"The Ballad of Mulan was first transcribed in the Musical Records of Old and New,[note 3] a compilation of books and songs by the monk Zhijiang in the Southern Chen dynasty in the 6th century."
Original Chinese
木 蘭 詩
唧唧復唧唧，木蘭當戶織。不聞機杼聲，唯聞女嘆息。
問女何所思？問女何所憶？“女亦無所思，女亦無所憶。
昨夜見軍帖，可汗大點兵。軍書十二卷，卷卷有爺名。
阿爺無大兒，木蘭無長兄。願為市鞍馬，從此替爺征。”
東市買駿馬，西市買鞍韉，南市買轡頭，北市買長鞭。
朝辭爺娘去，暮宿黃河邊。不聞爺娘喚女聲，但聞黃河流水鳴濺濺。
旦辭黃河去，暮至黑山頭。不聞爺娘喚女聲，但聞燕山胡騎聲啾啾。
萬裡赴戎機，關山度若飛。朔氣傳金析，寒光照鐵衣。將軍百戰死，壯士十年歸。
歸來見天子，天子坐明堂。策勛十二轉，賞賜百千強。
可汗問所欲，“木蘭不用尚書郎，願借明駝千裡足，送兒還故鄉。”
爺娘聞女來，出郭相扶將﹔阿姊聞妹來，當戶理紅妝﹔
小弟聞姊來，磨刀霍霍向豬羊。開我東閣門，坐我西閣床﹔
脫我戰時袍，著我舊時裳﹔當窗理雲鬢，對鏡帖花黃。
出門看火伴，火伴皆驚惶。“同行十二年，不知木蘭是女郎。”
雄兔腳扑朔，雌兔眼迷離。雙兔傍地走，安能辯我是雄雌?
“The Ballad of Mulan” translation by Evan Mantyk
Sigh after sigh she sadly sighs
__While weaving near the door—
No sound of spinning loom that flies
__Just Mulan feeling poor.
Go ask her whom she thinks about,
__What boy is in her heart.
She says, “There’s none I think about,
__There’s no boy in my heart.
“Last night I saw the army’s list
__Of those the Khan has picked.
On all twelve draft lists that exist
__My father’s name is ticked.
“My father has no grown-up son
__Who can to battle race.
Once buying horse and saddle are done,
__I’ll take my father’s place.”
She buys a fine steed in the East,
__A bridle in the South,
A saddle blanket in the West,
__A long whip in the North.
At dawn, to parents bids farewell,
__At dusk, to camp hello;
No sounds of their familiar yell,
__Just Yellow River flow.
At dawn, she leaves the Yellow River,
__At dusk, Black Mountains soar;
No sound of parents calling daughter,
__Just wild horsemen’s roar.
Ten thousand miles for war she goes,
__Through mountain passes flying.
The sentry’s gong on cold wind blows;
__Her iron armor’s shining.
A hundred battles—generals die;
__In ten years, heroes surface
To meet the Emperor on high
__Enthroned in splendid palace.
He holds twelve scrolls that list their deeds,
__Gives thousands of rewards.
The Khan asks Mulan what she needs.
__“No titles fit for lords,”
She says, “To borrow a swift steed
__And ride home I prefer.”
Her parents, hearing of this deed,
__Rush out to welcome her.
When older sister hears the news,
__She dresses, waits, and looks.
When younger brother hears the news,
__The swine and sheep he cooks.
She says, “The chamber door I open
__And sit upon my chair.
My wartime uniform is shaken;
__My old time dress I wear.”
She faces out the window, looking,
__Fixing cloudlike hair,
And turns then to the mirror, hooking
__Yellow flowers there.
Out of the gate she meets the men
__Who’d by her side once fought.
For twelve years Mulan was a man,
__Or so they all had thought!
The male hares’ feet go hop and skip
__And female hares look muddled,
But when they run at a good clip,
__How can’t one get befuddled?
"The Ballad of Mulan (Ode of Mulan)" translation by Han H. Frankel
Tsiek tsiek and again tsiek tsiek,
Mulan weaves, facing the door.
You don’t hear the shuttle’s sound,
You only hear Daughter’s sighs.
They ask Daughter who’s in her heart,
They ask Daughter who’s on her mind.
“No one is on Daughter’s heart,
No one is on Daughter’s mind.
Last night I saw the draft posters,
The Khan is calling many troops,
The army list is in twelve scrolls,
On every scroll there’s Father’s name.
Father has no grown‑up son,
Mulan has no elder brother.
I want to buy a saddle and horse,
And serve in the army in Father’s place.”
In the East Market she buys a spirited horse,
In the West Market she buys a saddle,
In the South Market she buys a bridle,
In the North Market she buys a long whip.
At dawn she takes leave of Father and Mother,
In the evening camps on the Yellow River’s bank.
She doesn’t hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,
She only hears the Yellow River’s flowing water cry tsien tsien.
At dawn she takes leave of the Yellow River,
In the evening she arrives at Black Mountain.
She doesn’t hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,
She only hears Mount Yen’s nomad horses cry tsiu tsiu.
She goes ten thousand miles on the business of war,
She crosses passes and mountains like flying.
Northern gusts carry the rattle of army pots,
Chilly light shines on iron armor.
Generals die in a hundred battles,
Stout soldiers return after ten years.
On her return she sees the Son of Heaven,
The Son of Heaven sits in the Splendid Hall.
He gives out promotions in twelve ranks
And prizes of a hundred thousand and more.
The Khan asks her what she desires.
“Mulan has no use for a minister’s post.
I wish to ride a swift mount
To take me back to my home.”
When Father and Mother hear Daughter is coming
They go outside the wall to meet her, leaning on each other.
When Elder Sister hears Younger Sister is coming
She fixes her rouge, facing the door.
When Little Brother hears Elder Sister is coming
He whets the knife, quick quick, for pig and sheep.
“I open the door to my east chamber,
I sit on my couch in the west room,
I take off my wartime gown
And put on my old‑time clothes.”
Facing the window she fixes her cloudlike hair,
Hanging up a mirror she dabs on yellow flower powder
She goes out the door and sees her comrades.
Her comrades are all amazed and perplexed.
Traveling together for twelve years
They didn’t know Mulan was a girl.
“The he‑hare’s feet go hop and skip,
The she‑hare’s eyes are muddled and fuddled.
Two hares running side by side close to the ground,
How can they tell if I am he or she?”
"Ballad of Mulan" translated by Wikisource
The sound of one sigh after another,
As Mulan weaves at the doorway.
No sound of the loom and shuttle,
Only that of the girl lamenting.
Ask her of whom she thinks,
Ask her for whom she longs.
"There is no one I think of,
There is no one I long for.
Last night I saw the army notice,
The Khan is calling a great draft –
A dozen volumes of battle rolls,
Each one with my father's name.
My father has no grown-up son,
And I have no elder brother.
I'm willing to buy a horse and saddle,
To go to battle in my father's place."
She buys a fine steed at the east market;
A saddle and blanket at the west market;
A bridle at the south market;
And a long whip at the north market.
She takes leave of her parents at dawn,
To camp beside the Yellow River at dusk.
No sound of her parents hailing their girl,
Just the rumbling waters of the Yellow River.
She leaves the Yellow River at dawn,
To reach the Black Mountains by dusk.
No sound of her parents hailing their girl,
Just the cries of barbarian cavalry in the Yan hills.
Ten thousand miles she rode in war,
Crossing passes and mountains as if on a wing.
On the northern air comes the sentry's gong,
Cold light shines on her coat of steel.
The general dead after a hundred battles,
The warriors return after ten years.
They return to see the Son of Heaven,
Who sits in the Hall of Brilliance.
The rolls of merit spin a dozen times,
Rewards in the hundreds and thousands.
The Khan asks her what she desires,
"I've no need for the post of a gentleman official,
I ask for the swiftest horse,
To carry me back to my hometown."
Her parents hearing their girl returns,
Out to the suburbs to welcome her back.
Elder sister hearing her sister returns,
Adjusts her rouge by the doorway.
Little brother hearing his sister returns,
Sharpens his knife for pigs and lamb.
"I open my east chamber door,
And sit on my west chamber bed.
I take off my battle cloak,
And put on my old-time clothes.
I adjust my wispy hair at the window sill,
And apply my bisque makeup by the mirror.
I step out to see my comrades-in-arms,
They are all surprised and astounded:
'We travelled twelve years together,
Yet didn't realise Mulan was a lady!'"
The buck bounds here and there,
Whilst the doe has narrow eyes.
But when the two rabbits run side by side,
How can you tell the female from the male?