Two Tigers (nursery rhyme)
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Two Tigers (or Little Tigers) is a popular traditional Mandarin nursery rhyme called "Liang Zhi Lao Hu" in Mandarin. Variations adopt the tune of the French melody "Frère Jacques", "Where is Thumbkin", or the third movement of Mahler's "Symphony No. 1"[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The tune depicts two high-spirited baby tigers, tussling to the point that they have bitten off select body parts. It is particularly popular amongst parents of toddlers born in the Year of the Tiger.
Lyrics
Traditional Chinese lyrics
ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄓ ㄌㄠˇ ㄏㄨˇ 兩 隻 老 虎 ,
ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄓ ㄌㄠˇ ㄏㄨˇ 兩 隻 老 虎 ,
ㄆㄠˇ ㄉㄜˊ ㄎㄨㄞˋ 跑 得 快 ,
ㄆㄠˇ ㄉㄜˊ ㄎㄨㄞˋ 跑 得 快 !
ㄧˋ ㄓ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄦˇ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄧˋ ㄓ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄧㄢˇ ㄐㄧㄥ 一 隻 沒 有 耳 朵 ! (or 一 隻 沒 有 眼 睛 ! )
ㄧˋ ㄓ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄧˇ ㄅㄚ 一 隻 沒 有 尾 巴 !
ㄓㄣˉ ㄑㄧˊ ㄍㄨㄞˋ 真 奇 怪 !
ㄓㄣ ㄑㄧˊ ㄍㄨㄞˋ 真 奇 怪 !
ㄕㄡˇ ㄗㄞˋ ㄋㄚˇ ㄌㄧˇ 手 在 哪 裡 ,
ㄕㄡˇ ㄗㄞˋ ㄋㄚˇ ㄌㄧˇ 手 在 哪 裡 ?
ㄗㄞˋ ㄓㄜˋ ㄌㄧˇ 在 這 裡 !
ㄗㄞˋ ㄓㄜˋ ㄌㄧˇ 在 這 裡 !
ㄋㄧˇ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄏㄠˇ ㄇㄚ˙ 你 今 天 好 嗎 ?
ㄨㄛˇ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄏㄣˇ ㄏㄠˇ 我 今 天 很 好
ㄗㄞˋ ㄗㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄚ˙ 再 見 吧 !
ㄗㄞˋ ㄗㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄚ˙ 再 見 吧 !
Simplified Chinese lyrics
Liǎng zhī lǎo hǔ 两 只 老 虎 ,
Liǎng zhī lǎo hǔ 两 只 老 虎 ,
Pǎo de kuài 跑 得 快 ,
Pǎo de kuài 跑 得 快 !
Yī zhī méi yǒu ěr duo Yī zhī méi yǒu yǎn jing 一 只 沒 有 耳 朵 ! (or 一 只 沒 有 眼 睛 ! )
Yī zhī méi yǒu yǐ ba 一 只 沒 有 尾 巴 !
Zhēn qí guài 真 奇 怪 !
Zhēn qí guài 真 奇 怪 !
Shǒu zài nǎ lǐ 手 在 哪 里 ?
Shǒu zài nǎ lǐ 手 在 哪 里 ?
Zài zhè lǐ 在 这 里 !
Zài zhè lǐ 在 这 里 !
Nǐ jīn tiān hǎo ma 你 今 天 好 吗 ?
Wǒ jīn tiān hěn hǎo 我 今 天 很 好
Zài jiàn ba 再 见 吧 !
Zài jiàn ba 再 见 吧 !
Translated English lyrics
Two small tigers,
Two small tigers,
Run so fast,
Run so fast!
One does not have ears! (or: One does not have eyes!)
One doesn't have a tail!
That's so strange,
That's so strange!
Where's your hand?
Where's your hand?
Over here!
Over here!
How are you today?
I'm very good today!
Goodbye!
Goodbye!
Alternate English lyrics
Little tigers,
Little tigers,
Run so fast,
Run so fast!
Tell me where you're going,
Tell me where you're going!
Let me know,
Let me know!
Where's your hand?
Where's your hand?
Over here!
Over here!
How are you today, dear?
Very well, I thank you!
Goodbye! Cheers!
Goodbye! Cheers!
References
- ↑ Two Tigers - Songs & Rhymes from Taiwan, Mama Lisa's World: International Music & Culture
- ↑ 两只老虎 – Two Tigers, Dartmouth Folklore Archive
- ↑ 兩隻老虎 - LIANG ZHI LAOHU, Castle of Costa Mesa
- ↑ Chinese Rhyme: Two Tigers 两只老虎, Ling-Ling Chinese: Learn Chinese in a Fun Way
- ↑ Ya-feng Wu and Hsing-ying Li, Gothic Crossings: Medieval to Postmodern, National Taiwan University Press, 2011, p 338
- ↑ Fei-Lin Hsiao, Perception of Familiar Melodies and Tonal Speech by Taiwanese Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients, ProQuest, 2006