Lu Yu: Old Lady

 

Old Lady

 

阿 姥
城 南 倒 社 下 湖 忙
阿 姥 龙 钟 七 十 强。
犹 有 尘 埃 家 时 镜
东 涂 西 抹 不 成 妆。
A Mu

Cheng nan dao she xia hu mang
A mu long zhong qi shi qiang.
You you chen ai jia shi jing
Dong tu xi ma bu cheng zhuang.

 

Old Lady

South of the city walls, busy around a large lake, praying after the seeds have been planted
Old lady of seventy years with normal wrinkles still strong.
Still able to dust off her marriage mirror to go outside
Not applying full make-up, blots to the east and wiped smears to the west.

 

[Written on the fifth day after the Spring Equinox]