婉兮清扬

芒花草

清末民初，珠崖赴南洋谋生者甚众，人称去番。有妻室者，往往女方留守田园，服侍公姥，是为留守妇。

莹莹芒花草，迎风舞塘坳。
嘤嘤小儿女，牵手结花扫。
携扫归家去，观邻垒排灶。
村口鼓乐喧，娇声讨白糕。

莹莹芒花草，迎风舞塘坳。
双鳗戏清流，犄角映萍藻。
林间寻诺尼，篱下掘红苕。
赤足踏涧石，坐看青山老。

莹莹芒花草，迎风舞塘坳。
引犊过芳甸，执芒望古道。
馀霞渐霭霭，倦鸟隐枝梢。
素手拭晶珠，却道秋风早。

莹莹芒花草，迎风舞塘坳。
举足逗白蘋，捉发戏新蒿。
未言先敛眉，软语笑寂寥。
相偎望归鸟，薄醉在今宵。

莹莹芒花草，迎风舞塘坳。
催牛越沟畦，扶犁开泥沼。
荷担穿篓棘，挥锄垦石嶅。
蚊国寄声至，负囡疾疾讨。

莹莹芒花草，迎风舞塘坳。
愁云压树折，东西飞伯劳。
积劳卧病榻，阿囡殒猪槽。
暹罗问公姥，又说结新好。

莹莹芒花草，迎风舞塘坳。
山雨摧佳木，浊潭陈残茅。
黯然送公姥，闭户独嚎啕。
茕茕守孤灯，哀哀煎且熬。

莹莹芒花草，迎风舞塘坳。
嘤嘤小儿女，牵手结花扫。
老妪驱牛过，悲声话细佬。
慎莫戏水边，慎莫折芒草。

注：
一、排灶，旧时海南文昌农村举办喜宴时要从山坡上挖来土块垒成灶台炒菜，一般是多个灶台连成一排。
二、白糕，在海南文昌的农村，新娘出嫁时要从娘家带来一种用糯米制作的糕点，到新郎家后分发给前来讨取的小孩，称为新娘糕。新娘糕本身是白色的，外面用粉红色的纸张包裹。
三、双鳗，一种彩色的小鱼，体上有红色和黄色的条纹，多见于稻田和溪流。
四、诺尼，桃金娘的果子，可食用。广东、广西、海南等地甚常见。
五、蚊国，在海南话里与曼谷的读音相近，通常用来指代泰国。
六、暹罗，泰国的古称。
七、细佬，粤语中对小孩的称呼。

Silvergrass

In the late Qing dynasty [1] to early Republican years, many from Zhuyai left for Southeast Asia to make a living—a journey known as “going to the Fan.” As a norm, married men left their wives behind to look after the household and manage rural property, while also serving their in-laws. These women became known as “wives left behind.”

Shimmering silvergrass,
Swaying by the pond.
A boy and a girl, giggling, hand in hand,
Weaving silvergrass into brooms.
Carrying the brooms on their way home,
They dawdle to watch neighbours building stoves.
From the village entrance
Comes the bustle of flutes and drums,
With sweet voices, they beg—
For the white rice cakes from the groom [2].

Shimmering silvergrass,
Swaying by the pond.
Minnows with gleaming scales
Darting through the water beyond.
Amid duckweed leaves, a drinking cow
Appreciates the reflection of its horn.
The children, searching for wild berries in the grove,
Digging sweet potatoes beneath the hedgerow.
Stepping barefoot over stream stones,
They sit to watch the hills never grow old.

Shimmering silvergrass,
Swaying by the pond.
He leads a calf through the grassland;
She—holding a stalk—
Gazes down the winding track beyond.
The glow of dusk grows heavy,
Weary birds vanish into the treetops.
Wiping her tears with a pale hand,
She murmurs,
“The autumn wind has come too soon.”

Shimmering silvergrass,
Swaying by the pond.
She stirs duckweed with her foot;
She brushes grass tips with her hair strand.
Lowering her gaze with a smile,
She whispers, softly, “I don’t wanna be alone.”
Leaning together,
They watch the birds return,
A little drunk this evening—
On the twilight’s burn.

Shimmering silvergrass,
Swaying by the pond.
She urges the ox across furrows;
She steadies the plough through the slough.
Through thorns and nettles she carries her load;
She hoes the rocky slope, hard as stone.
There comes a word from Bangkok —
Or so she has been told.
With her daughter on her back, she rushes—
Towards a hope forlorn. [3]

Shimmering silvergrass,
Swaying by the pond.
Trees broken by howling gusts;
Birds scattered by rising dust.
Worn from years of intense labor,
She falls ill in bed,
Her daughter lies cold by the pigsty shed.
From Siam, a letter arrives—
“Are my parents still alive?
I’ve taken another wife. ”

Shimmering silvergrass,
Swaying by the pond.
The finest trees,
Brought down by the heavy rain,
Rotting thatches,
Drifting in the muddy drain.
She buries his parents in silence,
Then shuts the door and laments.
A lamp becomes her only friend,
She simmers in grief that never ends.

Shimmering silvergrass,
Swaying by the pond.
A boy and a girl, giggling, hand in hand,
Weaving silvergrass into brooms.
An old woman passes, driving her cow,
Her voice filled with bitterness and sorrow.
“Stay away from the water flow,”
She scolds,
“Never pluck the silvergrass—
Down below.”

Notes:
1. Qing dynasty (清朝, 1644–1911), the last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, preceded by the Ming dynasty (明朝, 1368–1644) and succeeded by the Republic of China (中华民国, 1911–1949).
2. The villagers building stoves and children begging for white rice cakes describe a wedding ceremony in southern China. Outdoor stoves are built to prepare the feast, and the soft steamed white rice cakes – wrapped in red paper – are handed out by the groom as gifts for children watching.
3. Although we specifically mention Bangkok here and Siam in the next stanza, they broadly refer to Southeast Asia destinations such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Philippines, which were collectively called Fan in the local dialect.