Hey, 你可曾听过容祖儿的小小

HOW TO GET AN ENGLISH VERSION OF THE CHINESE SONG YOU LIKE AND MAKE IT SOUND NATURAL

Hey, 你可曾听过容祖儿的小小

The most important part to make a Chinese song singable and natural in English is to get each original beat in Chinese covered by the syllable in English. And rhyme at the end of the sentence may add aesthetic feeling to the lyrics.

There must be a corresponding matchup between the lines to make the lyrics sound beautiful in a balanced way.

Here are the steps applicable.

1 Take each Chinese character as one syllable. Pause is deemed as syllable, and it could be one, or two or three syllables based on the time it takes. Figure out how many syllables there are.

2 Match the syllable of English to that in Chinese. Make sure that the syllable quantity for both is the same.

3 Make the English lyrics as neat and brief as possible with mainly noun, verb and prep. Leave out the subject if possible.

4 Rhyme the last word of a line with that of another line close to it.

---

Take the first two lines below for example.

回忆像      个        说书的人

memory      ,          storyteller

8 syllables in total: 8 in Chinese, 7 in English+1 pause

用充满                乡音的口吻

Talks to me        like native speaker

8 syllables in total: 8 in Chinese, 8 in English

Rhyme in storyteller and speaker

---

回忆像个说书的人

Memory, storyteller

用充满乡音的口吻

Talks to me like native speaker

跳过水坑　绕过小村

Cross the puddle, round the village

等相遇的缘分

Await our first meet

你用泥巴捏一座城

Shape the mud into castle

说将来要娶我进门

Tell me that you'll marry me

转多少身 　过几次门

How may times, how many rounds

虚掷青春

Never been mine

小小的誓言　还不稳

Infantile as the promises

小小的泪水　还在撑

Down with the shining tears

稚嫩的唇 　在说离分

Immature lips for farewell

小小的感动　雨纷纷

Innocent touch in rains

小小的别扭　惹人疼

Moody mind with smile

小小的人　还不会吻

Young of age too young for kiss

我的心里从此住了一个人

You have been in my heart for a while

曾经模样小小的我们

Back in years since we were four or five

那年你搬小小的板凳

Little wooden stool in your hand

为戏入迷我也一路跟

With you in eyes we are side by side

我在找那个故事里的人

I've been in search for that man in tale

你是不能缺少的部分

You are the part that could never miss

你在树下小小的打盹

Down the tree you take a little nap

小小的我　傻傻等

Young and foolish I await

当初学人说爱念剧本

Read the script like a lover did

缺牙的你发音却不准

Not articulated without front teeth

我在找那个故事里的人

I've been in search for that man in tale

你是不能缺少的部分

You are the part that could never miss

小小的手牵小小的人

Little hand in hand yours and mine

守着小小的永恒

Keep the little wish in mind