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[TN: the reunion poems]
Ao
A single sheet of flowered paper, clouds dispersed on blue—
Redolent of black ink just as if it still was fresh.
My emptiness increases, filling my eyes with misery.
I cannot see three mountains nor that indistinct person.
The setting moon shines on my clothes—tonight I will be dreaming
Of flowers scattering and chirping birds from last year’s spring.
The red boudoir is even more a place for anxiety:
Above the window, spiderwebs—with how much dust upon them?
Beautiful Woman
Depressed at our auspicious time, alone within a dream.
In Wuling the appearance of spring has reached its end in vain.
I long to know when parted how to stubbornly endure:
There only are just bits of news—for us, there’s no connection.
With anxious mien and eyebrows raised, I stare at the shallow green
As tracks of tears invade my cheeks, falling down light red.
These carriage wheels pause here for now with this descendent of kings—
Tomorrow I will hurry west and he will face the east.
一纸华笺洒碧云，
馀香犹在墨犹新。
空添满目凄凉事，
不见三山缥缈人。
斜月照衣今夜梦，
落花啼鸟去年春。
红闺更有堪愁处，
窗上虫丝几上尘。〈翺〉
惆怅佳期一梦中，
武陵春色尽成空。
欲知离别偏堪恨，
只为音尘两不通。
愁态上眉凝浅绿，
泪痕侵脸落轻红。
双轮暂与王孙驻，
明日西驰又向东。〈美人〉
Lost in translation: Nong wants to endure her “resentment” at their separation. An “auspicious time” is one for a wedding or, by extension, any tryst. I’ve touched on this before, but “go/return west” is a euphemism for dying, which for someone already a ghost can probably be understood as “return to the underworld.”
I like how in both her poems, Nong responds to and advances Ao’s images. Her last line reminds me of “Unwelcome, even though here he’s facing east.
---L.
Ao
A single sheet of flowered paper, clouds dispersed on blue—
Redolent of black ink just as if it still was fresh.
My emptiness increases, filling my eyes with misery.
I cannot see three mountains nor that indistinct person.
The setting moon shines on my clothes—tonight I will be dreaming
Of flowers scattering and chirping birds from last year’s spring.
The red boudoir is even more a place for anxiety:
Above the window, spiderwebs—with how much dust upon them?
Beautiful Woman
Depressed at our auspicious time, alone within a dream.
In Wuling the appearance of spring has reached its end in vain.
I long to know when parted how to stubbornly endure:
There only are just bits of news—for us, there’s no connection.
With anxious mien and eyebrows raised, I stare at the shallow green
As tracks of tears invade my cheeks, falling down light red.
These carriage wheels pause here for now with this descendent of kings—
Tomorrow I will hurry west and he will face the east.
一纸华笺洒碧云，
馀香犹在墨犹新。
空添满目凄凉事，
不见三山缥缈人。
斜月照衣今夜梦，
落花啼鸟去年春。
红闺更有堪愁处，
窗上虫丝几上尘。〈翺〉
惆怅佳期一梦中，
武陵春色尽成空。
欲知离别偏堪恨，
只为音尘两不通。
愁态上眉凝浅绿，
泪痕侵脸落轻红。
双轮暂与王孙驻，
明日西驰又向东。〈美人〉
Lost in translation: Nong wants to endure her “resentment” at their separation. An “auspicious time” is one for a wedding or, by extension, any tryst. I’ve touched on this before, but “go/return west” is a euphemism for dying, which for someone already a ghost can probably be understood as “return to the underworld.”
I like how in both her poems, Nong responds to and advances Ao’s images. Her last line reminds me of “Unwelcome, even though here he’s facing east.
---L.