Two Tigers (nursery rhyme)

Two Tigers is a popular traditional Mandarin nursery rhyme called "Liang Zhi Lao Hu" in Mandarin. Variations adopt the tune of the French melody Frère Jacquesor Where is Thumbkin[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

A book and CD set entitled Children's Songs: Two Little Tigers 兩隻老虎歡樂歌謠[7]

Traditional Chinese Lyrics

ㄌㄧㄤˇㄌㄠˇㄏㄨˇ
虎,
ㄌㄧㄤˇㄌㄠˇㄏㄨˇ
虎,
ㄆㄠˇㄉㄜˊㄎㄨㄞˋ
快,
ㄆㄠˇㄉㄜˊㄎㄨㄞˋ
快!
ㄧˋㄇㄟˊㄧㄡˇㄦˇㄉㄨㄛㄧˋㄇㄟˊㄧㄡˇㄧㄢˇㄐㄧㄥ
朵!(or:睛!)
ㄧˋㄇㄟˊㄧㄡˇㄧˇㄅㄚ
巴!
ㄓㄣˉㄑㄧˊㄍㄨㄞˋ
怪!
ㄓㄣㄑㄧˊㄍㄨㄞˋ
怪!
ㄕㄡˇㄗㄞˋㄋㄚˇㄌㄧˇ
裡,
ㄕㄡˇㄗㄞˋㄋㄚˇㄌㄧˇ
裡?
ㄗㄞˋㄓㄜˋㄌㄧˇ
裡!
ㄗㄞˋㄓㄜˋㄌㄧˇ
裡!
ㄋㄧˇㄐㄧㄣㄊㄧㄢㄏㄠˇㄇㄚ˙
嗎?
ㄨㄛˇㄐㄧㄣㄊㄧㄢㄏㄣˇㄏㄠˇ
ㄗㄞˋㄗㄧㄢˋㄅㄚ˙
吧!
ㄗㄞˋㄗㄧㄢˋㄅㄚ˙
吧!

Simplified Chinese Lyrics

Liǎngzhīlǎo
虎,
Liǎngzhīlǎo
虎,
Pǎodekuài
快,
Pǎodekuài
快!
zhīméiyǒuěrduozhīméiyǒuyǎnjing
朵!(or:睛!)
zhīméiyǒuba
巴!
Zhēnguài
怪!
Zhēnguài
怪!
Shǒuzài
里?
Shǒuzài
里?
Zàizhè
里!
Zàizhè
里!
jīntiānhǎoma
吗?
jīntiānhěnhǎo
Zàijiànba
吧!
Zàijiànba
吧!

Translated English Lyrics

Two small tigers,
Two small tigers,
Run so fast,
Run so fast!
One seems to have no ears!       (or: One seems to have no eyes!)
One seems to have no 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

  1. Two Tigers - Songs & Rhymes from Taiwan, Mama Lisa's World: International Music & Culture
  2. 两只老虎 – Two Tigers, Dartmouth Folklore Archive
  3. 兩隻老虎 - LIANG ZHI LAOHU, Castle of Costa Mesa
  4. Chinese Rhyme: Two Tigers 两只老虎, Ling-Ling Chinese: Learn Chinese in a Fun Way
  5. Ya-feng Wu and Hsing-ying Li, Gothic Crossings: Medieval to Postmodern, National Taiwan University Press, 2011, p 338
  6. Fei-Lin Hsiao, Perception of Familiar Melodies and Tonal Speech by Taiwanese Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients, ProQuest, 2006
  7. Children's Songs: Two Little Tigers 兩隻老虎歡樂歌謠(1書1CD), Chinese Books for Children
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