NO. I 



CH UAN MIAO SONGS AND STORIES — GRAHAM 



1 01 



on it. Nts'ai Ngeo Niang pretended not to 

 hear. Then he took it out and played on it 

 again. Nts'ai Ngeo Niang arose and listened 

 to it. Then she opened the door and went 

 with him to gaze at the moon and the Milky 

 Way. 



At daybreak Tao Gai Lan Dang went to 



the edge of the cliff. Nts'ai Ngeo Niang ac- 

 companied him to this place. Neither of them 

 wanted to leave. Both of them filled their 

 pipes and smoked. Tao Gai Lan Dang then 

 urged her to return to her home, and then 

 she went home and attended to her kettles 

 and her stove. 



Sung to Each Other by Lovers 



A Love Song (the Man Spea\s) (618) 



When it thunders and rains, the rain scat- 

 ters about. When the rain arrives it fills the 

 pools, and the water flows to the edge of the 

 cliff. I, Mi Ntseo Lan Tang, have come here 

 and will use thought in a contest with you 

 before returning home. When it thunders and 

 rains, the rain scatters about. When the rain 

 comes, it fills the pools as high as the stones. 

 I, Mi Ntseo Lan Tang, have come here and 

 will thoughtfully hold a contest (in singing) 

 before I leave. 



A Love Song {the Man Speaks) (619) 



Your parents have been efficient in giving 

 birth to and nourishing you. They have 

 brought you up, Nts'ai So Ts'a Ts'an, truly 

 well. You, Nts'ai So Ts'a Ts'an, have grown 

 up like the wild pigeons leaping on the flat 

 at Hai Lo. 



Formerly your parents have been efficient 

 in bearing children and nourishing them. 

 They brought you up so that you are like a 

 green leaf on the red hemp. You, Nts'ai So 

 Ts'a, have grown up so that you are like a 

 singing wild pigeon on a Chinese flat. The 

 form of this girl is truly fine. We have just 

 come to this place to find this girl. We first 

 arrived at a distant flat of a Chinese. Then 

 we imitated the manner of a yinyang pro- 

 fessor (looking about). We were able to 

 stand on the Hat of the Chinese. 



The song is not finished but is about to be 

 finished. When it is finished, we will go to 

 the south. We will slowly secure affection 

 in this girl's home by fanning.^ The girl 

 is willing to accept this affection. 



- Fanning is one way of winning a girl's affec- 

 tion. One of the most common ways is by using a 

 tree leaf or a garment or a cloth instead of a fan 

 to fan the girl. 



A Love Song (A Woman Praises a Man) 

 (620) 



The day is ended, Mi Ntseo Lan Tang. 

 Your parents were efficient in bearing and 

 nourishing you. They gave birth to you be- 

 side the bed.^ When you grew up, your 

 parents sent you to the emperor's house 

 (school) to tear paper (in order to practice 

 writing characters). 



Formerly your parents were efficient in 

 bearing and nourishing you. They bore you 

 beside the bed. When you grew up. Mi Ntseo 

 Lan Tang, your parents sent you to the em- 

 peror's school to study. When you finished 

 studying, you were also able to race horses. 

 I see that you are much like an official of the 

 emperor. The neighbors all around all praise 

 you. They all say that you are one of the 

 emperor's officials. 



This song is not ended, but it is about to 

 end. When it is finished, I am going to 

 Ch'angling to go to market. My affairs 

 trouble my mind greatly. I do not know 

 whether you find it hard to bear or not. I 

 will not tell them, lest you may not under- 

 stand. 



A Love Song {by a Man) (622) 



When the thunder calls, it resounds.* Its 

 noise resounds as far as water-well bend. 

 You, Nts'ai Ma Ts'a Ts'an, are only efficient 

 in using your lips to talk with me. You have 

 welcomed men who are of like mind with 

 you. When the thunder calls, its voice re- 

 sounds. It resounds as far as clear-water bend. 

 You use only smooth and fast lips in speak- 

 ing to me. When I was not here, you have 

 welcomed your good men who are agreeable 

 to you, Nts'ai Ma Ts'a Ts'an. 



^ A Ch'uan Miao mother gives birth to her 

 baby while squatting down beside her bed. 



* The idea is that diunder is a living creature 

 that calls out, thus making the noise of thunder. 



