半斤八兩 [Half a catty, eight taels] - Sam Hui 許冠傑 {Cantonese 76}

Verse-1:
我地呢班打工仔
ngo5 dei6 ni1 baan1 daa2 gung1 zai2
We are a bunch of working guys

通街走趯直頭係壞腸胃
tung1 gaai1 zau2 dek3 zik6 tau4 hai6 waai6 coeng4 wai6
Working outdoors, moving hurriedly here and there, that’s really no good to your digestive system. [通街= here and there in the streets; 走≠runing in this context; in Mandarin, 走路= to walk; 腸胃 (i.e. guts and stomach) refers to your digestive system, e.g. 腸胃炎 is gastroenteritis]

搵嗰些少到月底點夠使（奀過鬼）
wan2 go2 se1 siu2 dou3 jyut6 dai2 dim2 gau3 sai2 (ngan1 gwo3 gwai2)
With just a meagre pay, it’s just not enough to last till the end of the month. (No better than chicken feed)

確係認真濕滯
kok3 hai6 jing6*2 zan1 sap1 zai6
Really undesirable / Really sticky [濕滯literally means wet and stagnant]

Verse-2:
最弊波士郁啲發威（癲過雞）
zeoi3 bai6 bo1 si6*2 juk1 di1 faat3 wai1 (din1 gwo3 gai1)
The worst thing is that the boss is ever ready to explode (losing control). [癲過雞 literally means crazier than a chicken, that is to say the boss is beside himself a lot]

一味喺處係唔係就亂嚟吠
jat1 mei6*2 hai2 syu3 hai6 m4 hai6 zau6 lyun6 lai4 fai6
He keeps raising his voice [to us] like the barking of a mad dog – something really uncalled for. [一味= invariably; 喺處 = keep on ~ing; 係唔係= gratuitous The meaning of 係唔係/係唔係都 is close to 郁啲/郁啲都]

𠱓嚫加薪塊面嗱起惡睇（扭下計）
ai1 can1 gaa1 san1 faai3 min6 naa2 hei2 ok3 tai2 （nau2 haa5 gai3*2）
Whenever we ask for a raise, the boss’ll pull a long face – doesn’t look very nice （try pitting you wits against him）

你就認真開胃
nei5 zau6 jing6*2 zan1 hoi1 wai6
literally: “You really have an appetite”; figuratively: “You are asking or expecting too much!” or “You must be dreaming!”.

Chorus:
（半斤八両）做到隻積噉嘅樣
(bun3 gan1 baat3 loeng2)
... zou6 dou3 zek3 zik1 gam2 ge3 joeng6*2
(Half a catty, eight taels)
... Working like a dog [積 = 千斤頂 a jack;
隻is the measure word for 積. 做到隻積咁嘅樣literally = working like a jack (This is a graphical description)]

（半斤八両）濕水炮仗點會響
... sap1 seoi2 paau3 zoeng6*2 dim2 wui5 hoeng2
... Would a meek and docile working guy be up in arms?

（半斤八両）夠薑呀楂鎗走去搶
... gau3 goeng1 aa3 zaa1 coeng1 zau2 heoi3 coeng2
... Go pull a job with a gun if you’ve got guts?

(* coda of Chorus)
出咗半斤力，想話攞返足八両
ceot1 zo2 bun3 gan1 lik6, soeng2 waa6 lo2 faan1 zuk1 baat3 loeng2
After giving half a catty of effort, all I'm asking for is to get back eight taels. [想話=all that's being asked for is...;]

家陣惡搵食，邊有半斤八両咁理想（吹漲）
gaa1 zan6*2 ok3 wan2 sik6, bin1 jau5 bun3 gan1 baat3 loeng2 gam3 lei5 soeng2（ceoi1 zoeng3）
It’s really tough when it comes to making a living nowadays, so such ideal situation as “出咗半斤力，想話囉番足八兩” is out of the question. （Got really fed up with it!）
<OR> translate the second part (邊有半斤八兩咁理想) as "How can this be as ideal as half a catty for eight taels?" In Cantonese, 邊 (or 邊度) can be used rhetorically to mean "how can this be the case?" (similar to Mandarin 哪裡).

Verse-3:
我地呢班打工仔
ngo5 dei6 ni1 baan1 daa2 gung1 zai2
We are a bunch of working guys

一生一世為錢幣做奴隸
jat1 sang1 jat1 sai3 wai4 cin4 bai6 zou6 nou4 dai6
Working as slaves for money for life

嗰種辛苦折墮講出嚇鬼（死俾你睇）
go2 zung2 san1 fu2 zit3 do6 gong2 ceot1 haak3 gwai2 （sei2 bei2 nei5 tai2）
People will be shocked when told about that sort of hardship and distressing experience (really so bad)

咪話冇乜所謂
mai5 waa6 mou5 mat1 so2 wai6
Don't say it doesn't matter.

First time Instrumental
Second time Fine
Chorus-2:
（半斤八両）就算有福都冇你享
(bun3 gan1 baat3 loeng2)
... zau6 syun3 jau5 fuk1 dou1 mou5 nei5 hoeng2
(Half a catty, eight taels)
... Happiness is not ours to share

（半斤八両）重慘過滾水淥豬腸
... zung6 caam2 gwo3 gwan2 seoi2 luk6 zyu1 coeng4*2
... even much worse than a reduction of your pay and welfare benefits at the same time

（半斤八両）雞碎咁多都要啄
... gai1 seoi3 gam3 do1 dou1 jiu3 doeng1
... Got to accept it even though it’s chicken feed

* Go back to coda of first Chorus, then finish after Verse-3.

Source
http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?10,80359