📖 Music Bureau Poetry Collection - Volume I

What I long for lies in the great southern sea. Why send gifts to you, with twin pearls and tortoiseshell hairpins? Bound with jade threads. Hearing you have another heart, I smash and burn them. Burn them, let the wind scatter the ashes! From now on, let us not think of each other, my longing for you is severed! Rooster crows, dog barks, my brother and sister-in-law should know this. Oh, call the swine! The autumn wind is chilly, the morning breeze brisk, the east will soon know!

The sun rises in the southeast, shining upon the Qin family's tower. The Qin family has a lovely girl, who calls herself Luofu. Luofu delights in silkworm farming, picking mulberries in the southern corner of the city. Her black hair is tied with a cage, and Guizhi is used as the cage hook. On her head is a dangling bun, in her ears are Mingyue pearls. Her lower skirt is made of yellow silk, and her upper garment is purple silk. The Wayfarer sees Luofu, lowers the burden and strokes his beard. The young man sees Luofu, removes his hat and adjusts his headscarf. The plowman forgets his plow, the hoe-man forgets his hoe. They return home in anger, but sit and watch Luofu. The magistrate comes from the south, his five horses stand hesitantly. The magistrate sends an officer to inquire, asking whose family the beauty belongs to. "The Qin family has a lovely girl, who calls herself Luofu." "How old is Luofu?" "Not yet twenty, but more than fifteen." The magistrate asks Luofu, "Would you like to ride together?" Luofu replies, "How foolish you are, magistrate! You have a wife, and Luofu has a husband."

Over a thousand riders from the east, my husband leads them. How do I recognize my husband? A white horse follows a black steed; With blue silk tied to the horse's tail, and gold adorning the horse's head; a deer-lu sword at his waist, worth over 10 million. At fifteen, a minor official; at twenty, a court minister; at thirty, an attendant to the Emperor; at forty, a governor of a city. He is fair-skinned, with a sparse beard. He walks gracefully in the public office, moves elegantly within the halls. Among thousands seated, all speak of my husband's uniqueness.

Click-clack, click-clack, Mulan weaves at the doorway. No sound of the loom is heard, only the sighs of a girl. Ask the girl what she thinks, ask the girl what she remembers. The girl thinks of nothing, the girl remembers nothing. Last night, she saw the military notice, the Khan is recruiting soldiers, the military orders span twelve scrolls, each scroll bears her father's name. Her father has no grown son, Mulan has no elder brother, she wishes to buy a saddle and horse, and take her father's place in the army. In the East Market, she buys a fine steed, in the West Market, she buys a saddle and blanket, in the South Market, she buys a bridle, in the North Market, she buys a long whip. At dawn, she bids farewell to her parents, by dusk, she rests by the Yellow River, hearing not her parents' calls, but the splashing of the Yellow River's waters. At dawn, she leaves the Yellow River, by dusk, she reaches the Black Mountain's head, hearing not her parents' calls, but the cries of the Yan Mountain's barbarian riders. Traveling thousands of miles to the battlefield, crossing mountains and passes swiftly. The northern wind carries the sound of the watchman's clapper, the cold light shines on the Ironclad. Generals die after a hundred battles, warriors return after ten years.

Returning to see the Emperor, the Emperor sits in the Hall of Light. Twelve times meritorious deeds are recorded, rewarded with countless riches. The Khan asks what she desires, Mulan declines the position of a minister, wishing only to ride swift steeds and return home. Her parents hear of her return, and support each other to meet her outside the city; her elder sister hears of her return, and prepares her makeup at the door; her younger brother hears of her return, sharpening the blades for pigs and sheep. Open my eastern chamber door, sit on my western chamber bed, remove my battle robe, and wear my old clothes. Arrange my cloud-like hair by the window, and adorn my forehead with flowers before the mirror. Step outside to see my comrades, who are all startled: after traveling together for twelve years, they did not know Mulan was a maiden. The male rabbit's feet are lively, the female rabbit's eyes are gentle; when both rabbits run side by side, how can one distinguish between male and female?

Qingqing grass by the riverbank, endless thoughts of the distant path. The distant path is beyond thought, yet I dreamt of it last night. In the dream, you were beside me, suddenly I awoke in a foreign land. In different counties of foreign lands, we turn and do not meet. Withered mulberry knows the heavenly wind, sea water knows the heavenly cold. Entering the door, each self-admires, who is willing to speak for me? A guest comes from afar, gifting me a pair of carps. Calling the child to cook the carp, inside is a letter. Kneeling long to read the letter, what does it say? Above, it speaks of eating well; below, it speaks of long remembrance.

At fifteen, I joined the army; at eighty, I finally returned. On the road, I met a fellow villager and asked, "Who remains at home?" From afar, I saw your house, with pine and cypress graves in abundance. Rabbits enter through the dog hole, pheasants fly from the beams. In the courtyard, wild grains grow; on the well, wild sunflowers bloom. We pound the grains to make rice, gather sunflowers to make soup. Once the soup and rice are ready, I wonder who to share them with? Facing east, I look out the door, tears fall and soak my clothes.