The wedding day arrived,

Good-hearted Honeybee,

Warm-hearted Butterfly,

Accompanied Serpent Prince to fetch the bride.
 

The villagers of eighteen villages on nine mountains,

Some carrying jugs of rice wine,

Some plucking three-stringed banjos,

Some blowing double-reed horns,

Some blowing reed-pipe flutes,

Piping and drumming, prepared to fetch the bride.
 

No smoke rose from the rooftop,

The ashes in the hearth were cold,

Father and Mother were nowhere to be seen,

Seventh Sister was nowhere to be seen,

After searching through the buckwheat fields,

After searching around the rear slope of the mountain,

Seventh Sister's parents,

Were finally found.
 

Father and Mother were in a tree picking fruit,

Elder Brother was in the mountain shopping brush for fuel,

The seven sisters were in the mountain wilds,

Surrounded by flowers and trees, plucking fragrant blossoms.
 

The thorns, ya, the thorns, were just too many!

The fruit couldn't be picked;

The thorns, ya, the thorns, were just too many!

The brush couldn't be cut;

The thorns, ya, the thorns, were just too many!

The fresh flowers couldn't be plucked.

Serpent Prince went beneath the tree,

And gently spoke:

"Ah Ba, Ah Ma!

I'll pick the fruit,

I'll chop the brush,

I'll pluck the fresh flowers."
 

Father and Mother picked up the fruit from beneath the tree,

Elder Brother, to one side, collected the brush fuel,

The seven sisters helped to gather the flowers.

The fruits were as big as the moon,

Tasted sweet like honey,

Their skins richly glowing;

The chopped brush was made into torches,

Lighting up the mountain village,

Lighting up the entire house;

The fresh plucked flowers were draped on the green reed canopy,

Beckoning butterflies to come,

Welcoming honeybees to come.
 

Father and Mother, looking at Serpent Prince,

Truly admired him in their hearts.

Father and Mother carried the fruit,

The sisters held the fresh flowers,

Elder Brother carried the firewood,

And happily returned home.
 

The Yi people love drinking clear spirits,

The Yi people esteem their guests;

The whole family entertained Serpent Prince,

Busy with him from dawn to dusk.

Father and Mother's hearts were joyful,

Elder Brother's heart was joyful,

Seventh Sister's heart was joyful,

Serpent Prince's heart was joyful.
 

In the dead of night,

Father and Mother woke up and got busy making food;

As the East brightened they ate,

As the sun topped the mountains they set off to escort the bride.
 

Father and Mother escorted their seventh daughter,

Elder Brother escorted his dear youngest sister,

The elder sisters escorted their youngest sister,

Escorted her across the ninety-nine green mountains,

Across the ninety-nine blue mountain ridges.

When Seventh Sister left home, the further away she went,

Those seeing her off became more and more heartbroken,

Father and Mother, heartbroken, couldn't hold back their tears,

Elder Brother, heartbroken, couldn't hold back their tears,

The elder sisters, joyful, couldn't hold back their laughter.
 

The six sisters had six hearts,

The six sisters had six ways of seeing things.

Eldest Sister said:

"Marrying Serpent Prince isn't as good as

Marrying a marten!"

Eldest Sister ran off to find a marten.
 

Second Sister said:

"Marrying Serpent Prince isn't as good as

Marrying a monkey!"

Second Sister ran off to find a monkey.
 

Third Sister said:

"Marrying Serpent Prince isn't as good as

Marrying a rabbit!"

Eldest Sister ran off to find a rabbit.
 

Fourth Sister said:

"Marrying Serpent Prince isn't as good as

Marrying a pheasant!"

Eldest Sister ran off to find a pheasant.
 
 
Fifth Sister said:

"Marrying Serpent Prince isn't as good as

Marrying a panther!"

Eldest Sister ran off to find a panther.
 

Sixth Sister said:

"Marrying Serpent Prince isn't as good as

Marrying a tiger!"

Eldest Sister ran off to find a tiger.
 

Only Father and Mother escorted their seventh daughter,

Only Elder Brother escorted his seventh sister,

Escorted her straight from the Yi village,

Escorted her directly to Serpent Prince's home.
 

Serpent Prince's gold filled a cupboard,

Serpent Prince's silver filled a room,

Serpent Prince's cattle and sheep filled his pens,

Serpent Prince's grains filled his granaries.
 
 
Father and Mother were happy as can be.

"Our family's little seventh daughter,

Given to Serpent Prince in marriage,

Will know a good life,

Father and Mother's hearts are at ease!"
 

Elder Brother was happy to see this:

"Our family's seventh sister,

Given to Brother Serpent Prince in marriage,

Will know a happy life,

Elder Brother's heart is at ease!"
 

Serpent Prince prepared a banquet to receive his kin,

Butterfly helped cook the dishes,

Honeybee helped warm the wine,

Busy, busy everywhere,

Busy to and fro.
 
 
A golden table glittered brightly,

Silver stools stood straight and tall,

Golden chairs were set in the place of honor,

Silver stools stood at each side;

The golden table was set in the center,

Silver bowls were set on the table;

Golden bowls were set in eight pairs,

Silver cups were set in four pairs.
 

Father and Mother were invited to sit in the golden chairs,

Elder Brother was invited to sit on a silver stool,

Seventh Sister was invited to sit on a silver stool,

All of them sitting round the table.
 

Delicacies from the land in several large bowls,

Delicacies from the sea on several large platters,

Cured meat in several large bowls,

Good spirits in several large jugs;

The delicious dishes were eaten to everyone's fill,

With white rice along with it bowl after bowl.
 

Serpent Prince politely offered Father and Mother a toast,

Seventh Sister gave Elder Brother choice bits with her chopsticks,

Towards the honored guests these words were spoken:

"We're so busy we can't rightly attend to Father and Mother,

We're so busy we can't rightly attend to Elder Brother,

We're so busy we can't rightly attend to everyone.

You must drink to your fill,

You must eat as many dishes as you like,

You must eat bowls and bowls of rice till you're really full."
 

Spirits drunk amply,

Dishes eaten amply,

Rice eaten to capacity,

A golden basin was fetched to wash their faces,

A silver basin was fetched to wash their feet.

Sheep's felt blankets were spread on the beds,

Silk and satin coverlets spread on the beds;

Father and Mother were invited to sleep in a golden bed,

Elder Brother was invited to sleep in a silver bed.
 

Serpent Prince was a kindhearted soul,

Father and Mother were immensely pleased,

Elder Brother was in high spirits,

The love match proven to be fit and right.