lnhammer: the Chinese character for poetry, red on white background (Default)
lnhammer ([personal profile] lnhammer) wrote2023-05-31 07:43 am

Delicate Fingers, Zhao Luanluan

Slim and slender, soft as jade, or shavings from spring scallions,
A long time kept inside her jade-green sleeves of fragrant gauze.
Yesterday they sought for notes upon the pipa strings—
And now the nails are clearly filled in using scarlet polish.

纤指
纤纤软玉削春葱,
长在香罗翠袖中。
昨日琵琶弦索上,
分明满甲染猩红。

A pipa is a lute-like instrument. Evidently someone hadn’t practiced for a while. Added in translation: “for notes.”

---L.

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