Song For the Weavers of Embroidery
织 妇 词
织 妇 何 太 忙
蚕 经 三 卧 行 欲 老；
蚕 神 女 圣 早 成 丝
今 年 丝 税 抽 征 早；
早 征 非 是 管 人 恶
去 岁 官 家 事 戎 索。
征 人 战 苦 束 刀 疮
主 将 勋 高 换 罗 幕。
缲 丝 织 帛 犹 努 力
变 镊 撩 机 苦 难 织。
东 家 头 白 双 女 儿
为 解 挑 纹 嫁 不 得。
檐 前 嫋 嫋 游 丝 上
上 有 蜘 蛛 巧 来 往。
羡 他 虫 豸 解 缘 天
能 向 虚 空 织 罗 网。
Zhi Fu Ci
Zhi fu he tai mang
Can jing san wo hang yu lao;
Can shen nu sheng zao cheng si
Jin nian si shui chou zheng zao;
Zao zheng fei shi huan ren wu
Qu sui guan jia shi rong suo.
Zheng ren zhan ku shu dao chuang
Zhu jiang xun gao huan luo mu.
Qiao si zhi bo you nu li
Bian nie liao ji ku nan zhi.
Dong jia tou bai shuang nu er
Wei jie tiao wen jia bu de.
Yan qian niao niao you si shang
Shang you zhi zhu qiao lai wang.
Xian at chong zhi jie yuan tian
Neng xiang xu kong zhi luo wang.
Song For the Weavers of Embroidery
These weaver girls are very busy
Silk worms line up in long rows to climb a mulberry tree.
Early morning they pray to the female silkworm deities
Early this year silk tax payments will be levied and taken.
Government tax collectors explain that their long journeys here are because of the foreign invaders
This year the government must collect money to pay for the arms and army.
Suffering during battles, they must attend to their own wounds, knives and cloth tied to their packs
Commanding general thinks he is so superior, his tent must be lined with silk.
The making of silk thread and material requires hard work
Weavers require steady fine motor skills, occasionally cry out with pain and fatigue.
White-haired lady with a pair of household daughters
Making the various silk patterns that need daughters who do not marry.
Hanging down from the eaves, slender and elegant silk threads move with the wind
Hanging spiders skillful and clever arrive to join in.
Weavers envy these insects, with their separate heavenly purpose
Unlike the weaver girls, the spiders weave their own patterned webs for themselves, and not for the government.