Amidst the plethora of legendary figures in Chinese folklore and history,
Mulan stands out.
Her original story doesn't involve court intrigue or supernatural elements,
nor is it defined by her physical appearance or love triangles.
There are several different variations of the legend,
but today, we'll be reading through the earliest rendition of the Ballad of Mulan.
It is thought that the original story of Mulan is set during the period of The Northern and Southern Dynasties.
Due to the lack of historical evidence,
it has been debated as to whether Mulan was a real person.
However, researchers recently discovered evidence of women warriors
who rode horseback and practiced archery, likely belonging to the Xianbei,
a nomadic people who conquered and controlled northern China during the Northern Wei Dynasty.
However Mulan's story came about, it was anonymously transcribed in the 6th century,
after which it was reproduced by a poetry anthologist centuries later.
Today, we'll be looking at the original ballad in Chinese,
along with an English translation from Hans Fränkel,
which was apparently also the version used in the development of Disney's 1998 animated film.
And on that note, here's a quick fun fact about Disney's Mulan.
"I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan."
The name of our Disney princess is actually a bit of an incongruity.
"Fa Mulan" combines two different Chinese pronunciations of her name.
This particular family name, which was introduced in later variations of the ballad,
would be pronounced "Hua" in Mandarin.
"Fa" is the pronunciation for this Chinese character in other dialects, including Cantonese,
but they pronounce the rest of her name a bit differently:
"Fa Muhk-laahn."
They do remedy this in the new live-action movie.
"I'm Hua Mulan. I will bring honor to us all."
Modern Chinese has changed quite a bit since the days of Old and Middle Chinese.
That being said, certain aspects of some Chinese dialects have undergone less changes than others.
So you’ll hear that the Ballad of Mulan rhymes in Cantonese,
more so than in Mandarin, for instance.
The poem begins with some onomatopoeia, the sound of Mulan weaving with a loom.
Here's how the first stanza sounds in Cantonese:
Tsiek tsiek and again tsiek tsiek, Mu-lan 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.
Let's continue with the English translation...
Last night I saw the draft posters, The Khan is calling many troops,
The army list is in twelve scrolls, On each scroll there's Father's name.
Father has no grown-up son, Mu-lan 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.
"Mu-lan 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 Mu-lan 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?"
Over the centuries, many have altered the story or attempted to fill in the narrative gaps,
but there are several elements that have remained constant.
And at the core, of course, is Mulan herself, a woman who loved her family,
who was resourceful and determined, beautiful and witty.
It's no surprise that Mulan has endured for hundreds of years,
but especially in recent decades, it has exploded in popularity worldwide.
With each adaptation of the story being adapted to be more appealing to their respective audiences,
there's often the question of whether it properly represents the original story or its characters.
Let us know what you think and thanks for watching!
"My baby's all grown up and saving China.
Do you have a tissue?"