My family was poor

My family was poor,
at the tender age of twelve
I was sold to a factory….

I was carried away by sweet-sounding words.
My money was stolen and thrown away.
Unaware of the hardship of the future,
I was duckweed in the wind.

Excited I arrived at the gate, where I bowed to the
[doorman,
I was taken immediately to the dormitory,
Where I bowed to the room supervisor.
I was taken immediately to the infirmary,
Where I risked my life having a medical examination.
I was taken immediately to the cafeteria,
Where I asked what was for dinner.
I was told it was low-grade rice mixed with sand….

We friends are wretched,
separated from our homes
in a strange place,
put in a miserable dormitory
waken up at four-thirty in the morning,
eating when five o’clock sounds,
dressing at the third bell,
glared at by the manager and section head,
used by the inspector.
How wretched we are!