詠白海棠 (林黛玉) – 曹雪芹

詠白海棠 (林黛玉) – 曹雪芹

 

半卷湘簾半掩門，碾冰為土玉為盆。

偷來梨蕊三分白，借得梅花一縷魂。

月窟仙人縫縞袂，秋閨怨女拭啼痕。

嬌羞默默同誰訴？倦倚西風夜已昏。

 

Ode to Begonia (The Story of the Stone) by Cao Xueqin 

 

By the half-raised bamboo blinds, the half-bolted door,

Stands the pot of jade with soil of crushed ice galore.

Three shares of whiteness stolen from the pear-petals,  

One share of scent borrowed from plum blooms, and much more,

As though a snowy gauze-gown the moon-nymph tailored,

As if a lass weeps in boudoir, though all adore

Her grace, she’s too demure to lay bare her deep thoughts,

Leaning on twilit zephyr with a languid core.

 

Tr. Ziyuzile

 

(To be revised)