A crow posing as a phoenix,

Tree leaves in place of cakes,

Cold water instead of honey,

Buckwheat flour in place of white rice.

Tree leaves they could do without,

But they couldn't give up cakes;

Cold water they could do without,

But they couldn't give up honey;

Buckwheat flour they could do without,

But they couldn't give up white rice;

There was no phoenix in that house,

There came instead a crow.

When Eldest Sister replaced Seventh Sister,

The moon in the heavens became dark,

The flowers on the earth ceased to bloom,

Serpent Prince's heart was pained,

No longer did he smile with joy.
 

Seventh Sister pined for Serpent Prince,

Seventh Sister longed for her son and daughter;

She turned into a painted-brow thrush.

"Xi-li su-lu-lu"

Flew to the East it called,

Flew to the West it called,

Flew to the South it called,

Flew to the North it called.

In the morning pining for Golden Brother,

In the afternoon pining for Silver Sister,

In the evening pining for Serpent Prince,

It pined for them three long years,

It called for them three long years.
 

A neighbor, Fang Qian,

Waking at cockcrow,

Went up into the mountains to cut hay.

Halfway up, in a fragrant verdant tree,

Sat a painted-brow thrush;

Hopping here, hopping there,

Fluttering to and fro.

"Xi-li su-lu-lu,

Singing so beautifully,

Echoing through the mountains all around.
 

"Xi-li su-lu-lu,

Horse urine served as tea,

Can you tell them apart?

Which is your wife?

Can you recognize her at all?

Brother Serpent Prince, ya,

Do you miss Seventh Sister?

Why are Golden Brother and Silver Sister crying so?"
 

Fang Qian cut a good load of hay,

Put it on his back and started towards home,

The painted-brow thrush in the tree top,

Sang out a beautiful song:

"Xi-li su-lu-lu,

I miss my husband,

I miss my children.

Please ask my Serpent Prince,

If he misses Seventh Sister,

And if Golden Brother and Silver Sister weep for their mother;

Tomorrow, come early and answer me."
 

Fang Qian was entranced by the painted-brow thrush,

He had listened to it singing from sunrise to sunset.

He hated to part from such a fragrant verdant tree,

He hated to part from such a sentimental thrush.

The thrush sang out three times,

Each time Fang Qian listened,

Should he tell Serpent Prince the truth?

Fang Qian couldn't make up his mind.
 

Brother Serpent Prince is a good herdsman,

Brother Serpent Prince is a good farmer.

He couldn't bear not telling him,

He couldn't bear to keep the truth to himself.

Fang Qian gave him the welcome news,

Serpent Prince listened with tears of joy;

He agreed with Fang Qian to climb up the mountain,

And hear with his own ears the thrush's song.
 

They climbed up to the mountaintop the next day,

When the sun was already three hands high;

No sign of the thrush was to be seen,

No sound of the thrush's song was to be heard.
 

They waited till the sun set in the west,

They waited till the moon rose in the east,

Still the thrush was not to be seen,

Still the thrush was not to be heard.
 

Serpent Prince asked Fang Qian:

"Why doesn't the thrush appear?

Why doesn't the thrush begin to sing?

Can it be you're deceiving me?

Can one honest man fool another?"
 

Fang Qian replied:

"Serpent Prince, ya, Serpent Prince!

Corn grows only on cornstalks?

An honest man can't tell a lie.

It's not that I'm trying to fool you,

Only today we arrived too late.

Tomorrow, before the sun comes up,

We'll climb the mountain again and see the thrush."
 

In the dark, the trail would have been rough going,

So that night they didn't return home.

They cut three loads of hay,

And cut nine bamboo poles,

They made themselves a thatched hut,

And stayed up on the mountain.
 

All through the endless night they sat,

Saw the twinkling stars spread themselves cross the sky,

Saw the bright moon make its way west of the mountains,

Sat longing for the east to brighten.

Fan Qian pretended to go out to cut hay,

Serpent Prince hid in the hut and waited.
 

The sun rose and the mountains turned red,

Dewdrops sparkled on the fragrant verdant tree.

As the sparrows began to twitter,

The painted-brow thrush flew up the mountain,

And lit atop the fragrant verdant tree.

Hopping here, hopping there,

Fluttering to and fro,

From out of its throat rose a song,

Echoing through the mountains near and far.
 

"Xi-li su-lu-lu,

Horse urine served as tea,

Can you tell them apart?

Which is your wife?

Can you recognize her at all?

Brother Serpent Prince, ya,

Do you still miss Seventh Sister?

Why are Golden Brother and Silver Sister crying so?"
 

"Xi-li su-lu-lu,

I miss my husband,

I miss my children.

Please ask my Serpent Prince,

If he misses Seventh Sister,

And if Golden Brother and Silver Sister weep for their mother;

Tomorrow, come early and answer me."
 

When Serpent Prince heard the thrush's call,

He instantly sprang out of the hut;

Kicking over stones,

Snapping tree branches,

He scrambled up to the fragrant verdant tree,

Doffed his head-dress and asked:

"Where do you come from, painted-brow thrush?

How do you know Serpent Prince's sorrow?

How do you know the pain in Serpent Prince's heart?

Your husband misses you too!

Your children are looking for you!

Can it be you are Little Seventh Sister?

Hurry and fly into my hat."
 

The painted-brow thrush flew into his hat,

Serpent Prince tucked it into his breast,

Carefully he made his way home,

Eager to unburden himself of the pain of the past few years.

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