Ballad of Mulan
(…) at morning she left her parents behind,
by evening she made camp beside the Yellow River.
she does not hear her parents calling for her,
only the Yellow River waters thundering.
at morning she left the Yellow River behind,
by evening she reached the top of Mt. Hei.
she does not hear her parents calling for her,
only the Yan Mountain cavalry whinnying.
ten thousand miles in the pursuit of war,
flying past fortresses and mountains.
metal clanks on the northern wind.
iron jackets gleam with cold.
in a hundred battles generals die,
in ten years heroes return.
she returns to meet with the emperor,
the emperor sits in a grand hall (…)
木兰辞
佚名
(…)
旦辞爷娘去，
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，
但闻燕山胡骑鸣啾啾。
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。
归来见天子，
天子坐明堂。
(…)
Notes
her parents calling for her: it’s interesting that my friend and i read into the third line here with different emotional qualities: are the parents’ calls for their daughter plaintive goodbyes, or are they the constant daily requests for their daughter to do this or that task? i pictured the latter, which is still an affecting type of homesickness, i think.