Structure of the Song of Cloth
This song is one of the ancient songs of the Miao. It consists of questions and answers that are sung in antiphonal style. There are 12 sections，and the singer changes his tone for each section，usually repeating the main themes from the previous section.
The first part starts with finding seeds，ploughing the field and copying the eagle dropping a seed into the ground. It gives an account of the Miao sowing seed.
The third part describes the season when the cotton comes into blossom and hangs off every branch. This is a sign that there will be a good harvest. It also describes people collecting the materials to make the indigo dye.
The fourth part records the process of making cloth，starting with the mother stirring the indigo dye，and pounding the cotton cloth. This part makes reference to the legendary venomous insect that comes to disturb the mother’s hearth and the younger sister’s dye. This appears to be because the ancestor gong gong’s 公公spirit lived in the old house.
The fifth part continues to describe the young sister’s worries：there is a crab causing her distress，so she is unable to dye the cloth blue-black. It also introduces a man named Ib Nox who has the skill to make cloth for the whole village and as a result the village becomes more beautiful. Finally，the mother meets a strong buffalo and it becomes a sacrifice to their ancestors.
The sixth part talks about the cloth being dyed. It is soaked in cloudy alkaline water and spread out in the mountain forest，and then finally it is combed and rinsed. There are 3 bolts of cloth：one for the mother，one for the brother and one for the younger sister. Unfortunately the younger sister’s cloth cannot be dyed blue-black，so she feels worried again.
The seventh part tells us why the younger sister’s cloth cannot be dyed. The reason is that she met the ghost of the buffalo. The younger sister brings two cups of wine and invites the ghost of the buffalo to drink，and she persuades the ghost not to touch the cloth and prevent it being dyed purple. Moreover，she tells the god of the East land to hasten the water into fresh indigo dye. After that，the cloth is dyed blue-black and the younger sister will finally be able to wear the clothes as she considers a prospective husband. She will also have a dowry for her engagement.
The eighth part tells about the process of making clothes. It describes the black woven pattern that looks like the black beetles in the pond. The styles of the men’s clothes are copied from the shape of the eagle. When they meet a pheasant，they copy its beautiful colours to make the design for the girls’ clothes. After all is completed，the mother locks the new clothes in a cabinet.
The ninth part follows the mother locking the beautiful clothes in the cabinet and the young sister trying to find a way to trick her mother into opening the cabinet so she can wear them to go courting. A herdsman named Xangb，who lives at Wangs Jang Mountain，makes a key to open the cabinet.
The tenth part describes the day of the younger sister’s marriage. It begins with getting dressed in the granary；the younger sister uses the clear water as a mirror as she combs her hair and looks at her face. When the sun has risen up to the roof，it is time for the girl to leave her mother’s home. The song records that the girl holds an umbrella in her right hand；with her left hand she holds the bridesmaid’s hand as she leaves through the big doorway.
The eleventh part tells how，when the younger sister leaves home，her relatives and friends and her brother stand at the firewood shed to see her off. Her sister-in-law sees her off from the field near the twig fence，and her mother sees her off from the edge of the field.
The twelfth part records the final goodbye conversation between mother and daughter. The mother cries，“You were born from my heart and I raised you，as precious as an ingot of silver—but now you are leaving me behind as if you were throwing away a worm，and I am heartbroken and afflicted with profound grief”. However，the song goes on to say that there is an eternal principle from time immemorial：the daughter is predestined to go away. Even if you make her stay，she will still go—and she will return and then leave again. This has been the custom from the time of the ancestors. The mother should stay at home to live with her son and daughter-in-law. Finally，the daughter tells her mother，“I leave you to raise the next generation. I will be with my parents-in-law；please don’t worry.”
Now the story is complete. The singer speaks directly to the audience with his last few words：“I don’t know if there’s anything else to tell. So，let us put this song deep in our hearts. You came to record my song for posterity；you have not seen the whole of me yet but now you have already seen half of my face. Did you understand my story？”And the he ends with the words，“Let the young sister get married and make clothes for her parents-in-law，and now our mother can be a reasonable person and our sister’s family can expand，and our mother’s heart should be at peace. I have sung about everything，I have finished the whole Song of Cloth.”
