张伟进 – 猴哥 (1998)

“猴哥” (Monkey Brother) by 张伟进 (Zhāng Wěijìn) is a popular Chinese song released in 1998. Here are the Chinese lyrics, English translations with pinyin and more.

The well-known song “猴哥” draws inspiration from the legendary figure of Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. The song is a tribute to Sun Wukong’s heroic qualities, his bravery and his untamable spirit.

Brother monkey (1998)

猴哥猴哥
你真了不得
五行大山压不住你
蹦出个孙行者

猴哥猴哥
你真太难得
紧箍咒再念
没改变老孙的本色

拔一根毫毛
吹出猴万个
眨一眨眼皮
能把鬼识破

翻个跟斗十万八千里
抖一抖威风山崩地也裂

哪里有难都想你
哪里有险都有哥
身经百战打头阵
惩恶扬善心如佛

你的美名万人传
你的故事千家说
金箍棒啊永闪烁
扫清天下浊

Chinese lyrics with English translation and pinyin

猴哥猴哥
Hóu gē hóu gē
Monkey Brother, Monkey Brother,

你真了不得
Nǐ zhēn liǎo bù dé
You are truly incredible.

五行大山压不住你
Wǔ xíng dà shān yā bù zhù nǐ
The Five Elements Mountain can’t hold you down,

蹦出个孙行者
Bèng chū gè Sūn Xíngzhě
Out comes Sun Wukong (the Monkey King).

猴哥猴哥
Hóu gē hóu gē
Monkey Brother, Monkey Brother,

你真太难得
Nǐ zhēn tài nán dé
You are truly rare.

紧箍咒再念
Jǐn gū zhòu zài niàn
Even if the Tightening Spell is recited again,

没改变老孙的本色
Méi gǎi biàn lǎo Sūn de běn sè
It won’t change the true nature of Old Sun (Sun Wukong).

拔一根毫毛
Bá yī gēn háo máo
Pull out a single hair,

吹出猴万个
Chuī chū hóu wàn gè
Blow out a thousand monkeys.

眨一眨眼皮
Zhǎ yī zhǎ yǎn pí
Flick your eyelids,

能把鬼识破
Néng bǎ guǐ shí pò
And you can see through ghosts.

翻个跟斗十万八千里
Fān gè gēn dǒu shí wàn bā qiān lǐ
Somersault a hundred thousand miles,

抖一抖威风山崩地也裂
Dǒu yī dǒu wēi fēng shān bēng dì yě liè
Shake with a little force, and mountains collapse, earth cracks.

哪里有难都想你
Nǎlǐ yǒu nán dōu xiǎng nǐ
Wherever there’s difficulty, they think of you,

哪里有险都有哥
Nǎlǐ yǒu xiǎn dōu yǒu gē
Wherever there’s danger, you are there.

身经百战打头阵
Shēn jīng bǎi zhàn dǎ tóu zhèn
Battle-tested, leading the charge,

惩恶扬善心如佛
Chéng è yáng shàn xīn rú fó
Punishing evil, promoting good, with a heart like Buddha’s.

你的美名万人传
Nǐ de měi míng wàn rén chuán
Your beautiful name is spread by thousands,

你的故事千家说
Nǐ de gù shì qiān jiā shuō
Your story is told in thousands of homes.

金箍棒啊永闪烁
Jīn gū bàng a yǒng shǎn shuò
The Golden Cudgel shines forever,

扫清天下浊
Sǎo qīng tiān xià zhuó
Clearing the world of its filth.

Key vocabulary

Key expressions

1. 了不得 (liǎo bù dé)

Meaning: Incredible, amazing, extraordinary.
Explanation: This expression is used to describe something or someone as exceptional, often in a very positive way.
Example:

• 你真的了不得！ (Nǐ zhēn de liǎo bù dé!)
  You’re truly amazing!

2. 五行大山 (wǔ xíng dà shān)

Meaning: The Five Elements Mountain.
Explanation: Refers to the mountain where Sun Wukong was imprisoned in the Journey to the West. “五行” (wǔ xíng) refers to the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water), and “大山” (dà shān) means “big mountain.” This phrase is symbolic of being trapped or confined.
Example:

• 他像孙悟空一样，不会被五行大山困住。 (Tā xiàng Sūn Wùkōng yīyàng, bù huì bèi wǔ xíng dà shān kùn zhù.)
  He is like Sun Wukong and will not be trapped by the Five Elements Mountain.

3. 本色 (běn sè)

Meaning: True nature, original character.
Explanation: This expression refers to someone’s original or unchangeable nature. It’s often used to indicate that no matter what happens, someone will remain true to themselves.
Example:

• 即使遇到困难，他始终保持本色。 (Jíshǐ yù dào kùnnán, tā shǐzhōng bǎochí běn sè.)
  Even when faced with difficulties, he always stays true to his nature.

4. 紧箍咒 (jǐn gū zhòu)

Meaning: The Tightening Spell.
Explanation: This is a magical spell used to restrain Sun Wukong, tightening a golden band around his head whenever the monk recites it. It symbolizes control or restraint.
Example:

• 尽管念了紧箍咒，孙悟空依然不愿服从。 (Jǐnguǎn niànle jǐn gū zhòu, Sūn Wùkōng yīrán bù yuàn fúcóng.)
  Although the Tightening Spell was recited, Sun Wukong still refused to obey.

5. 拔一根毫毛 (bá yī gēn háo máo)

Meaning: Pull out a single hair.
Explanation: This refers to Sun Wukong’s ability to pull out a hair from his body and transform it into a copy of himself or a weapon. It’s an expression of his extraordinary power and versatility.
Example:

• 他拔一根毫毛，就能召唤出无数猴子。 (Tā bá yī gēn háo máo, jiù néng zhàohuàn chū wú shù hóuzi.)
  He pulls out a single hair and can summon countless monkeys.

6. 山崩地裂 (shān bēng dì liè)

Meaning: Mountains collapse, earth cracks.
Explanation: A dramatic expression that indicates an overwhelming force or impact. It refers to a situation of immense power or chaos.
Example:

• 他的愤怒足以引起山崩地裂。 (Tā de fèn nù zúyǐ yǐnqǐ shān bēng dì liè.)
  His anger is enough to cause mountains to collapse and the earth to crack.

7. 身经百战 (shēn jīng bǎi zhàn)

Meaning: Battle-tested, experienced in many battles.
Explanation: This phrase describes someone who has been through many tough situations and is well-seasoned in facing challenges.
Example:

• 他身经百战，什么困难都能应对自如。 (Tā shēn jīng bǎi zhàn, shénme kùnnán dōu néng yìngduì zìrú.)
  He is battle-tested and can handle any difficulty with ease.

8. 惩恶扬善 (chéng è yáng shàn)

Meaning: Punish evil, promote good.
Explanation: This phrase expresses the idea of punishing wrongdoing while encouraging good deeds. It’s often used to describe a righteous or moral approach.
Example:

• 我们应该惩恶扬善，营造和谐社会。 (Wǒmen yīnggāi chéng è yáng shàn, yíngzào héxié shèhuì.)
  We should punish evil and promote good to create a harmonious society.

9. 金箍棒 (jīn gū bàng)

Meaning: The Golden Cudgel.
Explanation: This is Sun Wukong’s magical weapon, capable of changing size and weight. It represents strength and power in the song.
Example:

• 金箍棒是孙悟空最强大的武器。 (Jīn gū bàng shì Sūn Wùkōng zuì qiáng dà de wǔqì.)
  The Golden Cudgel is Sun Wukong’s most powerful weapon.

10. 扫清天下浊 (sǎo qīng tiān xià zhuó)

Meaning: Clear the world of its filth.
Explanation: This expression means to remove corruption or impurities from the world, often used metaphorically for doing good deeds or fighting evil.
Example:

• 我们应该扫清天下浊，让世界变得更加清洁。 (Wǒmen yīnggāi sǎo qīng tiān xià zhuó, ràng shìjiè biàn dé gèngjiā qīngjié.)
  We should clear the world of its filth and make the world cleaner.

11. 心如佛 (xīn rú fó)

Meaning: Heart like Buddha’s.
Explanation: This refers to someone having a pure, compassionate, and peaceful heart, like that of the Buddha. It symbolizes kindness and inner peace.
Example:

• 他心如佛，总是宽容他人。 (Tā xīn rú fó, zǒng shì kuānróng tārén.)
  He has a heart like Buddha’s and is always tolerant of others.

Interpretation

The song “猴哥猴哥” is a tribute to Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from Journey to the West. It celebrates his incredible strength, unyielding spirit, and heroic deeds. The song highlights his powers, like pulling hairs to create clones and his unchangeable nature despite the Tightening Spell (紧箍咒). It also emphasizes his righteousness, as he punishes evil and promotes good. Sun Wukong’s legendary status is reflected in his fame and his Golden Cudgel (金箍棒), which symbolizes his strength. Ultimately, the song portrays him as a powerful, righteous and eternal hero who cannot be confined by any force.

Chinese summary

这首歌《猴哥猴哥》是对孙悟空的赞美，歌颂了他非凡的力量、不屈的精神和英雄事迹。歌中提到孙悟空拥有强大的能力，比如拔一根毫毛变出猴子，和面对紧箍咒依然保持本色。还强调了他惩恶扬善的品德，做事正义。孙悟空的金箍棒象征着他的强大力量，歌曲展现了他作为一个永恒、不受限制的英雄形象。