Wolfe !1
Brady Wolfe
Dr. Christensen
CHIN 343
December 8, 2015
Mulan
China to me for many years was defined by the classic story of Mulan. It was a foreign land as far away from me as anything I could fathom, yet it was so fascinating to me that I would of- ten even pretend I could speak Chinese, and I still remember the excitement I felt when as a young child I first watched Disney’s retelling of Mulan. I watched it over and over again, and when I went to China for the first time, I was honestly quite surprised to find that today’s China was quite different from my childhood imaginations inspired by that movie. For this reason, when I discovered that the legend of Mulan originates from an ancient Chinese poem, I decided it would be appropriate and enjoyable for me to choose this poem as the subject of my translation and research project. The core of this project is my own translation of the classic poem, and addi- tionally I will discuss a little bit about the history of the poem, and analyze its structure and for- mat.
The original source for the poem of Mulan has been lost, but it was transcribed into the Music
Bureau Collections, an anthology by Guo Maoqing put together sometime during the Song dy- nasty around the 11th or 12th century A.D., and a note is given by Guo saying that the source from which it was taken and transcribed into the collection was a compilation made during the beginning of the Tang dynasty, more or less 6th century A.D., called the Musical Records of Old and New, (Project Gutenberg). Wolfe !2
There are many different opinions about the actual family name of Mulan. In the text as we have it from the Song dynasty version of the poem, no surname is given, and the heroine is rep- resented simply as Mulan (⽊蘭). Some retellings and histories have attributed the surname Wei
(魏), and others Zhu (朱). During the latter part of the Ming dynasty, playwright Xu Wei intro- duced his representation of Mulan’s character in his two act drama, "The Heroine Mulan Goes to
War in Her Father's Place,” (雌⽊蘭替⽗從軍 ), as Hua Mulan (花⽊蘭), (Wikipedia). Mulan’s name in translation from Chinese means, “Lily Magnolia,” so the surname Hua, meaning
“flower” definitely holds more poetic appeal in conjunction with her given name, and thus has come to be considered her name by most Chinese speakers. Disney also uses this more popularly accepted surname of Hua (花), but uses the Cantonese pronunciation which is Fa (花).
There is some argument as to wether or not Mulan was indeed a real person, but after a brief study of the matter I stand on the side of saying that she did indeed exist as a real woman who went off to war in place of her father. Considering the limited number of sources currently avail- able, I base my assumption primarily upon the fact that there was a strong aversion to fiction in classic Chinese literature, except for the more mystical religious myths and symbols found in some poems, and the Ballad of Mulan is far from resembling any such mythological poem, and plays out much more like a realistic and relatable story. I imagine that the story itself has devel- oped into something separate in one degree or another from the exact truth of the real Mulan’s story, especially with each new retelling that fills in different details, but nonetheless I hold that
Mulan was a real person to be remembered and honored for the legacy she has left the world. Wolfe !3
One obvious misrepresentation of the original in Disney’s rendition of Mulan is that the story didn’t likely take place in the Confucian Chinese society with emperor’s and courts and the For- bidden City of Beijing, for it was composed during the centuries following the end of the Han dynasty. These centuries were filled with many wars as foreign tribes repeatedly attacked China.
A unified alliance of these foreign tribes was made, and an empire created in North China, and this period of their power is known as the Northern Wei period. It is during this period that Mu- lan would have lived, and for this reason “The Son of Heaven” in the poem is referred to as “The
Khan,” and not as the emperor, as he would have been in the more traditional Confucian dynas- ties. Over time the invading tribes that created this Northern empire would adopt many of the customs and practices of the native Han people and there would be little difference between them, but at the time of Mulan it is still a very distinct culture, (Zhang).
Some rumor that Mulan was actually executed when it was found out that she was a woman, which brings a very different ending to the story as it has been represented in the classic poem and more or less every retelling since. Wether that is true or not, though, Mulan has been a pow- erful influence over the centuries in inspiring the women of China and the world to know that they are not weak, incapable, and destined to be dominated by the rule of men. Mulan shows us that women can stand up to the face of immense challenge and danger that even many men could not pass through, and come out victorious. She also shows us that it can be done not for hopes of power and personal glory, but for the pure motive of love - a deep and selfless love for an aged and ailing father - and the desire to bring honor to her family. With such a motive I believe she faced such insurmountable challenges better than any that allows himself to be driven by more selfish and dishonorable motives that are so common among even many of the greatest of men. If Wolfe !4 she was in fact executed, she died a noble martyr in the cause of love, and teaches us that it is better to die courageously for love than to live in greed and fear. Wether you are a man or a woman, there is a great deal to be learned from the story of the great warrior Mulan.
Structure
The poem is in the Yueh-fu (樂府詩) style, and is similar in many ways to the later standard- ized Ancient Verse (古時) in structure, which had no set number of lines or tone patterns. The poem consists primarily of five character lines, but occasionally extends to seven character lines, and two lines of the poem even have nine characters. The rhyme pattern rests on the ending char- acters of even lines, but unlike the Ancient Verse regulations, the rhyme itself doesn’t remain the same throughout the poem, or even throughout most sections, rather it changes after every four lines. Some of the rhyme is lost in modern mandarin pronunciation, though, so only about half of the poem retains the element of rhyme that would surely have been present in its original read- ings in the ancient Chinese.
The original poem was 62 lines in length, written in couplets, but to give the English reader a more authentic feeling of the antiquity of this poem, I decided to loosely format the poem in one of the most familiar of the older English poetic forms, namely the Shakespearean sonnet. My translation is presented in a series of five sonnets, and to fit this format without deleting any lines from the original text, I of necessity had to add eight lines that, though true to the original poem in communicating the story and based off words in the lines surrounding them, are not found in the original Chinese text. These are marked with an asterisk (*). I translated the poem from the
Chinese text provided in the appendix of Zhang Songnan’s illustrated book titled The Ballad of Wolfe !5
Mulan. I strictly held to the rhyme pattern of the Shakespearean Sonnet, and also followed the regulation of classic pentameter, but my adherence to the iambic rhythm was less strict. Many lines do have the iambic rhythm, but many also break from that mold, giving the poem a more free feel while still maintaining the semblance of formal structure. I feel that such a format is fit- ting to represent the free spirit of Mulan who defied the system while at once adhering to it.
There are many translations and retellings of Mulan, which always holds the risk of new translations and retellings seeming to be just more of the same. I hope you will enjoy my rendi- tion of Mulan as a fresh and unique preservation of the original work. Wolfe !6
The Ballad of Mulan in Translation
I.
Chirping of cicadas heard all around
Mulan is seated in her knitting room
Yet hear, how strange, the loom maketh no sound
Just the sighing Lily Magnolia bloom
Pray thee daughter let thy pains now be told
Mulan which mem’ries lay dark on thy mind?
A mournful voice responds, My thoughts lay cold
To memory, both bright and sad I’m blind
Last night I saw they posted dreadful news
The Khan calls all of China’s men to war
Twelve royal scrolls confirm mine eyes see true
My father’s name inscribed upon each door
Father hath not a son to take his place
Nor have I brother to save family face Wolfe !7
II.
Mulan stole to town for saddle and steed
And went to war not as daughter but son
East Market she found a horse of fine breed
West Market a saddle just newly done
South Market is where the bridle was sold
North Market gave the whip her horse would dread
No word — she left father crippled and old
Beside Huanghe River she makes her bed
Distance mutes the cries of anguished mother
Mulan hears naught but flowing water’s voice
Dawn comes, Mulan journeys with no other
Who at a black mount’s peak confirms her choice
Miles muffle a weeping father’s sobs
Yet midst soldiers’ screams Mulan’s heart still throbs Wolfe !8
III.
Ten thousand leagues on war’s errand of love
Mulan tours vale and fort as if on wings
Watchmen’s chilled gongs cry, new moon glows above
Pallid light mirrors on iron mail rings
Gen’rals by hundreds slaughtered in battle
Soldiers not freed by death yet bound to war
Ten years ere Mulan returns in saddle
The Son of Heaven’s throne to kneel before
Twelve royal scrolls now honor twelve warriors
The Khan grants glory to ten thousand strong
And of Mulan he asks her heart’s desire
She says, “Here as thy scribe I don’t belong
My one wish holds that I shall no more roam
With camel and escort I would go home” Wolfe !9
IV.
Parents hear a well known voice on the air
Aged limbs helped up by joy make for the gate
Sister from her room hears Mulan is there
Now hastens placing rouge to not be late
Brother glad for sister unknown before
With blade makes sacrifice their finest lamb
Mulan swung wide her childhood bedroom door
She sits to rest now free of war’s exam
She casts aside worn robes which soldier’s wear
And dons elegant skirts of former days
By mirror’s gaze she coifs her silky hair
A yellow lily in her locks she stays
Her reflection denies war’s claim on youth *
Coming home revealed her beauty in truth* Wolfe !10
V.
A passing comrade comes seeking Mulan *
She rushes out the gate her friend to greet
Though fear of battle’s throes is now far gone, *
And years fought by her side on weary feet
This brave soldier’s frightened and gives a start
“Mine eyes deceived, who knew you were a girl!”
The dawn of knowledge draws fear from his heart *
Come for a friend, instead found he a pearl *
“Two rabbits in hand, male from doe is known
Though while they run that truth is not so near
Yet now that thou in woman’s guise art shown
That this bunny’s a lady true shows clear”
Honor to fam’ily and nation she won *
A life of love, we remember Mulan * Wolfe !11
Bibliography
-Dong, Lan. Mulan's Legend and Legacy in China and the United States. Philadelphia, Pa.: Tem- ple UP, 2011. 2. Print.
-“The Ballad of Mulan." The Ballad of Mulan. Project Gutenberg. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
-Wikipedia contributors. "Hua Mulan." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
-Zhang, Song Nan. The Ballad of Mulan. Union City, CA: Pan Asian Publications, 1998. Histori- cal Notes on Mulan. Print.