木兰当户织。
Alas oh alas!
不闻机杼声，
Mulan is weaving cloth of topmost class.
问女何所思？
Listen and you don’t hear the spinning drone;
问女何所忆？
You only hear the maiden sigh and moan.
女亦无所思，
“Good lass, what thought has occupied your mind?
女亦无所忆。
Good lass, what thought can you not leave behind?” “I’ve nothing that has occupied my mind;
昨夜见军帖，
I’ve nothing that I cannot leave behind.
可汗大点兵。
I saw the new recruiting lists last night;
军书十二卷，
The khan is summoning the men to fight.
阿爷无大儿，
The twelve lists are literally the same;
木兰无长兄。
In every list there is my father’s name.