木兰辞 The Ballad of Mulan

唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。 jī jī fù jī jī, mù lán dāng hù zhī.
Sigh after sigh: Mulan weaves facing the door.

不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息。 bù wén jī zhù shēng, wéi wén nǚ tàn xī.
No sound comes from the loom; only the girl's sighs can be heard.

问女何所思，问女何所忆。 wèn nǚ hé suǒ sī, wèn nǚ hé suǒ yì.
“What are you thinking of, girl? What is on your mind?”

女亦无所思，女亦无所忆。 nǚ yì wú suǒ sī, nǚ yì wú suǒ yì.
“There is nothing I am thinking of, nothing on my mind.”

昨夜见军帖，可汗大点兵。 zuó yè jiàn jūn tiě, kè hán dà diǎn bīng.
“Last night I saw the call-up notice: the khan is mustering a great army.

军书十二卷，卷卷有爷名。 jūn shū shí èr juàn, juàn juàn yǒu yé míng.
The army lists fill twelve rolls, and every roll has Father's name.

阿爷无大儿，木兰无长兄。 ā yé wú dà ér, mù lán wú zhǎng xiōng.
Father has no grown son, and Mulan has no elder brother.

愿为市鞍马，从此替爷征。 yuàn wèi shì ān mǎ, cóng cǐ tì yé zhēng.
I am willing to buy saddle and horse for this and go to war in Father's place.”

东市买骏马，西市买鞍鞯。 dōng shì mǎi jùn mǎ, xī shì mǎi ān jiān.
At the eastern market she buys a fine horse; at the western market, a saddle and saddlecloth.

南市买辔头，北市买长鞭。 nán shì mǎi pèi tóu, běi shì mǎi cháng biān.
At the southern market she buys a bridle; at the northern market, a long whip.

旦辞爷娘去，暮宿黄河边。 dàn cí yé niáng qù, mù sù huáng hé biān.
At dawn she leaves her parents; at dusk she camps beside the Yellow River.

不闻爷娘唤女声，但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅。 bù wén yé niáng huàn nǚ shēng, dàn wén huáng hé liú shuǐ míng jiān jiān.
She cannot hear her parents calling their daughter, only the Yellow River rushing and splashing.

旦辞黄河去，暮至黑山头。 dàn cí huáng hé qù, mù zhì hēi shān tóu.
At dawn she leaves the Yellow River; at dusk she reaches Black Mountain.

不闻爷娘唤女声，但闻燕山胡骑鸣啾啾。 bù wén yé niáng huàn nǚ shēng, dàn wén yān shān hú qí míng jiū jiū.
She cannot hear her parents calling their daughter, only the northern horses neighing at Yan Mountain.

万里赴戎机，关山度若飞。 wàn lǐ fù róng jī, guān shān dù ruò fēi.
She travels ten thousand li to the fighting, crossing passes and mountains as if in flight.

朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣。 shuò qì chuán jīn tuò, hán guāng zhào tiě yī.
The northern air carries the sound of the watchman's clapper; cold light shines on iron armour.

将军百战死，壮士十年归。 jiàng jūn bǎi zhàn sǐ, zhuàng shì shí nián guī.
Generals and soldiers fight a hundred battles; after ten years, some are dead and some come home.

归来见天子，天子坐明堂。 guī lái jiàn tiān zǐ, tiān zǐ zuò míng táng.
On her return she sees the Son of Heaven, seated in the ceremonial hall.

策勋十二转，赏赐百千强。 cè xūn shí èr zhuǎn, shǎng cì bǎi qiān qiáng.
Her service earns twelve ranks of merit and rewards of more than a hundred thousand.

可汗问所欲，木兰不用尚书郎。 kè hán wèn suǒ yù, mù lán bù yòng shàng shū láng.
The khan asks what she wants, but Mulan has no wish to become a court official.

愿驰千里足，送儿还故乡。 yuàn chí qiān lǐ zú, sòng ér huán gù xiāng.
“I ask for a swift mount to carry your daughter back to her home.”

爷娘闻女来，出郭相扶将。 yé niáng wén nǚ lái, chū guō xiāng fú jiāng.
Her parents hear that their daughter is coming and support each other as they go outside the town wall.

阿姊闻妹来，当户理红妆。 ā zǐ wén mèi lái, dāng hù lǐ hóng zhuāng.
Her elder sister hears that her younger sister is coming and puts on her finery facing the door.

小弟闻姊来，磨刀霍霍向猪羊。 xiǎo dì wén zǐ lái, mó dāo huò huò xiàng zhū yáng.
Her little brother hears that his sister is coming and sharpens his knife, swish, swish, for the pigs and sheep.

开我东阁门，坐我西阁床。 kāi wǒ dōng gé mén, zuò wǒ xī gé chuáng.
“I open the door of my eastern room and sit on the bed in my western room.

脱我战时袍，著我旧时裳。 tuō wǒ zhàn shí páo, zhuó wǒ jiù shí cháng.
I take off my wartime robe and put on the clothes I used to wear.”

当窗理云鬓，对镜帖花黄。 dāng chuāng lǐ yún bìn, duì jìng tiē huā huáng.
By the window she arranges her cloudlike hair; before the mirror she puts on yellow forehead ornaments.

出门看火伴，火伴皆惊忙。 chū mén kàn huǒ bàn, huǒ bàn jiē jīng máng.
She goes outside to see her comrades, and they are all astonished.

同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎。 tóng xíng shí èr nián, bù zhī mù lán shì nǚ láng.
“We travelled together for twelve years and never knew Mulan was a woman!”

雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离。 xióng tù jiǎo pū shuò, cí tù yǎn mí lí.
A male rabbit's feet kick and scramble; a female rabbit's eyes narrow and blur.

双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌？ shuāng tù bàng dì zǒu, ān néng biàn wǒ shì xióng cí?
But when two rabbits run side by side along the ground, how can you tell whether I am male or female?