Living

Bald Head Lee

by Anonymous Chinese nursery rhymes traditional (collected in Peking, 1890s)

Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland (1900) · From Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes (1900)

Living

There once was a bald-head, his name it was Lee,
No one ever burned so much incense as he;
Now, people burn incense to get them an heir,
But baldy burned incense to get him some hair.

When he found in three days all his hair had returned,
He the god gave a coat and more incense he burned;
When he found in three days all his hair had dropped out,
He upset the god and he kicked him about.

Then the god became angry and took up a sword,
And made into dippers that bald-headed gourd.

MLA

Anonymous Chinese nursery rhymes. “Bald Head Lee.” Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-chinese-nursery/105/.

Chicago

Anonymous Chinese nursery rhymes. “Bald Head Lee.” Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-chinese-nursery/105/.

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