There is a fine lady of matchless beauty who lives obscurely in a lonely valley. She says she is the daughter of a good family, driven by misfortunes into the wilds. When of late the heartlands were convulsed with disorder, her brothers met their deaths at the hands of the rebels. The high rank they had held was all unavailing: she could not entreat their dead bodies for burial.
The way of the world is to hate what has had its day; and fortune is as fickle as a lamp-flame. Her husband is not faithful to her. His new woman is as lovely as a jewel. Even the vetch-tree knows when it is evening; and the mandarin ducks do not sleep alone. Yet he has eyes only for the smiles of the new woman: no ear for the sobbing of the old. In the mountain the waters of the stream are clear, but once they have left the mountain they are muddy.
When her servant-girl gets back from selling her pearls, she has to pull creepers to cover the holes in the thatched roof with. The flowers which the lady picks are not for wearing in her hair; of bitter cypress she plucks many a handful. Her gay blue sleeves are thin against the cold. As evening falls she rests by the tall bamboos.
12. 佳人 Jiā-rén
Jiā-rén
絕 代 有 佳 人
1. Jué-dài yǒu jiā-rén,
幽 居 在 空 谷
2. Yōu-jū zài kōng gǔ
自 云 良 家 子
3. Zì yún liáng-jiā-zǐ,
零 落 依 草 木
4. Líng-luò yī cǎo-mù.
關 中 昔 喪 亂
5. Guān-zhōng xī sāng-luàn,
兄 弟 遭 殺 戮
6. Xiōng-dì zāo shā-lù.
官 高 何 足 論
7. Guān gāo hé zú lùn,
不 得 收 骨 肉
8. Bù-dé shōu gǔ-ròu.
世 情 惡 衰 歇
9. Shì-qíng wù shuāi-xiē,
萬 事 隨 轉 燭
10. Wàn-shì suí zhuǎn zhú.
夫 壻 輕 薄 兒
11. Fū-xū qīng-bó-ér,
新 人 美 如 玉
12. Xīn-rén měi rú yù.
合 昏 尚 知 時
13. Hé-hūn shàng zhī shí,
鴛 鴦 不 獨 宿
14. Yuān-yāng bù dú sù.
但 見 新 人 笑
15. Dàn jiàn xīn-rén xiào,
那 聞 舊 人 哭
16. Nǎ wén jiù-rén kū!
在 山 泉 水 清
17. Zài shān quán-shuǐ qīng,
出 山 泉 水 濁
18. Chū shān quán-shuǐ zhuó.
侍 婢 賣 珠 廻
19. Shì-bì mài zhū huí,
牽 蘿 補 茅 屋
20. Qiān luó bǔ máo-wū.
摘 花 不 插 髮
21. Zhé huā bù chā fà,
采 柏 動 盈 掬
22. Cǎi bǎi dòng yíng jū.
天 寒 翠 袖 薄
23. Tiān hán cuì xiù bó,
日 暮 倚 修 竹
24. Rì mù yǐ xiū zhú.
Read Aloud: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV165411V7wP/
A Fine Lady
There is a fine lady of matchless beauty who lives obscurely in a lonely valley. She says she is the daughter of a good family, driven by misfortunes into the wilds. When of late the heartlands were convulsed with disorder, her brothers met their deaths at the hands of the rebels. The high rank they had held was all unavailing: she could not entreat their dead bodies for burial.
The way of the world is to hate what has had its day; and fortune is as fickle as a lamp-flame. Her husband is not faithful to her. His new woman is as lovely as a jewel. Even the vetch-tree knows when it is evening; and the mandarin ducks do not sleep alone. Yet he has eyes only for the smiles of the new woman: no ear for the sobbing of the old. In the mountain the waters of the stream are clear, but once they have left the mountain they are muddy.
When her servant-girl gets back from selling her pearls, she has to pull creepers to cover the holes in the thatched roof with. The flowers which the lady picks are not for wearing in her hair; of bitter cypress she plucks many a handful. Her gay blue sleeves are thin against the cold. As evening falls she rests by the tall bamboos.