Classic Poem

Sunrise at the southeast corner
Shines on our Ch'in clan house.
The Ch'in clan has a fair daughter,
She is called Lofu.

Lofu is good at silkworm mulberry,
She picks mulberry at the wall's south corner.
Green silk is her basket strap,
Cassia her basket and pole.

On her head a twisting-fall hairdo,
At her ears bright moon pearls.
Green silk is her lower skirt,
Purple silk is her upper shirt.

Passersby see Lofu,
Drop their load, stroke their beard.
Young men see Lofu,
Take off caps, put on headbands.
The plowman forgets his plow,
The hoer forgets his hoe.
They come home cross and happy —
All from seeing Lofu.

A prefect from the south is here,
His five horses stand pawing the ground.
The prefect sends his servant forward
To ask, " Whose is the pretty girl? "
" The Ch'in clan has a fair daughter,
Her name is Lofu. "
" Lofu, how old is she? "
" Not yet quite twenty,
A bit more than fifteen. "

The prefect invites Lofu,
" Wouldn't you like a ride with me? "
Lofu steps forward and refuses:
" You are so silly, Prefect!
You have your own wife, Prefect,
Lofu has her own husband!
In the east more than a thousand horsemen,
My husband is in the lead.
How would you recognize my husband?
His white horse follows black colts,
Green silk plaits his horse's tail,
Yellow gold braids his horse's head.
At his waist a Lulu dagger —
Worth maybe more than ten million cash.

" At fifteen he was a county clerk,
At twenty a court official,
At thirty a chancellor,
At forty lord of his own city.

" As a man he has a pure white complexion,
Bushy whiskers on both cheeks.
Majestic he steps into his office,
Dignified he strides to the courtroom,
Where several thousand in audience
All say my husband has no rival! "