5 Great Characters from Chinese Literature for World Book Day

We are not sure if she’s a real person in history, but her story can be found in an ancient poem:

  Mù lán shī 

《木兰诗》 (节录)

Jī jī fù jī jī, mù lán dāng hù zhī. Bù wén jī zhù shēng, wéi wén nǚ tàn xī.

唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。不闻机杼声，惟闻女叹息。

Wèn nǚ hé suǒ sī, wèn nǚ hé suǒ yì. Nǚ yì wú suǒ sī, nǚ yì wú suǒ yì.

问女何所思，问女何所忆。女亦无所思，女亦无所忆。

Zuó yè jiàn jūn tiē, kè hán dà diǎn bīng, jūn shū shí èr juàn, juàn juàn yǒu yé míng 。

昨夜见军帖，可汗大点兵，军书十二卷，卷卷有爷名。

ā yé wú dà ér, Mù lán wú zhǎng xiōng, yuàn wéi shì ān mǎ, cóng cǐ tì yé zhēng.

阿爷无大儿，木兰无长兄，愿为市鞍马，从此替爷征。

More: Listen to an audio version of the poem here

Translation:

The Ballad of Mulan (Excerpt)

Chirp chirp, again chirp chirp (the katydids). Mulan is weaving near the door. One cannot hear the sound of the loom. Only are heard the sighs of the girl.

Were you to ask what of she was pondering. Were you to ask what of she was recalling. The girl would be without such ponderings. The girl would be without such recollections.

(Other than) last night, seeing the military notice. The Emperor was building a great army. The military documents were twelve scrolls long. And scroll after scroll had father’s name.

Dear father had no grown son. Mulan had no eldest brother. She promised to go to the market for horse and saddle. Henceforth would she serve in place of her father.