The Ballad of Mùlán in our huale huoban textbook 课本中的木兰辞

木兰辞 The Mulan Ballad

翻译:汪榕培

唧唧复唧唧,木兰当户织。

不闻机杼声,唯闻女叹息。

问女何所思?问女何所忆?

女亦无所思,女亦无所忆。

昨夜见军帖,可汗大点兵,

军书十二卷,卷卷有爷名。

阿爷无大儿,木兰无长兄,

愿为市鞍马,从此替爷征。

Alas oh alas! Alas oh alas!

Mulan is weaving cloth of topmost class.

Listen and you don’t hear the spinning drone;

You only hear the maiden sigh and moan.

“Good lass, what thought has occupied your mind?

Good lass, what thought can you not leave behind?”

“I’ve nothing that has occupied my mind;

I’ve nothing that I cannot leave behind.

I saw the new recruiting lists last night;

The Khan is summoning the men to fight.

The twelve lists are literally the same;

In every list there is my father’s name.

My dad does not have any grown-up son;

I have no elder brother to carry the gun.

I’ll go and buy a stalwart horse and pad

So as to go to battle for my dad.”

东市买骏马,西市买鞍鞯,

南市买辔头,北市买长鞭。

朝辞爷娘去,暮宿黄河边。

不闻爷娘唤女声,但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅。

旦辞黄河去,暮至黑山头。

不闻爷娘唤女声,但闻燕山胡骑声啾啾。

万里赴戎机,关山度若飞。

朔气传金柝,寒光照铁衣。

将军百战死,壮士十年归。

She buys a strong steed in the eastern market;

She buys a saddle in the western market;

She buys a bridle in the southern market;

She buys a long whip in the northern market.

She leaves her dearest parents by daylight,

And stays by the Yellow River for the night.

She can no longer hear her parents’ sound,

But only hears the rushing flood around.

She leaves the Yellow River by daylight.

Arrives at Mount Heishan at early night.

She can no longer hear her parents’ sound;

She only hears the Tartar steeds around.

She goes for miles and miles to join the war,

And crosses hills and valleys with the crops.

The northern wind resounds the watchmen’s hail;

The chilly moon shines on their coats of mail.

Countless men die on the battlefields.

While other men return with swords and shileds.

归来见天子,天子坐明堂。

策勋十二转,赏赐百千强。

可汗问所欲,“木兰不用尚书郎,

愿借明驼千里足,送儿还故乡。”

爷娘闻女来,出郭相扶将。

阿姊闻妹来,当户理红妆。

小弟闻姊来,磨刀霍霍向猪羊。

Mulan receives an audience from the Khan,

Who makes a huge grant to the valiant “man.”

Mulan is praised and offered the highest post,

And given piles of treasures she can boast.

She says when asked what she would like to do,

“High posts at court are not what I pursue.

All I want is a camel with its crew

To send me home to start my life anew.”

On hearing that Mulan will soon be home,

Her parents leave the courtyard arm in arm.

On hearing that Mulan will soon be home,

Her younger sister makes up to add charm.

On hearing that Mulan will soon be home,

Her younger brother butches pigs on the farm.

开我东阁门,坐我西阁床。

脱我战时袍,著我旧时裳。

当窗理云鬓,对镜贴花黄。

出门看火伴,火伴皆惊惶。

同行十二年,不知木兰是女郎。

“雄兔脚扑朔,雌兔眼迷离;

两兔傍地走,安能辨我是雄雌!”

She opens doors of chambers east and west

And sits upon her bed to take a rest.

She first takes off her warrior’s coat of mail

And then puts on her female dress and veil.

She stands by windows doing her long hair

And faces mirrors painting her brows fair.

When she meets her mates in female array,

They stare at her in great surprise and say,

“We fought for twelve years in the same brigade,

But never knew that Mulan was a maid!”

“The male rabbit hops and skips on the ground;

The female rabbit winks and blinks around.

When two rabbits scurry to and fro,

Who knows which is the buck and which the doe?”

Disney tried to bring Mulan to the world and the song is “自己” aka (self) Reflection。

Conclusion

I think the legend of Mulan tells a story of courage and honor which is needed for all to excel in this society.