On the third day, taking my place to cook,
Washing my hands to make the bridal soup,
I decide that not my mother-in-law
But my husband's young sister shall have the fiat taste.
Original Poem:
「新嫁娘」
王建
三日入厨下， 洗手作羹汤。
未谙姑食性， 先遣小姑尝。
Interpretation:
This is a popular poem, which is almost invariably chosen in poems from Tang to the present, indicating that this poem has its own unique charm. The poem is about a new bride’s cautious psychology and her behavior when she first arrives at her in-laws’ home.
When she first arrives at her in-laws’ home, she has to be careful in every move. On the one hand, she is afraid of being laughed at, and on the other hand, she is afraid of cold eyes or rebuke from her mother-in-law, which is a common mentality of new brides in feudal society. How did this new bride cope with this situation? In ancient times, the third day after a woman’s marriage, commonly known as the “three dynasties”, according to the custom of the kitchen to cook, but also shows the solemnity of the new bride, want to make this meal better.
But how can I make this meal better? Having never lived with my mother-in-law, I don’t know whether she likes spicy or salty, hemp or sour. Whether or not your mother-in-law likes the meal is the crux of the matter. If you cook a meal and serve it in a confused manner, you will certainly attract the dissatisfaction of your mother-in-law. People will not only think that she does not know how to cook, but also say that her mother did not teach her enough. But how to solve this problem? Oh yes, my sister-in-law was there! She had lived with her mother-in-law since she was a child, so she must know her tastes, so why not let her taste it? So the clever new bride not only solved the problem, but also brought her relationship with her sister-in-law closer and improved her interpersonal relationship in the new family.
The poem portrays a good image of a clever and resourceful new bride through the difficulties encountered by a newly-married girl when she cooks for the first time in her mother-in-law’s house (“I am not familiar with the nature of the aunt’s food”) and her solution to the problem.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Wang Jian (王建), c. 766-c. 830 AD, was a native of Xuchang, Henan Province. He was admitted as a jinshi in 775 AD. He was poor all his life, so he had wider contact with the society and understood the people’s situation. His lefu poems reflecting reality are broad in subject matter and have a certain depth of thought.
