Hujia Tu 5

Recording: 02.39 to 03.35 Da Hujia scroll title page <-- Scene 4 <-- --> Scene 6

Scene 5: Sitting on the grass and sleeping by the water 草坐水宿

From 18 Songs of a Nomad Flute, here illustrating the qin melody Da Hujia (Nomad Reed Pipe, Long Version)
Scroll painting and calligraphy by Bai Yunli based on a Song dynasty original; poem by Liu Shang translated by Robert Rorex and Wen Fong

I sleep by water and sit on grass;
The wind that blows from China tears my clothing to pieces.
I clean my hair with mutton fat, but it is seldom combed.
The collar of my lambskin robe is buttoned on the left ("barbarian style");
The fox lapels and badger sleeves are rank-smelling.
By day I wear these cloths, by night I sleep in them.
The felt screens are constantly being moved, since there is no fixed abode;
How long my days and nights are - they never seem to pass.

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