§µ ¶¶ ¤÷ ¥À ²z À³ ·í 

®³ °_ ¦Ë ªO °Û ¶} ³õ ¡A             Picking up the bamboo sticks I open this song

§µ ¶¶ ¤÷ ¥À ²z À³ ·í ¡A             One must be obedient to one's parents

¤Q ¤ë Ãh ­L ®Q ¨¯ ­W ¡A             Almost 10 months the mother bear's her pains

¦n ¤ñ ªá ¤ì ¹J ³· Á÷ ¡A             Akin to flowering plants on meeting snow and frost

¹à ¬õ ­± ¦â ³£ Âà ¶À ¡C             Soft red complexion turning pale



·Ý ®Q ®¦ ¨å ­ø ¦n §Ñ ¡A             Do not forget both father and mother's grace

¤@ ¥X ®Q ­L ³Û ­¹ ¨Å ¡A             Once born into the world crying out for milk

¤@ ¤é ­¹ ®Q ¤E ¨ì ¼ß ¡A             Every day mother prepares your food

¤G ¤Q ¹L ·³ ÅÜ ¦Ñ ¤j ®Q ¡C          At twenty years old, she has become an experienced mother



·Ý ®Q ¤é ©] ±¾ ¨{ ¸z ¡A             Father and mother will always worry day and night

°O ±o ·í ªì ÁÙ ²Ó ¤é ¡A             Remembering their own younger days

¤T À\ ¶º ¸J ­ø ¾å ¦ª ¡A             Three daily meals and the bowls cannot be emptied

ªN ü ÁÙ ·R ©ñ ¥Õ ¿} ¡C             Making gruel needs sugar added



¤l ¤k ÁÙ ²Ó ­W ·Ý ®Q ¡A             When the children are young they give their parents hardship

·Ý ·T ®a ¤¤ µL ¿ú ¥Î ¡A             Father worries about money to feed the family

®Q ±a ²Ó ¤l ­W Ãø ·í ¡A             Mother cares for the children, an insufferable job

ºÎ ºÉ ´X ¦h «Ë §¿ §É ¡C             How many countless times have they slept on soiled beds



¹J ¨ì §N ¤Ñ ­W ·Ý ®Q ¡A             When the cold weather comes the parents get anxious

³Q »V ©Ô ­Ë ²b «Ë §¿ ¡A             When the bedding is pulled away, they find it is soiled

¤Ñ ®ð ·¯ §N ·R °_ §É ¡A             No matter how cold the weather, they have to get up

§N ¨ì ¸} ¤U Ÿ §r ¤W ¡C             Its so cold, shivers start at the feet and go on up



¹ê ¦b ´H ¼ö ¤] ­W ®Q ¡A             With the extremes of cold and hot, it is more hardship for the mother

´H ¤Ñ Åå ©È §A ­á ­Ë ¡A             On bitterly cold days we worry that you will catch a chill

¼ö ¤Ñ ¦P §A ©ç ®° ²D ¡A             On sweltering hot days we fan you down

Åó µ¥ ¦æ ¤U ¤S ¦æ ¤W ¡C             Holding you in our arms walking to and fro



±a ¤l ±a ¤k ¶O ¤ß ¸z ¡A             Bringing up children taxes one's stamina

µL ¯f µL µh ÁÙ ¹L ±o ¡A             When there's no aches and pain, its bearable

¦³ ¯f ¦³ µh «æ ·Ý ®Q ¡A             When you become ill, it worrys father and mother

´X ¦h µL ºÎ ¨ì ¤Ñ ¥ú ¡C             How many countless sleepless nights until the dawn breaks?



¨« ¨ì ¸}  ¥´ ­I ¹A ¡A             Rushing about so much we have to soothe our feet to our backs 

³Û ¨ì Âå ¥Í ¨Ó ¬Ý ¯f ¡A             After calling the doctor to look at your illness

´M ¨ì ¿ú ¨Ó ÀË ÃÄ ©Ð ¡A             We have to find the money to pay for the medicine

¤d ¤è ¦Ê ­p ±æ ¦w ±d ¡C             We would rather peace and health than wish for anything else



¾å ¦æ ¾å ¨« ¤ß ¤] ºD ¡A             When you have learned to walk and your heart is bold

©È §A ·d ¤õ ·| ¿S ¨ì ¡A             We fear you will play with fire and get burned

©È §A ·d ¤ô ¶^ ¸¨ ¶í ¡A             We fear you will play with water and fall into a pool

©È §A ·d ¤M ·| ³Î ¶Ë ¡C             We fear you will play with knives and cut yourself



¤C ·³ °e §A ¤J ¾Ç °ó ¡A             At seven we send you off to school

¶R ¯È ¶R µ§ ú ¾Ç ¶O ¡A             Having to pay for paper and pens and your tuition fees

¶R ¾c ¶R ´U °µ ¦ç »n ¡A             Buying new shoes and a new hat and your shool uniform

¹ç Ä@ ¦Û ®a ³Ü µ° ´ö ¡C             Skimping so much we will only have enough to eat congee



°O ©À ¤l ¤k ¤ô ·¯ ªø ¡A             Memories of our offspring stay as long as the waters are lasting

ÁÙ ²Ó ±æ §A §Ö ªø ¤j ¡A             When you are still young we hope for they days you are grown

¤j ùØ ¤S ·R °ù ©d ©Ð ¡A             When you have grown we have to get you married

¤S ·R ¾ã «Î »s ¯v §É ¡C             A place to live and a bed to sleep in



§Æ ±æ ¤é «á ¦³ ¬K ¥ú ¡A             Hoping thereafter that you will prosper

µ¥ ¨ì ·Ý ®Q ¦~ ¬ö ¦Ñ ¡A             Waiting when as your parents, we are old in age

§Æ ±æ ¤l ¤k ¨Ó Áx ·í ¡A             Hoping our sons and daughters will help us out

¦Ë ÀY ¥Í µ« ±æ ·Q ªø ¡C             Like the bamboo wishing its shoots become tall and stout



·Ý ®Q ¤H ¤H ½ü ¬y ·í ¡A             Taking in turn to look after one's parents

¦³ ¿ú ³Î ¦× ¤] ¥» ¥÷ ¡A             Even though rich you'll strive with each difficulty

µL ¿ú ¨¥ »y ¶¶ ·Ý ®Q ¡A             When penniless a kind word is enough to satisfy one's parents

¨¥ »y ¦n ¹L ¤H °Ñ ´ö ¡C             Kinds words are better than gngseng broth



¤H ¤H ¤] ·R ©^ ·Ý ®Q ¡A             Everyone must serve one's parents

·Ý ®Q ÁÙ ¥Í ­ø ¦Ò ¶¶ ¡A             When they are still living and we are not obedient

¦º ùØ ºò ¥s ¤] ¥­ ±` ¡A             After death there are tears which often happens

¤d «ô ¸U «ô ¤@ Äl ­» ¡C             For all the prayers, they are like a joss-sticks sharing an incence urn



¦º §O ·Ý ®Q °µ ¯f ¸z ¡A             Before death one's parents work themselves to an early grave

¤j ½Þ ¤j ¦Ï ¨Ó Â\ ²½ ¡A             Great offerings of pork and lamb have been assembled

­ø ·í ÁÙ ¥Í ­¹ ¥| ¨â ¡A             Its would be better to have eaten them when we were alive

ÁÙ ¥Í ­¹ ¨ì ¹L ²M ­» ¡C             Whilst living, we could at least savour their flavours



¦³ ¨Ç ¤l ¤k °f ·Ý ®Q ¡A             There are some who would rebell against their parents

¤j Án ´c ½| ·Ý ®Q ¦Ñ ¤£ ¦º ¡A       Loudly telling their parents they are old and better dead   

¤â «ü ¤W ÃB ­± Á÷ Á÷ ¡A             Their finger pointing to their faces, in a a chilling manner

½| ¨ì ·Ý ®Q ¯u µh ¸z ¡C             Making their parents' hearts so unbearable



¦³ ¨Ç ¤l ¤k ­ø ·Ó ±` ¡A             There are some who are not the norm

¸}  µ¬ ¨Ó ¤@ ¥Í µw ¡A             Once their ankle tendons have become hardened

°Q ùØ ¦Ñ ±C ¥á ·Ý ®Q ¡A             Commanding their wives to oppose his parents

¦n ­¹ ¬` µ¥ ¿Ë ·Ý ®Q ¡C             Good food to hide from his own old folks



¤H ¤H ¾i ¨à ±æ ¬K ¥ú ¡A             Everyone has children wishing them to prosper

¤H ¤H ¾i ¨à ±æ ¨¾ ¦Ñ ¡A             Everyone has children wishing them to guard against old age

¦~ ¦~ ¿n ¨¦ ¨¾ °§ ¯î ¡A             Every year saving grain to keep from hunger

¥å ¬Û ·Ó ÅU ¨¯ ºÖ ªø ¡C             Hoping to help look after ones' parents in good health



«á ¥Í Å¥ ­ù ·q ·Ý ®Q ¡A             The young who hear this should honour their father and mother

¦Ñ ¤H Å¥ ­ù ²K ºÖ ¹Ø ¡A             The old who hear this will increase well-being and longevity

²Ó ¤l Å¥ ­ù ¹L ¨Ä ±i ¡A             Young sons who hear this should become obeidient

ºq ¤l ¨ì ¦¹ ¼È ¦¬ ³õ ¡C             Now we have reached here, we shall leave this song.