The Works of Li Qingzhao, Ci Poems 3.49 - 3.56

[x_los]

The seventh instalment of Li Qingzhao’s ci poetry. This book is freely available via De Gruyter's Library of Chinese Humanities in Mandarin and English and via several publication formats, including two open access options (the pdf appears to be better formatted than the ebook). We're reading the poems 3.49 through 3.56, inclusive.

How to Read Chinese Poetry has three chapters on the ci forms Li Qingzhao uses here: 

Chapter 12, Ci Poetry: Short Song Lyrics (Xiaoling) 

Chapter 13, Ci Poetry: Long Song Lyrics (Manci) 

Chapter 14, Ci Poetry: Long Song Lyrics on Objects (Yongwu Ci)

Recall from the introduction that everything after 3.35 is relatively likely to be misattributed. This is especially true after 3.45: these may be written deliberately 'in Li Qingzhao's style'. 

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Comments

3.51

[x_los]

點絳唇

蹴罷鞦韆
起來慵整纖纖手。
露濃花瘦。
薄汗沾衣透。
見客入來
襪鏟金釵溜。
和羞走。
倚門回首。 却把青梅嗅。

To the Tune “Dabbing Crimson Lips”

Getting off the swing
she straightens her clothes languidly, her fingers slender. The dew is heavy, the blossom frail,
patches of perspiration stain her dress.
Seeing someone come,
in her stocking feet, gold hairpin slipping, she runs bashfully away.
At the door she pauses, turning to look back, and sniffs the green plum in her hand.

Re: 3.51

[x_los]

“patches of perspiration stain her dress.” Quite an indelicate thing to say of a pretty woman

“and sniffs the green plum in her hand.” ?

Re: 3.51

[superborb]

The Baike (HK) exegesis compares the sweat to the dewdrops on a flower, and says the plum bit is her looking for an excuse to sneak a look at the person coming in.

Re: 3.51

[douqi]

A related concept/term: perfumed sweat.

Sweat not disgusting if it comes from an attractive woman, I guess.