Ballad of the Merchant

The merchant's boat is piled high with goods;
in the morning, south of the Yangtze,
in the evening, back up north.
His livelihood depends upon the wind and the waves,
his name has never been entered in the tax-collector's books.
At the prow of his boat, a shaman sings an invocation to the gods,
lifts a cup of wine, bows twice, and pours a libation to the waves.
“We promise to burn innumerable packets of magic paper money
if only our wealth continues to increase!
May the god desist, and the wind die down,
and our entire family enjoy unlimited blessings!”
The merchant promises himself never to plant fields:
year after year, you must labor for the government!
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Author of original: 
Hsü Pen
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