1-eh3 pa1 khee1 co1kang1 liau4. A33si33 ie1-eh3 pa1 co1 chan2, ie1 pun1 co1 chan2. A33si33 ie1-eh3 pa1 ban1 ya2, ie1 pun1 ban1 ya2. Kio3 ie1 co1 cor3kang1, ie1 boh3 luan33. Ka1liau4-eh3 kang3lang2 su3kak3 Ah3 Huat3.

Cit3 jit1 Ah3 Seng2 khnua3 tiok3 Ah3 Huat3 say1 too3tiau2. Ie1 cit3thau3 kong4, "Ah3 Huat3, lu4 cin3 gong33. Ha1mik1 su33 boh3 kio3 kang3lang2 co3? Kang3lang2 lu4 mm33 si33 boh2."

Ah3 Seng2 yio3 thau2. "Co1 tau3ke3 knia4 boh3 tau3ke3 khnuan4. Say1 too3tiau2, chao3 ka1 boek1 si4!"

Ah3 Seng2 boh3 toay3 ie1-eh3 pa1 chut3 khee1 co1kang1 eh2. Ha1mik1 mi3knia3 ie1 pun1 mai1 co3. Kio3 ie1 lok3 chan2 ie1 mai1 lok1. Kio3 ie1 jip3 hnui2 ie1 mai1 jip1. Ie1 ai1 chit1tho2 nia33. Ie1 khee3 pho3te4 ok3 puak3kiau4. Puak1 kau3ka1 khiam1 lang2 siau3. Kau3ka1 be33hiau4 an1cnua1 heng2.

Ah3 Seng3 sniau3, "Wah3-eh3 pa1 ho1giak1, ta3pi1 wah1 boh3 lui1. An3cnua1 boek1 heng2 wah1-eh3 siau3?" Siau3 liau4, than3 cit1-leh3 pan3huat3.

Ie1 cit3thau3 ka1 ie1-eh3 Pa3 Pa1 kong4, "Ah3 Pa1, Ah3 Huat3 kah1 wah4 tua33han3 liau4. A33si33 Ah3 Pa1 si4, Ah3 Pa1-eh3 hnui2 pien3 Ah3 Huat3 eh2. Wah4 than3 ha1mik1? Wah1 boek3 Ah3 Pa1 pun1 Ah3 Pa1-eh3 kae3hoay4, cit3 pnua3 hor33 wah4, cit3 pnua3 hor33 Ah3 Huat3."

"Lu1 than3 lu1-eh3 kae3hoay4, lu1 boek1 co3 ha1mik1?" Ah3 Pa1 mui33.

"Wah1 boek3 pnua1 khee3 pa3 ui33 co1 seng3li4."

"Ah3 Pa1 mai3 lu1 khee3 pa3-leh3 sor1cai3 tua3, Ah3 Pa1 boek3 lu1 tua3 cit1-peng2."

"Cit1-peng2 boh3 pnua1hang3 hor33 wah4. Ah3 Pa1, hor33 wah4 lui1 khee3 pa3 ui33 co1 seng3li4. Co1 seng3kong1 liau4-eh3 si2, wah1 ka1 tnui4 lai2."

Mai1 hor33 Ah3 Seng2 khee3, Ah3 Seng2 ta33-ta33 jit1 luan33 Ah3 Pa1. "Lu1 boek3 wah4 tua3 cit1-peng2 co1 ha1mik1? Wah1 mai1 co1 chan2. Wah1 mai1 co1 hnui2. Lu4 hor33 wah4 khee3 pa3 ui33 co3 wah1 boek1 co3-eh3 mi3knia3."

Au1boey3 Ah3 Pa1 kong4, "Ho4. Lu1 boek1 khee3 wah1 hor33 lu1 khee3. Ta3pi1 wah1 be33 hor33 lu4 cit3 pnua3 wah1-eh3 kae3hoay4. A33si33 lu1 boek3 lu3 eh3 kae3hoay4, wah1 e33 hor33 lu4 25% nia33."

"Boh3 kong3to3!" Ah3 Seng2 kong4. "A33si33 wah1 gia2 25% liau4 Ah3 Pa1 si4, Ah3 Huat3 than3 ka1liau4."

Ah3 Pa1 kong4, "Wah4 a1boey4 koay1sin3 wah1 be33 hor33 lu4 cit3pnua1.

"Wah1-eh3 lui1 wah1 boek1 co3 an1cnua4 si33 wah1-eh3 su33. Lu1 boek3 lu1-eh3 kae3hoay4 tong3kim1, wah1 e33 hor33 lu4 25%. Ai3 lai2 mai3 suak3."

Ah3 Seng2 gin3sin2 ta3pi1 be33 co1 pnua1 hang3. "25% pun 25% lah4!"

Ah3 Seng2-eh3 khnuan4 co3 heh1-leh1 ho1giak3 lang2 cin3 keik1sim1, ta3pi1 boh3 pan3huat1. Ah3 Seng2 than3 ie1-eh3 kae3hoay4, ie1 tok33 cit3thau3 boek1 pnua1 cau4 liau4.

"Ah3 Seng2, Ah3 Pa1 kew2 lu4. Mm33thang3 khee."

"Ah3 Pa1 uh33 Ah3 Huat3, Ah3 Pa1 huan3lo4 ha1mik1? Cit1-leh1 hnui2 si33 Ah3 Huat3-eh3 liau4. Wah4 boh3 seng3kong1, wah1 boh3 tnui4 lai2. Lu1 khnua1 ho1-ho4. Cit3 jit1 wah1 hnua3 tua33-teng1 chia1 tnui4 lai2."

Heh1-leh1 jit1 Ah3 Seng2 pnua1 cau4, Ah3 Pa1 hau4 kau1 kui1 kae3teng2 thnia1 tiok1, be33 co1 pnua1hang3.

Ah3 Seng2 uh33 lui1 ti1 chiu4, cit3thau3 tua33 khai1. Ie1 heng2 ie1-eh3 siau3 liau4, ie1 pnua1 hnui1-hnui3 khee3. Ta3pi1, Ah3 Seng2 kong1wa33 si33 gau2, co1 seng3li4 be33hiau4. Kokh1 ai1 puak3kiau4. Kiau4 puak3 su1, seng3li4 ko1 hor33 lang3 lau4. Khuai1-khuai3 ie1-eh3 lui1 sng4 ka1 liau4.

Lui1 sng4 liau4 ba3lu1 ie1 cai3chnae4. Ie1 boek1 tnui4 khee3 Ah3 Pa1-eh3 chu3 ta3pi1 phnai1seh1. Ie1 boek1 choay33 kang1 co3, ta3pi1 boh3 keng3giam33, boh3 lang3 boek1 chnia3. Au1boey4 ie1 choay33 tiok3 cit3-leh3 kang1, mien1 keng3giam33 eh2, tok33 si33 say1 too3tiau2!

Ah3 Seng2 ka3ki33 say1 too3tiau2 ba3lu1 ie1 e33ki3, ku33ca4, ie1-eh3 ko3ko1 say1 too3tiau2. Chao3 ka1 boek3 si4 pun1 tiok3 ta1han3. Ta3pi1 mm33 si3 ka33ki3-eh3 too3tiau2, si33 pa3lang2 eh2.

Yau1 eh3 si2, boh3 mi3knia3 ciak1. Tau3ke1 kokh1 mai1 hor33 kang3cni2 kau3ka1 goek3boey4. Boh3 huat1tor3, too3liau33 Ah3 Seng2 pun1 gia2 lai3 ciak1.

Kau1 goek3boey3 Ah3 Seng2 than3 ie1-eh3 kang3cni2, ta3pi1 an1nae1 cio4, boh3 than1 ciak3 ho1liau33, boek1 khai1 pun1 boh3 kau3. Ju1 lai2 Ah3 Seng2 ju1 san4.

Ah3 Seng2 sniau3, "Ah3 Pa1-eh3 kang3lang2 pun1 boh3 an1nae1 khan3khor4. Ka1liau4 uh33 chu3 tua1, uh3 mi3knia3 ciak1. Boh3 chia1 pun1 uh3 mo1to4. Wah1 boek1 tnui4 khee1 choay3 Ah3 Pa1, kew2 Ah3 Pa1 hor33 wah4 co3 ie1-eh3 kang3lang2."

Au1boey4 kau3 Ah3 Pa1-eh3 kam3pong1 liau4. Ah3 Pa1-eh3 chu3 an1nae1 tua33 keng1, hnui1-hnui3 pun1 e33 hien3tiok1.

Ti1 chu3, Ah3 Pa1 khnua3 chut3 lai2. Cui33-cui33 knia2 lai2? Si33 mi33 si33 Ah3 Seng2? Si33 ah3!

Ah3 Pa1 cau4 chut3 lai2. Cau4 lai3 lam4 Ah3 Seng2. "Wah1-eh3 hau3snaeh1 tnui4 lai2 liau4!"

"Ah3 Pa1 sorry, lui1 wah4 khai1 ka1 liau4, wah1 boh3 lui1 liau," Ah3 Seng1 kong4. "Hor33 wah4 co3 Ah3 Pa1-eh3 kang3lang2."

"Lu4 mm33thang3 an1nae1 kong4, lu4 si33 Ah3 Pa1-eh3 knia4. Ah3 Pa1 hnua3hee4 lu1 tnui4 lai2 liau4."

Ah3 Pa1 cit3thau3 kio3 ie1-eh3 kang3lang2 thai3 too1, thai3 gu2. "Chnia4 kui1 kam3pong1-eh3 lang2 lai3 ciak1!

Ae3por3 si33, Ah3 Huat1 co1kang1 liau4 boek3 kau1 chu3-eh3 si1, khnua3 chu1 siang33ka1 uh33 party. Ha1mik1 su33 ni4? Cit3-khien1 kang3lang2 cau4 lai3 kong4 hor33 ie1 thnia1, "Lu1 cai1 boh2, Ah3 Seng2 tnui4 lai3 liau4! Lu1-eh3 Ah3 Pa1 co1 lau3juak1 hor33 ie1!"

Co1 lau3juak1 hor33 Ah3 Seng2? Ah3 Huat3 be33 ta1han3. Ie1 ceh33 ti1 kae1lor33 pni1 ti1 gua33khau4.

Ti1 chu1 lai33, Ah3 Pa1 mui33, "Ah3 Huat3 ni4?" "Ti1 gua33khau4," kang3lang2 kong. "Ie1 mai1 jip1 lai2."

Ah3 Pa1 pun1 chut1 khee1 gua33khau4 choay3 Ah3 Huat3. Hien33tiok3 Ah3 Pa1, Ah3 Huat3 cit3thau3 kong4, "Ah3 Pa1, lu4 cin3cnia1 boh3 kong3to3. Wah3 co1kang1 hor33 lu4 an1nae1 ku4, cit3 nor33-ciak1 kay1 lu4 pun1 mm33bat1 hor33 wah4 co1 lau3juak1 ka1 wah1-eh3 peng3iu4. Cit1-leh1 Ah3 Seng2, sng4 lu4-eh3 lui1 eh2, tnui4 lai2 nia33, lu4 thai3 too1 thai3 gu3 hor33 ie1. Cit1-leh1 si33 cin3 boh3 kong3peng2."

"Ah3 Huat3, mm33thang3 an1nae1 sniau3," Ah3 Pa1 kong4. "Lu1-eh3 sio1tee33, phang1kni3 eh2 tnui4 lai2 liau4. Lan4 eng3kai1 hnua3hee4. Ka1liau4 Ah3 Pa1 uh33 eh2, cit3 jit1 si33 lu4 eh2. Co1 lang2 lan4 tiok3boek1 khnua1khui1. Lai2, lai3 pnae33-pnae33 co1 lau3juak1."

Thnia1 Ah3 Pa1-eh3 wa33 liau4 ba3lu1 Ah3 Huat1 jip3 khee1 chu1 ciap1siu33 Ah3 Seng2.

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