Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute: Poems 13-18

[x_los]

 This week, we're reading poems 13-18 in, and thus finishing up, this collection. Because of the nature of the book in question, I'll ask you to refer here for Chinese and English copies of the poems and the images together.

You can view the scroll as a whole more easily and read some background on the Met's website; the Wiki page will also help orient you. In case it's useful, here is a plain-text version of the scroll. 

This is the final week we'll be spending on this poem cycle. Please check the previous two entries if you'd like further background information.

Comments

14. The Return Journey Begins

[x_los]

第十四拍 (5 columns in standard script)
莫以胡兒可羞恥，恩情亦各言其子。
手中十指有長短，截之痛惜皆相似。
還鄉豈不見親族，念此飄零隔生死。
南風萬里吹我心，心亦隨風渡遼水。

Do not think that the nomad children cause me shame;
Anyone would speak of his or her children with love.
The ten fingers of the two hands are of different lengths,
Yet the pain of one cut off is the same as for any other.
Upon my return, I shall be reunited with my kinsmen,
Then this part of my life will be as remote as the dead are from the living.
The southern wind blows across ten thousand miles to stir my heart;
My heart will follow the wind and cross the Liao River.

Re: 14. The Return Journey Begins

[x_los]

Does different lengths indicate that her attachment to her birth family is of longer duration, or is it a remark on the quality of her sons as opposed to her Han family members?

So the envoy is clean shaven

What is this cake stand the prince is carrying?

Lots of pink clothing today

The banners are curiously minimal, without sigils 
I don't know that I've ever seen a carriage with a camel before

No other women on this trip?

Re: 14. The Return Journey Begins

[superborb]

I read it just as 'they're different', but I guess it could be a small insult?

Huh, this very sketchy site (https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/cn-early.html) seems to describe the banners as anachronistic for that era, disagreeing with the PDF.

Re: 14. The Return Journey Begins

[x_los]

The banners struck me because the shijing talked so much about banner-designs as signifying.