Two Tigers (or Little Tigers) is a popular traditional Mandarin nursery rhyme called "Liang Zhi Lao Hu" in Mandarin. Variations adopt the tune of the French melody "Frère Jacques", "Where is Thumbkin", or the third movement of Mahler's "Symphony No. 1"Two Tigers - Songs & Rhymes from Taiwan, Mama Lisa's World: International Music & Culture两只老虎 – Two Tigers, Dartmouth Folklore Archive兩隻老虎 - LIANG ZHI LAOHU, Castle of Costa MesaChinese Rhyme: Two Tigers 两只老虎, Ling-Ling Chinese: Learn Chinese in a Fun WayYa-feng Wu and Hsing-ying Li, Gothic Crossings: Medieval to Postmodern, National Taiwan University Press, 2011, p 338Fei-Lin Hsiao, Perception of Familiar Melodies and Tonal Speech by Taiwanese Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients, ProQuest, 2006
The tune depicts two high-spirited baby tigers, tussling to the point that they have bitten off select body parts. It is particularly popular amongst parents of toddlers born in the Year of the Tiger.
Lyrics
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Simplified Chinese lyrics
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Translated English lyrics Two small tigers, Two small tigers, Run so fast, Run so fast! One does not have ears! (or: One does not have eyes!) One doesn't have a tail! That's so strange, That's so strange!
Where's your hand? Where's your hand? Over here! Over here! How are you today? I'm very good today! Goodbye! Goodbye!
Alternate English lyrics Little tigers, Little tigers, Run so fast, Run so fast! Tell me where you're going, Tell me where you're going! Let me know, Let me know!
Where's your hand? Where's your hand? Over here! Over here! How are you today, dear? Very well, I thank you! Goodbye! Cheers! Goodbye! Cheers!
References