Sh i P oe t ry : musiC bur e au P oe m s 97
C 4. 8
Mulberry Along the Lane 陌上桑 (mò shàng sāng)The sun rises from the southeast corner, 日出東南隅 (rì chū dōng nán yú)
2 Shines on our Qin clan house. 照我秦氏樓 (zhào wŏ qín shì lóu)
The Qin clan has a pretty girl, 秦氏有好女 (qín shì yŏu hăo nǚ)
4 She calls herself Luofu. 自名為羅敷 (zì míng wéi luó fū)
Luofu delights in raising silkworms and picking
mulberry leaves. 羅敷喜蠶桑 (luó fū xĭ cán sāng)
6 She picks mulberry leaves at the southern corner of the
wall, 採桑城南隅 (căi sāng chéng nán yú)
Blue silk strands form her basket ties, 青絲為籠係 (qīng sī wéi lóng xì)
8 A cassia twig serves as its handle. 桂枝為籠鉤 (guì zhī wéi lóng gōu)
On her head is a falling chignon; 頭上倭墮髻 (tóu shàng wō duò jì)
10 On her ears are bright moon pearls. 耳中明月珠 (ĕr zhōng míng yuè zhū)
Of golden silk is her skirt, 緗綺為下帬 (xiāng qĭ wéi xià qún)
12 Of purple silk is her jacket. 紫綺為上襦 (zĭ qĭ wéi shàng rú)
When passersby see Luofu 行者見羅敷 (xíng zhĕ jiàn luó fū)
14 They put down their loads, stroking their beards. 下擔捋頿鬚 (xià dàn lǚ zī xū)
When young men see Luofu, 少年見羅敷 (shào nián jiàn luó fū)
16 They remove their caps and fiddle with their head cloths. 脫帽著帩頭 (tuō mào zhuó shāo tóu)
Plowmen forget their plows; 耕者忘其犁 (gēng zhĕ wàng qí lí)
18 Hoers forget their hoes. 鋤者忘其鋤 (chú zhĕ wàng qí chú)
When they return, they complain about each other— 來歸相怒怨 (lái guī xiāng nù yuàn)
20 It’s all because of looking at Luofu. 但坐觀羅敷 (dàn zuò guān luó fū)
The grand warden comes from the south, 使君從南來 (shĭ jūn cóng nán lái)
22 His five horses stop, pacing up and down. 五馬立歭躇 (wŭ mă lì chí chú)
The grand warden sends forth an officer, 使君遣吏往 (shĭ jūn qiăn lì wăng)
24 To ask from what house is this pretty girl. 問此誰家姝 (wèn cĭ shuí jiā shū)
“The Qin clan has a pretty girl, 秦氏有好女 (qín shì yŏu hăo nǚ)
26 She calls herself Luofu.” 自名為羅敷 (zì míng wéi luó fū)
“What is Luofu’s age?” 羅敷年幾何 (luó fū nián jĭ hé)
28 “Not quite twenty yet. 二十尚不足 (èr shí shàng bù zú)
A little more than fifteen.” 十五頗有餘 (shí wŭ pō yŏu yú)
30 The grand warden asks Luofu, 使君謝羅敷 (shĭ jūn xiè luó fū)
“Would you like to ride with me?” 寧可共載不 (níng kĕ gòng zài fŏu)
32 Luofu steps forward and answers, 羅敷前致詞 (luó fū qián zhì cí)
“How stupid is the grand warden! 使君一何愚 (shĭ jūn yì hé yú)
34 The grand warden has his own wife, 使君自有婦 (shĭ jūn zì yŏu fù)
And Luofu has her own husband. 羅敷自有夫 (luó fū zì yŏu fū)
36 In the east, of a thousand-plus horsemen, 東方千餘騎 (dōng fāng qiān yú jì)
It is my husband who takes the lead. 夫壻居上頭 (fū xù jū shàng tóu)
38 How can one recognize my husband? 何用識夫壻 (hé yòng shì fū xù)