This beautiful song in Chinese is loosely based on Canadian folk song “Land of the Silver Birch” (Wikipedia) . Scroll down to compare this chinese version with the original Canadian song and lyrics.

銀波緑舟 Green Boat in Silvery Waves

The title of this song in chinese contradicts the lyrics. The title states a “green boat in silvery waves” but the lyrics states the opposite: silver boat in green waves. It is still a good song anyhow.

We love to sing songs at bedtime (Learning disguised as bedtime bonding). I made some chinese songs lyrics sheets with huge fonts and zhuyin to help out for your family singing jam session. Hope you sing always and improve your mandarin chinese!

Click on the lyrics below to print out PDF file of this song in traditional mandarin Chinese with Zhuyin fuhao.

 Print PDF file

Riddle of the 糜鹿/milu/Père David’s Deer (wikipedia)

The milu (麋鹿), or Père David’s Deer is extinct in the wild. This deer has a long tail, wide hooves, and branched antlers. Adults have summer coats that are bright red with a dark dorsal stripe, and dark gray winter coats. The fawns are spotted. Its Chinese nickname name is (Traditional Chinese:四不像, pinyin: sì bú xiàng), in Japanese is 四不像 (shifuzou). Sibuxiang means the “four unlikes,” because the deer has been described as having:

1. the hoofs of a cow but not a cow
2. the head of a horse but not a horse
3. the antlers of a deer but not a deer
4. the body of a donkey but not a donkey

兒歌 – 銀色小木舟
Thank you MavisWu0216 for uploading this song on youtube.com.

Original Canadian Folk Song:

Land of the Silver Birch

Traditional Canadian folk song: Author Unknown
Lyrics arrangement below taken from Songs for Teaching

My paddle’s keen and bright
Flashing with silver
Follow the wild goose flight
Dip, dip and swing
Dip, dip and swing her back
Flashing with silver
Swift as the wild goose flies
Dip, dip and swing

Land of the silver birch
Home of the beaver
Where still the mighty moose
Wanders at will
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom

High on a rocky ledge
I¹ll build my wigwam
Close to the water¹s edge
Silent and still
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom

My heart grows sick for thee
Here in the lowlands
I will return to thee hills of the north
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom

Land of the silver birch
Home of the beaver
Where still the mighty moose
Wanders at will
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more
Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, Boom-diddy-ah-da, bo-oo-oom

Land of the Silver Birch performed by Michael Mitchell

Thank you noonoobaggins for uploading this video on youtube.com

A different performance of “Land of The Silver Birch”, by Bonnie Dobson. Thank you andrijadragon for uploading this on youtube.