University of Virginia Library

Long and large grows the e ;—
It is not the e but the hao .
Alas ! alas ! my parents ,
With what toil ye gave me birth !

Long and large grows the e ;—
It is not the e but the wei .
Alas ! alas ! my parents ,
With what toil and suffering ye gave me birth !

When the pitcher is exhausted ,
It is the shame of the jar .
Than to live an orphan ,
It would be better to have been long dead .
Fatherless , who is there to rely on ?
Motherless , who is there to depend on ?
When I go abroad , I carry my grief with me ;
When I come home , I have no one to go to .

O my father , who begat me !
O my mother , who nourished me !
Ye indulged me , ye fed me ,
Ye held me up , ye supported me ,
Ye looked after me , ye never left me ,
Out and in ye bore me in your arms .
If I would return your kindness ,
It is like great Heaven , illimitable ,

Cold and bleak is the Southern hill ;
The rushing wind is very fierce .
People all are happy ;—
Why am I alone thus miserable ?

The Southern hill is very steep ;
The rushing wind is blustering .
People all are happy ;—
I alone have been unable to finish [my duty] .