With light makeup, you appeared in all your beauty, radiant and enchanting.
You frequently turned around and gazed at me. It reminded me of the story in
which Xiang-ru Si-ma 1 seduced Wen-jun Zhuo and Zhuo desired to tie
herself to Si-ma with the ribbons of conjugal happiness. I remember we met in
the luxurious hall and fell in love. How charming your light smile and slightly
furrowed brow were! Facing the sleeping-duck-shaped incense burner and behind
the screen painted with flying mandarin-ducks, you bashfully untied your
fragrant belt in secret.
Since the Lantern Festival passed, I have not seen you walk in the
countryside or gather vegetables 2. Many times I want to ask a pair
of swallows to send my deep regards. The manifold curtains are hateful for they
impede me from visiting you. When will we meet again? Spring is in its prime. I
feel tired from drinking wine and bored by endless daytime. Awakened in fatigue,
I find the sun still hangs above blooming trees.
1
Xiang-ru Si-ma (200 B.C.-118 B.C.), a native of Cheng-du City, was a great
writer and poet during the Han dynasty.
2
Walking in the Countryside and Gathering Vegetables (the second day of the
second month in Chinese lunar calendar) were two ancient Chinese festivals that
came after the Lantern Festival (the fifteen day of the first month).