Gathering Lotus Song
采 莲 曲
若 耶 溪 旁 采 莲 女
笑 隔 荷 花 共 人 语。
日 照 新 妆 水 底 明
风 飘 香 袖 空 中 举。
岸 上 谁 家 游 冶 郎
三 三 五 五 映 垂 杨。
紫 骝 嘶 入 落 花 去
见 此 踟 蹰 空 断 肠。
Cai Lian Qu
Ruo ye xi pang cai lian nu
Xiao ge he hua gong ren yu.
Ri zhao xin zhuang shui di ming
Feng piao xiang xiu kong zhong ju.
An shang shei jia you ye lang
San san wu wu ying chui yang.
Zi liu si ru luo hua qu
Jian ci chi chu kong duan chang.
Gathering Lotus Song
Shaoxing small stream bank, girls gathering lotus
Talking and laughing together among the lotus flowers.
Shining sun, new make-up and petals bright upon the water
Wafting on the wind, fragrant sleeves raised and lowered.
Houses upon the riverbank, young women seductively dressed
Gathered around drooping poplars in groups of threes and fives.
Well-bred palominos (and their riders) depart, leaving behind fallen blossoms
Seeing this, girls hesitate with hearts empty and broken.
Notes:
Shaoxing: A city in Zhejiang Province in between the cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo. It straddles the old Grand Canal and is famous for it’s local rice wine, classical gardens, and the Orchid Pavilion, which honors the famous calligrapher Wang Xizhi.
