The Song of the River
You hear it all along the river. You hear it, loud and strong, from the rowersas they urge the junk with its high stem, the mast lashed alongside, down theswift running stream. You hear it from the trackers, a more breathless chant,as they pull desperately against the current, half a dozen of them perhaps ifthey are taking up a sampan, a couple of hundred if they are hauling a splendidjunk, its square sail set, over a rapid. On the junk a man stands amidshipsbeating a drum incessantly to guide their efforts, and they pull with all theirstrength, like men possessed, bent double；and sometimes in the extremity of theirtravail they crawl on the ground, on all fours, like the beasts of the field.They strain, strain fiercely, against the pitiless might of the stream. Theleader goes up and down the line and when he sees one who is not putting allhis will into the task he brings down his split bamboo on the naked back. Eachone must do his utmost or the labour of all is vain. And still they sing avehement, eager chant, the chant of the turbulent waters. I do not know howwords can describe what there is in it of effort. It serves to express thestraining heart, the breaking muscles, and at the same time the indomitablespirit of man which overcomes the pitiless force of nature. Though the rope may part and the great junk swing back,in the end the rapid will be passed；and at the close of the weary day thereis the hearty meal...
But the most agonising song is the song of the coolies who bring the great bales from the junk up the steep steps to the town wall. Up and down they go, endlessly, and endless as their toil rises their rhythmic cry. He, aw-ah, on. They are barefoot and naked to the waist. The sweatpours down their faces and their song is a groan of pain. It is a sigh ofdespair. It is heart rending. It is hardly human. It is the cry of souls in infinite distress, only just musical, and that last note is the ultimatesob of humanity. Life is too hard, too cruel, and this is the final despairing protest. That is thesong of the river.
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