Jade Dressing-Table, Quan Deyu (Tang Shi #243)

[lnhammer]

Last night, he undid my girdle—
Today, a spider hovers here.
I can’t discard my makeup now,
I shouldn’t give up my gaozhen.

玉台体
昨夜裙带解，
今朝蟢子飞。
铅华不可弃，
莫是篙砧归。

The speaker seems to be a concubine or wife whose husband spent the night with her for the first time in a while. The name of the spider (蟢, a type of orb-weaver) is a homonym of 喜, happy event. The gaozhen (literally, wooden anvil, or something like that?) was part of a married woman’s outfit. I’m even less certain about the translation of the title.

Quan Deyu is another only-poem-in-collection poet.

—L.

Comments

[thistleingrey]

I've been hoping that someone else would comment with more context?

[larryhammer]

See today’s revision—I found a commentary (and a dictionary entry) that explained things a little more clearly.

[cat_i_th_adage]

Maybe she got pregnant and so changed her mind about, possibly, retiring to the secluded life of a nun?

[lnhammer]

Nope — I misconstrued an explanation of the gaozhen, throwing things on the wrong track. See today’s revision.

[cat_i_th_adage]

Ah, thanks! It's a cool poem (even if I'm not sure I properly understand it).

[lnhammer]

That’s okay — I’m pretty sure I still don’t (especially the title).