公公偏頭痛 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 周杰倫

Lyrics & Translation

Learning Mandarin Chinese can be a fun and rewarding experience, and Jay Chou's '公公偏頭痛' is a perfect song to dive into. Its clear, rhythmic hip-hop style makes it easier to follow the lyrics, which are full of historical and cultural references. The song cleverly uses a story from ancient China to talk about issues we see today. By listening to this track, you can pick up interesting vocabulary and get a feel for the creative wordplay that is common in modern Chinese music.

[English]

Hahaha... you are such a joke, so hard to laugh at, someone drag him out and behead him!

Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa!

...

Grandpa has a headache, Grandpa has a headache

Says the silver isn't heavy enough, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa

Grandpa is very corrupt, Grandpa is very corrupt

The military funds have been drained, there are three thousand beauties in the harem, yet cannot be touched

Right next to the lantern, these ten years of hard study no one understands, spring, summer, autumn, winter

Helpless, the cold wind of the night penetrates the screen

Reciting the tales of assassins calmly, I can memorize them all

First understand the tones and rhythms of poetry to be able to communicate

Calligraphy styles are the basics, seal, clerical, regular, running, and cursive

The fleeting splendor of dynasties comes and goes in a hurry

The content of Legalism, the calmness of Daoism

The tolerance of Confucianism, these should all be understood

I am a poor scholar, came in as a top candidate

Yet always out of the loop, trapped by the eunuchs

That grandpa's connections spread across the five lakes and four seas

The experts in the palace are bad, smashing the court's reputation

Grandpa has a headache, Grandpa has a headache

Says the silver isn't heavy enough, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa

Grandpa is very corrupt, Grandpa is very corrupt

The military funds have been drained, there are three thousand beauties in the harem, yet cannot be touched

Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa!

I rush to the capital for the exam, inevitably shaking my head and pondering

Eastern arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are more refined than the West

Playing the pipa and guzheng, my tunes are powerful and important

Thanks to all the villagers and elders

For providing me with funds, hosting a feast, and adding dumplings

I read Laozi, Laozi came out carefree

I say the way that can be spoken is not the eternal way

I say the wind is howling, you say you know

I am a poor scholar, speaking reason, distinguishing black and white

In the court like dust, no one cares, some love

Not afraid of the powerful, I present my memorial boldly

That grandpa stands up, almost losing his temper

Grandpa has a headache, Grandpa has a headache

Says the silver isn't heavy enough, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa

Grandpa is very corrupt, Grandpa is very corrupt

The military funds have been drained, there are three thousand beauties in the harem, yet cannot be touched

Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, he is unreliable

The common people are singing praises, he bows as he steps down

Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, he is unreliable

The common people are singing praises, he bows as he steps down

...

He bows as he steps down

He bows as he steps down

...

[Chinese]

哈哈哈哈哈哈... 你這個笑話，有夠難笑，來人啊，把他給我拖出去斬啦！

公公! 公公! 公公!

公公他偏頭痛 公公他偏頭痛

說銀兩不夠重 公公公 公公公 公公

公公他污很兇 公公他污很兇

那軍餉被掏空 後宮有 佳麗三千 卻不能碰

緊挨著燈籠 這十年苦讀無人能懂 春夏秋冬

無奈這夜晚寒風卻穿透了屏風

吹幾頁刺客列傳我都淡定背誦

平仄先搞懂詩詞歌賦才能夠通

書法的篆隸楷行草乃是基本功

過眼的繁華朝代更迭來去匆匆

法家的內容 道家的從容

儒家的寬容 這些都該懂

我是個窮秀才 中狀元考進來

卻一直狀況外 被宦官所陷害

那公公的人脈 遍五湖通四海

大內的高手壞 砸朝廷的招牌

公公他偏頭痛 公公他偏頭痛

說銀兩不夠重 公公公 公公公 公公

公公他污很兇 公公他污很兇

那軍餉被掏空 後宮有 佳麗三千 卻不能碰

公公! 公公! 公公! 公公! 公公! 公公 公公公公公公公公 公公!

我進京趕考 免不了學而時習之的 搖頭晃腦

東方的琴棋書畫比西方有情調

彈琵琶古箏我的調調給力重要

再感謝各位鄉親還有父父老

提供我盤纏設宴款待外加水餃

老子我讀了老子老聃出關逍遙

我說道可道 你說非常道

我說風蕭蕭 你說你知道

我是個窮秀才 說道理明黑白

在朝中如塵埃 沒人理有人愛

不畏懼當權派 上奏摺硬著來

那公公站起來 整個人快氣壞

公公他偏頭痛 公公他偏頭痛

說銀兩不夠重 公公公 公公公 公公

公公他污很兇 公公他污很兇

那軍餉被掏空 後宮有 佳麗三千 卻不能碰

公公公 公公公 公公公他不靠譜

百姓們在歌頌 他下台一鞠躬（躬）

公公公 公公公 公公公他不靠譜

百姓們在歌頌 他下台一鞠躬

他下台一鞠躬

他下台一鞠躬

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
公公 /gōng gōng/ A2	noun - a term for a eunuch or a senior official in ancient China
偏頭痛 /piān tóu tòng/ B1	noun - migraine
銀兩 /yín liǎng/ B2	noun - silver coins or money
軍餉 /jūn xiǎng/ B2	noun - military pay or salary
後宮 /hòu gōng/ B2	noun - the imperial harem or palace
佳麗 /jiā lì/ B2	noun - beautiful women or beauties
寒風 /hán fēng/ B1	noun - cold wind
詩詞 /shī cí/ B2	noun - poetry and lyrics
書法 /shū fǎ/ B2	noun - calligraphy
繁華 /fán huá/ B2	adjective - prosperous or flourishing
狀元 /zhuàng yuán/ B2	noun - top scholar or the highest scorer in the imperial examination
宦官 /huàn guān/ B2	noun - eunuch
當權派 /dāng quán pài/ B2	noun - those in power or authority
百姓 /bǎi xìng/ B1	noun - common people or citizens

Key Grammar Structures

• 他偏頭痛

  ➔ Use of the possessive marker '的' to indicate possession or description.

  ➔ '的' is a possessive particle linking nouns or describing characteristics.

• 說銀兩不夠重

  ➔ Use of '不' to negate the adjective phrase, indicating 'not enough' or 'insufficient'.

  ➔ '不' is a negation word used before adjectives or verbs to indicate negation or insufficiency.

• 那公公的人脈 遍五湖通四海

  ➔ Use of the numeral classifier and descriptive phrase '遍五湖通四海' to indicate extensive connections.

  ➔ '遍五湖通四海' is an idiomatic expression meaning to have widespread connections across regions.

• 我說道可道 你說非常道

  ➔ Use of the '說' (to say) verb to construct a dialogue or statement, often with a structure '我說... 你說...'.

  ➔ '說' is a verb meaning 'to say' or 'to speak', often used in direct speech or dialogue constructions.

• 下台一鞠躬

  ➔ Use of the verb '鞠躬' (to bow) to describe the act of bowing as a gesture of respect or conclusion.

  ➔ '鞠躬' means to bow, and it's used to symbolize politeness, respect, or the conclusion of an event.