diff --git a/scripts/split-i18n-files.escript b/scripts/split-i18n-files.escript
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..5910db667
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/split-i18n-files.escript
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env escript
+
+%% This script is for one-time use.
+%% will be deleted after the migration is done.
+
+-mode(compile).
+
+main([]) ->
+    %% we need to parse hocon
+    %% so we'll just add all compiled libs to path
+    code:add_pathsz(find_ebin_paths("_build/default/lib/*")),
+    Files = filelib:wildcard("rel/i18n/*.hocon"),
+    ok = lists:foreach(fun split_file/1, Files),
+    ok.
+
+find_ebin_paths(DirPattern) ->
+    LibDirs = filelib:wildcard(DirPattern),
+    lists:filtermap(fun add_ebin/1, LibDirs).
+
+add_ebin(Dir) ->
+    EbinDir = filename:join(Dir, "ebin"),
+    case filelib:is_dir(EbinDir) of
+        true -> {true, EbinDir};
+        false -> false
+    end.
+
+split_file(Path) ->
+    {ok, DescMap} = hocon:load(Path),
+    [{Module, Descs}] = maps:to_list(DescMap),
+    ok = split(Path, Module, <<"en">>, Descs),
+    ok = split(Path, Module, <<"zh">>, Descs),
+    ok.
+
+split(Path, Module, Lang, Fields) when is_map(Fields) ->
+    split(Path, Module, Lang, maps:to_list(Fields));
+split(Path, Module, Lang, Fields) when is_list(Fields) ->
+    Split = lists:map(fun({Name, Desc})-> do_split(Path, Name, Lang, Desc) end, Fields),
+    IoData = [Module, " {\n\n", Split, "}\n"],
+    %% assert it's a valid HOCON object
+    {ok, _} = hocon:binary(IoData),
+    %io:format(user, "~s", [IoData]).
+    WritePath = case Lang of
+                    <<"en">> ->
+                        Path;
+                    <<"zh">> ->
+                        rename(Path, "zh")
+                end,
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(WritePath),
+    ok = file:write_file(WritePath, IoData),
+    ok.
+
+rename(FilePath, Lang) ->
+    Dir = filename:dirname(FilePath),
+    BaseName = filename:basename(FilePath),
+    filename:join([Dir, Lang, BaseName]).
+
+do_split(Path, Name, Lang, #{<<"desc">> := Desc} = D) ->
+    try
+        Label = maps:get(<<"label">>, D, #{}),
+        DescL = maps:get(Lang, Desc),
+        LabelL = maps:get(Lang, Label, undefined),
+        [fmt([Name, ".desc:\n"], DescL),
+        fmt([Name, ".label:\n"], LabelL)
+        ]
+    catch
+        C : E : S->
+            erlang:raise(C, {Path, Name, E}, S)
+    end.
+
+
+tq() ->
+    "\"\"\"".
+
+fmt(_Key, undefined) ->
+    [];
+fmt(Key, Content) ->
+    [Key, tq(), Content, tq(), "\n\n"].
+