[updated September 2022]
Planting Rice Song
秧 马 歌
春 云 濛 濛 雨 凄 凄
春 秧 欲 老 翠 剡 齐。
嗟 我 妇 子 行 水 泥
朝 分 一 垅 暮 千 畦。
腰 如 箜 篌 首 啄 鸡
筋 烦 骨 殆 声 酸 嘶。
我 有 桐 马 手 自 提
头 尻 轩 昂 腹 胁 低。
背 如 覆 瓦 去 角 圭
以 我 两 足 为 四 蹄。
耸 踊 滑 汰 如 凫 鹥
纤 纤 束 藁 亦 可 赍。
何 用 繁 缨 与 月 题
朅 从 畦 东 走 畦 西。
山 城 欲 闭 闻 鼓 鼙
忽 作 的 卢 跃 檀 溪。
归 来 挂 壁 从 高 栖
了 无 刍 秣 饥 不 啼。
少 壮 骑 汝 逮 老 黧
何 曾 蹶 轶 防 颠 隮。
锦 鞯 公 子 朝 金 闺
笑 我 一 生 蹋 牛 犁
不 知 自 有 木 駃 騠。
Yang Ma Ge
Chun yun meng meng yu qi qi
Chun yang yu lao cui yan qi.
Jie wo fu zi xing shui ni
Zhao fen yi mu qian qi.
Yao ru kong hou shou zhuo ji
Jin fan gu dai sheng suan si.
Wo you tong ma shou zi ti
Tou kao xuan ang fu xie di.
Bei ru fu wa qu jiao gui
Yi wo liang zu wei si ti.
Song yong hua tai ru fu yi
Xian xian shu gao yi ke ji.
He yong fan ying yu yue ti
Qie cong qi dong zou qi xi.
Shan cheng yu xian wen gu pi
Hu zuo di lu yue tan xi.
Gui lai hua bi cong gao qi
Liao wu chu mo ji bu ti.
Shao zhuang qi ru dai lao li
He ceng jue yi fang dian ji.
Jin jian gong zi zhao jin gui
Xiao wo yi sheng ta niu li
Bu zhi zi you mu jue ti.
Planting Rice Song
Spring clouds, very foggy rain, cold and dreary
Spring seedlings transplanted into emerald green rows.
Sigh: our wives and children walk through river silt
At dawn separate each plant, by dusk a thousand plots.
Hunched-over back like a konghou, heads peck like chickens
Tendons tired, bones creak, voices hoarse.
Some have wooden planting implements to carry and use
With front and back held high, mid-sections sag.
When carried on their backs, looks like curved ridge roof tiles
Makes two feet the work of four hooves.
They jump from paddy to paddy like wild ducks and seagulls
Very tiny bundles of sprouts make it easier to plant.
But do not need or use halters or bits
Easy to roam about the rectangular paddies.
Time for leisure when the drums closing the gates are heard
These horses like stallions who can jump wide streams.
After work, just hang them up on the wall
Don’t have to feed them hay, will never cry out when hungry.
Once made, these horses can last a long time into old age
They will not throw you or bolt away.
The young and rich in their brocade clothes ride through gold-topped arches
They laugh at me for spending my life around oxen and plows
They do not know me, and that I have a wooden mule.
Notes:
Konghou: Ancient plucked stringed musical instrument