Listen to this article樂府
杜甫
麗人行
三月三日天氣新， 長安水邊多麗人。
態濃意遠淑且真， 肌理細膩骨肉勻。
繡羅衣裳照暮春， 蹙金孔雀銀麒麟。
頭上何所有？ 翠微盍葉垂鬢唇。
背後何所見？ 珠壓腰衱穩稱身。
就中雲幕椒房親， 賜名大國虢與秦。
紫駝之峰出翠釜， 水精之盤行素鱗。
犀箸饜飫久未下， 鸞刀縷切空紛綸。
黃門飛鞚不動塵， 御廚絡繹送八珍。
簫鼓哀吟感鬼神， 賓從雜遝實要津。
後來鞍馬何逡巡？ 當軒下馬入錦茵。
楊花雪落覆白蘋， 青鳥飛去銜紅巾。
炙手可熱勢絕倫， 慎莫近前丞相嗔。
Folk-song-styled-verse
Du Fu
A SONG OF FAIR WOMEN
On the third day of the Third-month in the freshening weather
Many beauties take the air by the Changan waterfront,
Receptive, aloof, sweet-mannered, sincere,
With soft fine skin and well-balanced bone.
Their embroidered silk robes in the spring sun are gleaming —
With a mass of golden peacocks and silver unicorns.
And hanging far down from their temples
Are blue leaves of delicate kingfisher feathers.
And following behind them
Is a pearl-laden train, rhythmic with bearers.
Some of them are kindred to the Royal House —
The titled Princesses Guo and Qin.
Red camel-humps are brought them from jade broilers,
And sweet fish is ordered them on crystal trays.
Though their food-sticks of unicorn-horn are lifted languidly
And the finely wrought phoenix carving-knife is very little used,
Fleet horses from the Yellow Gate, stirring no dust,
Bring precious dishes constantly from the imperial kitchen.
…While a solemn sound of flutes and drums invokes gods and spirits,
Guests and courtiers gather, all of high rank;
And finally, riding slow, a dignified horseman
Dismounts at the pavilion on an embroidered rug.
In a snow of flying willow-cotton whitening the duckweed,
Bluebirds find their way with vermilion handkerchiefs —
But power can be as hot as flame and burn people’s fingers.
Be wary of the Premier, watch for his frown.
