Long Curtains and Screens Hang Low: (Many Beauties Sing of White Chrysanthemums)
多 丽
小 楼 寒，夜 长 帘 幕 低 垂。
恨 萧 萧，无 情 风 雨
夜 来 揉 损 琼 肌。
也 不 似，贵 妃 醉 脸
也 不 似，孙 寿 愁 眉。
韩 令 偷 香
徐 娘 傅 粉
莫 将 比 拟 未 新 奇。
细 看 取，屈 平 陶 令
风 韵 正 相 宜。
微 风 起，清 芬 酝 藉
不 减 酴 醾。
渐 秋 阑，雪 清 玉 瘦
向 人 无 限 依 依。
似 愁 凝，汉 皋 解 佩
似 泪 酒，纨 扇 题 诗。
朗 月 清 风
浓 烟 暗 雨
天 教 憔 悴 度 芳 姿。
纵 爰 惜，不 知 从 此
留 得 几 多 时？
人 情 好，何 须 更 忆
泽 畔 东 篱。
Duo Li
Xiao lou han, ye chang lian mu di chui.
Hen xiao xiao, wu qing feng yu
Ye lai rou sun qiong ji.
Ye bu si, gui fei zui lian
Ye bu si, sun shou chou mei.
Han ling tou xiang
Xu niang fu fen
Mo jiang bi ni wei xin qi.
Xi kan qu qu ping tao ling
Feng yun zheng xiang yi.
Wei feng qi, qing fen yun ji
Bu jian tu mi.
Jian qiu lan, xue qing yu shou
Xiang ren wu xian yi yi.
Si chou ning, han gao jie pei
Si lei jiu, wan shan ti shi.
Lang yue qing feng
Nong yan an yu
Tian jiao qiao cui du fang zi.
Zong yuan xi, bu zhi cong ci
Liu dei ji duo shi?
Ren qing hao, he xu geng yi
Ze pan dong li.
Long Curtains and Screens Hang Low: (Many Beauties Sing of White Chrysanthemums)
Small building, cold evening
Long curtains and screens hang low
Hate the soughing wind, rain and wind without emotions
As evening arrives harm is done to their exquisite skins.
Also not similar to the drunk colors in the face of the imperial concubine,
Yang Guifei
Also not the same as the eyebrows of Sun Shou
Han Ling had a secret fragrance
Xu Niang did not need powder to make her skin clear and white.
Not a person or thing can compare to these fresh and unique flowers
Looking carefully again, they have the same style and integrity as
Qu Yuan and Tao Yuanming
Like beautiful wind sounds, straight and very desirable.
Light breezes arise, pure fragrances begin like the making of wine
At least as fine as exquisite, double-fermented wine
Autumn almost gone, flowers white as thin, snowy jade
So many approaching visitors reluctant to leave
Flowers and I fixed on each other, but both them and my memories
of them soon disappear
Like falling tears of Banzhao, writing poems to the emperor, the gift
of a fan also forgotten.
Bright moon, cool breezes
Thick fog into dark rain squalls
Weather changes, flowery gestures look ill and emaciated
Even though I love and treasure these flowers
How many more days remain for me?
Yet my memories change to positive human emotions
Enjoy these times like Qu Yuan walking the riverbanks, and Tao
Yuanming along his eastern fence.
Notes:
Yang Guifei: (719-756) One of the Four Beauties of Ancient China and famous consort of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Also noted as the woman who helped bring down an empire.
Xu Niang: (?-549) A princess from the Liang Dynasty (502-557) used here as a metaphor for a middle-aged promiscuous woman.
Qu Yuan: (340-278 BC) Poet and politician noted for writing the masterpiece Li Sao and other songs of Chu. Was a model and metaphor for the literati and officials who were denied recognition during their lives. His suicide from political and patriotic despair in the Miluo River was the origin for today’s Dragon Boat Festival.
Tao Yuanming: Famous Eastern Jin Dynasty poet. His work and biography can also be found on this website.
Banzhao: (45-117 AD) First known female historian and most famous female scholar. She completed her brother’s Book of Han, an historical writing of the Western Han Dynasty.