Give them roots and wings

My son shared with me another song yesterday. It is a Chinese song by Jay Chou. It is lovely, and touched my heart, all the more because my son was the one who shared it with me.

Here is the song, with the translation below.

(Translation with credit to http://bloodredrosez.xanga.com/699378132/item/. I amended it slightly).

小朋友  你是否有很多問號  為什麼
Little friend, do you have a lot of questions, “why…?”

別人在那看漫畫  我卻在學畫畫  對著鋼琴說話
While other kids are reading manga, I have to learn to draw and to communicate with the piano

別人在玩遊戲  我卻靠在牆壁背我的ABC
While other kids are playing games, I’m leaning against the wall memorizing my ABCs

我說我要一台大大的飛機  我卻得到一台舊舊錄音機
I said that I wanted a huge airplane, but all I got was a really old tape recorder.

為什麼要聽媽媽的話  長大後你就會開始懂得這種話
Why should you listen to your mother? When you grow up you will understand what I am saying.

長大後我開始明白  為什麼我跑的比別人快  飛的比別人高
After I grew up, I started to understand why I run faster than others, and I fly higher than others

將來大家看的都是我畫的漫畫  大家唱的都是我寫的歌
In the future, everyone will be reading the mangas I drew and singing the songs I wrote

媽媽的辛苦不讓你看見  溫暖的食譜在她心裡面
Mother doesn’t let you see all her hard work, she keeps the endearing recipe in her heart

有空就多多握握她的手  把手牽著一起夢遊
When you have time, hold her hand more often and hand-in-hand dream together

Chorus:-

聽媽媽的話  別讓她受傷  想快快長大  才能保護她
Listen to mother’s words, don’t let her get hurt; you want to grow up quickly so you can protect her

美麗的白髮  幸福中發芽
Beautiful white hair, growing in happiness.

天使的魔法  溫暖中慈祥
An angel’s magic; tenderness and grace.
在你的未來  音樂是你的王牌  拿王牌談個戀愛
In your future, music is the key* to your success, use it to get into a relationship
*literally, ‘your trump card’

唉  我不想把你教壞
Oh dear, I don’t want to teach you to be a bad kid

還是聽媽媽的話吧　晚點在戀愛吧
So you’d better listen to what mother says and get involved in romance a little later.

我知道你未來的路  當媽比我更清楚
I know your future path, but mother knows it even better than me

你會開始學其他同學  在書包寫東寫西
You will start imitating your school mates and write this and that on your backpack

但我建議你最好寫  媽媽我會用功讀書
But I suggest you better write: Mom, I will put in my best effort to learn.

用功讀書  怎麼會從我嘴巴說出
“I will study hard,” how can such words come out from my mouth?

不想你輸所以要教你　用功讀書
I don’t want you to lose, so I need to teach you; study diligently.

媽媽織給你的毛衣　你要好好收著
The sweater that mother knitted for you, you must keep it safe

因為母親節到時我要告訴她　我還留著
Because when Mother’s Day comes, I wan to be able to tell her I still have it

對了  我會遇到了周潤發
Oh yeah, I will meet Chow Yun-Fat

所以你可以跟同學炫耀  賭神未來是你爸爸
So you can brag to your schoolmates, “The God of Gamblers* will be your dad!”
*The God of Gamblers (1989) is a famous film starring Chow Yun-Fat

我找不到童年寫的情書  你寫完不要送人
I can’t find the love letter from my childhood.  After you write yours, don’t give it away

因為過兩天你會在操場上撿到
Because you’ll find it on the playground floor two days later.

你會開始喜歡上流行歌  因為張學友開始準備唱吻別
You will start to like pop music because Jacky Cheung is preparing to sing Kiss Goodbye*
*Kiss Goodbye was the hit in the early 90s that made Jacky Cheung famous throughout Asia

Chorus :-

聽媽媽的話　別讓她受傷　想快快長大　才能保護她
Listen to mother’s words, don’t let her get hurt. You want to grow up quickly so you can protect her.