By his last decree, I serve the departed king,
Forcing a smile and makeup, my brows I darken.
Years change the color of the tomb-side trees’ spring,
Yet his favor lives on in my dancing gown’s sheen.
An air of autumn chills the jade throne now,
The Bronze Terrace glows under the sunset’s glow.
Tear stains mark the well’s rail, silent and deep,
For whom are these long, long dancing sleeves to keep?
遗令奉君王，嚬蛾强一妆。
岁移陵树色，恩在舞衣香。
玉座生秋气，铜台下夕阳。
泪痕沾井干，舞袖为谁长。
This seven-character regulated verse by Tang poet Liu Fangping draws on a historical legend from the Wei Dynasty. It is said that Emperor Cao Pi ordered performers from the Bronze Sparrow Tower to guard the tomb of his father, Cao Cao. The figure of the "Bronze Sparrow performer" often symbolized neglected palace women or entertainers. Through this imagery, the poet depicts not only the sorrow of a once-favored consort watching over the tomb as her beauty fades but also reflects on the transience of glory and the impermanence of favor. Amid the Tang Dynasty’s extravagant social atmosphere, women with similar fates were not uncommon in the palace. This poem serves as the poet’s allegorical meditation on real life through a historical theme.
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