101. THE BALLADS OF THE FOUR SEASONS
SPRING
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The lovely Lo-foh of the land of Chin,
- fe Is plucking mulberry leaves by the blue water.
^&t** On the green boughs her white arms gleam,
And the bright sun shines upon her scarlet dress.
&12ji "My silk-worms," says she, "are hungry, I must go.
- ^5A» "Tarry not with your five horses, Prince, I pray!"
Lo-foh is the heroine of a popular ballad, which was already old at Li Po's time, and which served as the basis of the present poem. The original, much longer and charmingly naive, runs as follows:
The sun rises from the southeast nooJe. It shines on the house of Master Chin. Master Chin, he has a comely daughter. Lo-foh is her name.
Lo-foh feeds her silk-worms well.
She picks mulberry leaves south of the city.
Her basket has a cord of blue silk;
And a hook made of a laurel branch.
Her hair is dressed in pretty knots of Wa-doj Bright moonstones hang from her ears. Of yellow silk is her petticoat, And of purple silk her jacket. [146]
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