»2.原文节选
《古枫歌》讲述了名叫香两的人种树的故事。
枫苗栽它在何处？
枫是护寨祭祖木，
把它栽在大路旁。
杉树挺拔尖梢美，
把它栽在山弯里，
枝丫平伸长整齐。
松树枝长梢儿秀，
把它栽在斜坡上，
枝丫横生平展展，
如果栽它在山颠，
松长大了就平头。
还有一棵香樟树，
把它栽在山坳上，
过往行人好乘凉。
还有一棵弄基树，
把它栽在山坳旁，
青年男女来谈情，
谈得个个心花放。
化香连同麻栎树，
栽在崖顶与山颠。
荆棘刺蓬好气力，
把它栽在山坡边，
不论谁人去碰上，
衣服裤子都撕烂。
青枢栽它在崖脚，
枝丫灰白光溜溜。
枫树栽它在哪里？
枫树栽在池塘中，
枫树心里不乐意，
一早上枯瘦九分，
枯瘦九成就拔扔。
把它栽在塘坎上，
枫树还是不高兴，
一早上枯痩九成，
枯瘦九分就砍丢。
把它栽在哪里呢，
它的心里真欢喜？
栽在塘脚水口旁，
早早有水来滋润，
晚晚有水来滋养，
一早要长大九倍，
枫树长得七抱粗。
栽枫要栽竹子陪，
竹子伴着枫脚长，
枫树脚下绿茵茵。
栽枫要栽竹做伴，
竹伴枫树冲天长，
枫树脚下青幽幽。
Where were the sweet gum shoots planted?
They were trees used in ancestor worship and village protection,
So they were planted along the roads.
The tall,straight firs were beautiful,
So they were planted in the mountain valleys,
Their branches growing so neatly.
The pine trees had long beautiful branches and needles,
So they were planted on the mountainsides,
Their branches spreading out straight.
When planted on the ridges they grew,
Their branches fanning out flat and neat.
There was also a camphor tree.
It was planted beside the mountain saddleback,
So passersby could enjoy the shade.
There were also a nongx gib tree.
It was planted in the mountain saddleback,
Young people came there to court,
And all were in high spirits.
Jab jib trees and ghod yel oak trees,
Were planted on the mountain peaks and cliff tops.
The thorn trees were strong and powerful,
So they were planted on the hillsides.
Anyone touching them,
Would have their clothing torn.
The hfab khab oak trees were planted at the foot of the cliffs,
Their grayish branches were so bright.
There was a sweet gum tree left.
Where was it planted?
It was planted in the pool,
But it didn’t like it.
In one morning,it shrank to one-tenth its size:
When it shriveled up,it was pulled out and thrown away.
When planted on the pool banks,
It was still unhappy.
In one morning,it shrank to one-tenth its size;
When it shriveled up,it was cut and thrown away.
Where was a suitable place to plant it?
Where would it be happy to live?
It was planted beside the pond’s source.
Early each morning,it got plenty of water;
Late each evening,it got plenty of water.
In one morning,it grew nine fold；
And grew to nine spans in girth.
Bamboo was planted to accompany the sweet gum trees，
To let both of them grow together,
So there was a deep green at the feet of the sweet gum trees.
When planting sweet gums,bamboo should be planted as well,
To let both of them grow together,
So there was a deep green at the feet of the sweet gum trees.
《砍伐古枫》叙述人们砍伐古枫的缘由，但实际上也展示了苗族习惯法的重要案例。
是那鹭鸶和白鹤，
翅膀宽大如晒席，
脚杆粗大像柱头，
喙壳粗大赛胫骨，
他俩从东方飞来，
天黑了他俩才到，
天麻麻亮就飞回，
他俩跨进你池塘，
捞走了你的鱼秧。
你把白鹤快找来，
找到鹭鸶交给我，
我才放了你的手！
那个鹭鸶和白鹤，
一夜转悠九个村，
十六地方任进出，
我到何处去找寻！
树叶虽然沾鱼鳞，
我可没有嘴吃吞，
你要放我就活命，
要杀便成两半截，
哪有多话来理论。
请个休纽老大人，
好歹不吃啥东西，
人一来到就说理。
他带来五把理片，
五把理片是陆英，
啪啪拍在枫树脚，
震得枫树呼呼摇。
你是窝家藏贼人，
有你留住匪才来，
没你留宿匪走了，
问你还有啥话说！
说理断案有期日，
枫树有理也难说。
就要来把枫树砍，
枫树说话打哆嗦。
这就要砍古枫树，
古老枫木砍倒了，
枫倒变成万千物。
It is egrets and white cranes,
Whose wings are wide as bamboo mats,
Whose legs are big as posts,
Whose bills are thick as shinbones.
They flew in from the east,
Arriving here at night.
And returning at dawn.
It is they who stole into the fish pond,
And made off with your fish fry.
“If you bring the white cranes,
And deliver me the egrets,
I’ll excuse you! ”
“The egrets and cranes
Can fly around nine villages in one night,
Can visit sixteen places in all
Where can I go to find them?
Though my leaves are covered with fish scales,
I have no mouth to eat fish fry.
If you excuse me,I live；
If you want to rive me into two parts,I die.
What else is there to say?”
Grandpa Hxub Niux was invited,
Anyhow,he didn’t eat anything,
On arrival,he deliberated the case.
He brought five brunches of judgment sticks,
Five armfuls of sticks made from Chinese elderberry,
“Whap-whap”he slapped the sweet gum’s roots,
Until the sweet gum was quaking.
“You are the accomplice of thieves.
Since you are here,the thieves come.
If you were not here,the thieves would leave.
Anything else to say for yourself?”
The case was deliberated for several days,
And the sweet gum could not make its point.
The sweet gum was to be cut,
So its voice trembled.
The sweet gum tree was to be cut,
When it was cut clown,
It turned into a myriad of things.
下面这个诗节讲述了苗族舞蹈的起源，真是非常有趣。
姜央解索放了牛，
把牛放在田中央，
爬上田坎来跳舞，
轻轻三步往前跳，
慢慢三步向后转。
会跳不会转腰身，
会扭又不会换步。
水中瓢虫在跳舞，
瓢虫教姜央转身。
蜜蜂来教腊跳舞，
央学踩鼓像蜜蜂，
才像祖先吃鼓藏，
像南良祭祖一样。
Jang Vangb quit plowing and let go the buffalo
In the middle of the paddy field.(https://www.daowen.com)
He ran up to the ridge above the field to dance.
He lightly danced three steps forward,
Then slowly turned three steps backwards.
He could dance,but he didn’t know how to turn;
After he learned to twist,he still didn’t know how to circle.
The water bug was dancing in the water,
And it taught Jang Vangb how to turn.
A honeybee came and taught him how to dance.
So Jang Vangb learned to drum dance like a bee.
It was like the sacrificial dances at the ancestor rites,
Which was the same as the rites at Nangl Liangs.
一些诗章讲述苗族人民对美好生活的向往。下面这首诗把蝙蝠比作好客商，它能吃香喝辣，敢在半夜赶场。
深更半夜去行商，
直到遥远的洪江，
一顿要吃三样菜，
三餐荤油炒菜香，
没杂一片青蓝菜，
谁人是个好客商，
深更半夜去赶场？
蝙蝠是个好客商，
深更半夜去赶场，
捉那蚊子充肚肠，
三样佳肴一顿饭，
炒肉进嘴喷喷香，
菜叶不许掺一张。
In the dark of night they go out to do business,
All the way to far-off Hongl Gangb.
In one meal,they eat three sorts of dishes;
Three meals of fragrant meat fried in oil,
Without a spring of green vegetable.
Who is a good traveling merchant,
Going at midnight to the market?
The bat is a good merchant,
Going at midnight to the market,
Catching and swallowing mosquitoes.
Three delicacies for each meal,
The fried meat is so tasty to eat,
No need for a shred of vegetable.
一些诗章讲述苗族人民找寻金、银、铜等各种金属矿藏的故事。这些诗章内容独特奇异，令读者惊叹。这些诗章的叙述方式也很奇特，语言简炼，语义反复，充分展现出口头文学的叙述特征。下面摘录几个诗章。
唱到运金运银歌，
就赞运金运银事，
摆摆运金运银古，
运金运银给祖先，
他们早年很富足。
来看运金运银事，
运金运银到西方，
运银子来给祖先，
运金子来给爹娘，
送给他们作财富，
富足跟世人一样，
盖房全是六根柱，
九柱落地大瓦房，
九根穿枋贯东叫，
枋子好像公鸭翎，
瓦顶好像穿山甲，
Singing of transporting gold and silver,
Recalling transporting of gold and silver,
Revealing the secrets of transporting gold and silver,
Transporting gold and silver to give the ancestors,
Who in those early years were so fortunate.
Come see gold and silver transported,
Gold and silver transported to the west,
Gold and silver transported to give the ancestors,
Gold and silver transported to give the parents,
Giving it to them to serve as riches，
So they would prosper like others.
All the houses were built with six posts,
Nine posts supporting a great tile roof,
Nine cross-beams pointing east and west.
The cross-beams looking like drake plumes,
The earthen-tile roofs looking like pangolins,
屋里排椅闪红光，
龙王以此作殿堂，
家家一样都富有，
盖房互相比模样，
吃饭互相比筷碗，
穿衣比的绸和锻，
看看谁的最好看。
这是当今的事情，
还去谈它干什么，
来看那茫茫遼古，
运金子来干什么？
运银子来做哪样？
来看那茫茫邃古，
天支得稳稳的了，
地支得稳稳的了，
有地方可春碓了，
有江河运金银了，
可没日月当空照，
地方漆黑一团糟。
运金子来给祖婆，
运银子来给祖公，
造太阳镶在天上，
造月亮挂在长空。
运金子来给祖先，
运银子来给祖先。
给祖先们造月亮，
造太阳挂在天上。
不知银子产何地！
金子又出在何方？
別的又出在何处？
And each home filled with shiny red chairs,
Just like the Dragon King’s palace.
Each family was as rich as the other,
Houses were compared as to the best design,
When eating,people compared the chopsticks and bowls,
And they compared their silk and satin clothes,
To see who had the best of what!
But all this is today’s way,
Why talk about it now?
Let’s look at that distant secret,
For what reason gold was transported,
For what reason silver was transported.
Let’s look at that distant secret,
Heaven was firmly propped,
Earth was firmly propped,
There were places to husk grain,
There were rivers to transport gold and silver;
But there were no sun and moon to give off light in the sky,
And all was covered in darkness.
Gold was transported to give grandmothers,
Silver was transported to give grandfathers,
To make suns to embed within the sky,
To make moons to hang in the empty sky,
Gold was transported to give the ancestors,
Silver was transported to give the ancestors,
To give the ancestors to make moons,
To make suns to hang in the sky.
What place was silver created?
Where did gold come from?
And where were all the other metals from?
他们兄弟九儿郎，
九人九个模样儿。
九人九个娘生养，
还是九人共爹娘？
九人同父共一娘，
他们吃的九只奶，
九人长相不一样。
银子吃的哪边奶？
金子吃的哪边奶？
银吃面前那一只，
金吸胸前那一只，
有好乳汁流出来，
银子脸面白生生，
脸面白白像鸭蛋，
金子脸色泛红光，
如同花开山坳上。
铜吃的奶在脊背，
奶汁流不到那里，
铜的脸面黄泱泱。
铁吃的奶在膝弯，
奶汁流淌不下来，
铁的脸儿黑漆漆。
铅吃的奶在囟门，
没有奶汁流出来，
铅的脸儿蓝带青。
锡吃的奶在指尖，
没有奶汁流下来，
锡的脸儿灰带蓝。
钢吃的奶在腋下，
没有奶汁能流到，
钢的脸儿青带蓝。
They were among nine brothers,
And in nine shapes,
For nine mothers bore and raised them.
Or did the nine have the same parents?
All nine had the same parents,
But they suckled at nine breasts,
So they grew differently.
Which breast did silver suckle?
Which breast did gold suckle?
Silver suckled a breast on the chest,
Gold suckled a breast on the chest,
Where good milk flowed.
So silver’s face turned white as could be,
As white as a duck egg.
Gold’s face had a ruddy hue,
Redder than blooms in a mountain saddleback.
But copper suckled a breast on the back,
Milk didn’t flow there,
So copper’s face became sallow.
Iron suckled a breast on one of the knees,
Milk didn’t flow down there,
So iron’s face became deep black.
Lead suckled a breast on top of the head.
No milk flowed there,
So lead’s face became purplish green.
Tin suckled a breast on one of the fingernails,
No milk flowed there,
So tin’s face was grayish purple.
Steel suckled the breast under one of the arms.
No milk flowed there,
So steel’s face was bluish purple.