After played the swing,
i went to wash my hand with rose petals.
Dew on the rose garden,
the sexy sweat drenched my thin shirt.
Heard someone coming,
ran off barefoot.
Lost my hairpin and socks,
on the gate toward the corridor,
i shyly smelt green plum,pretended i haven't seen that pretty boy.
蹴罢秋千，起来慵整纤纤手。
露浓花瘦，薄汗轻衣透。
见客入来，袜刬金钗溜。
和羞走，倚门回首，却把青梅嗅。
This straightforward poem was written during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) by Li Qingzhao, one of the best-known female writers in Chinese history. Though only fragments of her works survived, she wrote prolifically during her lifetime, usually depicting the lives of girls and women in their boudoirs.
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
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