十畝之間 Ten Acres
十畝之間兮，桑者閑閑兮，行與子還兮。
十畝之外兮，桑者泄泄兮，行與子浙兮。
Between their ten-acre field
Mulberry planters stand idly.
‘If you are going, I’ll come with you’ says one to another.
Beyond their ten-acre field
Mulberry planters move idly.
‘If you are going, I’ll walk with you’ says one to another.
Poetry Interpretation
The lyrics here depict the simplicity of farm life: with no more work left to be done, mulberry planters find themselves in idle contentment, moving with graceful ease: xián xián 閑閑 and yì yì 泄泄. We can be certain that this song was sung by farming women as they left the mulberry fields. Traditionally, women were deeply involved in every stage of the silk-making process: planting mulberry trees, gathering leaves, raising silkworms, unreeling silk, making thread, and weaving fabric. The lyrics depict the simple charms of farm life: with no more work left to be done, these female mulberry planters find themselves in idle contentment, moving with graceful ease. Forming groups as they leave the field, their laughter and singing resonate through the ten-acre field.
這首歌描繪了田園生活的安逸與恬靜：在完成了桑葉的採集後，桑女們悠然自得地離開桑田，她們的歡笑聲與歌聲回蕩在十畝田地間。
Written by Dr. Annie Luman Ren