小白 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 周柏豪

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful journey, and Pakho Chau's '小白' (Little White) offers a beautiful entry point into Cantonese. This heartfelt ballad, written for his late cat, is rich with emotional expressions of love, loss, and nostalgia. By exploring the lyrics, you can learn vocabulary related to companionship and life's reflections, all while being moved by a melody that has touched many hearts. It’s a special song that shows how music can turn personal grief into a universal message of love and remembrance.

[English]

On that day, a stranger’s heartbeat inside the house

Gently wagging its tail, bringing out childhood dreams

Up and down, bouncing without a word to say

Yet teaching me how to shed my heavy load

...

Putting away my instinctive claws, giving me a warm hug

Depression and fear accompany me through winter

Until that day, so painful, I couldn't even play with my toys

Leaving this world, if my eyes feel so heavy

I no longer seem naive like before, I’m searching for a natural purpose

This is when, in the late night, I see the light in your eyes telling me

Life isn't fragile anymore, yet there's a kind of carelessness

You’re the one who came down, sharing with me the child I was

...

The sky, wishing for wind and rain, perhaps this scene is blissful

It should have been lying beneath me from the very start

The outside world might be scary, who commanded me not to fear

Growing up too fast, leaving even faster, do you know?

I no longer seem naive like before, I’m searching for a natural purpose

This is when, in the late night, I see the light in your eyes telling me

Life isn't fragile anymore, yet there's a kind of carelessness

You are the one descending, sharing with me the history

Looking above the crowd, a certain star shines beautifully

Besides the desolation on my journey, there are still many things worth applauding

Making my loved ones smile, giving friends a joyful time

This is what I think when you complete your mission

...

[Chinese]

當天 家裡一顆 陌生的心跳動

輕輕的擺尾搖出了 童夢

高低 一撲一跳 無需要說話內容

卻教我懂得 卸下沉重

收起 天性的爪 贈我暖暖抱擁

抑鬱驚恐陪著一起 過冬

直到那天很痛 連爬玩具也力無從

離開世界 如果兩眼很重

我未似從前幼稚 我在找天生意義

這是你彌留半夜時 從你眼中的光講我知

性命再無常脆弱 也獨有一種大意

你是降臨陪我傾訴那孩子

天空 想刮風雨 極樂有這場景吧

本該一早已盤於我 身下

外界也許可怕 誰曾命令我不要怕

成長太快 離開更快知嗎

我未似從前幼稚 我在找天生意義

這是你彌留半夜時 從你眼中的光講我知

性命再無常脆弱 也獨有一種大意

你是降臨陪我傾訴那歷史

我望向人群以上 某道星光很漂亮

歲月旅途除了荒涼 還是有太多事可拍掌

要令我愛人微笑著 要令朋友痛快一場

這是你完成使命時 我所想

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
心跳動 (xīntiàodòng) /ɕín tʰiâu tôŋ/ B2	noun - heartbeat verb - heart is beating
搖 (yáo) /jǎʊ/ A2	verb - to shake; to wave; to rock
童夢 (tóngmèng) /tʰʊŋ mʊŋ/ B2	noun - childhood dreams
卸下 (xièxià) /ɕjɛ̂ ɕjâ/ B2	verb - to unload; to lay down (a burden)
沉重 (chénzhòng) /tʂʰə̌n tʂʊŋ/ B1	adjective - heavy; serious
爪 (zhuǎ) /ʈʂwa/ B1	noun - claw
抱擁 (bàoyōng) /pâʊ jʊ́ŋ/ B2	noun - embrace; hug verb - to embrace; to hug
抑鬱 (yìyù) /î ŷ/ C1	adjective - depressed; gloomy
驚恐 (jīngkǒng) /t͡ɕiŋ kʰʊŋ/ B2	noun - panic; fear
過冬 (guòdōng) /ku̯ô tʊŋ/ B1	verb - to spend the winter
玩具 (wánjù) /wǎn t͡ɕŷ/ A2	noun - toy
離開 (líkāi) /lǐ kʰái/ A2	verb - to leave
幼稚 (yòuzhì) /jôʊ ʈ͡ʂî/ B1	adjective - childish; naive
光 (guāng) /kwáŋ/ A1	noun - light
脆弱 (cuìruò) /tsʰwêɪ ɻwô/ C1	adjective - fragile; weak
降臨 (jiànglín) /t͡ɕjâŋ lǐn/ B2	verb - to descend; to arrive (of a god or spirit)
傾訴 (qīngsù) /t͡ɕʰiŋ sû/ B2	verb - to pour out one's heart; to confide
極樂 (jílè) /t͡ɕǐ lɤ̂/ C1	noun - perfect happiness; paradise (Buddhism)
星光 (xīngguāng) /ɕiŋ kwáŋ/ B1	noun - starlight
漂亮 (piàoliang) /pʰjâʊ li̯ǎŋ/ A1	adjective - beautiful
微笑 (wēixiào) /wéi ɕjâʊ/ A2	verb - smile noun - smile

Key Grammar Structures

• 當天 家裡一顆 陌生的心跳動

  ➔ Use of time adverb '當天' (that day) to specify the time when an event occurs.

  ➔

• 輕輕的擺尾搖出了 童夢

  ➔ Use of descriptive adverbs '輕輕的' (gently) to modify the verb phrase.

  ➔

• 高低 一撲一跳 無需要說話內容

  ➔ Use of descriptive phrase to set imagery, here '一撲一跳' (pumping and jumping) depicting movement.

  ➔

• 卻教我懂得 卸下沉重

  ➔ Use of '卻' (but/yet) to contrast previous line, indicating realization or change.

  ➔

• 收起 天性的爪 贈我暖暖抱擁

  ➔ Use of '收起' (to put away) + noun to indicate the act of gathering or retracting.

  ➔

• 直到那天很痛 連爬玩具也力無從

  ➔ Use of '直到' (until) to specify the time when an effect or change occurs.

  ➔

• 我未似從前幼稚 我在找天生意義

  ➔ Use of '未似' (not like) to compare past and present states.

  ➔

• 這是你彌留半夜時 從你眼中的光講我知

  ➔ Use of '從...講我知' (from ... I learn) to indicate learning through observation or from someone else's words.

  ➔