Cỏ đuôi chó trên sườn dốc – Bilingual Lyrics Vietnamese/English

• By: Lư Nhuận Trạch, Cung Ba, Oai Oai Siêu

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the tender emotions of "Cỏ đuôi chó trên sườn dốc," a touching Chinese song that beautifully captures the universal grief of losing a beloved pet. Learning Chinese through its heartfelt lyrics will not only expand your vocabulary but also immerse you in the cultural nuances of expressing deep affection and sorrow, making it a special and memorable language learning experience.

[English]

The yellow earth turns into asphalt

Wildflowers bloom at the village entrance, just like then

I bought your favorite meat again

But you’re not by my side

Like it’s withered away

That road is all built up now

Come back around

Big bowl, old friend

The days we lived together

In the rainy, cold town

Sorry I couldn’t hold onto that fragile happiness

In the next life, be born in a better place

Don’t live a life soaked by rain and snow anymore

On the slope, the dog’s tail grass sways

Swaying until tears fall

Does the moon over there still shine on you?

Covering up those old scars

The bitterness of that time just flows away

Riding the motorcycle through wind and rain

Wish I could take you with me every day

Late at night, returning to an empty house

You’re no longer here

Like it’s withered away

That road is all built up now

On the embankment, the dog’s tail grass sways gently

Tears spill over

On the slope, the dog’s tail grass sways

Swaying until tears fall

Does the moon over there still shine on you?

Even if you leave that road, don’t be sad anymore

Covering up those old scars

The bitterness of that time just flows away

The gentle wind softly guides the way back, back to the past

[Vietnamese]

黄土地变成柏油

野花开满那时的村口

我又买了你爱吃的肉

可你却不在我左右

처럼 말라와

저 길란 다 지어다 고 고자

돌라다 와

대완 로진 고수

一緒に暮らした日々も

雨の街寒かっただろう

はかなし幸せをごめん引き止められなかった

다음 생에 좋은 곳에 태어나

더는 눈비 맞고 살지 마

土坡上狗尾巴草摇啊

摇得人眼泪掉

你那头月亮照不照得到

Che lấp đi những vết sẹo đã cũ

Đắng cay một thời cứ thế trôi qua

骑着摩托风里来雨里去

可惜不能每天都载着你

深夜下班空空的房子

已经没有你

처럼 말라와

저 길란 다 지어다 고 고자

土手の犬ころ草ゆらゆら

涙こぼれた

土坡上狗尾巴草摇啊

摇得人眼泪掉

你那头月亮照不照得到

저 길을 떠나도 더는 슬퍼하지 마

Che lấp đi những vết sẹo đã cũ

Đắng cay một thời cứ thế trôi qua

Dịu dàng cơn gió khẽ đưa lối về về nơi quá khứ

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
che /t͡ɕɛ˧/ A2	verb - to cover; to hide; to shield
lấp /ləp̚˧˦/ B1	verb - to fill (up); to cover (up a hole or gap)
vết /vɛt̚˧˦/ A2	noun - mark; trace; stain; scar (as in 'vết sẹo')
sẹo /sɛw˧˨ʔ/ B1	noun - scar; cicatrix
cũ /ku˧˨ʔ/ A1	adjective - old; used; antique
đắng cay /ɗaŋ˧˦ kaj˧/ B2	adjective - bitter; painful (experience); full of hardship noun - bitterness; hardship; suffering
thời /tʰɤj˧˨ʔ/ A2	noun - time; period; era; season
trôi /t͡ɕoj˧/ B1	verb - to flow; to drift; to float (on water or air)
qua /kwa˧/ A1	verb - to pass; to go over; to cross preposition - past; through; by (indicating movement or duration)
dịu dàng /ziw˧˨ʔ zaŋ˧˨ʔ/ B1	adjective - gentle; tender; mild; delicate
gió /zɔ˧/ A1	noun - wind; breeze
đưa /ɗɯə˧/ A1	verb - to give; to bring; to lead; to hand over
lối /loj˧˦/ A2	noun - path; way; lane; style
về /vɛ˧˨ʔ/ A1	verb - to return; to come back; to go back
nơi /nɤj˧/ A1	noun - place; spot; location
quá khứ /kwa˧ kʰɯ˧˦/ A2	noun - past; the past (time)

Key Grammar Structures

• 黄土地变成柏油 (Huáng tǔdì biànchéng bóyóu)

  ➔ Verb-Object Construction, Resultative Complement

  ➔ The verb “变成 (biànchéng)” indicates a change of state. The 'yellow land' (**黄土地**) *becomes* (**变成**) asphalt (**柏油**). This is a common pattern in Chinese to show a completed transformation.

• 你那头月亮照不照得到 (Nǐ nà tóu yuèliàng zhào bù zhào dédào)

  ➔ Potential Complement with Negative Question

  ➔ “照不照得到 (zhào bù zhào dédào)” uses the potential complement “得到 (dédào)” to ask if the moonlight (**月亮**) *can be seen* (**照得到**) on 'your side' (**你那头**). The “不” creates a negative question, implying doubt.

• Che lấp đi những vết sẹo đã cũ

  ➔ Verb + Object + Past Participle Phrase

  ➔ The phrase “đã cũ (đã cũ)” functions as an adjective modifying “vết sẹo (vết sẹo)” – 'old scars'. The verb “che lấp (che lấp)” means to cover up or conceal. The sentence means 'to cover up the old scars'.

• Dịu dàng cơn gió khẽ đưa lối về về nơi quá khứ

  ➔ Adverbial Phrase + Noun + Verb + Adverb + Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ The repetition of “về (về)” emphasizes the return *to* the past (**nơi quá khứ**). “Dịu dàng (dịu dàng)” is a gentle adverb describing the wind (**cơn gió**). “Đưa lối (đưa lối)” means to guide or lead.