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[TN: “just” four poems, but chonky headnote is chonky and two poems are longish, so another serial]
Ao
After we met, your balcony was dark indefinitely.
Mist deepens in the emerald trees, the water-clock drips slow.
At midnight comes a fragrant breeze as moonlight fills the courtyard:
Before my flowers, I compose a parting poem in vain.
Beautiful Woman
There is no road to yearn for you, and so I must not yearn.
Within the winds the flowers bloom for only a short time.
A melancholy golden door—even if I return,
At daybreak orioles chirp then stop on the green willow branches.
与谢翺赠答诗
作者：金车美人
〈陈郡谢翱，举进士，寓居长安升道里，庭中多植牡丹。一日，见有一美人，乘金车至门，年可十六七，风貌闲丽，谓翱曰：“闻此地有名花，故来与君一醉耳。”固问为何人，曰：“君但知非人，则已安用问耶？”夜阑辞归，乞诗为赠，翱怅然命笔，美人荅之。翱明年下第东归，至新丰逆旅，步月长望，追感前事，赋诗朗吟。忽闻车音自西来，视之，乃前美人也，曰：“将之弘农，感君意，故一面耳。”呜咽不自胜，翱亦悲泣，诵所制诗，美人复酬一诗。翱别之去，虽知为怪，不能忘，枉道弘农，留数日，求之，竟绝影响。还洛阳不数月，以怨结卒。〉
阳台后会杳无期，
碧树烟深玉漏迟。
半夜香风满庭月，
花前空赋别离诗。〈翺〉
相思无路莫相思，
风里花开只片时。
惆怅金闺却归去，
晓莺啼断绿杨枝。〈美人〉
Well hey, a second time where poems are given in narrative order, instead of putting the ghost’s first and appending the others. Also, this is another where we learn the woman’s name, which is then ignored for the ascription and (most of) the narration.
Cheng County is now part of Huaiyang in southeastern Henan. Luoyang, where Ao apparently was demoted to, is in northwestern Henan, and Xinfeng was a town about a day’s journey east of Chang’an on the route there. “Not human” could easily be read as “not mortal” (or maybe “no longer mortal”?) but either way, the editors understood Nong to be a ghost rather than say a demon. Traditionally, women came of age and were considered fully adult at 15 (men came of age at 20), so by the standards of the time, he was not considered a perv for wanting her to stay the night. “Crooked path” means exactly what you think it does, only without any connotation of thievery.
The balcony is specifically one on an upstairs women’s quarters—that it’s remained dark without her presence “indefinitely” is romantic exaggeration, given he’s just met her. Lost in translation: the water-clock is “jade,” that is, a really fine one.
---L.
Xia Ao of Chen Country, who was elevated to Advanced Scholar, resided in Shengdao Ward of Chang’an with many peony trees planted in his front courtyard. One day he saw a beautiful woman driving a golden carriage arrive at his gate, age possibly 16 or 17, with a beautiful and refined appearance, who called to Ao, saying, “I heard this place is famous for its flowers, and because of this I came so that we can drink this wine-jar together.” He naturally asked who she was, and she replied, “You understand I’m not human, yet calmly ask such a question?” Late that night, she took her leave, requesting a poem as a present. Ao disappointedly ordered his brush, and the beautiful woman replied. [TN: read the first two poems now] The next year Ao was demoted and returned east. He arrived at a Xinfeng guest-house, where he strolled beneath the moon, gazing far off, and recalling his feelings of the previous events, he composed a poem and clearly recited it. [TN: third poem] Suddenly he heard the sounds of a carriage coming from the west, and when he looked, it was the previous beautiful woman, who said, “You invited this Hong Nong to feel your emotions, and so I heard.” (She) sobbed without self-control, and Ao also wept in grief. He repeated the poem he’d made, and the beautiful woman in return repaid him with a poem. [TN: third again, and fourth] Ao did not send her away, though he knew she acted strangely, as he couldn’t forget her. Hong Nong of the crooked path stayed several days at his request, (then) at long last she vanished in both sight and sound. He returned to Luoyang and, after not many months, expired from his suffering.
Ao
After we met, your balcony was dark indefinitely.
Mist deepens in the emerald trees, the water-clock drips slow.
At midnight comes a fragrant breeze as moonlight fills the courtyard:
Before my flowers, I compose a parting poem in vain.
Beautiful Woman
There is no road to yearn for you, and so I must not yearn.
Within the winds the flowers bloom for only a short time.
A melancholy golden door—even if I return,
At daybreak orioles chirp then stop on the green willow branches.
与谢翺赠答诗
作者：金车美人
〈陈郡谢翱，举进士，寓居长安升道里，庭中多植牡丹。一日，见有一美人，乘金车至门，年可十六七，风貌闲丽，谓翱曰：“闻此地有名花，故来与君一醉耳。”固问为何人，曰：“君但知非人，则已安用问耶？”夜阑辞归，乞诗为赠，翱怅然命笔，美人荅之。翱明年下第东归，至新丰逆旅，步月长望，追感前事，赋诗朗吟。忽闻车音自西来，视之，乃前美人也，曰：“将之弘农，感君意，故一面耳。”呜咽不自胜，翱亦悲泣，诵所制诗，美人复酬一诗。翱别之去，虽知为怪，不能忘，枉道弘农，留数日，求之，竟绝影响。还洛阳不数月，以怨结卒。〉
阳台后会杳无期，
碧树烟深玉漏迟。
半夜香风满庭月，
花前空赋别离诗。〈翺〉
相思无路莫相思，
风里花开只片时。
惆怅金闺却归去，
晓莺啼断绿杨枝。〈美人〉
Well hey, a second time where poems are given in narrative order, instead of putting the ghost’s first and appending the others. Also, this is another where we learn the woman’s name, which is then ignored for the ascription and (most of) the narration.
Cheng County is now part of Huaiyang in southeastern Henan. Luoyang, where Ao apparently was demoted to, is in northwestern Henan, and Xinfeng was a town about a day’s journey east of Chang’an on the route there. “Not human” could easily be read as “not mortal” (or maybe “no longer mortal”?) but either way, the editors understood Nong to be a ghost rather than say a demon. Traditionally, women came of age and were considered fully adult at 15 (men came of age at 20), so by the standards of the time, he was not considered a perv for wanting her to stay the night. “Crooked path” means exactly what you think it does, only without any connotation of thievery.
The balcony is specifically one on an upstairs women’s quarters—that it’s remained dark without her presence “indefinitely” is romantic exaggeration, given he’s just met her. Lost in translation: the water-clock is “jade,” that is, a really fine one.
---L.