Chinese Reading Center
木兰 Ode to Mulan
Disney's 1998 animated movie Mulan popularized the legend of the girl that took her father's place in the army. The legend stems from a Chinese poem, written during the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), a time where northern china was ruled by nomadic invaders. This is reflected in the fact that the poem refers to the ruler as the Khan rather than as the Emperor. As is common with Chinese stories, it was further elaborated on as a novel during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and as a play during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Her surname has been variously given as Zhu, Wei, or Hua in various sources but in fact no independent contemporary records exist to confirm her existence.
In her 1976 bestseller The Woman Warrior, acclaimed writer Maxine Hong Kingston's described Mulan as a source of inspiration for Chinese women.
The poem itself is written in the form of a singing ballad called a 樂府 "yue fu".
| 繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp | English |
|---|---|
| 唧唧复唧唧 木兰当户织 不闻机杼声 唯闻女叹息 | Ji-ji, again ji-ji, Mulan faces the door, weaving. You can't hear the sound of the loom's shuttle, You only hear Daughter's sighs. |
| 问女何所思 问女何所忆 女亦无所思 女亦无所忆 | They ask Daughter who's in her thought, They ask Daughter who's on her memory. "No one is on Daughter's thought, No one is on Daughter's memory. |
| 昨夜见军帖 可汗大点兵 军书十二卷 卷卷有爷名 | Last night I saw the arny notices, The Khan is calling for a great force. The army register is in twelve scrolls, and every scrolls has Father's name. |
| 阿爷无大儿 木兰无长兄 愿为市鞍马 从此替爷征 | Father has no adult son, Mulan has no older brother. Wish to buy a saddle and horse, and serve in Father's place." |
| 东市买骏马 西市买鞍鞯 南市买辔头 北市买长鞭 | In the East Market she buys a steed, In the West Market she buys a saddle and saddle blanket, In the South Market she buys a bridle, In the North Market she buys a long whip. |
| 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 | At dawn she bids farewell to Father and Mother, In the evening she camps on the bank of the Yellow River. She doesn't hear the sound of Father and Mother calling for Daughter, She only hears the Yellow River's flowing water cry jian-jian. |
| 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 | At dawn she bids farewell to the Yellow River, In the evening she arrives at the summit of Black Mountain. She doesn't hear the sound of Father and Mother calling for Daughter, She only hears Mount Yan's nomad horses cry jiu-jiu. |
| 万里赴戎机 关山度若飞 朔气传金柝 寒光照铁衣 | She goes ten thousand miles in the war machine, She crosses mountain passes as if flying. Northern gusts carry sound of army rattles, Cold light shines on iron armor. |
| 将军百战死 壮士十年归 归来见天子 天子坐明堂 | Generals die in a hundred battles, Strong warriors return after ten years. On her return she sees the Son of Heaven, The Son of Heaven sits in the ceremonial hall. |
| 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” | Merits are recorded in twelve ranks And grants a hundred thousand strong. The Khan asks her what she desires. "Mulan has no use for a high official's post. I wish to borrow a ten-thousand mile camel To take me back home." |
| 爷娘闻女来 出郭相扶将 阿姊闻妹来 当户理红妆 | Father and Mother hear Daughter is coming They go outside the city wall, supporting each other. When Older Sister hears Younger Sister is coming Facing the door, she puts on rouge. |
| 小弟闻姊来 磨刀霍霍向猪羊 "开我东阁门 坐我西阁床 | When Little Brother hears Older Sister is coming He sharpens the knife, quick, quick, for pig and sheep. "I open the door to my east room, I sit on my bed in the west room, |
| 脱我战时袍 著我旧时裳." 当窗理云鬓 对镜贴花黄 | I take off my wartime gown And put on my old-time clothes." Facing the window she fixes the cloudlike hair on her temples, Facing a mirror she dabs on yellow flower powder. |
| 出门看火伴 火伴皆惊惶 同行十二年 不知木兰是女郎 | She goes out the door and sees her comrades. Her comrades are all shocked. Traveling together for twelve years They didn't know Mulan was a girl. |
| “雄兔脚扑朔 雌兔眼迷离 两兔傍地， 安能辨我是雄雌?” | "The male rabbit's feet kick up and down, The female rabbit's eyes are bewildered. Two rabbits running close to the ground, How can they tell if I am male or female?" |