Discover the original tale that inspired the story of Mulan, Disney’s warrior princess
With its debut held in 1998, “Mulan” is one of the animations most beloved in the world of Disney. The plot tells the story of a girl who takes the place of her elderly father, and infiltrates the army to fight China, where she ends up becoming a great heroine. But, did you know that this story was inspired by an ancient Chinese poem?
The Ballad of Hua Mulan
Dating back to the 6th century, the folk ballad responsible for inspiring the plot of the classic animation is titled “The Ballad of Hua Mulan”, and dates back to the dynasties of Northern China. Just like in the movie, the poem talks about a girl named hua mulan who starts to dress like a man to be able to enter the Chinese army to take the place of his father, who was already elderly and could not go to war.
Since he only had an older sister and a younger brother, who weren’t old enough to enlist, that was how mulan made the decision to dress up as a man and go into the fight, where he spent 12 years in the service without anyone noticing his true identity.
With the end of the war, she returns home filled with honors and pomp granted by the emperor to the strongest soldiers who survived the battle. Upon hearing of her return, her parents and siblings prepare a grand welcome feast to celebrate her return.
When you get home, mulan changes clothes to women’s clothing, but ends up being surprised by the presence of her fellow soldiers, who did not know until that moment that she was a woman.
Because it is a very old text, there are different versions spread around the world. The oldest copy of “The Ballad of Hua Mulan” that is still preserved is present in the anthology of poems and songs “Music Bureau Collection”, which was compiled by Guo Maoqian between the 11th and 12th centuries.
Check out one of the translations of “The Ballad of Hua Mulan” made available by the Epoch Times website:
Sigh after sigh,
Mulan weaves before her door.
No one can hear the sound of the loom,
only the poor girl’s sighs.
Ask her who’s in her heart,
or who’s on your mind.
Nobody is in your heart,
and no one is on your mind.
She saw the military drafts last night,
Khan is summoning many soldiers.
A dozen drafted lists,
each bearing his father’s name.
The father does not have a grown son,
Mulan has no older brother.
She decides to get a horse and saddle it,
and enlist in his father’s place.
At the east market, she buys a horse,
in the west market, a saddle.
At the north market, she buys a bridle,
and, in the south market, a long whip.
At dawn, she takes leave of her father and mother,
at dusk, she camps on the banks of the Yellow River.
She couldn’t hear the parents calling for their daughter,
just the waters of the flowing river.
At dawn she leaves the Yellow River,
at dusk she arrives at Black Mountain.
She couldn’t hear the parents calling for their daughter,
only the wild horses in the vicinity of Mount Yan.
Traveling ten thousand miles to meet the battle,
passing mountains and hills as if flying.
…
Bitter winds carry the sounds of the watchman’s bell,
a pale light shines from his iron armor.
Generals died in a hundred battles,
the strongest soldiers returned after ten years.
They returned to find the emperor,
the Son of Heaven sitting in the imperial palace.
He recorded his merits on twelve parchments,
and bestowed hundreds of thousands of rewards.
The Khan asks Mulan what she wants,
a title of grand minister is of no use to Mulan.
She calls for a swift mount to carry her thousands of miles,
and bring the daughter back home.
…
When father and mother hear of your arrival,
they back up to the city gate.
When Elder Sister hears of your arrival,
she adorns herself and waits at her door.
When his younger brother heard about his arrival,
he sharpens the knife and prepares the pig and the sheep.
“Open the door to my east room, I sit on the sofa in my west room.
I remove my war uniform, and put on my old-time clothes.”
Facing the window, she holds back her cloud-soft hair,
in the mirror she puts yellow flowers.
At the gate she meets her comrades,
they were all surprised.
Fighting together for twelve years,
they never suspected that Mulan was female.
Male hares like to kick and stomp,
female hares have misty, satiny eyes.
But if the hares run side by side,
who can say which is he or she?
Source: Recreio
