薛逢: 宫词/ xue feng: a palace poem

宫词

薛逢

十二楼中尽晓妆， 望仙楼上望君王。

锁衔金兽连环冷， 水滴铜龙昼漏长。

云髻罢梳还对镜， 罗衣欲换更添香。

遥窥正殿帘开处， 袍裤宫人扫御床。

　

a palace poem

xue feng

in twelve chambers the ladies, decked for the day,

peer afar for their lord from their fairy-view lodge;

the golden toad guards the lock on the door-chain,

and the bronze-dragon water-clock drips through the morning

till one of them, tilting a mirror, combs her cloud of hair

and chooses new scent and a change of silk raiment;

for she sees, between screen-panels, deep in the palace,

eunuchs in court-dress preparing a bed.