陌上桑

The Roadside Mulberry
Learn Chinese - Chinese Literature
The Roadside Mulberry

The rising sun from southeast nooks
Shines on the house of Qin, who
Has a daughter of lovely looks;
She calls herself Luo-fu.
She picks mulberry leaves still new
To feed silkworms in southern nook,
Her basket's bound with silk thread blue,
Of laurel bough is made a hook.
Her hair is dressed in pretty braid,
Like moonbeams her pearl earrings shine,
Of yellow silk her apron's made,
Her cloak of purple damask fine.

When she is seen by passers-by,
The stroke their beards and there take root;
When she appears in young men's eye,
They doff their caps and make salute.
The ploughman thinks not of his plough,
The hoer leaves in field his hoe.
Back, they find fault with their wives now,
For they have seen Luo-fu aglow.

From the south comes the governor,
Whose carriage and five stop and stay.
He sends men to inquire of her.
"Who are you, pretty maid?" ask they.

"I call my humble self Luo-fu."
"Pretty Luo-fu, how old are you?"
"My age is still less than a score,
But much more than fifteen, much more."
"Our lord bids us to ask Luo-fu,
Will you ride with our lord, will you?"

Luo-fu steps forth and makes reply:
"What nonsense you are talking! Why,
Your Excellency has his wife;
I have my husband dear for life.
There are more than a thousand steeds
In the east that my husband leads."

"But how can I your husband know?"
"Ah, by his horse as white as snow,
Whose tail is tied with a blue thread,
With golden halters round its head;
By the sword with its hilt of jade,
For which its weight in gold he paid.

"At fifteen he was a junior clerk;
At twenty he did a courtier's work;
At thirty he wore chamberlain's gown;
At forty he was lord of a town.

"His face and skin are white and fair,
A rather long beard he does wear.
In the court he walks to and fro,
And goes to the palace with steps slow.
Among the thousands in the hall,
He's deemed the most distinguished of all."

陌上桑

日出动南隅,
照我秦氏楼.
秦氏有好女,
自名为罗敷.
罗敷喜蚕桑,
采桑城南隅.
青丝为笼系,
桂枝为笼钩.
头上倭堕髻,
耳中明月珠.
湘绮为下裙,
紫绮为上襦.

行者见罗敷,
下担捋髭须.
少年见罗敷,
脱帽著鞘头.
耕者忘绮犁,
锄者忘绮锄.
来归相怒怒,
但坐观罗敷.

使君从南来,
五马立踟蹰.
使君遣吏往,
问是谁家姝.

秦氏有好女,
自名为罗敷.
罗敷年几何.
二十尚不足,
十五颇有余.
使君谢罗敷,
宁可共载不.

罗敷前置词,
使君一何愚.
使君自有妇,
罗敷自有夫.
东方千余骑,
夫婿居上头.

何用识夫婿,
白马从骊驹.
青丝系马尾,
黄金络马头.
腰中鹿卢剑,
可值千万余.

十五府小史,
二十朝大夫.
二十侍中郎,
四十专城居.

为人洁白皙,
鬑鬑颇有须.
盈盈公府步,
冉冉府中趋.
坐中数千人,
皆言夫婿殊.