做自己的光 (Zuò Zìjǐ De Guāng) – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: Thiện Vũ (善宇)

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the Mandarin language through the gentle and encouraging message of '做自己的光 (Be Your Own Light).' This song is special for its universally relatable theme of self-acceptance, making it a great entry point for learners. The clear and melodic vocals can help you practice pronunciation and tone, while the inspirational lyrics offer a window into contemporary Chinese culture and values.

[English]

Be the light for yourself.

People only care about the result, not the process.

You don’t have to shine too brightly.

People like to judge life by numbers.

The buds haven’t even sprouted yet, and they’re forced to bloom.

Mom says to be happy, but didn’t tell me how.

Growing up has taught me that failure isn’t something to fear.

The scary thing is you still believe this sentence.

Be your own light; you don’t have to shine so bright.

Who says you have to bow to this wind to be considered right?

There’s still a long way to go on the lonely road.

The two characters for growth originally have no side strokes.

Be your own light.

The buds haven’t even sprouted yet, and they’re pushed to bloom.

Mom says to be happy, but didn’t tell me how.

Growing up taught me that failure isn’t something to fear.

The scary thing is you still believe this sentence.

Be your own light; you don’t have to shine so bright.

Who says you have to bow to this wind to be counted as wrong?

There’s still a long way to go on the lonely road.

The two characters for growth have no side strokes.

Be your own light.

Be your own light; you don’t have to shine so bright.

Who says you have to bow to this wind to be counted as not right.

There’s still a long way to go on the lonely road.

The two characters for growth have no side strokes.

Be your own light.

Then how could that be?

The scary thing is you still believe this sentence.

The scary thing is you still believe this sentence.

The scary thing is you still believe this sentence.

The painful thing is you still believe this sentence.

Who says you have to bow to this wind to be counted as not right?

Who says you have to bow to this wind to be counted as not right?

Who says you have to fly against the wind to soar?

The water theory goes against wind, fortune, calculation, and even the phoenix.

The scary thing is you still believe this sentence.

The scary thing is you still believe this sentence.

The scary thing is you still believe this sentence.

The painful thing is you still believe this sentence.

Be your own light; you don’t have to shine too bright.

Be the light for yourself, you don’t need to shine too brightly.

Be your own light; you don’t have to shine too brightly.

Be your own light.

Be your own light.

Then how could that be?

There’s still a long way to go on the lonely road.

The lonely road still has a long way to go.

And how could that be?

And how could that happen?

In your hands there’s only an ordinary script.

But in your hands there’s only a plain copy.

Who says you must brave this wind to reach distant places?

Who says you have to be brave to fly against the wind to go far?

The water theory goes against fortune and wind, and even the phoenix.

The wounds you’ve endured will grow wings.

The pain of growth teaches me that failure isn’t really scary.

Flowers will bloom someday, even if late, in the right way.

Dried flowers will bloom again; when is the best time to bloom?

Growing up says that being with friends leads to trouble.

The two characters for growth originally have no extra strokes.

Two characters for growth were never meant to have wings.

Be your own light.

[Chinese]

Hãy làm ánh sáng của chính mình

rén men dōu zhǐ kàn jié guǒ bù kàn guò chéng

Không cần phải quá sáng

xǐ huān yòng fēn shù jué dìng rén shēng

kū shù hái méi fā yá jiù bèi bī zhe yào kāi huā

māmā shuō yào kuài lè què méi gào sù wǒ fāng fǎ

chéng zhǎng tā jiào huì wǒ shī bài qí shí bù kě pà

kě pà de shì nǐ hái xiāng xìn zhè jù huà

zuò zì jǐ de guāng bù xū yào tài liàng

shéi shuō yào nì zhe fēng cái suàn fēi xiáng

gūdú de lù shàng hái yào zǒu hěn zhǎng

chéng cháng èr zì běn lái jiù méi yǒu piān páng

zuò zì jǐ de guāng

kū shù hái méi fā yá jiù bèi bī zhe yào kāi huā

māmā shuō yào kuài lè què méi gào sù wǒ fāng fǎ

chéng zhǎng tā jiào huì wǒ shī bài qí shí bù kě pà

kě pà de shì nǐ hái xiāng xìn zhè jù huà

zuò zì jǐ de guāng bù xū yào tài liàng

shéi shuō yào nì zhe fēng cái suàn fēi xiáng

gūdú de lù shàng hái yào zǒu hěn zhǎng

chéng cháng èr zì běn lái jiù méi yǒu piān páng

zuò zì jǐ de guāng

zuò zì jǐ de guāng bù xū yào tài liàng

shéi shuō yào nì zhe fēng cái suàn fēi xiáng

gūdú de lù shàng hái yào zǒu hěn zhǎng

chéng cháng èr zì běn lái jiù méi yǒu piān páng

zuò zì jǐ de guāng

nà yòu néng zěn yàng

kě pà de shì nǐ hái xiāng xìn zhè jù huà

Kè pà de shì nǐ hái xiāng xìn zhè jù huà

Điều đáng sợ là bạn vẫn tin vào câu nói này

Khổ pha đích thị nĩ hái xiāng xìn zhè jù huà

shéi shuō yào nì zhe fēng cái suàn fēi xiáng

shéi shuō yào nì zhe fēng cái suàn fēi xiáng

Ai nói muốn bay ngược gió mới phải là bay?

Thủy thuyết nghịch trước phong tài toán phi phượng

kě pà de shì nǐ hái xiāng xìn zhè jù huà

kě pà de shì nǐ hái xiāng xìn zhè jù huà

Điều đáng sợ là bạn vẫn tin vào câu nói này

Khổ pha đích thị nĩ hái xiāng xìn zhè jù huà

zuò zì jǐ de guāng bù xū yào tài liàng

Làm ánh sáng cho chính mình, không cần phải quá sáng

zuò zì jǐ de guāng bù xū yào tài liàng

Tự be by dich quang bot nhu yen thai huong

zuò zì jǐ de guāng

nà yòu néng zěn yàng

gūdú de lù shàng hái yào zǒu hěn zhǎng

Con đường cô đơn vẫn phải đi rất dài

Nă yŏu néng zěn yàng

Cô đè đi le thượmg hoăcn yén lán khắn huơng

kě shǒu lǐ zhǐ yǒu pǔ tōng jù běn

nhưng trong tay chỉ có một bức bản thường

shéi shuō yào yáng zhe fēng cái huì yǒu yuǎn fāng

Ai nói phải dũng cảm đi ngược gió mới bay xa được?

thủy thuyết nghi tích trước phong tài toàn phí phương

nà shòu guò de shāng huì shēng chū chì bǎng

sự thương thành dạy tôi thất bại thực ra không đáng sợ

huā zǒng yǒu tiān huì kāi wǎn diǎn yòu hé fāng

Hoa tàn thì sẽ nở lại, muốn nở nhất là khi nào?

Thành thương nói bị bạn lại họa một kiên bằng

Chéng zhǎng ěr zì běn lái jiù méi yǒu piān páng

Trưởng thành hai chữ vốn dĩ liền không có thiên bàng

zuò zì jǐ de guāng

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
光 /guāng/ A1	noun - a form of electromagnetic radiation that enables vision; brightness
快樂 /kuài lè/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure; happy
相信 /xiāng xìn/ A2	verb - to accept something as true or real; believe
人生 /rén shēng/ A2	noun - the period from birth to death; life
成長 /chéng zhǎng/ A2	verb - to increase in size, numbers, or strength; grow noun - the process of increasing in physical size or emotional maturity; growth
失敗 /shī bài/ B1	verb - to be unsuccessful in achieving a goal; fail noun - the state of being unsuccessful; failure
孤獨 /gūdú/ B1	adjective - lacking company or companionship; lonely
風 /fēng/ A1	noun - the natural movement of air, especially in the outdoors; wind
飛翔 /fēi xiáng/ A2	verb - to fly through the air with wings; soar
路上 /lù shang/ A1	noun - a way or track made for walking; road
可怕 /kě pà/ B1	adjective - causing or capable of causing terror; dreadful
方法 /fāng fǎ/ A2	noun - a particular way of doing something; method
成功 /chéng gōng/ A2	noun - the achievement of desired results; success
結果 /jié guǒ/ B1	noun - the outcome or consequence of an action or process; result
過程 /guò chéng/ B2	noun - a series of actions or steps taken to achieve something; process
翅膀 /chì bǎng/ B1	noun - a movable organ for flying found on birds and insects; wing
開花 /kāi huā/ B1	verb - to produce flowers; bloom
喜歡 /xǐ huān/ A1	verb - to find pleasure in something; like
樹 /shù/ A1	noun - a tall plant with a woody stem; tree

Key Grammar Structures

• rén men dōu zhǐ kàn jié guǒ bù kàn guò chéng

  ➔ Adverb of inclusion: dōu (all)

  ➔ In the sentence "rén men dōu zhǐ kàn jié guǒ", "dōu" indicates that all people do this action.

• māmā shuō yào kuài lè què méi gào sù wǒ fāng fǎ

  ➔ Concessive conjunction: què (but, yet)

  ➔ In the sentence "māmā shuō yào kuài lè què méi gào sù wǒ fāng fǎ", "què" shows contrast between what was said and what wasn't done.

• chéng zhǎng tā jiào huì wǒ shī bài qí shí bù kě pà

  ➔ Contrasting adverbials: qí shí (actually, in fact)

  ➔ In the sentence "chéng zhǎng tā jiào huì wǒ shī bài qí shí bù kě pà", "qí shí" corrects or contrasts with the previous assumption.

• zuò zì jǐ de guāng bù xū yào tài liàng

  ➔ Negative modal expression: bù xū yào (does not need to)

  ➔ In the sentence "zuò zì jǐ de guāng bù xū yào tài liàng", "bù xū yào" expresses lack of necessity.

• shéi shuō yào nì zhe fēng cái suàn fēi xiáng

  ➔ Rhetorical question with conditional: cái suàn (only then counts as)

  ➔ In the sentence "shéi shuō yào nì zhe fēng cái suàn fēi xiáng", "cái suàn" emphasizes that only under that condition does it count.

• gūdú de lù shàng hái yào zǒu hěn zhǎng

  ➔ Adverb of continuation: hái (still, furthermore)

  ➔ In the sentence "gūdú de lù shàng hái yào zǒu hěn zhǎng", "hái" adds emphasis on the ongoing or additional requirement.

• chéng cháng èr zì běn lái jiù méi yǒu piān páng

  ➔ Idiomatic phrase: běn lái jiù (originally/innately)

  ➔ In the sentence "chéng cháng èr zì běn lái jiù méi yǒu piān páng", "běn lái jiù" indicates that growth has no shortcuts by nature.

• nà yòu néng zěn yàng

  ➔ Rhetorical question structure: néng zěn yàng (can do what/how)

  ➔ In the sentence "nà yòu néng zěn yàng", "néng zěn yàng" poses a rhetorical question implying resignation or inevitability.

• kě shǒu lǐ zhǐ yǒu pǔ tōng jù běn

  ➔ Restrictive adverb: zhǐ yǒu (only have)

  ➔ In the sentence "kě shǒu lǐ zhǐ yǒu pǔ tōng jù běn", "zhǐ yǒu" restricts to indicate only that is present.