—A tribute to the mothers of the Yi people
The proud falcons that hover high in the sky
Need at times take a rest on the ground;
The leopards that lurk in the wilderness
May experience moments of fatigue;
So the son of the mother
You may now go soundly asleep;
(An affectionate arm
Extending all the way from that place of warmth
Caresses the heavy forehead of the bard
Casting down an apparition as tranquil as the moonlight)
The turtle doves that fly freely in the sky
Sometimes need to stop to rest;
The river deer that roam the land
Sometimes need to halt their steps;
So the son of the mother
You may now go soundly asleep;
(It is said that the fabulous legends
Are combed into the braids of young girls;
And the games leave the dreams outside the door
Before it gets dark)
The wild geese that cover long distances in the sky
Need to take some sleep;
The hounds busy tracking their prey on the ground
Need to take a nap every now and then;
So the son of the mother
You may now go soundly asleep;
(The thunder claps, feeble and indistinct in the distance,
Are lingering remembrances of affection
While the trails could no longer comprehend
The cravings beyond the rainy season)
The sun in the sky
Has to set at the end of the day;
The fire that burns in the pit on the ground
May eventually goes out;
So the son of the mother
You may now go soundly asleep;
(When you wake up the next morning
You will grow into an awesome warrior;
But should your beloved mother
Bid eternal farewell to you and to this world
Please make no painstaking efforts to seek her out
Because she is everywhere
In this territory of blackish land)
The moon that shines brightly in the sky
May sometimes be eclipsed and out of sight;
The rivers that flow murmuring on the ground
May sometimes become mute and silent;
So the son of the mother
You may now go soundly asleep;
(The night has already become starry
While the faint purple wind in the dale
Has already vanished without a trace;
Only the palpable soul
Can taste the silent melancholy)
