[updated September 2022]
With Imperial Scribe Jia, at the Daming Palace for the Morning Audience
和 贾 舍 人 早 朝 大 明 宫 之 作
绛 帻 鸡 人 送 晓 筹
尚 衣 方 进 翠 云 裘。
九 天 阊 阖 开 宫 殿
万 国 衣 冠 拜 冕 旒。
日 色 才 临 仙 掌 动
香 烟 欲 傍 衮 龙 浮。
朝 罢 须 裁 五 色 诏
佩 声 归 向 凤 池 头。
He Jia She Ren Zao Chao Da Ming Gong Zhi Zuo
Jiang ze ji ren song xiao chou
Shang yi fang jin cui yun qiu.
Jiu tian chang he kai gong dian
Wan guo yi guan bai mian liu.
Ri se cai lin xian zhang dong
Xiang yan yu bang gun long fu.
Chao ba xu cai wu se zhao
Pei sheng gui xiang feng chi tou.
With Imperial Scribe Jia, at the Daming Palace for the Morning Audience
With crimson headdresses, palace time keepers deliver counters at daybreak
Everyone wearing the imperial-audience clothes, emerald-green bird feather coats.
Door after door, ascending to the last one, big door opens into a palace room.
From all over the empire they arrive to pay respect to the mian liu.
Sun arrives, shadows from the xian zhang are moving
Fragrant incense, all desire to be close to his ceremonial robe, a dragon that appears to emerge as he walks.
Court dismissed, we now have to make the rainbow-colored imperial documents
The sounds from our jade, while walking back to the work table in our office.
Notes:
Daming: A large meeting hall within the palace complex.
Mian liu: The traditional Chinese imperial crown with stringed jade beads attached at the top.
Xian zhang: Candle holders shaped like the hand of an immortal.
Commentary:
A well-written observation of what it must have been like to attend the daily, early morning audience with the emperor.