Listen to this article上山采蘼芜[1]
无名氏
上山采蘼芜，下山逢故夫。
长跪问故夫：“新人复何如？”
“新人虽言好，未若故人姝[2]。
颜色类相似，手爪[3]不相如。”
“新人从门入，故人从阁[4]去。”
“新人工织缣[5]，故人工织素[6]。
织缣日一匹，织素五丈余。
将缣来比素，新人不如故。”
注释：
[1] 蘼芜：一种香草，也叫江蓠，叶子风干可做香料。
[2] 姝：美好，漂亮。
[3] 手爪：指纺织等女工技巧。
[4] 阁：旁门，小门。
[5] 缣：黄绢。
[6] 素：白绢。
The Old Wife and the New
Anonymous
She went uphill to pluck herbs wild;
Downhill, she met her former husband mild.
She knelt and asked, “How do you…
How do you find your young wife new?”
“Though my new wife is good and fair,
She cannot yet with you compare.
In looks by your side she may stand,
But she’s less clever with her hand.
When she came in from the front door,
You left your room on second floor.
She’s good at embroidering skein,
While you are good at sewing plain.
She weaves one foot of silk a day;
You weave five feet without delay.
Her works compared with yours, all told,
The new is not up to the old.
