Back to a simpler time

When men were real men, poems were real stories, and the boy next door was a handsome devil

The Water in the River
Xiao Yan (Emperor Wu of Liang)

O the water in the river,
East, east! It hurries,
And a daughter of Luoyang
Was named No Worries.
At twelve she could weave
A fine textured silk.
At thirteen on South Lane
She picked the mulberries.
At fourteen the Lu House
Took her to marry,
And she bore them a son,
At fifteen, a mother.
A beautiful home,
Honeysuckle beams,
Turmeric and sweetgum
Perfumed its rooms.
On her head were hairpins
In twelve golden rows,
And her toes were held
In bright silken shoes.
A mirror of coral
Shone on the wall,
And bareheaded servants
Brought shoes at her call.
She was rich and well-heeled
She'd no needs all...
But the love of the Wang boy
Who once lived next door.

梁武帝萧衍  河中之水歌
河中之水向东流，洛阳女儿名莫愁。
莫愁十三能织绮，十四采桑南陌头。
十五嫁于卢家妇，十六生儿字阿侯。
卢家兰室桂为梁，中有郁金苏合香。
头上金钗十二行，足下丝履五文章。
珊瑚挂镜烂生光，平头奴子擎履箱。
人生富贵何所望，恨不嫁与东家王。

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Rollicking is the way I’d describe this poem. It begins with the river rolling, and by giving us a name and an itemised list of what she did at each age, it sets itself well apart from the abstract and allusive tone of Tang poetry. This poem comes from an earlier time, and is much more earthy and folksy - a point brought resoundingly home at the end when our heroine reflects that all the servants and fancy stuff in the world aren’t as nice as the boy next door. I can imagine it ringing out in a beer hall, with everyone joining in enthusiastically for the last line, imagining themselves to be the legendary Wang boy.

Liang ruled southern China during part of the period of disunity between the Han and Tang dynasties. Xiao Yan (464–549) founded the dynasty in 502, and took the name Emperor Wu.

This poem, with its very folksong feel, introduced Lady Lu, a character who was later used in Tang poetry as a byword for a rich lady-of-the-manor.

Translation note: Honeysuckle is a stand-in for osmanthus: they are both flowers with heady summer fragrances. It’s not clear if you can really make beams with osmanthus or honeysuckle wood!

Turmeric and sweetgum were aromatics that were mixed into the plaster, so the whole room was permanently perfumed.