Living

The Drum on the Ground

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

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

Living

The drum on the ground is so round, so round,
My mother just whipped me so sound, so sound,
And I, oh dear, am as floating grass here,
But I'll only remain a year, a year.

A husband I'd love and serve so true,
I'd worship his gods, that's what I'd do,
And I'd call his mother my mother, too!
You naughty girl, what's that you'd do?

I was saying the beans are boiling nice,
And its just about time to add the rice.

MLA

Anonymous Chinese nursery rhymes. “The Drum on the Ground.” Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-chinese-nursery/17/.

Chicago

Anonymous Chinese nursery rhymes. “The Drum on the Ground.” Translated by Isaac Taylor Headland. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-chinese-nursery/17/.

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