Childhood
Lo Ta-yu
Verse 1
chí池ㄔˊtáng塘ㄊㄤˊbiān邊边ㄅㄧㄢde的˙ㄉㄜróng榕ㄖㄨㄥˊshù樹树ㄕㄨˋshàng上ㄕㄤˋ
In the banyan tree by the pond
zhī知ㄓliǎo了ㄌㄧㄠˇzài在ㄗㄞˋshēng聲声ㄕㄥshēng聲声ㄕㄥjiào叫ㄐㄧㄠˋzhe著着˙ㄓㄜxià夏ㄒㄧㄚˋtiān天ㄊㄧㄢ
Cicadas are calling summer loudly
cāo操ㄘㄠchǎng場场ㄔㄤˇbiān邊边ㄅㄧㄢde的˙ㄉㄜqiū鞦秋ㄑㄧㄡqiān韆千ㄑㄧㄢshàng上ㄕㄤˋ
On the swing next to the playground
zhǐ隻只ㄓˇyǒu有ㄧㄡˇhú蝴ㄏㄨˊdié蝶ㄉㄧㄝˊtíng停ㄊㄧㄥˊzài在ㄗㄞˋshàng上ㄕㄤˋmiàn麵面ㄇㄧㄢˋ
Only butterflies rest on it
hēi黑ㄏㄟbǎn闆板ㄅㄢˇshàng上ㄕㄤˋlǎo老ㄌㄠˇshī師师ㄕde的˙ㄉㄜfěn粉ㄈㄣˇbǐ筆笔ㄅㄧˇ
Teacher's chalk on blackboard
hái還还ㄏㄞˊzài在ㄗㄞˋpīn拼ㄆㄧㄣmìng命ㄇㄧㄥˋjī嘰叽ㄐㄧji嘰叽˙ㄐㄧchā喳ㄔㄚchā喳ㄔㄚxiě寫写ㄒㄧㄝˇgè個个ㄍㄜˋbù不ㄅㄨˋtíng停ㄊㄧㄥˊ
Still chattering away and writing non-stop
děng等ㄉㄥˇdài待ㄉㄞˋzhuó著着ㄓㄨㄛˊxià下ㄒㄧㄚˋkè課课ㄎㄜˋ，děng等ㄉㄥˇdài待ㄉㄞˋzhuó著着ㄓㄨㄛˊfàng放ㄈㄤˋxué學学ㄒㄩㄝˊ
Waiting for the end of class, waiting for the end of school
děng等ㄉㄥˇdài待ㄉㄞˋyóu遊游ㄧㄡˊxì戲戏ㄒㄧˋde的˙ㄉㄜtóng童ㄊㄨㄥˊnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊ
The waiting game of childhood
Verse 2
fú福ㄈㄨˊlì利ㄌㄧˋshè社ㄕㄜˋlǐ裏里ㄌㄧˇmiàn麵面ㄇㄧㄢˋshèn甚ㄕㄣˋme麼么˙ㄇㄜdōu都ㄉㄡyǒu有ㄧㄡˇ
The commissary (welfare club) has everything
jiù就ㄐㄧㄡˋshì是ㄕˋkǒu口ㄎㄡˇdài袋ㄉㄞˋlǐ裏里ㄌㄧˇméi沒没ㄇㄟˊyǒu有ㄧㄡˇbàn半ㄅㄢˋmáo毛ㄇㄠˊqián錢钱ㄑㄧㄢˊ
I just don’t have half a cent in my pocket
zhū諸诸ㄓㄨgé葛ㄍㄜˊsì四ㄙˋláng郎ㄌㄤˊhé和ㄏㄜˊmó魔ㄇㄛˊguǐ鬼ㄍㄨㄟˇdǎng黨党ㄉㄤˇ
Zhuge Shiro and the Devil Party
dào到ㄉㄠˋdǐ底ㄉㄧˇshuí誰谁ㄕㄨㄟˊqiǎng搶抢ㄑㄧㄤˇdào到ㄉㄠˋnà那ㄋㄚˋzhī支ㄓbǎo寶宝ㄅㄠˇjiàn劍剑ㄐㄧㄢˋ?
Who ended up snatching the sword?
gé隔ㄍㄜˊbì壁ㄅㄧˋbān班ㄅㄢdì的ㄉㄧˋnà那ㄋㄚˋgè個个ㄍㄜˋnǚ女ㄋㄩˇhái孩ㄏㄞˊ
The girl in the class next door
zěn怎ㄗㄣˇme麼么˙ㄇㄜhái還还ㄏㄞˊméi沒没ㄇㄟˊjīng經经ㄐㄧㄥguò過过ㄍㄨㄛˋwǒ我ㄨㄛˇde的˙ㄉㄜchuāng窗ㄔㄨㄤqián前ㄑㄧㄢˊ?
Why haven't you passed my window yet?
zuǐ嘴ㄗㄨㄟˇlǐ裡里ㄌㄧˇde的˙ㄉㄜlíng零ㄌㄧㄥˊshí食ㄕˊshǒu手ㄕㄡˇlǐ裡里ㄌㄧˇde的˙ㄉㄜmàn漫ㄇㄢˋhuà畫画ㄏㄨㄚˋ
Snacks in mouth, comics in hand
xīn心ㄒㄧㄣlǐ裡里ㄌㄧˇchū初ㄔㄨliàn戀恋ㄌㄧㄢˋde的˙ㄉㄜtóng童ㄊㄨㄥˊnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊ
The first love of childhood in my heart
Verse 3
zǒng總总ㄗㄨㄥˇshì是ㄕˋyào要ㄧㄠˋděng等ㄉㄥˇdào到ㄉㄠˋshuì睡ㄕㄨㄟˋjiào覺觉ㄐㄧㄠˋqián前ㄑㄧㄢˊ
Always wait until just before bed
cái纔才ㄘㄞˊzhī知ㄓdào道ㄉㄠˋgōng功ㄍㄨㄥkè課课ㄎㄜˋzhǐ隻只ㄓˇzuò做ㄗㄨㄛˋle了˙ㄌㄜyī一ㄧdiǎn點点ㄉㄧㄢˇdiǎn點点ㄉㄧㄢˇ
Only then did I realize that I had only done a little bit of homework
zǒng總总ㄗㄨㄥˇshì是ㄕˋyào要ㄧㄠˋděng等ㄉㄥˇdào到ㄉㄠˋkǎo考ㄎㄠˇshì試试ㄕˋyǐ以ㄧˇhòu後后ㄏㄡˋ
Always have to wait until after the exam
cái纔才ㄘㄞˊzhī知ㄓdào道ㄉㄠˋgāi該该ㄍㄞniàn唸ㄋㄧㄢˋde的˙ㄉㄜshū書书ㄕㄨdōu都ㄉㄡméi沒没ㄇㄟˊyǒu有ㄧㄡˇniàn唸ㄋㄧㄢˋ
Only then did I realize that I should have read the books I didn’t read
yī一ㄧcùn寸ㄘㄨㄣˋguāng光ㄍㄨㄤyīn陰阴ㄧㄣyī一ㄧcùn寸ㄘㄨㄣˋjīn金ㄐㄧㄣ
An inch of time is worth an inch in gold
lǎo老ㄌㄠˇshī師师ㄕshuō說说ㄕㄨㄛguò過过ㄍㄨㄛˋ「cùn寸ㄘㄨㄣˋjīn金ㄐㄧㄣnán難难ㄋㄢˊmǎi買买ㄇㄞˇcùn寸ㄘㄨㄣˋguāng光ㄍㄨㄤyīn陰阴ㄧㄣ」
The teacher once said, "an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time"
yī一ㄧtiān天ㄊㄧㄢyòu又ㄧㄡˋyī一ㄧtiān天ㄊㄧㄢ，yī一ㄧnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊyòu又ㄧㄡˋyī一ㄧnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊ
Day after day, year after year
mí迷ㄇㄧˊmí迷ㄇㄧˊhú糊煳ㄏㄨˊhú糊煳ㄏㄨˊde的˙ㄉㄜtóng童ㄊㄨㄥˊnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊ
Confused (blurry) childhood
Refrain
Verse 4
méi沒没ㄇㄟˊyǒu有ㄧㄡˇrén人ㄖㄣˊzhī知ㄓdào道ㄉㄠˋwéi為为ㄨㄟˊshèn甚ㄕㄣˋme麼么˙ㄇㄜ
No one knows why
tài太ㄊㄞˋyáng陽阳ㄧㄤˊzǒng總总ㄗㄨㄥˇxià下ㄒㄧㄚˋdào到ㄉㄠˋshān山ㄕㄢdì的ㄉㄧˋnà那ㄋㄚˋyī一ㄧbiān邊边ㄅㄧㄢ
The sun always goes down to the other side of the mountain
méi沒没ㄇㄟˊyǒu有ㄧㄡˇrén人ㄖㄣˊnéng能ㄋㄥˊgòu夠够ㄍㄡˋgào告ㄍㄠˋsù訴诉ㄙㄨˋwǒ我ㄨㄛˇ
No one can tell me
shān山ㄕㄢlǐ裡里ㄌㄧˇmiàn麵面ㄇㄧㄢˋyǒu有ㄧㄡˇméi沒没ㄇㄟˊyǒu有ㄧㄡˇzhù住ㄓㄨˋzhe著着˙ㄓㄜshén神ㄕㄣˊxiān仙ㄒㄧㄢ
Do the mountains have gods living inside?
duō多ㄉㄨㄛshǎo少ㄕㄠˇde的˙ㄉㄜrì日ㄖˋzǐ子ㄗˇlǐ裡里ㄌㄧˇ
How many days
zǒng總总ㄗㄨㄥˇshì是ㄕˋyī一ㄧgè個个ㄍㄜˋrén人ㄖㄣˊmiàn麵面ㄇㄧㄢˋduì對对ㄉㄨㄟˋzhe著着˙ㄓㄜtiān天ㄊㄧㄢkōng空ㄎㄨㄥfā發发ㄈㄚdāi呆ㄉㄞ
Always alone facing the sky in a daze
jiù就ㄐㄧㄡˋzhè這这ㄓㄜˋme麼么˙ㄇㄜhào好ㄏㄠˋqí奇ㄑㄧˊ，jiù就ㄐㄧㄡˋzhè這这ㄓㄜˋme麼么˙ㄇㄜhuàn幻ㄏㄨㄢˋxiǎng想ㄒㄧㄤˇ
So curious, so imaginative
zhè這这ㄓㄜˋme麼么˙ㄇㄜgū孤ㄍㄨdān單单ㄉㄢde的˙ㄉㄜtóng童ㄊㄨㄥˊnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊ
Such a lonely childhood
Verse 5
yáng陽阳ㄧㄤˊguāng光ㄍㄨㄤxià下ㄒㄧㄚˋqīng蜻ㄑㄧㄥtíng蜓ㄊㄧㄥˊfēi飛飞ㄈㄟguò過过ㄍㄨㄛˋlái來来ㄌㄞˊ
Dragonflies fly by in the sunshine
yī一ㄧpiàn片ㄆㄧㄢˋpiàn片ㄆㄧㄢˋlǜ綠绿ㄌㄩˋyóu油ㄧㄡˊyóu油ㄧㄡˊde的˙ㄉㄜdào稻ㄉㄠˋtián田ㄊㄧㄢˊ
Patches of lush green rice patties
shuǐ水ㄕㄨㄟˇcǎi彩ㄘㄞˇlà蠟蜡ㄌㄚˋbǐ筆笔ㄅㄧˇhé和ㄏㄜˊwàn萬万ㄨㄢˋhuā花ㄏㄨㄚtǒng筒ㄊㄨㄥˇ
Watercolors, crayons, and kaleidoscopes
huà畫画ㄏㄨㄚˋbù不ㄅㄨˋchū出ㄔㄨtiān天ㄊㄧㄢbiān邊边ㄅㄧㄢnà那ㄋㄚˋyī一ㄧtiáo條条ㄊㄧㄠˊcǎi彩ㄘㄞˇhóng虹ㄏㄨㄥˊ
I can't draw that rainbow on the horizon
shèn甚ㄕㄣˋme麼么˙ㄇㄜshí時时ㄕˊhòu候ㄏㄡˋcái纔才ㄘㄞˊnéng能ㄋㄥˊxiàng像ㄒㄧㄤˋgāo高ㄍㄠnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊjí級级ㄐㄧˊde的˙ㄉㄜtóng同ㄊㄨㄥˊxué學学ㄒㄩㄝˊ
When can I look like my classmates in the upper grades?
yǒu有ㄧㄡˇzhāng張张ㄓㄤchéng成ㄔㄥˊshú熟ㄕㄨˊyǔ與与ㄩˇzhǎng長长ㄓㄤˇdà大ㄉㄚˋde的˙ㄉㄜliǎn臉脸ㄌㄧㄢˇ
Have a mature and grown-up face
pàn盼ㄆㄢˋwàng望ㄨㄤˋzhe著着˙ㄓㄜjià假ㄐㄧㄚˋqī期ㄑㄧ，pàn盼ㄆㄢˋwàng望ㄨㄤˋzhe著着˙ㄓㄜmíng明ㄇㄧㄥˊtiān天ㄊㄧㄢ
Looking forward to vacation, looking forward to tomorrow
pàn盼ㄆㄢˋwàng望ㄨㄤˋzhǎng長长ㄓㄤˇdà大ㄉㄚˋde的˙ㄉㄜtóng童ㄊㄨㄥˊnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊ
A childhood of longing to grow up
ó哦ㄛˊ，yī一ㄧtiān天ㄊㄧㄢyòu又ㄧㄡˋyī一ㄧtiān天ㄊㄧㄢ，yī一ㄧnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊyòu又ㄧㄡˋyī一ㄧnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊ
Oh, day after day, year after year
pàn盼ㄆㄢˋwàng望ㄨㄤˋzhǎng長长ㄓㄤˇdà大ㄉㄚˋde的˙ㄉㄜtóng童ㄊㄨㄥˊnián年ㄋㄧㄢˊ
A childhood longing to grow up