Liu Yifei’s Mulan promotions have begun! Here’s the first of undoubtedly many photoshoots. With a theme of duality that also mirrors the ballad of Hua Mulan, this photoshoot is by Liu Zongyuan of the Mulan-like photoshoot. Supposedly each picture is a line of the poem, so below the cut is my attempt at matching sections of the ballad with the pictures.
Mulan faces the door, weaving.
You can’t hear the sound of the loom’s shuttle,
You only hear Daughter’s sighsT
They ask Daughter who’s on her memory.
“No one is on Daughter’s thought,
No one is on Daughter’s memory.
The Khan is calling for a great force.
The army register is in twelve scrolls,
and every scrolls has Father’s name.
Mulan has no older brother.
Wish to buy a saddle and horse,
and serve in Father’s place.
In the evening she camps on the bank of the Yellow River.
She doesn’t hear the sound of Father and Mother calling for Daughter,
She only hears the Yellow River’s flowing water cry jian-jian.
In the evening she arrives at the summit of Black Mountain.
She doesn’t hear the sound of Father and Mother calling for Daughter,
She only hears Mount Yan’s nomad horses cry jiu-jiu.
She crosses mountain passes as if flying.
Northern gusts carry sound of army rattles,
Cold light shines on iron armor.
Strong warriors return after ten years.
On her return she sees the Son of Heaven,
The Son of Heaven sits in the ceremonial hall.
And grants a hundred thousand strong.
The Khan asks her what she desires.
“Mulan has no use for a high official’s post.
I wish to borrow a ten-thousand mile camel
To take me back home.”
And put on my old-time clothes.”
Facing the window she fixes the cloudlike hair on her temples,
Facing a mirror she dabs on yellow flower powder
Her comrades are all shocked.
Traveling together for twelve years
They didn’t know Mulan was a girl
“The male rabbit’s feet kick up and down,
The female rabbit’s eyes are bewildered.
Two rabbits running close to the ground,
How can they tell if I am male or female?”