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Nü Guan Zi: Orchid Flowers Are Fragrant
English Poetic Translation
The orchid blossoms breathe their sweet perfume.
After the snow, the pavilion looks a painted scroll.
The spring breeze sweeps up to the jeweled tower,
where flute and pipe resound,
and colored glass casts brilliant gleams.
Now lanterns hang in idle display.
This is not the dim dust and bright moonlight
of that bygone festival night.
Wearied by years, my spirit grows timid and slack,
ashamed to vie with painted brows for festive show.
The river town grows hushed as the first watch begins.
Who has the art to ask of Heaven's lord
the loan of ancient splendor once again?
I snip the sputtering red wick.
Only within faint dreams do inlaid carriages return,
and gauze kerchiefs rustle.
On silver-dusted paper from Wu,
I mean to pen the scenes of yesteryear
into a casual idle tale.
Yet I smile to hear the neighbor girl with dark coiled hair,
leaning by her window, still singing on
as the western sun goes down.
After the snow, the pavilion looks a painted scroll.
The spring breeze sweeps up to the jeweled tower,
where flute and pipe resound,
and colored glass casts brilliant gleams.
Now lanterns hang in idle display.
This is not the dim dust and bright moonlight
of that bygone festival night.
Wearied by years, my spirit grows timid and slack,
ashamed to vie with painted brows for festive show.
The river town grows hushed as the first watch begins.
Who has the art to ask of Heaven's lord
the loan of ancient splendor once again?
I snip the sputtering red wick.
Only within faint dreams do inlaid carriages return,
and gauze kerchiefs rustle.
On silver-dusted paper from Wu,
I mean to pen the scenes of yesteryear
into a casual idle tale.
Yet I smile to hear the neighbor girl with dark coiled hair,
leaning by her window, still singing on
as the western sun goes down.
Classical Chinese & Pinyin
蕙花香也。
雪晴池館如畫。
春風飛到，寶釵樓上，一片笙簫，琉璃光射。
而今燈漫掛。
不是暗塵明月，那時元夜。
況年來、心懶意怯，羞與蛾兒爭要。
江城人悄初更打。
問繁華誰解，再向天公借。
剔殘紅灺。
但夢裏隱隱，鈿車羅帕。
吳箋銀粉砑。
待把舊家風景，寫成閒話。
笑綠鬟鄰女，倚窗猶唱，夕陽西下。
雪晴池館如畫。
春風飛到，寶釵樓上，一片笙簫，琉璃光射。
而今燈漫掛。
不是暗塵明月，那時元夜。
況年來、心懶意怯，羞與蛾兒爭要。
江城人悄初更打。
問繁華誰解，再向天公借。
剔殘紅灺。
但夢裏隱隱，鈿車羅帕。
吳箋銀粉砑。
待把舊家風景，寫成閒話。
笑綠鬟鄰女，倚窗猶唱，夕陽西下。
Philological Direct Translation
Orchid flowers are fragrant too.
Snow cleared, pond and mansion are like a painting.
Spring wind flies arriving,
At the jeweled hair-pin tower,
A patch of reed-pipes and flutes,
Colored glass light shoots.
Now lanterns are idly hung.
It is not dark dust and bright moon,
That time's Lantern Festival night.
Moreover, over recent years, heart is lazy and spirit timid,
Ashamed with moth-eyebrow girls to contend for brilliance.
River city people quiet, initial watch strikes.
Asking, prosperity who knows how,
Again from Heaven's Lord to borrow?
Trimming remaining red candle wick.
Only in dreams faintly,
Inlaid carriages and gauze kerchiefs.
Wu paper with silver powder pressed.
Waiting to take old home scenery,
Written to become idle talk.
Laughing at green-coiled-hair neighbor girl,
Leaning against window still singing,
Sunset western downward.
Snow cleared, pond and mansion are like a painting.
Spring wind flies arriving,
At the jeweled hair-pin tower,
A patch of reed-pipes and flutes,
Colored glass light shoots.
Now lanterns are idly hung.
It is not dark dust and bright moon,
That time's Lantern Festival night.
Moreover, over recent years, heart is lazy and spirit timid,
Ashamed with moth-eyebrow girls to contend for brilliance.
River city people quiet, initial watch strikes.
Asking, prosperity who knows how,
Again from Heaven's Lord to borrow?
Trimming remaining red candle wick.
Only in dreams faintly,
Inlaid carriages and gauze kerchiefs.
Wu paper with silver powder pressed.
Waiting to take old home scenery,
Written to become idle talk.
Laughing at green-coiled-hair neighbor girl,
Leaning against window still singing,
Sunset western downward.