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Spring Palace Complaint, Du Xunhe (300 Tang Shi #167)
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 07:31When I was young, my beauty led me astray.
I’m loath to adorn myself before the mirror—
My looks no longer now receive his favor—
So teach this one your way of dressing up?
In the warm breeze, bird voices are jumbled—
In the high sun, the flowers’ shadows are layered.
Year after year the women of Yue streams
Recall when we picked lotus blooms together.
春宫怨
早被婵娟误，
欲妆临镜慵。
承恩不在貌，
教妾若为容？
风暖鸟声碎，
日高花影重。
年年越溪女，
相忆采芙蓉。
The Spring Palace is the Crown Prince’s residence, and the speaker is one of his concubines. Yue is a term for the deep south in general, but there’s also an association with the Warring State kingdom of Yue and the legendary beauty Xi Shi (see #40). Lost in translation: the streams are specifically “mountain streams.”
---L.
I’m loath to adorn myself before the mirror—
My looks no longer now receive his favor—
So teach this one your way of dressing up?
In the warm breeze, bird voices are jumbled—
In the high sun, the flowers’ shadows are layered.
Year after year the women of Yue streams
Recall when we picked lotus blooms together.
春宫怨
早被婵娟误，
欲妆临镜慵。
承恩不在貌，
教妾若为容？
风暖鸟声碎，
日高花影重。
年年越溪女，
相忆采芙蓉。
The Spring Palace is the Crown Prince’s residence, and the speaker is one of his concubines. Yue is a term for the deep south in general, but there’s also an association with the Warring State kingdom of Yue and the legendary beauty Xi Shi (see #40). Lost in translation: the streams are specifically “mountain streams.”
---L.