Busily busily cricket sings [1] By the door the maiden Mulan weaves Why isn’t the shuttle’s sound heard But only the maiden Mulan’s sighs? Ask the maiden of whom are you thinking And what is on your mind?
Answers Mulan, of no one am I thinking And nothing is on my mind Last night, I saw the draft poster The Emperor is calling many troops The army listing has twelve scrolls In all of them is father’s name Father has no grown sons And I have no elder brothers I want to buy a saddle and a horse And serve the army in father’s place
In the east market she buys a fine horse In the west market she buys a saddle and a cushion In the south market she buys a snaffle and reins In the north market she buys a long whip At dawn Mulan bids farewell to father and mother At dusk she sleeps at the Yellow River’s bank The calling of father and mother is not heard But only the running water of the Yellow River When daylight breaks she left the Yellow River At night she arrives at the Black Mountain top The calling of father and mother is not heard But only the running horses of the nomadic army in Mount Yan
Traveling ten thousand miles, Mulan fights in the battlefields Overcoming impasses and mountains swiftly as though flying The frigid wind carries the watchman’s rattle in the northern country The moonlight shines on the iron armors in cold nights Having fought hundreds of life and death battles Over ten years pass, and as a warrior Mulan returns
Returning triumphantly, Mulan meets the Emperor Who sits in a shining hall Receiving the highest honor in twelve ranks Mulan is rewarded in a thousand and more The Emperor asks what her wishes are Mulan replies, being an official is not my desire I only wish to borrow the camel’s feet That travel swiftly to take me back to my home
Father and mother hear of daughter’s return They come out of the city, holding onto each other Elder sister hears of sister’s return She rouges herself in front of the door Younger brother hears of sister’s return He sharpens the knife and comes for pig and sheep Mulan opens the door to the eastern chamber And sits on the bed in the western chamber Taking off her wartime robe She puts on her old-time dress By the window, she fixes her long silky hair Facing the mirror, she puts yellow power on her forehead She then comes out to see her army friends Who are all shocked and amazed Having been in the same army for twelve years They do not know a maiden Mulan really is
“The he-hare’s feet hop and leap The she-hare has bleary eyes When the two walk together close to the ground Who can tell which is he and which is she?”
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